CanadaGooner
This is my first article this year, but it almost feels like I am typing up the same words from the past 10 seasons consecutively! Something some describe as Groundhog Day. But surely, such a phenomenon is just an illusion? Perhaps not for Arsenal fans, it is a recurring nightmare.
I am no longer interested in the debates about Wenger in or out. This is more about a common-sense review of where we are as a club. Human psychology show us that over the centuries, the patterns are the same, even though we claim to learn from history, but history continues to repeat itself; so, quite frankly, human beings are clearly incapable of learning from history.
You hire a Manager as an employee of the club, he wins a few titles, stays a few years and becomes a tin-god! Can't be touched, wont get sacked, doesn't have to win anything, still has the support of a lot of the fans (who have perhaps forgotten the aim of the game is to win or at least, try to win), won't listen to anyone, and definitely won't quit. It sounds very much like the rest of the human race doesn't it?
Over the years, people move around, be it the Saxons (Germans), Normans (French), Romans before them and Greeks from the years of Alexander the Great; and more recently, people moved to the U.S.A, Canada, Australia and the like. But if you ask those inhabiting those countries now, you would think they formed those countries from dust and are the eternal custodians of those lands. We don't want change, we can't tolerate anyone else, we think we're tin-gods, and NO, WE DEFINITELY won't listen. So, is Wenger so different from the rest of us?
All that aside, and noting that last weekend's defeat in the season opener, is no longer an oddity, as we have now lost three out of our last four opening day matches, some to much lesser opposition; surely, all indication is that in a sport that is becoming so dependent on summer captures and spending sprees, with fanciful managers (Pep, Klopp, Conte) who now pick the teams they want to go to, even if they don't last there (e.g. Mourinho) we should at least show some intent in the summer transfer market? BUT hey, we are the Arsenal. We do things differently and we have a manager who is so good, he doesn't have to do things the way the rest of the teams (including better teams) do it!
Fortunately, the top four is a slot that simply cannot be filled with four teams that exclude Arsenal. Our competition simply can't get it done! Slim possibility Wenger could have been forced out a few years back, if we didn't qualify for the Champions League (even though, not entirely sure why we play in the Champions League, other than to pick up the money, which again is a conundrum, as we don't end up spending it!!). We've made one solitary Champions League final in Wenger’s 20 years at Arsenal.
Anyway, I'll leave it at that. The intelligent ones already know what the conclusions are. Hopefully we pick up three points at Leicester to lift some of the gloom for a few days at least
Enjoy the new season Gunners!
