Kevin Whitcher
Alan Pardew’s declaration, after his most recent touchline ban, that he would watch games in future without leaving his seat in the technical area lasted a matter of minutes. However, whether he will be at Newcastle long enough to get another ban for the next incident that stirs his rage is debatable. His players have nothing to play for and are in a comfort zone that they have no intention of leaving until next season at the earliest. If there is a feeling that change is needed at Arsenal, it is definitely a priority at St James’s Park.
All of which made the Gunners’ task that much easier, although for the first half an hour of the game, it felt like we were watching two teams with nothing to play for. It was lacklustre stuff, although that has often been the way with Arsenal, especially last season. They are a team that seem to generally perform better after the interval. However, last night, two of the goals came in the 15 minute period before half time.
The first was a set piece goal, always a pleasure to see, and the team should take advantage of such situations more. Too often a free kick in the opposition half is played short to continue tikka-takka build-up. However, the value of getting the ball into the opposition box when the opportunity is there for centre backs to join proceedings was evidenced by Laurent Koscielny’s goal last night. For the second, Olivier Giroud, who spurned a number of chances to score over the course of the game before netting his team’s third, was twice foiled by the keeper before the ball fell to Mesut Ozil for a tap in, which he did not deem worthy of much of a celebration.
Ozil had one of those Bergkamp matches where he did not seem to do very much at all, but what he did proved very effective, scoring one and setting up Giroud’s goal with an excellent cross. The value of getting wide and putting a decent ball into the box was seen more than once last night and it is something the Gunners need to do more against teams that pack the middle making penetration nigh on impossible.
The other main point to note about the game was another excellent display by Aaron Ramsey, who is playing himself back into top form after his return from injury. It augurs well for the FA Cup Final where his box to box style will prove a real asset on the Wembley pitch.
Although the win does not guarantee fourth spot, it would take a remarkable sequence of results to deny Arsene Wenger his 17th crack at the Champions League. And the feeling is, after his recent words, that he will remain for at least a further two years. The last three seasons have seen a final points tally of 68 (2010/11), 70 (2011/12) and 73 (2012/13). Arsenal have 73 points with two matches remaining and assuming they do not lose both, the statistics indicate that the club are on a gradual course of improvement. However, if they do finish with 79, it is likely to be seven points short of the side that wins the league. That it will also probably mean fourth place demonstrates how open the title race was this season. Given that the Gunners dropped so many points due to injuries (Ramsey and Walcott) and fatigue (Giroud) during the February and March period, valid questions need to be asked about the depth of the squad and whether the club were better served by having millions in the bank as opposed to purchasing more players in both the summer 2013 and January 2014 transfer windows. Of the four new arrivals (including a loan signing), only Mesut Ozil actually cost any sort of fee.
The club’s modus operandi when it comes to transfer dealings – given the amount of money at their disposal – needs a drastic overhaul. Hard questions need to be asked of Ivan Gazidis at the annual supporters’ Q&A event at the season’s end, with no excuses or waffle accepted. The man is simply not doing his job unless his job is to ensure underachievement. If Arsene Wenger is jeopardizing negotiations, the CEO needs to grow some bollocks and remove him from proceedings after he has identified his targets. The manager should not be in charge of the transfer and wages budget, an approach that leads to the likes of Denilson and Bendtner being criminally overpaid for their contributions before they have proven worth their pay packets.
Certainly, should the FA Cup be won, a rosy picture can be painted, but looking at supporter mood, largely shaped by the heavy away defeats and the inability to beat the likes of Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City at home, this season has the feeling of drawing a game after being ahead. Last season ended on a high because it was the opposite – coming from behind when all was lost. However, there is no dispute that Arsenal put themselves in a great position to win this season’s title by winning many of the games against lesser teams. But, all this has ultimately proved is their competence as flat track bullies. Wins against better teams, especially when it really matters, are rare. It is something that needs to be addressed, and on the assumption that Wenger will remain the manager, then I can only see it happening if the club get seriously active in the transfer market and – critically – buy the right type of characters. Additionally, tactically, they have to approach difficult matches with more of a gameplan. Start off with a determination not to lose and take it from there. They are capable of doing this at home (Chelsea, Man Utd this season), so why not on the road, where they are far, far too open too early?
However, the fear is that this time next season, we will be looking at another battle for fourth place. Some of the faces will have changed, but the lack of big game mentality required to gain those precious extra points will remain. Still, at least, we hope, Arsenal will have won a trophy for the first time in nine seasons by then. If the manager cannot outwit Hull City at Wembley, then he would have to do the honourable thing and give someone else a chance to work with the substantial resources at hand. Good luck to all those in the FA Cup final ballot who will find out their fate tomorrow.
The current issue of The Gooner will be on sale at the West Brom game this Sunday and can also be bought online here. It’s a 64 page special priced at £3 and includes an interview with Sol Campbell and special sections on the 10th anniversary of the Invincibles and Arsenal in the Cup Final.
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