So on Twitter, on Facebook, on my Arsenal based website Gunnersinarms.com and on here, there is a huge debate as to what state Arsenal are or are not currently in.
It is Arsenal’s worst start to a season for 30 years. Nevermind being the worst under Arsene’s reign. I have been more critical than most but tried to be optimistic viewing 5th place as probably ‘a realistic position for the club’ after the way things have been.
I don’t often promote other people’s articles on my work however, Le Grove has made a few good points about the club and his article is worth a read after this. Go to http://www.ftbpro.com/xposts/le.grove/79073/as-a-squad-this-is-the-best-since-i-have-been-here-arsenal-vs-everton-match-report for his interesting read on the finances at Arsenal and also a must-read article on this link, possibly helping a few of you decide about this weekend’s protest march organised by a group of positive and passionate life-long Arsenal supporters. http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/
Right so all that aside, where are we as a club. Rumours of Wenger being asked to see the board and dressing room arguments after the Everton game leave us with two options for a future. With or without Wenger. Here are the positives and negatives for both.
Nobody knows Arsenal at this moment in time quite the way Wenger does. He is a legend as far as the club goes and the man has made history with the club in his 16 years. He helped to influence the design and has delivered six major trophies in his time as Arsenal manager.
His history of unearthing gems in players is nothing short of spectacular and who had ever heard of Vieira or Henry before we signed them? Adebayor and Nasri? Fabregas and the list goes on and on. His financial acumen in impressive. Delivering Champions League football season upon season since 1998.
He has a great history against our local rivals and rarely fails to humiliate them in derbies.
However for me, that is where the positives stop.
Negatives:
He refuses to break any salary structure where somebody might earn more than him. At £7m a year, I expect better from a manager.
His record of delivering Champions League football is all that he has to show for the last 8 trophy-less years. We have been to only 2 finals since we last won the FA cup in 2005. Before anybody shoots me down, it’s not all about winning trophies, but it sure as hell helps when everybody else around you is winning them.
His transfer policy in recent years has been questionable. Selling players such as RVP, Nasri, Clichy and failing to replace them with distinctly similar players. Instead choosing to replace them with Chamakh, Arshavin and Squillaci to name but a few.
His results season upon season have been getting worse, our gap to the top teams is getting as wide as the Grand Canyon and we are currently 5 points down on last season and 12 points behind the leaders after only 14 games.
Here is the most damning statistic, 5 wins in 14 games. I worked out, that if this was a league only and we were looking at a whole season situation, we would achieve Mid-table position after 38 games. Never mind the days of old when Arsenal used to destroy teams at Home in the Champions League 4 or 5 nil. When was the last time that happened?
Ultimately the backing for Wenger is not there from many fans now. Neither does it appear to be there from the board. Whilst Arsene has tried his hardest, he appears to have become stale, losing his control of the Club he so desires to push forward.
The board are not untouchable in all this, but we have to start somewhere. The board do not pick the team, or make the decisions on the pitch, nor do they say who they want to sign to ‘strengthen’ the team. (I use strengthen lightly).
Let’s us reward Wenger with a place on the board. A figure head position, somewhere he can make the difference instead of us rewarding Gazidis for his over-inflated salary and pocket lining schemes. If you read the article on Hill-Wood, you will understand how the club has become more of a private scheme for the board to make money, rather than support the manager, who has been forced to almost fall on his own sword.
Thanks for everything Arsene, but you need to help the team more than ever, by helping us the fans, make a difference on the board and allowing somebody else, to continue your legacy.
Follow me on twitter @savvygooner and @gunnersinarms
For more information on Saturday’s protest march go to http://www.wherehasourarsenalgone.co.uk
Savvygooner
Gunners in Arms #GIA 