Kevin Whitcher
So the fairytale ending was not to be. Arsène will bow out at Huddersfield rather than Lyon and he will not leave the next manager with Champions League qualification and its attendant income to utilise on a squad that is badly in need of investment.
At the end of the day, Arsenal were eliminated because they gave away two cheap goals due to indisciplined defending. Some put it down to lack of concentration, but it happens too often to be just that. These players have not been drilled to be in position the way that the backline Arsene inherited were.
With Atletico’s mean record at home this season (with just a handful of goals conceded) it was always going to be an uphill task. And in the end, the goal that they did score last night wasn’t even necessary. 0-0 would have sent them through. It was Griezmann’s late goal at the Emirates that decided this tie.
Arsenal had territory and possession, but were not of the quality required in the final third. Diego Godin was predictably immense and his team-mates organized and professional. And when required cynical. It isn’t always pretty but every other year since 2010 they’ve reached a European final, whilst frequently losing their best players to more-moneyed clubs. That isn’t down to luck.
The visitors looked good at times in the first half, but the chance never came, Lacazette and Monreal both guilty of failing to control the ball when in great positions to score. In injury time before the interval, they were punished, Hector Bellerin caught too far upfield giving Diego Costa too much of a head start as Atletico caught the defence out after a punt upfield from keeper Oblak.
By that time, Laurent Koscielny had been stretchered off with what was assumed to be a ruptured Achilles. When he was banging his fist on the floor his frustration was double – no more football for Arsenal this season, but for the player, much worse. Russia 2018 would have been his final World Cup with France. He knew he had no chance of making it. The player has been carrying an Achilles injury for longer than I care to remember, patched up and played no more than once a week. In the end, his body gave out. As sad an ending as Arsene’s final season has been. Calum Chambers replaced him and performed well enough to make you think there could be a future for him under the next manager.
The second half felt a bit more open, but ultimately, Arsenal finished the game with one shot on target. They had far more chances in the first leg, but only needed to score once in Madrid. They found a way to get behind the Atletico defence, but the quality of their crossing was poor. Martin Keown took Mesut Ozil to task after the game, and didn't mince his words. Certainly Ozil didn’t make much impact in this match, one in which it needed someone to unpick the lock of Diego Simeone’s tight defence. Wilshere was replaced by Mkhitaryan in the second half, but there was an argument to take the number 11 off instead. Presumably the manager thought there would be a moment of magic. If so, it never came.
The performance showed how much work there is to do for the next manager. Arsene always wanted to leave Arsenal in good shape when he departed and unfortunately that isn’t going to happen. Sadly, this isn’t a major surprise. The decline in recent seasons has been marked, as evidenced by the number of defeats growing with each passing campaign.
It’s interesting that Sven Mislintat has identified Jurgen Klopp’s number 2 Zeljko Buvac as the best option to take over from Wenger. He is a far more hands on coach who works to organise players on the training pitch. The latest news is that he is being interviewed for the Eintracht Frankfurt job. He seems an unlikely choice for the Arsenal post, but then, who’d heard of Arsène Wenger before he rocked up 22 years ago?
Diego Simeone would be a more popular option. As Roy Keane said in the ITV highlights programme, “Imagine if he was manager at Arsenal. They wouldn’t be giving away goals like they did tonight.” Not going to happen though. When Simeone finally does leave Madrid his likely destination is Italy, probably one of his two former clubs there, Lazio or Inter. Shame as his passion would surely invigorate a comatose Emirates crowd.
So we wait to see who will be named as the man to replace the current incumbent. Arsenal came close to glory in Arsene’s final season, but they were not clinical enough in attack, and sloppy in defence. They could get away with it against the lesser teams in the Europa League, but eventually pedigree told. Atletico have pedigree in Europe. Arsene’s last UEFA semi-final was in 2009 against Manchester United. That one didn’t go too well either. I recall there were defensive calamities back then too.
We now say farewell to a man who the game has passed by, and I have no doubt that although the mood on Sunday will now be a bit more circumspect, the fans will pay tribute once the match against Burnley is over. If the players can manage to stick to the script they will win to ensure they avoid the ignominy of finishing below Burnley. Then, Arsene’s lap of honour will feel a lot easier for everyone.
And for many there will be a sense of relief. Arsenal have been shooting themselves in the foot for many years now thanks to their gung ho approach and lack of defensive organization. At least with someone else preparing the team, there is a chance of seeing something different. At the beginning of Arsène’s 22 years, his defensive roster included Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn. They benefitted from his fitness regime, but they didn’t need teaching how to defend. And in the end, it was his defence that did for Arsène, in this tie and for recent seasons.
We are bringing out a special edition of The Gooner for the Burnley game. This will be a special on Arsène’s 22 years at the club. It will pay tribute to some of the wonderful times he has given us, but won’t ignore the less enjoyable stuff, if only because there will be a review of every season alongside a plethora of articles about different aspects of his time in North London. It will be 84 pages thick and will cost £5. We have little doubt the official programme will also be an Arsène tribute of a more sugar-coated variety, but you pay your money, you take the choice. Important to note – no-one’s subscription covers this special edition. Existing subscriptions cover up to issue 271 (the current edition) and those of you who have committed to next season will get their first issue in August (272). This special edition is available to order online – you can order it here – or if you are not coming to the Burnley game, assuming we do not sell out, the sellers for our reduced matchday sales operation next season should have copies.
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