Graham Perry
Dear Fellow Gunners
A good performance and a good win has Arsenal supporters divided into familiar groupings – two in reality.
Wenger Goes and Wenger Stays.
Whatever result we have in our last nine matches the Big Divide will be the same.
Some are so fed up they would like nothing better than to pick up the newspaper and find that Wenger has cleared his desk, said goodbye to the players and returned to France. Others like myself want nothing more than to read that the Board have confirmed a three year extension of his contract.
We are very divided – some angry, occasionally vulgar, taking banners to the terraces and wanting Wenger to be hung drawn and quartered. How long before his effigy is burned in a ceremonial execution outside the ground. Others still revere the man, marvel at the way he handles the often ferocious animosity that passes as democracy in social media and genuinely and deeply believe he has more to offer.
In a season of mixed performances both sides have arguments to make. Maybe a little too early to make a final judgment – at least not until the title is mathematically beyond us.
The arguments against Wenger are well trawled – arrogant, out of date, out of touch, “past his sell by date”, re-arranging the chairs while the Titanic sinks, overtaken by THFC and with an absentee owner and a Board indifferent to the fans and their ever more difficult task of meeting the cost of a match at AFC.
In my time I have stood the ridicule of those who mocked the Aldermaston Ban The Bomb marchers and even the violence of the Lewisham BNP march, not to overlook the formidable police response to those who dared to support the miners in the UK and the freedom fighters against the US in Vietnam. If you can handle that quartet of political protest the Pro v Anti on the Wenger issue is water off a duck’s back.
I think Wenger is still the man. He is not past his “sell by date”. He is stubborn. He has his own views. And when he makes a public comment he has a dressing room to protect. When things go wrong those who have never coached a team of tiddlywinks players suddenly become soccer experts – buy this one and sell that one. I accept football is a game of opinion but hold those opinions with modesty and not with arrogance. Not one coaching badge among you but you know best. Come on.
I readily accept that I do not know best – I am a supporter and not a commentator but the Everton game pointed us in the right direction – an emerging quartet of Bellerin, Coquelin, Iwobi and Elneny. We will hear less of Arteta, Flamini and perhaps Theo even the Ox as well. The two first names are at the end of their careers, the last two have struggled to produce their best form – Theo never recovering from the THFC Cup injury. Signings are speculation without responsibility so leave that one but there are two other reasons why I want Wenger to extend his contract.
I do not overlook, as many critics do, the achievement of fourth place when we were a selling club. How in heaven’s name did he manage to keep us at the top end of the table when he was buying on the cheap? Even with Almunia and Senderos and Denilson and Bendtner he kept us buoyant and competitive. For this great achievement he has been abused – only interested in 4th place. Not at all. With what he had it was a great achievement year after year to keep us in the top four. Now that he has won the Stadium battle and has funds previously beyond him the expectations have been raised and rightly so and there was good reason that this was to be the year. Mathematically unlikely, it will be a big disappointment to fall short. We all feel it. No question.
But sacking him? It does not add up. It does not make sense. He is close. He is not the bridesmaid but never the bride. He cannot admit to what might be the case that some of the signings have not come up to scratch. But he is best placed to get it right. Better he stays with the desire and determination to succeed than he is cast out. And this leads me to a second reason and this will sound quite clumsy but We Are Arsenal. We do not want to switch managers who are on the managerial merry go round even at the highest level. I want to have at the helm someone who lives, breathes, eats and sleeps Arsenal and that is Wenger. He is quite different from the rest. Arsenal is in his blood – a bit like David Dein in fact. Another Club for either does not fit.
So stay strong. Resist the entreaties of the media who worship at the altar of Bad News. Sometimes it is harder in life to confront the majority but if you believe – as I do - in Wenger then stand up for him. It may be a rough ride but the outcome might be more fulfilling.
I am tweeting daily @arsenalcircular. I welcome your contributions. It is great. An ever increasing audience and by the minute by the hour argument
All the Best
Graham P.
