Kevin Whitcher
Having won only two of their previous nine league fixtures, with a consequent slide down the table, Arsenal desperately needed the three points last night, although the ponderous way they performed for most of the first half gave you no indication of any sense of urgency. I remarked to my neighbour that if you did not know, one would assume that there remained nothing to play for this season where either side was concerned. I was put in mind of a particular Neil Young song from the mid-1970s.
With both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returning to the bench, I also thought of Bernard Joy’s famous book ‘Forward Arsenal’ and pondered if an updated version taking in events towards the latter part of Arsene Wenger’s tenure might be titled ‘Sideways Arsenal’. Because the lack of penetrative play was alarming. Olivier Giroud returned to the starting line-up and enjoyed by far the best chance of the game before the visitors scored. Rather than blast it with his right he tried to engineer a chip with his favoured left foot and ended up with a meek effort easily parried by the visitors’ keeper.
Eventually West Ham took advantage and an inability to prevent Nocerino closing in on the six yard box from wide ended up with the ball loose in front of the goal and an opportune header for Matt Jarvis to give them the lead. Fortunately, it proved something of a wake up call and just before the interval, Cazorla fed Podolski and he found the net with unerring precision.
Kim Kallstrom made his full debut and took time to get into the game, although in the second half started to show why he has gained over 100 caps for Sweden. It corresponded with Arsenal dominating the play with a little more purpose and fathoming two further goals to make the game safe, through Giroud, using his right foot this time after some excellent work to bring a through ball under control, and Podolski again. For the latter player, it was an excellent response after his hooking in the semi-final on Saturday.
To return briefly to that game, in my piece on Sunday, I opined the belief that Podolski was being booed when substituted because, with the team 1-0 down, he was trudging off the field at slow pace as if his side had all the time in the world. I have been corrected by so many people that I accept I misread the situation. Arsene Wenger was being booed for making this particular change (Giroud coming on for the German instead of taking off Sanogo). At the time, I could not get my head around the idea that the manager was being booed for four reasons –
1 – The manager was changing the formation to 4-4-2 – a plan B! Tactical change! Hoorah! Why would anyone boo that? We have been crying out for it, surely.
2 – Sanogo, although unable to convert chances, was certainly creating problems for the Wigan defence with his awkwardness, pace and sheer physicality. Along with the Ox he was the only player that seemed to be offering anything in attack.
3 – Podolski – although by far not the only one – had not played well at all up to that point.
4 – I couldn’t contemplate such huge numbers of Arsenal fans booing the manager at a cup semi-final at Wembley. I for one, was just glad to see him trying something so obviously different as the inability to break down Wigan with the usual Arsenal style was alarming. However, what it evidently demonstrates is that the tide has turned against the manager for the majority now. And this, more than anything, was something I could not bring myself to believe after the reasons that change is needed having been evident for several seasons. The penny has finally dropped. It seems to have taken the title collapse and the heavy away defeats for the majority to see what has been obvious for a long time now, back to at least 2009 and arguably a year earlier.
So I stand corrected on the booing at Wembley. And my apologies for reading it wrong.
It was significant that Podolski played the entire 90 minutes last night and, in the parlance of the club interviews after poor performances, gave a ‘response’. Let’s hope for more of the sort of football we saw in the second half against West Ham in the remaining matches of the season. The introduction of Ramsey from the bench improved things even further.
It is interesting that, as in the last couple of seasons, it has boiled down to Arsenal needing to fend off a team challenging for the fourth spot by taking enough points from their final matches. And there we were hoping to be in the mix for the title. Deep down, I think everyone knew it was probably a long shot, but most suspended their disbelief because the team was holding on to first place up until the beginning of February. Still, we have been here before, so what followed was unfortunately all too predictable. And it was the reason TV pundits were consequently asked – can Arsenal really win the title? Unfortunately, Liverpool’s run of form could mean that the idea a team with Arsenal’s resources are unable to compete with the petrodollar funded clubs will no longer be the fallback position to explain failure. And the very fact that on an even more modest budget Everton are giving Arsenal a run for their money in the league indicates clearly the advantage a fresh, innovative, tactical manager can bring to a club.
The stress Arsene Wenger was reputedly demonstrating on the touchline on Saturday (I was sat high above and behind him so only saw his back most of the time) indicates that he may not be enjoying the job as much as he did, and perhaps the FA Cup has suddenly assumed an importance for him because he has decided to go and wishes to depart on a high. Fourth place and a genuine trophy, along with an announcement that he is going to hand over the reins would be as good a way to bow out as he is going to achieve now. This season has clearly demonstrated that the chances of him managing a team to another Premier League title or the Champions League are pie in the sky. What more can he achieve other than £17 million for two years work? He certainly does not need the money.
The board certainly want him to stay, but the ideal scenario is that he privately informed the board this is his final season a while ago, and behind the scenes, there have been discussions with potential replacements. The manager electing his successor would certainly not be a good idea. With the funds the board are willing to pay for a new man, there should be no issue recruiting someone of very high quality. Still, that’s pipe dream stuff at the moment. The reality is that the manager is probably prevaricating in the style he does where transfer negotiations are concerned and it will all be a bit last minute. There are hints, such as the appointment of Andries Jonker to head the Academy from this summer, that key decisions regarding the running of the club are being taken by the directors instead of the manager. The Academy has been a failure done Wenger’s way and its Grade A status is under threat unless there is marked improvement. What significance that Jonker has worked under Louis Van Gaal at more than one club? But of course, the current incumbent might stay. The implications of that are for another day.
Now, the task is simple. Five football matches, all against opposition Arsenal should be able to beat, all of which probably need to be won. Everton will surely drop at least a couple of points somewhere, and hopefully the Gunners will score enough in their ‘easier’ run-in to overcome the goal difference of minus four. A positive end to the season after the total collapse in February and March, and that monkey off the back where trophies are concerned.
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