Stephen Spiro
Having been a season ticket holder for more than 50 years, and having listened (again and again) to those seated behind me moaning at what they see, and witnessing the display against Blackburn, I feel entitled to my “pop” at the causes of the current increasing malaise. There are (at least) three problems - the board, the transfer policy and the coaching.
As I sit and listen to endless, “we should never have bought X” and “Y is the worst player ever to wear the shirt”, we do need to recognise that the natives are not happy. The first thing an organisation needs is direction from the top, with a clear mission statement and short- and long-term strategies that should, ideally, be in the public domain. We have none of these. Instead, as often aired, we have an owner who is never seen and rarely heard, and certainly does not drive the intent of the club. We have a Chairman whose appearances at the AGM are often patronising and defensive - allowing until this year the airing of only pre-presented questions and, only then, those carefully chosen for being harmless - and who exhibits little appetite for the game. Having unprepared questions this year explains why Messrs Kroenke and Gazidis got into such a muddle! We have a CEO who also makes mainly patronising comments and reassures us that the manager has the full backing of the board and money to spend. In fact, the entire board is football-ignorant and therefore simply will not and, indeed, cannot, take the club forward.
I do believe the manager is given money for transfers. However, he is a prudent chap and loath to spend lavishly. Having said that, he and the club appear to have no policy for buying players. Strategy would dictate a second good goalkeeper, a good centre-half, a driving/holding midfield player and an outstanding striker. Yet this January window, the injury to Gibbs triggers an immediate purchase of Monreal on the final day of the window. He may turn out fine, but this was a panic-buy precipitated by circumstances. Instead, the choice was to secure five UK players on extended contracts and the wisdom or otherwise of this will emerge in the next few years. Thus we are never “ready and prepared” for the window and always seem to be taken by surprise.
The other aspect of the buying of players is that it emerges from time to time that the manager has not met a signee till the magic day, eg Podolski. How much is he involved and how thorough is he? I cannot believe he thought the defensive skills of Santos were worth £6m. On the downside, he appeared to know Gervinho well from his frequent forays to France! These are huge moments, with years of high salaries to follow and yet one hears they are sometimes bought through recommendation. Sounds crazy and irresponsible.
Finally, what about the coaching. I know nothing about this, but when one witnesses the lame, limp, and sideways build-up with almost every player leaving it to another to get forward or to make an incisive pass, one sees the slow and hopeless movement that characterises our play. We must be SO easy to defend against and have become utterly predictable. The cause for this has to be blamed on the coaching staff, who simply seem to forbid risk and must encourage the tormented play that we see every week. I still believe the effectiveness of our players adds up to much more than their individual talents; they are just prevented by the coaching staff from expressing them.
Mr Wenger used to have a wonderful knack of bringing younger players in and improving them greatly. However, we see good players with potential, such as Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs to mention just three, going steadily backwards and appearing not to enjoy their football. Witness Coquelin playing out of position against Blackburn; when the chances come to get down the right flank, time and time again, he just stops and slips the ball two metres sideways. He must have had any invention and the need to take a risk drilled out of him. Same with Podolski, who shot hard on sight in his first few games, and now is a motionless post on the left against whom the ball bounces a few times a game.
So, it is attitude and desire which the players clearly lack. However this spirit has to come down from the top with the message being given loud and clear as to what to do. It doesn’t and won’t while the current hierarchy are in charge. Will Mr Usmanov make a difference? Maybe in the short term only.
So it is ethos and desire, and yes, I think, also a new manager and set of coaches. We must not blame everything on Mr Wenger but I think he remains confused as to what is wanted, and after 16 years he has probably given it his best shot. However, until there is a new board, whoever comes in will find Arsenal Football Club a hard place in which to succeed.
Writing this on the eve of the Bayern game, I don’t know whether to worry about teams beginning with “B”, or to look through half-covered eyes and remain in hope for a miracle, just like any other fan.
