Since the Gallas debacle and after the first half against Man City I feel this past week has to be the lowest point in the history of the club. I am not going to wait to the end of the match to write this as the result will not be a shock. It will be an expected defeat. If it isn't then I am sure we will have more defeats to sob about.
From the start of today's game the focus was on how Arsenal are going to "bounce back", "show the results on the pitch", "show our strengths", "play the game the right way" and all the sound bites that AW has fed us over the years. It has to be the most pathetic display of "beautiful" football from ANY Arsenal team ever. It is not about how bad our defending was, but it showed how mediocre this team is without Fabregas. Not one chance of note. Not one shot on goal, and this from the much vaunted "attacking football-playing" team that AW has been trying to build over the past four years. The fantastic youth setup and the "pure football" philosophy that this lot have grown on has produced nothing if you ask me. Not one of them is fit to wear the shirt.
Most of the "older imports"(Nasri/RVP/Hleb/Flamini etc.) that he has taken from other clubs are the ones with the quality and NOT his young players. Today's display if anything was a demonstration of a complete failure of his methods. All the "home grown" nonsense has worn thin with me long ago. We have not one player of quality and when we do he is sold as soon as he can shave.
Why have we gone with this philosophy for so long I do not know. Maybe it is because of what he has done for the club in the past. But the past is gone and the future let me assure you is NOT bright as many ex-players/pundits will undoubtedly tell you. This club is not a "feeder" club or a laboratory for experimentation. This is a club with a proud history and he has been ruining it for the past four years. I have nothing but tremendous respect for Arsene Wenger. In my many arguments with those who ridicule his philosophy I have pointed out proudly what he has done for Arsenal AND English football. I have showered abuse on anyone who dared to question his methods and wholeheartedly agreed with all his decisions for this club.
But for a long time now, in fact since the Stoke defeat, I have lost any hope of Arsenal winning the league or the Champions League with him in charge. Today we missed Fabregas and quite a lot of our main players, but those stepping in are "poorly equipped" to play the "Arsenal Way". He never buys players because he does not want the young players to miss out. But the current lot do not deserve to play for Arsenal. We CANNOT win anything with them.
Another year of no trophies will surely result in the exit of Fabregas and that itself is a step backward for this club. I don’t care how "talented" the replacements are, they just wont be able to cut it for quite some time. Now how long can this club go on this way? After today even top four is over. I sincerely hope he throws Gallas out of the team. He won’t do it though. Because it proves him wrong. And that is one thing he hates doing. He rarely admits to his errors, which is fine if you are winning something, but please don't feed us your sound bites as we have waited four years with nothing to show.
He keeps pointing out how his team are "entertainers" and the fans should be happy to see them play regardless of results. He talks about how we have been in the top four on a shoestring budget, and how we are a template that many clubs want to follow. I don’t buy it, I repeat we are not a relegation battling team, we are the Arsenal and we MUST win. Many people have ridiculed me for losing faith but I just point to the bare trophy cupboard. I AM NOT going to buy this bullsh*t anymore.
This year in the Premier League we have not produced AW's beautiful football except against Man United. That is not good enough for this Arsenal supporter. Arsene Wenger your time is up. Please leave with your head held high, and eschew your experimentation and save face. Don’t let the people who respect you lose that respect. You have done what you could for us, gracefully accept your time is up and go with the hero's goodbye you deserve.
Sadly, I do not know who is good enough to replace him, but I am NOT going to let this club become a joke world over. As I end this we are 2-0 down to one club that WILL replace us in the top four soon.