Graham Perry
Johnny Giles – a quality footballer but with questionable ethics on the field of play – once said “Wait until November to assess how the season will fall into place”. He said that before the custom of early season international breaks which interrupts the flow and rhythm of Premier League football.
So how has it been for you? Some of the Antis and the Haters have already made up their minds and concluded nothing has changed and Wenger should go. They point in particular to the defeat at Liverpool as evidence of turmoil and discontent in the Club. They also cite the defeat at Stoke and what they regard as unconvincing victories over Bournemouth, FC Koln, WBA, Doncaster Rovers, Bate Borisov and Brighton and the draw at Chelsea as evidence that we will fall short of mounting a serious challenge for the Title.
Those of us who line up behind Wenger are not ready for a funeral quite yet. We know the Liverpool result had a number of negatives and the Stoke result was a setback but instead of jumping on the Wenger funeral cortege we are encouraged by the recent turnaround, especially the match at Chelsea and also take some satisfaction from a four game run without conceding a goal.
But it is too early to say. As Giles says more time is needed to see how teams play after the excitement of the new season has passed and we are into late autumn and early winter. Little is gained by now repeating the same arguments For and Against Wenger. It is simply too early and much of what is said can only be speculation, so let’s see where we are in the run up to Christmas. Maybe we will have managed to stay in contention or maybe we will trail City, United and perhaps THFC. Either way the position will be clearer.
And of course there is uncertainty – Will Sanchez go? Will Ozil leave? Will Lemar come? Will Jack make an impact? Will Cazorla make a return at full fitness or less?
Kolasinac has made an impact and we will see more from him. He is a strong character and able to impose his personality on the game. Lacazette is more quiet – skilful for sure but a less assertive figure than the Bosnian recruit. We will see. Players are signed but the manager is never sure his judgment will be vindicated. That said, I sense the time will come when Lacazette starts to score with confident regularity.
Jack’s return and possibly Cazorla points to what we have been missing. Cazorla was at his best when he had either Ozil or Jack close to him and Santi at his best is a wonderful player so we hope for his New Year return. But will he have lost crucial speed? Will he have the stamina? Age takes its toll on young and old alike.
Alex Iwobi fascinates – we have all been watching his emergence. We notice now that he is more willing to run with the ball and his control of the ball on tight runs is great to behold. There is a talent waiting to dominate matches. He lacks composure in front of goal. Looking back Jimmy Greaves always seemed to know what he was going to do. So often he had control and even as a 17 year old at Chelsea he scored goals early in his career because he had instinct and a football brain. Iwobi still has a way to go. The jury is still out but full marks to Wenger for the patient approach he has applied with Iwobi. The goal against Brighton was much needed – maybe it will be the trigger for him to be calm under pressure and become methodical and surgical with that final kick. He could also do with a left foot but Greaves did little with his right foot.
My own view about the shares is that Kroenke wants to buy out Usmanov so he can sell lock stock and barrel to Chinese interests. China is still a coming power with an ambition to win the World Cup of 2050 – 101 years after the formation of the People’s Republic of China. They need a seat at the top table. Kroenke knows that.
Another point – The Times, Matthew Syeed I believe, did a demolition job on the business career of Abramovich. If I was a Chelsea fan it would bother me. If the same was done on Usmanov it would affect my attitude to Arsenal Football Club. A few years back when there were rumours that we were to buy Lee Bowyer (fresh from that case in Leeds). There was a public meeting on Business and Ethics and I got on my feet to make the point that whilst I loved AFC that love would be on hold if Bowyer wore the red shirt. He was not signed but if he had I would not have gone to any Arsenal match while he was at the Club. There are some things that are more important than Arsenal.
So early October and a Chilean might be leaving, a German too, a Frenchman might be coming, the Chinese are watching whilst an American and a Russian eyeball each other. Look out for umbrella carrying men walking towards you on London Bridge.
A final point – I have a photo of Duncan Edwards signing an autograph for a young lad on the day of the Busby Babes’ last league match ever – at Highbury on Saturday 1 February 1958. We have established that the boy’s Mum worked as a dinner lady at the Polytechnic in Holloway Road and we are trying to track her name. The boy would now be about 70 years old. Need someone at the local Islington paper to get busy. Any links?
Finally – keep watching Reiss Nelson.
Follow me on Twitter@arsenalcircular.
