Both Wenger and the fans are right

There is no point doing a season review. Read the one from last year or the year before. It is the same. The end of this season, however, brought to the open many feelings that have been bottled up for four years. Both Wenger and the fans lost their cool.

The story of Arsenal in the past 4 years can be summarized quite accurately in four points.

1. Club mismanagement of players leaving the club
2. Injuries, injuries, injuries. Why so many injuries?
3. A club (or a Manager) reluctant to spend huge sums of money.
4. A manager who optimises his team for attack above everything else.

You can argue about whether points 3 and 4 have anything to do with the drift downwards over the past 3 years since it is a highly theoretical argument, one that I and others indulge in all too often but it is hard to show the real effect. Afterall, Barcelona have done well by being fully optimised for attack in the past 4 years while Chelsea won a lot by doing exactly the opposite. Every club above us in the table has spent huge sums of money on players but yet we won trophies earlier by doing the opposite.

Whatever the merits of points 3 and 4, points 1 and 2 are clearly true.

At one point during the season, I would have given my house to finish above Villa. Yet I am disappointed at the end of the season even after we went a little further. Yes, I remember what it was like before Wenger came. We weren't always top and yes we maybe we are spoilt. But I think it is okay for fans to be disappointed when we are competing against Villa instead Man Utd. Part of the reason why Wenger was desperate to finish as high as possible was just to place himself firmly among the top four. The gap in points really raises the question of whether it is top 3 and that the whole top 4 business is just because of the champions league not really because of a logical points gap spread.

So I believe fans have been right to be disappointed. The club have to realise that fans are not disappointed about this year. It is a release from the past 4 years. Without their high expectations, the club might not keep its own high expectations. The customer demand is important in driving any business. Another season of this and there might be empty seats at the Emirates. Yes, you could call those fans disloyal or fair weather fans but they pay the bills. The club will suffer without them.

The last 3 games – 2 against Manchester United confirms what Wenger says about confidence. It should be conventional wisdom. When players lose confidence it affects everything they do. Every minute on the pitch is a risk because every touch of the ball either reinforces lack of confidence or improves it. Football is a hard game at this level so the chances are that there will be more lack of confidence touches than confident ones and each one of those weakens the player further.

So far in the Arsenal, only two players have shown that they can rise over continuous failure and pull themselves up again. Those are Bendtner to a great extent and Kolo to a lesser extent since he has had that much bad press. Then Eboue has miraculously done so once but he is not as brave as Bendtner. These days, when Eboue makes a mistake, he plays safe for 30 mins before trying anything again. Bendtner will try and try and try and keep going.

At 0-1 in the second leg of the CL, Arsenal players gave up and most importantly, so did the fans. Only Kolo Touré stood up but it was not enough. Against Chelsea lack of confidence meant that the entire team was nervous in attack. Everyone played safe and nothing worked. Even more evident at Old Trafford was the fact that nobody that had a chance took is coolly. Too careful and too little confidence, too much waste.

If you look at how much Song has improved with all the bad press, you would wonder how much better he could be with full support. Look at Denilson from the start of the season. A tidy, hardworking player with extremely impressive stats. A few mistakes and a few grunts and he went into his shell for quite a few games. We all lose out!

And that is where Wenger is right. Arsenal fans are notoriously bad and lifting the team. Pent-up frustration from 4 years means the fans are more prepare to spew bile at a mistake than congratulate a good tackle. When Arsenal are passing the ball around the fans are quiet. When Arsenal concedes the fans are quite. When Arsenal scores the fans celebrate and then fall quiet again waiting for disaster or are the next goal. Yes there are hardly any leaders on the pitch but the fans can fill that role beautifully and we really ought to give it a go next season. I once heard Vieira say that when fans sing your name, even for a small well made tackle it can make you grow 4 inches taller.

We have to manage incoming and outgoing players very well this summer. All players should be made to make a decision as soon as possible so replacements can be sought on time if necessary.

The injury thing is a bit intriguing. I don't have the stats to compare whether Arsenal has the most injuries or if it is just the thin squad that exposes it more. I spoke to a respected European national team doctor (who did not want to be named) about this the other day.

He believes that players who didn't grow up at a team that plays a specific unique type of football are more susceptible as they have to work on new movements and techniques that stress the body in new ways and can cause injuries more often. I have no evidence from the injuries we have had at Arsenal to back this up.

But his second view is more interesting. When a team is not working well, when there is frustration and uncertainty, when Partnerships are new and unstable and when there is pressure, people will get hurt far more often and will often do so without anyone close to them. Knees, back, twists, uncontrolled falls etc. Those types of injuries also, unfortunately, take longer to heal.

If that is true, the solution to Arsenal's injury problems may just be better results and better balance in the team.

User Comments

GunnerSG

Posted on 19 May, 2009 at 11:18 AM - Reply

I was disappointed with this season no doubt, but I still believe in this team. With the season ending, fans given time to cool off, players allowed to rest coupled with a few experienced signings,we could be in the thick of action for that elusive trophy next season. From a personal view, failure makes one a harder person, makes one fearless to failure and just feeds the drive to succeed. This team will go the distance.

Matthew Wade

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 07:01 PM - Reply

Very good blog, one of the rare ones with some new content and intelligent thought..keep it up!

Lifelong Fan

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 05:36 PM - Reply

I love wenger to bits however he made a catasrophic mistake by not bidding for Given. Given is a brilliant goalkepper far better than the likes of almunia or Fabianski.
Now Wenger has to go off and look for a solid keeper.... Any suggestions?

delboy

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 04:39 PM - Reply

Very good article, as i have said previously and agree totally with 'Perrygrovesworld' the Arsenal fans are like spoilt brats. The stadium is dead unless a big match, the crowd don't sing enough and the leaving early really pisses me off. If you look at other supporters we must hang our heads in shame. Look at Pool supporters sing even when they lose. We just whing. By the way Joel, that doctor sounded like he was bluffing a bit.

IAWWT

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 02:15 PM - Reply

Great blog...

Deano

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 01:54 PM - Reply

Let me start by saying 25m that’s a good start to build a strong physical presence in a team that is already technically adapted, from defence to attack 2 strong defenders in Vermaelen (Belgian) 7.5m and Sahko (French) 7.5m and a strong hard working out an out front man, who can score good or scrappy goals Dzeko (Bosnian) 10-11m. there are you strong physical players, ball winners, match winners. Then for another 5-6m we can add that hardman central midfielder that would help song/denilson improve but form the spine for Cesc and other to play around. We don’t need 40/50 million, this can be done for less and would im,prove the team and the youngsters straight away. I know we are living in a dream world that Wenger would get 4 players like that to boost the team but it can be done if he already supposedly only has 13m and was to sell Ade for 15-17 even. I would personally buy Brede Hangeland from Fulham for 8m but, Arsenal ife wont allow us those type of players.

Maya

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 01:53 PM - Reply

Injury certainly our main issue this season and last season. I have no idea why we have a lot of setback problem. Injury that supposed to take 3 month take twice longer. Did we rush player into action too early? I'm starting to doubt our psycho capability. Whether it is, this certainly one issue that Wenger need to address.

Allan Churchill

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 01:30 PM - Reply

On the injuries front there is also the fact that the medical staff have the say on returning players. If this was the case at other clubs you probably would see different injury statistics.

perrygrovesworld

Posted on 18 May, 2009 at 01:22 PM - Reply

A lot of the negative comments at the bottom of the blogs seem to be from overseas fans or those who have never been to the stadium. Armchair fans appear to have no clue about the machinations of the football world, so ignorance rules. The most successful teams are those who retain their managers. Even Liverpool have risen now that Rafa has been allowed to develop his project. The biggest dissapointment for me is the Arsenal crowd who are quieter than Highbury ever was despite being called a library. I have recently sat in the Junior Gunners area and they and the Red Action area in the North side are the only consistently supportive parts of the ground. At Highbury it was easy as people would crowd into the North Bank or Clock End to sing their hearts out these days people are more interested in their half time pint or getting home early. It has to change!

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