I waited until Arsenal’s match on Tuesday evening against Olympiakos before writing this article, even though I had previously wanted to after the Swansea defeat.
This was in the vain hope that things might improve, but sadly they haven’t. I was thinking how utterly despondent Gunner fans must be feeling this week.
Team statistics in the Premier League over the last few weeks are dismal. With the knock out stages of the Champions League having been reached, one should be optimistic. However, the loss on Tuesday means that they will face the winners of another group. In the fragile state that the team is in at the moment, the odds seem rather remote that they will make it through to the next stage.
Surely even Wenger would admit this. Anything can happen in football, but in my view, it is not likely that this team will beat the odds. Besides a brief glimpse of professionalism from Tomas Rosicky in Greece, the display was dismal, and the defending was even worse.
The goalkeeper cannot do it all. He is quite competent, but without a solid back four, which must include at least one new strong central defenders Arsenal will continue to leak goals. The depressing thing is that both against Swansea and Olympiakos, they tendered to flag badly towards the end of the game.
The Swansea game was an absolute disaster – and was with a full strength side. Both of Michu’s goals went virtually unchallenged as the back four were on the other side of the field trying to score a late winner!
A schoolboy error: how can you defend from behind the striker? Why was at least one defender left in front of Szczesny in order to defend a counter attack?
What makes it even more depressing is that even with a lot of second choice players on the field against Olympiakos, which included some new youngsters, one couldn’t be sure if the first choice team would have faired much better.
Hard decisions and choices need to be taken now and Wenger needs to act decisively. Players not performing such as Chamakh (who hasn’t really set the pitch alight except right at the beginning of his stay at Arsenal) and Gervinho – who has been hopeless in the last few games – need to be dropped and sold as soon as possible.
The issue is that because of the lack of depth in the squad, strong replacements need to be found in the January transfer window, but its doubtful that there are these types of players available, or even if available, would they be prepared to come to Arsenal|?
There is no place for complacency in a team that has prided itself in being one of the top four for many previous seasons. Sadly, that possibility this season is beginning to look rather remote.
And the games are now coming thick and fast. Wenger’s comment that his players are ‘tired’ is unbelievably ill conceived in my view, because having heard the boss saying that might just help them to convince themselves that it is true, and that this is a valid excuse for poor performance.
A team with no spirit and no desire to win will not progress in any competition, especially in the bruising competitions of Europe. The future, sad to say, looks rather gloomy but the next month is crucial.
The team must start winning otherwise this season could become the biggest disaster in Wenger’s reign. And nobody wants that, least of all him.
Do you feel the same way? How can Wenger turn it around?
image: © dyobmit
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