Kevin Whitcher
Having put 12 goals past Reading’s porous defence in two matches so far this season, it would have been something of a surprise if Arsenal failed to win comfortably yesterday afternoon. Although they took a while to find their shooting boots, going in only one up at the interval in spite of a host of chances, things were resolved satisfactorily in the second half as the Gunners secured a painless three points. Anything but would have made the task of trying to get into the top four a lot more difficult than it should be.
Nigel Adkins has brought a team to the Grove once this season already. Then Southampton manager, his side conceded six. It is interesting to note that the Saints seems to have become a more disciplined outfit under their new Argentinian manager. They, and Reading are an example that style of play is all well and good, but sound principles are a vital basis to achieve success. The same could be said of Arsenal at times in recent seasons, although the last three matches have shown that gradual improvement is possible.
Gervinho’s early goal settled any nerves, although I am not quite sure what that Nazi-style salute is all about when he celebrates scoring. I am sure it isn’t what it looks like, but he needs to either explain it or modify the thing. Even with the missed opportunities in the first half, how the Gunners were not awarded a penalty for Stuart Taylor’s taking out of Olivier Giroud is a mystery. It’s been so long since I have seen Taylor in action, that for long spells I was wondering if this was the same player that won a title medal with Arsenal in 2002. He’s had a strange career since, not playing many games, and those that he has had have largely been for lower league teams where he has been on loan. Even as a reserve keeper, one imagines he has earned enough to make sure he has a secure future after he retires, assuming he has been prudent. However, since that title medal in 2002, he has obviously settled for a career largely spent in reserve. Bob Wilson urged Arsene Wenger to promote him above David Seaman before Seaman was released and Jens Lehmann arrived. One wonders what might have been for Taylor.
The second half was largely more of the same one way traffic, although Reading’s consolation goal tarnished things slightly, with Nacho Monreal caught napping. Spurs’ win at Swansea was not the news that anyone at Arsenal wanted to hear, although on the flip side, Chelsea’s defeat at Southampton demonstrated that there are definitely two teams to chase for a Champions League berth.
A top four spot is obviously very significant for the board and manager, but there is evidence that whether the team can do it or not, a certain section of supporters’ interest is waning. Reputedly, alarm bells are ringing at the club because they are struggling with club level renewals, which were sent out in February. I guess, whether you are buying for corporate hospitality or as a fan, for the amounts being asked, you might expect to see more ‘event’ games in a season. Matches where the stakes are high and the result really matters. It seems there are not quite so many of them these days, because the race for a top four finish does not excite in the way that contention for actual trophies does.
I must admit that the idea of not qualifying for the Champions League only really matters to me in the sense that I do not really want to be attending games on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons for much of next season. As for the competition itself, it’s really the formality of the group stage and then waiting to see which big team will give us a glamour tie before elimination. Or at least that is how it feels now. I don’t get excited by the idea of winning it anymore, because I just don’t see how that is possible with the team’s lack of tactical acumen and quality of personnel. The manager warns that the best players will not join a club outside of the CL, but it’s hardly as if they have been arriving by the truckload in recent years is it? What difference would it make?
I don’t think I am alone in the stadium these days. Even amongst those who wholeheartedly support the manager, there seems a dissipation of tension. We are not on the edges of our seats too much these days, more like sitting back and waiting to see what will unfold. Perhaps I am generalizing, but it is just a feeling. I sit in the upper tier, with many seats around me sold on a match by match basis. Maybe there is a greater intensity in the cheaper seats.
The run-in should prove interesting, a test for the players now at the club. Maybe as it gets closer to the end of the season, the tension will rise and the games will matter more, but the feeling of disconnect, of not really caring as much as I used to, is worrying. It is not how I thought my football supporting life would pan out before the club moved stadium. But maybe it’s just me.
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