Kevin Whitcher
Several thousand of those present at the stadium for yesterday’s match against Norwich held aloft signs after 12 minutes reading ‘Time for Change. Arsenal is stale. A fresh approach needed’. The play preceding the show of frustration and the 77 minutes of football that followed merely confirmed the argument. Here was a game with – in theory – plenty at stake. Arsenal should be playing their socks off to try and avoid a qualifying game for the Champions League in August (or the ignominy of Europa League should they finish fifth), but it seemed as if the apathy of the crowd was being translated onto the pitch.
Arsene Wenger seemed to be pointing the finger at the supporters for the difference in the levels of the team’s performance home and away in his press conference on Friday. And here is a fantastic response to that from Gooner contributor Phil Wall on Twitter using the sign idea. What was interesting was that, aside from the goal, the only significant noise I heard from the home crowd yesterday was in response to the holding up of the signs, as the remaining believers mustered the energy to chant ‘There’s Only One Arsene Wenger’ in response. Where have the vocal chords of these loyalists been all season when the team needed some kind of injection of energy they were evidently not getting from the manager’s teamtalk or touchline gesticulations? Maybe Arsene has a point.
Then again, he doesn’t help his case by continuing to play Olivier Giroud, his non-scoring centre forward. On that level, take a look at Arseblog’s excellent Arsenal Gentleman column this week for some brilliant signs including a peach about our number 12. You’ve got to laugh. I have a theory about Giroud’s recent selections. The manager, with the French national team in mind, is trying to give the striker the chance to play his way back into form before the Euros.
The crowd – despite chanting the Wenger’s name for a few seconds in the first half, were quick enough to boo him when they saw Danny Welbeck enter the fray but Giroud remain on the field instead of being hooked. Alex Iwobi was taken off instead, although not long later, Giroud justified the decision by providing the assist that led to Welbeck’s goal. It was about the only thing of note – at least positively – that he did in the match. I think it’s safe to say that even Arsene Wenger now realizes he made a mistake by not buying a striker last summer. People who have not worked half a day in football were suggesting the importance of this last August, but what do they know? Arsenal have scored as many goals at home as Newcastle this season. No matter, because apparently, according to Arsene, his team are champions away from home this campaign. The fact that Leicester and Spurs have posted seven and three more points respectively on their travels than the Gunners is a stat we can brush under the carpet. Why let mere facts get in the way of a good piece of propaganda?
The home side created a very limited number of chances throughout the game, although did look more energized when Welbeck came on as a sub uncharacteristically early. Overall though, it was turgid fare. The 10,000 people who left their paid for seats empty need to be added to the numbers holding signs up wanting to see change, because trust me, if the Gunners had been going for the title (an unheard of idea at this time of the season under the latter day Wenger, I know, but let’s go with this outlandish suggestion) their backsides would have been in place.
Norwich looked dangerous early on, but faded away and really do not look like a team that has any chance of retaining their Premier League status. There was more at stake for them, but by and large, they didn’t play like it. Fortunately for Arsenal, that meant three points from a poor performance, but better that than a draw playing out of their socks, at least in terms of Champions League qualification. Of course Manchester United could still pip Arsenal by winning their remaining four matches if Wenger’s team were to fail to win at the Etihad next weekend. If they do poop Leicester’s party this afternoon, their remaining matches are against Norwich and Bournemouth at home, and West Ham away.
I looked at one of the supporter banners that are permanently hung between the tiers in a new light during the game yesterday. From the By Jesus said Paddy song, it reads “Over and over and over again”. How apt, I thought.
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
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