A season that promised so much is now in tatters

 

So where do we start? It has been a pretty depressing week which has now effectively ended another Premier League title one that has ended in capitulation. After being front runners for most of the season for one reason or another we have once more been shown up for the side we are. While the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have all improved considerably we still choke on the big stage this has been the case for 9 very long years and will now seemingly hit a whole decade of nothing.

So what are the reasons we find ourselves in such a predicament time and time again?

1, Thin Squad

This always seems to be a valid reason and has been for quite a few seasons now, this season especially. Not only is the squad one of the smallest in the entire Premier League it is full of quite frankly sub standard professionals who are past their best, yes they could “do you a job” but if you have designs of winning Premier league titles and being in contention in the Champions League you have to be aiming higher than that. As everyone outside of the Arsenal board room has alluded to several million times already this season we have no depth. All season long we have relied on Olivier Giroud who for most part has done his best asked to lead the line his goal return is decent but he is never going to win you the title especially if he is asked to do it all season long without a rest.

2, Injuries

It has always been the case that under Wenger when everyone is fit we can give anyone in world football a run for their money the trouble is they never seem to be fit. If this continues we will have to invest in Arsenal General Hospital and build it on site. Arsene Wenger made his name early on in his reign as Arsenal boss for his approach to diet and training methods and was seen as somewhat a pioneer in this field. Things have changed our rivals have caught up and in most cases left us behind. This is something that needs to be addressed.

3, Wenger

I am sure I will get hell from some fans because you cannot attack or even just accuse Wenger who is apparently our Saviour in some peoples eyes, there was a minor protest before the Manchester City game at the Emirates yesterday, this has led to more fighting between fans, when are fans going to learn that you are allowed an opinion no matter what the subject, just because you criticise the regime it does NOT mean you are not supporting your club. The term “plastic fans” is thrown about a lot these days but surely that would mean to blindly follow? Wenger has made some notable errors this year he has prided on himself on being “Arsenal” through and through the fact is in 1996 their were only 70+ professionals at the club, since the club has grown there are now 400+ and he cannot be everywhere. I blame the board for letting him have so much control, in what other job do you get to select your own boss, well that is what happened when he headed a selection panel in which Ivan Gazidis secured his Chief Executive role. There is your problem right there. Gazidis isn’t exactly going to tell Wenger what to do when in every eventuality he would be given the boot.

Every fan with a decent head on their shoulders can pinpoint exactly when things started to go sour, Peter Hill-Wood and his fallout with David Dein was a big problem and something that the club has never recovered from. Dein was the one man at the club that kept Wenger in check, Wenger admired him and respected him, now I feel he sees many of the so called “executives” at the club as being beneath him.

Whenever you raise the question of should Wenger stay or go?, this seems to be met with fear mongering by many, ” oh but we do not want another Moyes”, I would agree but you could end up with another Rodgers, you simply do not know, it is a risk yes, but at some point Wenger will leave even if he signs this now 2 year extension that will more than likely be a chance for the board to reshape, re-evaluate and appoint his successor, and even claw back some control it will give them time to get it right. The club has gone stale, it happens, for Arsenal to evolve as a club it is a step that needs to be made.

In closing only a blind man could not see the Wenger and also the board have taken their eye off the ball it will take a while to get things back to the good ol’ successful days, but change is a must in any business and like it or not Football is now a business, big business.

By @Goonerscribe