I was a bit surprised to read in the Metro that Arsene Wenger is odds on to resign from his job at the end of the season.
We all know that Wenger sticks to his principles and is never or rarely swayed by pressure. He's always said he would honour his contract and it does not expire until 2017.
As a good friend of mine always says: 'The only way Arsene will leave Arsenal is in a box'.
Personally, I think he will consider leaving in 2017, if no additional silverware is lifted by then.
Even if Spurs win the league this season, and don't choke on pizza as they did in a recent campaign when aiming for a top four slot, Wenger will point to a record which shows his Arsenal team has always finished above their nearest rivals. Wenger will use history to justify continuing in his current role.
The lack of viable alternatives to Wenger make finding a successor difficult. I've heard people suggest Klopp and Bilic in the past, but how can anyone be sure that these managers would have been better than Wenger?
When Bruce Rioch arrived at Arsenal, big things were predicted, but the reality was less impressive.
Changing manager is always a risk. Perhaps Arsenal would be better off persevering, at least until 2017. However, Wenger could help the club he purportedly loves by grooming a successor.
Saturday 19 March 2016
Saturday 12 March 2016
Judge Arsenal at the end of the season
It's really strange that I appear to be a Wenger apologist lately, as that is something I'm not. I recognise that the Arsenal manager has his shortcomings, as don't we all, but I also think it is only fair to judge him at the end of the season rather than before.
To say Wenger has lost it, before he has, is to be guilty of a knee-jerk reaction. Everyone knows progress can be two steps forward and one step backwards. However, every time there is one step backwards, fans call for the boss's head. That reaction is the height of idiocy.
Then again, we all have our opinions and there's nothing wrong with that. Personally, I think Coquelin's red card at Spurs may be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal, especially if it forces Wenger to consider other options in midfield. I'd consider being more defensive by playing Flamini alongside Elneny or Chambers in central midfield.
Meanwhile, it's difficult to see an injury to Aaron Ramsey as a positive, but has he really been a goal threat this season? Has Rambo been a provider of chances? Obviously, he has been to some extent, but not to the level of Ozil.
My view is Ozil could provide even more chances if he is protected by a couple of tough, sensible and mobile central midfielders. I know Flamini's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's reliable, makes few mistakes (except against Barcelona), is a good organiser and a winner.
I'd probably play Chambers alongside Flamini, as the England youngster seems to have regained his confidence and deserves an extended run in the team.
After the four goals at Hull, I was surprised to see that Arsenal fans are still describing Giroud as 'average' and Walcott as even worse than that. I really cannot understand how people can persist in under-rating players in a team they claim to be supporting. These same fans sing 'Super Tom', when they see Rosicky warming up before he tweaks another muscle. Meanwhile, when Walcott scored a hat-trick against Croatia for England, some Arsenal fans said he was lucky! Talk about favouritism!
Nevertheless, I'm not sure I'd persist with Walcott next season. Much depends on how he finishes this one. Is he going to be utilised as a striker or a winger? Is Walcott going to be happy with playing on the wing predominantly? In fact, there are more questions than answers. That's why Arsenal fans are best waiting until the end of the season before making up their minds about players and the management. Only then will it be fair to judge the team's success or failure. Only then will the watching world know which team or teams have choked on the final hurdle of their respective league campaigns.
Sent from my iPhone
To say Wenger has lost it, before he has, is to be guilty of a knee-jerk reaction. Everyone knows progress can be two steps forward and one step backwards. However, every time there is one step backwards, fans call for the boss's head. That reaction is the height of idiocy.
Then again, we all have our opinions and there's nothing wrong with that. Personally, I think Coquelin's red card at Spurs may be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal, especially if it forces Wenger to consider other options in midfield. I'd consider being more defensive by playing Flamini alongside Elneny or Chambers in central midfield.
Meanwhile, it's difficult to see an injury to Aaron Ramsey as a positive, but has he really been a goal threat this season? Has Rambo been a provider of chances? Obviously, he has been to some extent, but not to the level of Ozil.
My view is Ozil could provide even more chances if he is protected by a couple of tough, sensible and mobile central midfielders. I know Flamini's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's reliable, makes few mistakes (except against Barcelona), is a good organiser and a winner.
I'd probably play Chambers alongside Flamini, as the England youngster seems to have regained his confidence and deserves an extended run in the team.
After the four goals at Hull, I was surprised to see that Arsenal fans are still describing Giroud as 'average' and Walcott as even worse than that. I really cannot understand how people can persist in under-rating players in a team they claim to be supporting. These same fans sing 'Super Tom', when they see Rosicky warming up before he tweaks another muscle. Meanwhile, when Walcott scored a hat-trick against Croatia for England, some Arsenal fans said he was lucky! Talk about favouritism!
Nevertheless, I'm not sure I'd persist with Walcott next season. Much depends on how he finishes this one. Is he going to be utilised as a striker or a winger? Is Walcott going to be happy with playing on the wing predominantly? In fact, there are more questions than answers. That's why Arsenal fans are best waiting until the end of the season before making up their minds about players and the management. Only then will it be fair to judge the team's success or failure. Only then will the watching world know which team or teams have choked on the final hurdle of their respective league campaigns.
Sent from my iPhone
Thursday 3 March 2016
Stagnation or stability?
Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea has led to more people questioning why Wenger is still at the helm. They may say this era has become a time of stagnation at the club. However, I've always been of the opinion that stability is important at a time when some chairmen change managers as often as underpants.
Then again, some say if you don't try to move forwards, you go backwards and one thing I don't understand is why there seem to be no plans in place to groom Wenger's successor. Even the 'great helmsman' can't last forever. Then again, perhaps the secretive club, who rarely disclose transfer fees, have made plans behind the scene to ensure a smooth transition post-Wenger.
Some will be hoping that era comes sooner rather than later after Wenger's decision to take off live wire goal scorer Joel Campbell against Swansea. At times like that, it seems like a strict pecking order is in place. Poor Campbell has waited a long time for his chance and then, when he rises to the occasion, he gets hauled off. Given that goals are hard to come by for Arsenal, it is difficult to comprehend why Campbell isn't getting more of a run in the team; he looks razor-sharp compared to his team-mates.
Meanwhile, Arsenal weren't lucky against Swansea and that's an understatement. The woodwork saved the Swans three times and their first goal was scored after an infringement on Ozil. BBC pundit Danny Murphy said it was a '50/50', but I'd say it was a foul. The second Swansea goal was offside. No one is disputing that.
The worrying thing for Arsenal fans is the performances: the Gunners simply don't look like title winners lately. However, who does? Perhaps Arsenal can still clinch the title in a season where it is inevitable that a mediocre team will win the Premier League. One thing's for sure, Arsenal need to go to White Hart Lane and win to stand any real chance of lifting the trophy.
Sent from my iPhone
Then again, some say if you don't try to move forwards, you go backwards and one thing I don't understand is why there seem to be no plans in place to groom Wenger's successor. Even the 'great helmsman' can't last forever. Then again, perhaps the secretive club, who rarely disclose transfer fees, have made plans behind the scene to ensure a smooth transition post-Wenger.
Some will be hoping that era comes sooner rather than later after Wenger's decision to take off live wire goal scorer Joel Campbell against Swansea. At times like that, it seems like a strict pecking order is in place. Poor Campbell has waited a long time for his chance and then, when he rises to the occasion, he gets hauled off. Given that goals are hard to come by for Arsenal, it is difficult to comprehend why Campbell isn't getting more of a run in the team; he looks razor-sharp compared to his team-mates.
Meanwhile, Arsenal weren't lucky against Swansea and that's an understatement. The woodwork saved the Swans three times and their first goal was scored after an infringement on Ozil. BBC pundit Danny Murphy said it was a '50/50', but I'd say it was a foul. The second Swansea goal was offside. No one is disputing that.
The worrying thing for Arsenal fans is the performances: the Gunners simply don't look like title winners lately. However, who does? Perhaps Arsenal can still clinch the title in a season where it is inevitable that a mediocre team will win the Premier League. One thing's for sure, Arsenal need to go to White Hart Lane and win to stand any real chance of lifting the trophy.
Sent from my iPhone
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