Kevin Whitcher
Arsenal went to the City Ground with the kind of team that had been fielded so far this season in the League Cup and the Europa League – two competitions they still have an interest in. Arsene Wenger decided to field a 4-1-2-3 formation, presumably in the belief that a pair of central defenders would be enough to cope with Forest’s 18-year-old target man Ben Brererton. The Arsenal side, we were informed, featured seven players who had won FA Cup Final winners’ medals with the club, whilst their hosts fielded seven players aged 23 or under.
Before the game, I was sent a text that told me about Saturday’s Arsenal Under-16s game against Aston Villa. The young Gunners were 4-1 up, allowed Villa to pull it back to 4-6, before Arsenal scored two late goals to level the scores. 6-6. There is a policy that from the first team all the way down to the kids, all the sides, whatever their age group, play in the same, Wengerball style. And looking at that scoreline, there is no question it’s succeeding. As to whether or not the club can challenge again with Wengerball… well, I look forward to Graham Perry’s next Arsenal Circular to hear the arguments.
Arsenal were hopeless all over the field, as admitted by the manager after the game. He had no place to hide, although he pointed the finger of blame at his players: ”We were not good enough anywhere—not up front, in the middle or at the back—and we paid for it. We repeated the same mistakes; once, twice, three times. There may be some controversy over Forest’s fourth goal (it was a penalty, but there is certainly an argument that the taker did have two touches before the ball hit the net), but rather than clutch straws we need to look at the build-up to the foul – in which both Wally Walcott and the soon-to-be-retired (one season too late) club captain were both culpable. It is difficult to envisage Mertesacker will ever pull on a shirt for the first team again after a performance that will go down in the annals of Arsenal history for all the wrong reasons. And it is also difficult to envisage why on earth the club would turn down any kind of offer from Southampton to get the espresso machine living-nicker off the wage bill. Wanting to retain the latter is a very obvious sign of Arsene Wenger’s creeping delusion. Theo did offer a decent free-kick that led to Arsenal’s equalizer at 1-1, but that was pretty much the extent of his contribution. The real question is what the hell Southampton see in him.
I digress. Ainsley Maitland-Niles was played at left back in the back four, and was partly responsible for the first two Forest goals, He brought his opponent down for the free-kick that led to the first after being foxed by a short corner routine. And for the second, he was simply beaten by his opponent in the build-up to the goal. AMN may very well become a very accomplished midfield player in time, but at left-back – especially in a four with less cover – he is exposed too often. Will he be selected on Wednesday v Chelsea? Are there any other options? Would it not be better to bring in an actual left back from the U23 side if both Kolasinac and Monreal are crocked?
Arsenal had most of the ball, but Forest had most of the quality and easily the best chances. They could have scored six or seven on another day. On one level it was humiliating, but in reality, was anyone really that surprised? The way the first team have defended of late, even with three at the back, one expects Arsenal to concede minimum three goals every time they take the field. That’s quite a handicap for the forwards to claw back.
Wenger sat in the directors’ box alongside Jens Lehmann and Boro Primorac. It was interesting to see Lehmann remain calm as the collapse ensured, whilst Wenger became animated. Behind them sat two guests of the club, Pat Rice and David O’Leary, who in their playing days would never have seen anything like this, although Rice got a taste of it in his final seasons as Wenger’s number 2.
The lack of any sense of basic defensive nous for the first goal was criminal. The Forest right back could see he would be played onside if he ran towards the ball behind the wall. Couldn’t anyone in an Arsenal shirt? Zonal marking isn’t much good if you are not marking the zone where the ball is going. The 12 days of Christmas may have ended on Saturday, but a Wenger coached defence is one gift that just keeps on giving. Forest had plenty more chances and Per Mertesacker must be wishing he called it a day after his excellent FA Cup Final performance. I suspect in time, Arsene Wenger might also reflect the same way.
The worst thing about this was that I really did not care. Going out of the FA Cup used to hurt once upon a time. Now, I think everybody’s just marking time until we can finally see the back of Arsene Wenger. The air of apathy that pervades home matchdays is palpable. I know we have to go through more pain before there is change at the club and everybody can move on, so this is all necessary. It’s really just a question of how much longer it can be allowed to continue, because anyone can see the team is not going to get any better. It's only going one way. I think I wrote after the Chelsea game about the notion that not being in the Champions League should have assisted the club to make a more focused assault on the title, and yet they are worse off than last season. I’d give the manager his cards tomorrow, but that obviously isn’t going to happen, yet the very least the board can do is call time on the old dictator in May. What exact purpose would another season of this serve?
Arsene’s effective time at Arsenal was effectively concluded with the move from Highbury. His last hurrah the run to the Champions League Final in 2006. After that we had to wait eight years for another trophy, and Arsene managed to deliver three FA Cups in four years. Credit to him for that, but a club of Arsenal’s stature should at least be competing for the title at the business end of the season and making the last eight of the Champions League more often than they have managed (twice) since 2006. Isn’t it obvious to everybody that there is never going to be a repeat of the 1997-2006 era? Time moves on. People that stick around too long go stale.
One wonders why the players were not switched on. Was there a sense of arrogance going into this game. Mohammed Elneny made a token attempt to get to Lichaj’s volley of his chest but it was too late and too uncommitted. The determination we see occasionally in this Arsenal team was notably absent. To add to the ignominy, Armand Traore, a Wenger reject, who seems to have been spending more time in the tattoo parlour than is good for you, made the run that led to the fourth goal.
Notably, the manager decided not to travel with any big games as an insurance policy on the bench. The reality is that in spite of winning the competition three times in the last four seasons (a lot of that down to getting a disproportionate number of home ties), Arsene Wenger does not care greatly for this competition. The priority is the league and (when in it) the Champions League. That is where the big money prizes lie and it’s notably where Wenger fails the most. He’ll talk up the FA Cup when it suits him but actions speak louder than words.
It’s sad to see someone like Mertesacker, a good club man, finish in this kind of way. But ultimately, the fact that this defensive disaster took place against a Championship team stuffed with youngsters, and not a Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea, is surely the final exposure of the emperor’s new clothes. This cannot be allowed to continue. I’d hang on until after Wednesday’s first leg of the League Cup Final and if that goes badly, bite the bullet and just get someone in short term to rejuvenate the team for the remainder of the campaign. Work on organization and motivation.
Arsene just lets his players express themselves. And his players are expressing they don’t give two hoots, happy in the comfort zone the manager indulges them in. Sitting pretty without ever having to be accountable to anyone. It’s a recipe for rot and it really needs to be addressed before the summer, when it surely will. Thanks for the first decade of glory Arsene. Now please, if you really do love the club as much as you profess, jog on.
Martin Keown post-match said about Per Mertesacker, “You’re the last person that thinks your time’s up”. He could have been talking about the manager.
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