I started writing this post a week ago, after Arsenal lost to Manchester United in quite an uninspiring performance. Arsenal were rather heavily outmatched by a United squad that wasn’t really expected to be that good this season. I wasn’t happy with the game, but as I was writing I realized that an even bigger match was occurring the coming Sunday and that things could go one of two ways, Arsenal could beat Chelsea and I’d probably delete the post and go on my merry way. Or Arsenal could lose to Chelsea and I’d be even more angry and pissed off.
You’re obviously reading this, so you know how the game went. It wasn’t good. Arsenal were pretty easily handled by Chelsea. Every single Arsenal attack seemed to go the same way, get a couple of good passes together and then right when you thought a shot might be coming a pass was intercepted, or the player trying to make the play was muscled off the ball. In fact, lets take a look at Chelsea’s interceptions in the game thanks to the Guardian’s chalkboards
That’s 37 total interceptions, and about 25 of them came within the final 3rd. Not that that’s news, most interceptions are probably going to happen when you get down there since you’re in a tighter space, but they seem to form a perfect line across the top of the 18 yard box. Arsenal did get 14 shots off though, so maybe they just got intercepted a lot but took a lot of good shots on goal. Nope.
I don’t remember every one of these shots and how good or bad they actually were, but looking at this you can clearly deduce that Arsenal really only had 3-4 solid shots that threatened. Arshavin had the best chance in the 17th minute when Cech saved the ball off his foot, and Cesc’s free kick from right outside the box was close, but other than that nothing really threatening happened.
Arsenal’s main problem has been that Wenger keeps doing the same thing every season for the past three or so years, and seems to ignore the problem areas. After Gilberto left Arsenal had nothing in the defensive/holding midfield, but Arsene didn’t feel the need to do anything because he had youngsters to fill the role. This season Adebayor left and Arsenal needed a striker. Arsene didn’t buy anyone and now that Van Persie is hurt, they’re struggling to find goals. Arsene is an amazing talent evaluator, and his skills at finding players that are undervalued are unparalleled. This doesn’t matter if you’re not willing to spend some money on a couple of veterans who can give your squad the strength and depth it requires.
The board room undoubtedly likes that Arsene hasn’t had to splash out £20 million on a couple guys a season just to see them not live up to their expensive potential, but putting your faith in some 21 year olds who are still learning isn’t going to net the results against teams of experienced vets like Chelsea or United.
It’s just disappointing following this team. The past three seasons Arsenal has started off strong, or shown some glimmer of hope that they could maybe do something only to completely crash out of every competition in dramatic fashion. The past two seasons they’ve been knocked out of every competition at almost the exact same time. At least this season they got knocked out of the FA Cup before the other two so heartbreak will be at a minimum.
I can’t imagine anyone out there actually thinks that Arsenal can win the Champions League or even get to the final. The road to the final is too tough. They can probably handle Porto, but I don’t see this team able to compete with about half of the remaining teams. Perhaps if Arsene focuses the squad’s attention just on the Champions League they can do it, but this team would get absolutely manhandled by a squad like Barcelona.
Over the last three seasons Arsenal has taken 4, 1, and 6 points against United, 3, 3, and 2 against Chelsea, and 2, 2, and 3 against Liverpool. That is at least something to be proud of, even if it means Arsenal’s record against lower teams they should have handled was rather spotty. That’s not to say that Arsenal need to win those matches, because if you lost all 6 of those matches and won the rest, you’d be sitting on 96 points and in almost any year that’s enough to win the title. It is something that gives a team pride each season though, but pride doesn’t buy championships.
By no means am I calling for Arsene to be sacked at the end of the season, I want him to stay for multiple reasons, but this summer if he can’t figure out that he needs to build a squad that could conceivably win any of the trophies they’re eligible for the board needs to take a long hard look at their manager.
Nice rant.
Something I’ve noticed (and I may be wrong because I don’t watch Arsenal all the time) is that once you guys go down 1 or 2 goals, the young(er) guys seem to give up. Cesc is always in there, but he doesn’t have much support. Although I have to give Vermaelen props for bloodying the crap out of Malouda’s head. They also seemed to spend too much time on the ball. No one can pass the ball like Arsenal, but there were times when I think they could have slotted one past Cech had they taken the shot instead taking an extra touch. Just my two cents.
To be fair, if Arsenal had gotten the first goal, I think we would have seen a very different match.
With the lack of trophies at Emirates lately, it’s really surprising that he keeps blowing off the cup competitions. Winning a trophy could really take some of the pressure off, which could buy a lot of time for Wenger.
I think at this point, too, it’s very clear that Wenger WON’T decide in the summer to buy players; it’s not what he does. I actually like Wenger, and I like his policy of buying young (and, generally, cheap) with an eye towards building up his squad…but eventually you need to actually win something to keep the players’ ambitions sated, to say nothing of the fans.
Very true, you win a Carling Cup and everyone stops yelling about trophies for at least a season. This season seemed like he didn’t even care about trying to win the FA or Carling Cup though, the lineups were so much poorer than the last few seasons.
I agree, he’s probably never going to spend more than 30 million in a summer unless he sells 50 million, but the players need to be shown that there is hope that they’ll win something.
I’ve just now seen the full match. I can honestly say that your rant is spot on and I’m disgusted. Fully honestly completely disgusted. I’m sick of having no answer for Didier Drogba. I’m sick of the idea that a 5’4″ 140 pound player can play striker in the Premier League. I’m sick of Wenger. I’m SICK OF IT.
I’d have to agree, with the rant and your post TY. It is beyond frustrating, and frankly it wont be fixed this year, barring a miracle run of great form from Bendtner, the wing players, as well as the defence and in goal…yeah thats not going to happen. Tough to swallow, but they can not compete with the top tier teams, and even sometimes with lower level teams. They are stuck in neutral right about now, tetering on going in reverse, and have to change it up just to make the Champions League next year. The middle of the pack teams are charging for the top four and Arsenal are primed to give it up. Only time will tell if they actually do, or turn it around a bit and finish up the league in 3rd.
I do think that the clinical striker is needed – but it isn’t like one is on the market for anything less than a billionty dollars.
Of course, I don’t see why van Nistelrooij or Huntelaar wouldn’t have been worth a shot on loan, but perhaps Wenger has given up on the season. Better to wait and see if there is one available in the summer. On van Persie comes back, there wouldn’t be playing time for him anyway.
There are some you can go after, though. Luis Suarez is banging goals in for fun at Ajax, Marouane Chamakh is free, and Jovetic could theoretically be pried out of Fiorentina. All of them would be an upgrade over Bendtner, I’d imagine (Jovetic would be a massive signing). Plus, like you said, Huntelaar on loan made sense for Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn…pretty much anyone who needs a striker.
I think Arsenal’s got something that the other top four sides don’t have: financial planning. Their debt is the most sensible debt out there (mostly tied up in Highbury, right?), and the most likely to actually be paid back appropriately and without a major cash injection from a random billionaire. In that sense, it’s prudent to NOT spend; if you can get to the top four for free, than why spend 25 million? The problem is that top four finishes, while good, aren’t filling up trophy cases; at some point, the club’s going to need to win something again.
Of course, if and when they beat Liverpool tomorrow, this is a moot point. A loss tomorrow leaves this whole conversation lingering until the 20th; a win draws a line under it with a fairly easy run-in to the end of the season. Ten days of talk about Arsenal’s poor form against the top sides will suck for Gunner fans (I’m dreading the possibility of a Tottenham win and a Liverpool loss; if we lose by two goals or more, we drop behind Man City).
Hey, haven’t commented since . . . well, I can’t remember. I love the rant, though. Completely on-point. If I can add anything, it would be this (and I’m going to piggyback a little off Bluesfan):
The problem isn’t that the team is too young, but that they haven’t had a truly defining win yet. No offense to Liverpool, but our win there in December wasn’t all that great. Yes, we fought back, but ‘Pool had been slumping and weren’t at their best (or even at their good) that day. We go a goal down, and the squad has no self belief; if we don’t answer ten minutes after the goal, we’re not going to answer. In fact, we’ll likely give up another goal. (See: Chelsea on Sunday and United the week before). We don’t have the heart. The determination is there, so is the technique, but we don’t fight like Chelsea or United. We turn lame.
It doesn’t help our confidence that our keeper is south of terrible; I’d like to say Almunia should never play another game for us, but our options aren’t just limited, they aren’t even options.
Ask any Arsenal supporter: we’ve know what the squad has lacked over the past 2-3 seasons. We need another defensive middie (That’s not a knock on Song, because if you ask me, if Cesc isn’t putting in the performances he is, Song is my MVP) and a true first-choice keeper. It’s almost laughable that Wenger claims we can win the league, but then we see Almunia (Karl Hungus) on the team sheet week in and out.
I’ll stop now because I just realize how much I’ve written. And I’m getting angrier.
I didn’t even bother to touch on Almunia, but yes he NEEDS to go, quick.