Arsenal
Title Challenge Draws to End. Mental Strength my Arsenal
Theo!!
By Boris Mellor
April 21 2011
I almost wish Man U won on Tuesday, then I could have stopped pretending that Arsenal were still in the title race. False hope is such a killer. For the last few weeks Wenger has imitated a captain of a sinking ship denying anything was wrong as the water rises up his ankles.
This wasn’t a bad game by the Gunners, and indeed for periods the old Arsenal almost seemed back. I don’t think there was a lack of fight, but there was a lack of nous, of experience and tactics. In spite of Wenger’s claims for his defence there is an obvious brittleness and fragility that becomes obvious when there is all to play for. Of course for the neutral it was a cracker, but Arsenal could have got so much more out of this game than entertaining the neutral.
Of course Arsenal are not sinking, but they are underachieving, six weeks ago they seemed to be a real title contender, now their inability to stop drawing, or defend a lead has cost them dearly. Now they have sunk to third when only a few weeks back they had the opportunity to climb to first. If they had won their last three games at home this would have been a highly acceptable game that could be written off as all the fun of a local derby, a game where they had re-found their incisive touch.
The result would have been a point gained and put the team a point clear with Man U still to play. Instead its two points lost which ends our title hopes and even threatens to destroy hopes of finishing second. Of course Wenger says he will not give up, and he is quite right to say so, but the grim reality is that the moment has gone.
It wasn’t tonight that it all went wrong, not in terms of the title, not even in terms of drawing at Newcastle, no it was the three defeats at home, and the countless draws. Teams have sussed Wenger out, they realise that Arsenal at home can be stifled. Don’t blame the fans for poor home performances, blame Wenger’s refusal to mix it in terms of tactics, age, skill and experience.
I feel sorry for Walcott, at Tottenham he scored a great goal and created a second, and still the team can’t get three points, meanwhile some fans point the finger at him. Surely that’s enough of a display for a forward to go home with three points. He did far more of note in the game than St Bale. He was Arsenal’s best player, true he became to tire towards the end, but that was because he had put so much in. The problem isn’t this or that player. The problem is Wenger’s stubbornness and the mistaken balance of his team.
Wenger refuses to get the balance right, if you point that out the AKBs accuse you of wanting to spend loads of money and point to the example of Chelsea. No I don’t think he should spend a fortune, I just believe he should change the balance a bit. A couple of wise and tough old heads could have marshalled the team to protect the lead. A 3-1 lead should end in victory, it just typifies what has gone wrong again and again this season, and the last four seasons.
Nor can Wenger complain that Spurs parked the bus, the game was wide open, it should have been possible to score more. But that is not the main issue.
The main issue is when you are in a cauldron like the NLD you need experience in defence, someone to protect the flanks, rally the troops. Wenger talks about mental strength, unfortunately as a team that is something they lack. Mental strength isn’t about kicking someone up in the air, it’s about knowing how to keep calm and not panic. How to change things at the right time, how to defend a lead and so on. Some of this has to come from the manager, but you also need players on the pitch who can take the initiative. Unfortunately this team has not got mental strength, unless the term now means headless chickens.
Mental strength under Graham, and for eight years of Wenger was the hallmark of the Arsenal team. Somewhere down the line Wenger’s team has become enfeebled. I believe it’s due to the fact that Wenger mistakenly believes that his Frankenstein experiment of developing his own players would create an undying loyalty and motivation.
What he fails to understand is that his carefully propagated hot house plants shrivel when faced with the reality that exists outside his laboratory. He hasn’t created an experience of a broader and tougher outside world.
What Wenger believes to be the strength of his system has been taken too far and become a weakness; what makes you strong often kills you in the end.
He has to change things next year, or we are doomed to watch this cycle of promising much and then imploding as the season draws to a close again and again. Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat their errors again and again. Unless Wenger learns those lessons and makes changes then we will see many seasons like this, and very few, if any trophies.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:24:18:31:01 by Padre Pio.
But will anything change ?
The frustration comes because the solutions really do not seem that difficult to achieve: an experienced world class central defender being top of the list.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Personally I thought the defence was as poor as it always has been. Some of the spin on here about it was worthy of AW himself, disregarding the fact that this team is incapable of shutting out the opposition when it is imperative to do so.
It's the fourth best defence in the league, and has conceded only one less than Fulham. So let's praise Fulham instead shall we, whilst considering they aren't clear of relegation yet?
A big so what? If you can't hold a four goal league against Newcastle you have no right to crow about the wonders of our defence. That's just one appalling lapse among many.
Meanwhile Wenger prowls the line like a child who's had his favourite toy broken by the nasty big boys. Everyone can see he's lost it, some of his antics have been shameful. If he was a horse he'd be shot.
you are spot on!!!
wenger has somehow lost it..only wenger can find his way back..it has become rather obvious that wenger enjoyed success because he rode on the back bone of the defense line that he inherited & when those players left he lost it... the issue with arsenal is not scoring goals, it's defending the goals scored..if we can blow 4 goal lead then we simply done have what it takes.. wenger loves to plot the attack so why not get a disciplined defensive coach to take care of the back line..
the way i see it even if arsenal sign vidic,terry, ramos & all the best defenders, they will play well until lack of defensive coaching will creep in & they will forget their defensive discipline & rely on their skills which won't get them far..
wenge should own up & stop embarrassing this club..even if utd loose yet again, arsenal are out of it and may just end up in 4th spot at the alarming rate that we are dropping points...
Can We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿♀️
I do honour the fact that Monseur Wenger has done too much for the board, which is good for them rich guys, but what is he doing for the fans who keep paying all those moneys to watch the games, even if its watching it on TV? By the way its not free to watch PL on TV these days.
I do not understand who decides who should be pulled off, mostly when fans feel a player was subbed wrongly the end results are they were right. Like Arshavin the other week, and Diaby these week. I hope he changes, not the board to change him.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:De Times
I enjoyed watching the game lastnight, almost felt like winning a trophy.
you have obviously never experienced arsenal winning a trophy DT. Perhaps thats the problem.
Great artice PP, if i was going to write one, it would say exactly what you written, almost to the letter.
i think the Boycott idea is a good one, but shouldnt be raised until the season is finished, there is still much to be played for.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:There's too many plums at Arsenal, there's more chance of me having a threesome with Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston tonight than of an Arsenal merchandise boycott.
What an amazing threesome it could be..ping me in..if you want more thrill..lol..(I mean 4some)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:22:06:33:16 by PKGooner.
It'll be too hot for you to handle mate..I'm sure at some point you will need some help..
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
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