Kevin Whitcher
The game against Spurs at the Lane yesterday provided the manager with another of those Houdini moments he always manages to find when things are at their bleakest, although the bigger picture suggests this is a short term escape in terms of his reputation.
Let’s get things clear. Incredibly, Arsenal are still very much in the title race. Eight points off the lead behind two teams that few would have predicted to finish above them at the season’s start. With 27 points to play for, the title is there for the taking. And yet… Arsenal’s points tally is lower than at the same stage last season. In this topsy turvy campaign where less than 80 points will be needed to finish top for the first time in many a year, that is excusable. Then again, Arsenal have won two of their last nine Premier League outings. Where exactly is the form going to come from? They have been inconsistent all season and the sides above them look more likely to put a run together. Manchester City are behind, but do have both Kompany and Aguero fit. The improving form of Manchester United and West Ham even suggest that perhaps, Arsenal may end up with their traditional end of season scrap to squeeze into a Champions League place.
So, yes, it was a moral victory to come back and deny Spurs all three points with ten men yesterday, but the moment that really told the truth about this Arsenal side was the dismissal of Francis Coquelin when they were a goal ahead. Last summer, the club could have secured Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton. The player was happy to move to London, the only thing stopping things was that Arsene Wenger was not prepared to pay the asking price. Manchester United thought otherwise and swooped. Someone will need to confirm this, but I have heard that in the Premier League, when Schneiderlin starts, United rarely lose.
Pretty much anyone could have predicted that Coquelin, even if first choice, would miss matches in the campaign through a mixture of injury or suspension. The back up for his position was one from Arteta, Flamini and Chambers. Come on. When Le Coq did get injured, Flamini came in and during his run in the side, more often than not in tandem with Aaron Ramsey as his midfield partner, the club dropped a fair number of points they would otherwise have expected to take. So at the minimum, a back up to Coquelin should have been purchased last summer.
However, Coquelin is not, ultimately, the top class player a club challenging for the title needs. Few can criticize his determination, but his temperament and decision making at times make him a liability. He does not seem to register that yellow cards should flick a switch in his brain to be more selective about his challenges. Both Flamini and Arteta have also proved guilty of this in the past. There is a time (when there is a very genuine goal threat) and a place (which sure isn’t near the touchline) to make challenges that might see you receiving a red card. Coquelin does not seem to get this. He is a good, honest player, and his spirit is laudable, but he is no Gilberto. Since he came to prominence at the start of 2015, he has still to win an international cap for his country. The bottom line is that Arsenal could have fielded Schneiderlin in yesterday’s match if the manager was not so tight with the purse-strings. A spine was needed last summer to push the team on – keeper, centre back, central midfielder and striker. The money was there to buy quality if the scouting system the club employ was worth tuppence. Only one position was strengthened. That so many millions sit in the bank doing nothing is a huge stick with which to beat the board and the manager if Arsenal are unable to finish higher than Leicester and Spurs this season.
The game. Four changes, two of them down to injury. Ospina, Gibbs, Elneny and Welbeck replaced Cech, Monreal, Campbell and Giroud. Ramsey moved forward to allow Elneny to partner Coquelin. Arsenal weathered the early storm and Ospina pulled off a great save before the visitors took the lead with a wonderful goal by Aaron Ramsey. Earlier, he had been responsible for messing up a great break with a self-indulgent back heel, something he and his team-mates do far too often, but in the Spurs box, the self same improvisation led to the goal. It had been a frenetic game which was waiting for space to open up before more chances would come.
That happened after 54 minutes and Coquelin’s red. It was backs to the wall, but the Gunners did not hold out for long. They got away with the ball being stopped on the line millimetres short of the goal-line technology indicating a Spurs opener. But it came soon enough anyway. A set piece was not cleared and the ball fell to Alderweireld who finished well. 1-1. It soon got worse as Mertesacker proved he was more of a nonsense than a no nonsense defender and Harry Kane capitalised with an unstoppable finish. Things were looking bleak. It was painful to watch.
Credit to the Gunners for not giving up and responding to a setback in the way we’d all like to see more often. After surviving 14 minutes without conceding a third, Alexis Sanchez finally found his shooting boots and gave relief to the travelling support with a well taken finish. Shortly afterwards Eric Dier should have gone for a second yellow, although I suspect the referee Michael Oliver let him off because Giroud took a swipe at him the moment before he was fouled. So no evening up of things, although Oliver at least showed consistency later on by not giving Bellerin a second yellow for a similar challenge.
Ramsey had a late chance that was, in fairness, well defended by Tottenham. At the final whistle, I was interested to see Alexis’ body language. His frustration was evident as he stormed off the pitch not wanting to hang around or shake anybody’s hand. Yes, Arsenal had salvaged a draw in adverse circumstances, but this was a missed opportunity, ultimately messed up by Coquelin’s lack of composure at the crucial moment.
It’s a result that might end up denying Spurs the title, but it is difficult to see it contributing to an Arsenal one either. Ultimately, the last nine matches have exposed the team as not being good enough and with so much money in the bank, the responsibility for that falls to one man only. The loyalists will say the players let down the manager and that once they cross the white line the responsibility is theirs not his. However, these are his players. He has decided they are good enough to win the league without the need for him to buy players like Morgan Schneiderlin. He decides who to employ in a scouting system that fails to flag up players like Mahrez and Kante that are under the radar in a country where he supposedly has plenty of connections.
I sincerely hope Arsene Wenger has the last laugh with an Arsenal title. But I wouldn’t bet on it. There is still all to play for, two very winnable trophies that could make this a triumphant season. But there will be questions asked if Leicester or Spurs win the title. One really has to ask how many opportunities to seize the initiative the Gunners can afford to waste.
There will be a chance for season ticket holders wanting change to send a direct and unavoidable message to the board if Arsenal do win their replay against Hull by opting out of a home quarter final tie against Watford with the very high possibility that your seat will not be re-sold. But you will have less than 48 hours to do it. However, a sparsely populated stadium will send a message to the board about how people feel about the reality that this club is in stasis, and going nowhere until we see a change in the dugout.
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
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