Hi guys, random football/Forest fan here.
I'm a rather silent member of this site usually but I've watched quite a lot of Arsenal's games over the years, being a big fan of their personnel, style of play and footballing philosophy. I remember the great years under Wenger, the days of Petit, Viera, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires etc backed with the steely defence of brutes like Adams, Dixon, Winterburn and Keown. I remember the amazing "invincibles", what a team you guys were. I've never been one to turn to glory supporting but I couldn't help but be attracted by your team and the forward-thinking, revolutionary manager who was behind it all and who of course remains at your club.
But anyway, to the point. It pains me a little, not as much as you guys I'm sure, to see what you've become. As all of you of course know, your decline has been steady and occurred for a multitude of reasons. But there can be no doubt that the Arsenal of today is a pale shadow of what once was the pride of Premier League football, and even Europe too at one point.
Wenger has kept his job because of what he achieved in the past but I don't think there's anyone in football who still regards him as a top manager. Just like the great Brian Clough, he's had his day, of course we stuck with Clough to the bitter end, right to the point where we got relegated in his final season (from winning the league just over a decade earlier that's a sad denouement), not saying the same will happen with you guys of course...
What I will say is though that I think this season is the season Arsene has truly lost his touch. He's not motivating his players, you look fragile and uncertain on the pitch. Teams turn up thinking they've always got a chance against you and they're right.
Teams like City, Chelsea, United will almost certainly finish above you now. Southampton, Swansea, Everton and Tottenham will rival you for fourth place and this is the season I think you'll miss out because unlike before your team no longer seems to have confidence in their manager. I think they know that at the top level the guy is now out of his depth. It happens in football, the game changes and sometimes managers don't. Or they lose their hunger/ability to motivate their players.
A lot of you might think Arsene will deliver fourth place for you this season and that you should therefore stick with him. But what do you base that on? The fact he's always done it before right? But why should the future reflect the past? If it did Liverpool would still be taking the glory. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think you guys will be able to rely on history to help you this season. In fact I think it's precisely your history which is holding you back. You need new blood, someone who has something to prove, someone who can bring a fresh approach to rejuvenate your players. Arsene will forever be a legend of the game but he's now much more Kenny Dalglish than Alex Ferguson. A legend who brought glory in his time who must be moved on for your great club to progress.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. I'm just a football fan who would love to see you guys genuinely competing again. It's been too long.
A sad decline (neutral's view)
posted on 23/11/14
Interesting video afcspy, hadn't seen that. The guy seems spot on though. The problem is that the game has passed Arsene by.
People criticise Mourinho, saying he plays stale football but you look at Chelsea's first goal yesterday and it's worthy of the tippiest, tappiest, prettiest football any manager could produce. The difference is that Mourinho sets his teams up to get results and can play pretty or ugly depending on what's required. Arsene is so one-dimensional that it's almost painful to watch. I mean the football's pretty but what's the point in playing pretty football if you get beat time and time again at the end of it!
posted on 23/11/14
Great article. Wenger has had his day. Unfortunately we're stuck with him, because of our toothless Board.
Wenger runs the club and if he leaves, there will be a massive gap and a long period of readjustment.
Arsenal's glory days, like the 60's are over.
We need an exceptional Manager, both on and off the field, with a strong character to remould the club, because Arsenal are Wenger. An error which will come back to haunt our toothless Board and a Chairman who doesn't care about the club, with the passion of a true supporter.
posted on 23/11/14
i feel bad for wenger
keeping you in the cl for half a decade+ with no funds (something i dont think a single other manager on earth could have done) basically wasted his potrntial and went unappreciated
posted on 23/11/14
On 8 million a season mate. Save us the high horse rubbish
posted on 23/11/14
All he can do now is get us another top 4 finish, try for the FA cup again, resign and give the job to simeone who will guide us to league titles.
posted on 23/11/14
he made a lot of money, but wasted his career keeping you relevant while the stadium was paid for
in hindsight he should have quit in 2005
posted on 23/11/14
In hindsight, he should have.
posted on 23/11/14
Absolutely he should have quit. He should have quit as soon as his role went from moulding and then managing a great team to titles to becoming some sort of penny pinching economist. His love for Arsenal is admirable and beyond doubt. As another poster stated, it's his ambition which seems to be the problem.
posted on 23/11/14
Teams like City, Chelsea, United will almost certainly finish above you now. Southampton, Swansea, Everton and Tottenham will rival you for fourth place and this is the season
Utd are just as bad as us if not worse tbh and wont finish above us cos as soon as we get Kos,Theo,Ozil and Debuchy back we will kick on from here win the league no but finish above them sorry lot yes
posted on 23/11/14
This is a great article, 5 s from me. Although I still think we'll finish 3rd/4th, lets not forget United took 4 points off us last season and still finished miles behind us. I don't think they are any better than we are.