Where Do Arsenal Go From Here?

Arsenal have proved yet again this season that they are a team incapable of making the next step. Undoubtedly we have great potential but we’ve been saying that for the last 7 seasons. Sooner or later we have to just admit Arsene’s trust in youth has been a failure, and that time is now.

I’ve been a supporter of Arsene’s methods and over the last 7 seasons have been one of very few that have agreed that spending money isn’t the answer. Maybe I was sucked in by Wenger’s philosophy that new signings would “kill” the younger players but the fact of the matter is now, they’ve had their chance and they’ve blow it.

The last few seasons have been frustrating for Arsenal fans, mainly because we make the same amateurish mistakes time and time again. There is something fundamentally wrong with the mentality in the squad and I don’t need to remind you this is the team that blew a 4 goal lead against Newcastle, lost to Spurs after being 2-0 up and conceded that ridiculous goal in the Carling Cup Final. So the farce on Sunday against Liverpool was hardly a surprise.

I’ve read a lot about the Arsenal fans and how their nerves “transfer to the players on the pitch”, as if it’s the supporters fault Arsenal collapse in spectacular fashion. That is complete nonsense. These Arsenal players make the same ridiculous blunders over and over again. There is a culture of failure at the club and that stems from the management all the way down to the players.

The fact is things need to change now, and drastically.

Either the manager has to go, Arsene’s whole philosophy has to change or there needs to be an overhaul personnel in the playing staff.

Arsenal have the inconceivable ability to throw away games and if you take those 0-0 draws at home against Blackburn and Sunderland, the points dropped against Newcastle and Spurs, and even the ones dropped against Liverpool on Sunday, we’d be within a couple of points of Manchester United.

The biggest frustration for me is the quality of the Premier League this season. Manchester United have stuttered this campaign but are a million miles away at the top of the league. With all due respect, their squad is the weakest it has ever been but credit where it’s due, the team is full of winners. You can have all the ability in the world but if your team has the mental strength of Rory McIlroy then you will never get anywhere.

In the summer, it was billed as the most competitive Premier League Title Race in a long time. But the fact is Chelsea have been under par, and Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester City haven’t been good enough. If Arsenal were even slightly competent they would have won the league this season. This campaign was the best chance for Arsenal to finally lift the Premier League trophy but once again they have blown it in spectacular fashion.

But what is the answer? Will Arsenal’s new American owners give Arsene Wenger even more power? Will we have the same old disappointment for the next 10 years?

Can Arsenal win another trophy with Arsene Wenger in charge? That’s the million dollar question.

 

5 thoughts on “Where Do Arsenal Go From Here?

  1. Unfortunately all the noises Wenger makes – especially in that press conference 10 days back – suggest as far as he’s concerned the last 7 years haven’t happened. The team is still ‘young’ and ‘developing’ and we should all have ‘patience’. The last 7 years of repeating the same errors over and over didn’t happen as far as he’s concerned. No need to change anything, we’re just at the beginning of an exciting cycle in Wenger’s mind. It’s just the fans that think we’ve fallen off with punctures in both tyres. And it’s a profit making business so there will be no pressure for change from board level.

     
  2. I don’t think Wenger has to go, but a few of the players must go. The problem with Arsenal is that they lack a leader and preferably and English one, who as a child dreamt of lifting the premier league cup. The current stock of players lack that winning mentality and as you rightly said, last Sunday’s mistake was no surprise. The problem I see is if a couple of th better players refuse to negotiate a new contract forcing their sale and Arsenal are left with the dubious ones so as not to make too much changes to the team. Good luck for next seasaon

     
  3. Wenger has been found out thanks to his having developed a team that seems unable to defend properly. His stubborness in keeping a second rate goalkeeper in Almunia and average centre halves has rebounded on him. He sits next to Rice chatting away and rarely makes substitutions that make any difference or are always too late. He is over loyal to certain players and has more excuses than Judith Chalmers has had foreign holidays.
    Lots of fans have said how poor players like Denilson and Eboue are, but then what do we know? We only shell out our hard earned money for season tickets and we can’t be expected to have the effrontery to actually win something for a change.

     

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.