Somak Goswami
I had last written in almost a year back (Dec 21st, 2016 to be precise) and since then nothing has been achieved that would cause me to bother to sit down and write something about Wenger. Or watch Arsenal, for that matter. I just see the scores, maybe read half a match report, yawn and move on. Finishing fifth? Yawn. Fifth will just be spun as the new fourth, just like fourth became the new first. Not in the Champions League? Who cares, not like we were ever going to win the damn thing under Wenger. Lacazette signing? Wenger will just coach his strengths out of him and make him into another tippy-tappy ballerina afraid to shoot. What prompted me to write in now is that we are witnessing, once again, that Wenger is never going to win the league or the CL and will also not be held accountable.
Yes, I was that cynical and still am. I have long held (since 08-09) that Wenger is a busted flush and the best spinmeister that the world of sports has ever seen. Or will see in our lifetimes (I’m in my 30’s, by the way, but very confident of this prediction). There is no need for me to repeat the various mistakes and sins of Wenger, for everyone knows them well. Except the man who matters the most; Oh, and AKB’s (have they dwindled in numbers yet or Stockholm syndrome has kicked in?).
What also irritates me mightily so, dear readers, are the so-called changes that have, apparently, been happening that you may have heard about. One of them has been we have won some games we should have lost. Consequently, we should have been lower in the table than we would have been. No, we haven’t learned to ‘win ugly’, I guarantee you. Inspector Clouseau’s deal with the devil has worked out better this year than others.
Some other ‘new developments’ include a new chief scout with a fancy title (talk about old wine in a new bottle), supposedly Gazidis hunting for a Director of Football sneakily, and Overmars joining the academy, I believe? I also read that such men have a spine and won’t be the yes men that Wenger is used to. Well, I had heard similarly about Bould, but seeing that he regularly puts his name to a defence that includes letting Koscielny trying to be Messi-lite and costing a goal in the process. I’ve come to the conclusion that for some people having a couple million waved in their faces will cause a thing called a spine to go missing. Fair enough - his hero reputation, his choice how he wants to deal with it.
Maybe we all would do the same in his position. But, the match-going Gooners don’t have to take it, right? Every time a stupid goal is allowed, or our defenders make like they’re Pirlo, boo the hell out of Bould. Give him dog’s abuse because he lost his hero status the day he accepted Wenger’s millions to lend his name to the shower of s*** that passes off as a defence at Wenger’s Colney Creche (to borrow Myles Palmer’s terminology). Oh wait, one year without football made me forget that we now have our own prawn sandwich brigade at the Home of the Soulless. They couldn’t be arsed to properly boo if we drop to tenth, leave alone for a goal. To those who have tried – good job, proud of you for showing the spine that a former hero could not.
Anyway, to carry on with the changes, the Palace coup that wannabe King Gazidis is supposedly staging – it’s a non-starter of an idea. The real king at Arsenal is Wenger and will remain so, unless some how he manages to get Arsenal relegated or 2019 arrives and he decides he’s had enough. I would suggest to the hopers – don’t waste your time. Kroenke makes all the decisions and he will not fire Captain Clueless on any condition unless one of the two aforementioned things happen. Think about it. What has Wenger done that hasn’t already happened in the past? His players make costly mistakes time and again? Sub in Toure or Senderos or any of the others for Koscielny and Mustafi, and they would be guilty of the same shenanigans. A goalkeeper that lets the ball in through his legs repeatedly? Sub in Almunia or Fabianski for Cech. Do you see a difference? Or how about buying players discarded by the other top teams because they’re done and dusted? Again, sub in Silvestre for Cech. Le Fraud may sell his best players in their peak to his competitors, but the men who run the footballing business at ManYoo or Chavski are not as foolish as him.
Postman Sanago retiring in luxury, having played less than ten games? Hasn’t this happened already with Diaby albeit on a slightly higher game count? That Arsenal owes Walcott a testimonial should have been stinging indictment of Wenger’s poor talent spotting ability (although he did have ability once upon a time) and the inability to own up to his mistakes. Ozil is just another facet of the same. He may thrive when surrounded by the Ronaldos and Bales and other grafters who can make up for his laziness while benefitting from his apparent genius, but the donkeys that pass off for midfielders at Arsenal cannot replicate that model.
Sure, every manager makes a mistake. Back in the days, Ol’ Rednose made an expensive mistake with Veron, but Sir Whiskey Breath learned quickly and moved the player on. Wenger couldn’t and wouldn’t. His fragile ego can’t handle admitting that he’s made a mistake. In his world, he’s above mistakes. Or criticism. That’s the reason for the constant derisory tone when anybody from the press poses a rare tough question to him. It’s not the players. They’re all replaceable and, as I’ve pointed out with these examples, have come and gone but the one thing that’s constant is Wenger. Draw your own conclusions.
The point is, nothing that’s currently happening with Wenger has not happened before. He wasn’t punished then, so why should he be punished now? In fact, with every year his wages have risen and risen. I wonder how many managers, who have won far more than him, can boast of earning a similar salary? I reckon only three or four. Tragic. Far smaller clubs have fired managers for far less, but if Wenger survived an 8-2 defeat then he can survive anything that is happening right now or will happen till 2019, save for relegation which won’t happen. Maybe in the owner’s mind, an occasional FA cup justifies all of this and Wenger’s fat paycheck (is it £9M now? Or 10?) and for the rest of us who don’t like it, too bad.
If anyone at Arsenal will learn any lesson out of this, it should be that never ever give away so much power to one person again, no matter what the achievements of the team. Keep the footballing side separate from the accounting side, and hold the coach absolutely responsible for the footballing side. Oh and right after Arsenal learn this, North Korea will transform into a democracy. ;-)
There used to be a football club there once upon a time.
