Arsene Wenger is too stubborn for English football today
by Rachid Parchment
Everyone has something to say these days about Arsenal FC and Arsene Wenger. The latest to join the debate is The Daily Express’ Mick Dennis. Dennis wrote an article today slamming Arsenal supporters who have begun to question Arsene Wenger’s role as manager of the club. The article is entitled “CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, GOONERS” and this is some of what it said:
“Two seasons before Wenger arrived, Arsenal finished 12th in the Premier League.
“The following campaign, under Bruce Rioch, they clambered up to fifth, but were 19 points behind winners Manchester United.
“Wenger has delivered three titles and two Doubles.
“He built the fabulous “Invincibles” – the first team for 115 years to complete a top division season undefeated.
“And the glorious triumphs and epic near-things have all been achieved with football that lifts the soul and gladdens the heart.
“Yet, last week, as Arsenal were bettered by United, Gooners stomped out of the Emirates long before the end, pausing only to vent their purple-faced fury towards Wenger.
“Their team were losing a semi-final of the Champions League to the English, European and world champions, and yet those spoiled fans – they cannot be called supporters – considered that to be an intolerable failure. “
He went on to say:
“You would think that the example of what has happened elsewhere would teach Arsenal fans to be careful what they wish for.
“Newcastle wanted Freddy Shepherd out. They got Mike Ashley. Charlton wanted Alan Curbishley out. They got two relegations.”
To read his drivel in its entirety, click here. What can I say though? It was a weak weak weak article. The reason I’m even doing this blog though is because Dennis’ view is one shared by many Arsenal Arsene Wenger fans who don’t want to see him go. I intend to now address both Dennis’ and Arsene Wenger Loyalists’ views. These views are weak for two main reasons:
- They make it seem as though we’re guaranteed to hire a crap manager if we sack Wenger. What proof do they have that we will get a worse manager? What proof do they have that we can’t bring in someone like del Bosque, Ranieri or Rijkaard? Unless they’re prophets they don’t have any. If we get a proper manager in as Wenger’s replacement wouldn’t it then follow that he’d have enough clout to bring in proper players to replace the ones that want to leave?
- Those things Wenger achieved in the past were just that…the past. Back then English football was much different. The Premiership wasn’t what it is now. It wasn’t as competitive as it is these days. Ferguson went through the same thing and decided he needed to get his act together and change his approach to the game. Wenger on the other hand is still using his outdated ideology and feels it can be successful. Four seasons trophiless has proven that it isn’t. It’s time for a change of approach and Wenger isn’t willing to make that change. He’s refused to sign experienced players and continues to put trust in an under experienced team and trust in his outdated ideas on football management.
People need to wise up and realise that since Chelsea have stepped in with all their money, English football has changed. It’s forced teams throughout the Premiership to deepen their squads to keep pace with the rest of the league and as such there’s less of a gulf in class between teams and more foreign players are entering the Premiership. What this means is that there’s now a lot of change in the styles of play in England. Change which we have been struggling to keep up with because we’re sticking to our old outdated principles. Teams are getting better and better in the Premiership and can give us more of a run for our money these days. The tactics of old that might’ve beaten a team such as Everton 4-0 five or six years ago will not lead to the same success over them today. It’s time Wenger realises that and change with the times or call it a day!
All these people that are saying those that want Wenger out are plastic fans are being pompous and are trying to suggest they know the club more than many they choose to label as “plastic”. If they really knew Arsenal FC, they’d know that we’re a club with a reputation for success. From Sir Herbert Chapman’s team in the 1930s, to George Allison’s team in the 1930s and 1940s, to Bertie Mee’s team in the 70s, to George Graham’s team in the 1980s and early 1990s, Arsenal FC has never been a stranger to silverware.
To suggest, like many do, that it’s Arsene Wenger who raised the profile of the club for it to be known as one of Europe’s elites is to show how myopic Wenger Loyalists are. Yes Wenger did put us back on the map, but we weren’t ever strangers to the notion of being one of Europe’s elite before him. What he did was take us back to our glory days and now he’s been struggling to keep up with the changing game around him and we need a new manager in to raise us back to our former glory, like he did when Graham left and Bruce Rioch mucked up.
Why’s it so wrong to want to see your team do well? We’re saying we want Wenger out because we want to see the club back to its successful state, not struggling to challenge for 4th and make it to the Semi Finals of the Champions League and get eliminated and consider that a good season. That’s not good enough for a club as illustrious as Arsenal. To suggest that we’re demanding too much of the club to win silverware and now is to suggest that all those other seasons that we did we were just punching above our weight and don’t have the ability to do it. Think about it this way. If you have a child and he’s been consistently getting As and Bs on his report card then suddenly he starts getting Cs and Ds of course you’re gonna be concerned, unless you don’t want what’s best for him at all. You know he has the potential to do better than Cs and Ds but he’s not so it makes you angry and you want a change to bring back the former successes he had academically. It’s exactly the same with Arsenal.
I hope you readers will have taken the time to read this blog thoroughly, think about what I’ve said here and reply in a sane and rational manner. I welcome your comments but only comments. Disrespectful flaming will not be addressed or added to the comments list.
Until next time!
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