Kevin Whitcher
After watching Arsenal’s display at Norwich, I was struggling to recall a worse performance by a Gunners side in recent seasons. And I include the 8-2 at Old Trafford in that, which at least had the mitigation of a severely weakened starting eleven. With the arrival of three relatively experienced players over the summer and the promotion of Steve Bould to the first team coaching set-up, there was optimism that things were going to be different this season. The story of Bould grabbing Alex Song by the throat in pre-season hinted that, perhaps, the culture of complacency at the club might finally become a thing of the past, that players would give their all for the team or face short shrift.
However, when ESPN relayed that the first team, rather than make a coach journey to Norwich yesterday, flew from Luton, a trip of some 14 minutes, it kind of said it all. These pampered, overpaid primadonnas are going to choose when they battle. So at Upton Park a fortnight ago, they gave it their best and took the spoils. At Carrow Road yesterday, it didn’t look like anyone really fancied it. The first half was bad enough, but one at least hoped for some reaction after the interval, some motivation from someone in the dressing room to make the team step up and raise their game. But commitment and any sense of urgency seemed absent throughout. This was an Arsenal side without spirit, devoid of character.
Two points dropped at home to Sunderland on the opening match of the season, I can live with, because a new first team line-up was still in the process of gelling. Defeat at home to Chelsea was frustrating because of the errors that presented the visitors with their goals, but no-one can say they were genuinely shocked that Wenger’s team was beaten that day. However, away to Norwich was very familiar, in the sense that far too often in recent campaigns, the side have dropped points to clubs in and around the relegation zone. Last season’s demoted trio managed to get two draws and a victory in their six matches with Arsenal. One hoped that the changes made at the club over the summer, and initial signs of a newly established resilience, would mean that even when the side were not at full pelt, points would be secured.
Norwich had, before yesterday, failed to win a single one of their seven league games, in the process conceding on average more than two goals per game. They should have been meat and drink to a team with top four pretentions, but Arsenal simply did not turn up. There were few attempts on goal as the visitors continued with the Barcelona tika-taka style without the quality to outwit opponents who were in the Championship 18 months ago. And they had no other solutions. With players of the supposed quality their wages suggest, one would have thought one might have had the wit and ability to actually take their opponent on instead of trying to play around them. Test the keeper with the occasional shot. That kind of thing.
What was most worrying was that it seemed there was no-one to lift the team. Either on the pitch or at half-time in the dressing room. This certainly wasn’t the sort of display any side with genuine title hopes would give. It struck me that this was the kind of performance you would not see from a line-up stuffed with a culture of winning. There are certainly no players in the line-up that have won anything with Arsenal and the honours achieved by those who have joined from elsewhere do not stack up greatly. Norwich battled valiantly, showing no great quality but attitude in spades. Wenger’s team tried to play through the eye of a needle, it didn’t come off due to a lack of quality, but the tactics did not change. No plan B, no switch in approach, not enough use of width, in spite of the ability of both Santos and Jenkinson to provide this option.
So in terms of consistency, Arsenal reverted to type. Capable of beating anyone on their day, but just as capable of turning up with an attitude suggesting they don’t think they need to work hard to win. Perhaps that is what you get when your players exist in five star luxury. A Rolls Royce in a demolition derby. They should be shown a video of Barcelona’s workrate to understand why they are winners. The hunger to get the ball back and then put in the effort to use their talents to ensure possession is not squandered lightly. They should all be in for extra training this morning, but one suspects it’s the usual day off. It was obvious at half time that a rocket up the arse was required, something like this (warning, not to be played in earshot of anyone who shouldn’t be hearing industrial language). One wonders if anything was said at all. One also wonders what the point of having Jack Wilshere on the bench was. In terms of attitude, perhaps half an hour from the number 10 might have shown his colleagues the way, who knows? Arsenal needed something to light the touchpaper but it never came. Did Oxlade-Chamberlain actually warm up properly or just go through the motions?
Arsenal played poorly, they lacked the intelligence to overcome poor opponents, and the manager did not provide any tactical solutions. Worst of all, there was no heart, no appetite for the battle. Norwich were determined, but they were hardly Stoke when it came to physicality, they just wanted it more. We’ve seen far too many of this type of performance from Wenger teams since 2008. The manager has not signed a contract renewal yet, and the fantasy is that the board may finally acknowledge it’s time for a change, although one suspects Ivan Gazidis was the only one who bothered to make the trek to Norwich. Maybe the rest were enjoying a read through the annual accounts back at home, the reasons we will suffer at least another three years of this turgid fare beyond 2014. I think we can now declare the encouraging early signs of this season as a false dawn. Once again, the limit of this team’s capabilities is making next season’s Champions League and the attendant financial windfall. They will be well off the pace for the title, and already are. After international breaks, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City all won yesterday, and the latter two had to work hard to do so. Arsenal thought they could fly in and take the points.
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