History being made?

By Celine Dion
November 1 2011

The AGM on Thursday, in my view, was a disaster for the Arsenal hierarchy. However much they stonewalled, spun, and blustered their way through the ceremonials many were left with the  impression that Kroenke would probably have made the same speech had he just bought out a large London cleaning firm. Gazidis doesn’t open his mouth without having six marketing consultancies work round the clock to tell him the best  way of saying what he is about to say. And Peter Hill Wood is about as culturally relevant to the future of the club as Princess Anne is. And he speaks like her too.

I didn’t enjoy Wenger’s speech either. The initial reaction from those inside the AGM was it was ‘stirring’, but my reading of it was different. The same delusional, to the point of frustrating, summary of last season; then the strong suggestion that the summers transfer supermarket sweep was meticulously planned. Finally a startling change of rhetoric from the uber-football philosophy he has always promoted, to one with the emphasis on ‘unity’ and ‘fighting’. The sort of speech, frankly, that one probably hears at the Stoke AGM.  In short, I felt that someone else had written it, probably Gazidis and the six marketing consultancies.

There we have the crux of a growing groundswell of opinion against Wenger, that has really only begun since last February. Many people feel that the clubs situation is driven by an essential lie about our financial capabilities and that more money could and should be put into the team, whatever the expostulations of self sufficiency. This has been done to death now, and does not need expanding here. But in years gone by Wenger was seen as indispensible to the master plan, and the only thing between us and footballing oblivion.

Nowadays, as mistrust towards the current owners has grown, then, outwardly at least, so has Wengers’ apparent loyalty to them. There have been conspiracy theories along the lines that he’s got a ‘job for life’, that he would get sacked by Real Madrid in six months, and so on. But the reason for his complicity with the owners, if we are honest with ourselves, is probably just quiet professionalism. Nevertheless, he has increasingly been seen, by some, as either the cause of our problems, or, with his penny pinching ways, at least an irritating symptom of them.

Prior to Saturday I have not been overly impressed with our season, even the upward curve since the defeat at White Hart Lane. We can all run round our sitting rooms at the string of home wins against Swansea Bolton Sunderland and Stoke. But if you actually sat through these fixtures, it will not have escaped your notice that for long periods of these games our football was well, less than scintillating. And if a certain Robin Van Persie was not playing his own private version of Fifa 2012, then we would not have won most of them. The first half of the Stoke game, despite our 1-0 lead, should send shivers of doubt through every Arsenal fan, as the invisible Chamakh, ploughed his invisible furrow, backwards, forwards, then backwards again, followed by his loyal poodle Walcott.

Likewise although much has been made of our position in what looked like a difficult Champions’ League group, I haven’t been overly impressed with that either. Dortmund weren’t pulling up trees in the Bundesliga when we played them, and they could still have been 4-0 up in the first 20 minutes. The Olympiakos game was remarkable largely because we allowed them something like thirty five goal scoring chances, and the Marseille match featured two sides who could barely pass to someone in the same (rather garish) shirt.

All Change?

Half time on Saturday and things seemed to be going to the usual pattern. Santos, who must have wished he hadn’t eaten that second box of Krispy Kremes before the game, was getting toasted by any Chelsea player every time the ball came down the left. First it led to one of the games heroes’ of yesteryear,  Frank Lampard, enjoying a leisurely stroll into our penalty box, then a gentle stoop as if picking a flower, and finally an unopposed, feather light header that trickled into the corner of our net.

Then, after a goal scored by, yes, you’ve guessed it, Robin Van Persie, we demonstrated another of the defensive pastiches that we have all come to so enjoy under Wenger. A Chelsea corner was swung over, and in scenes reminiscent of a crowded shopping precinct upon hearing the three minute warning, our defence scattered for the winds. Arteta bolted, dazed, from his sentry at the near post, Mertesacker threw himself into the recovery position, and John Terry lumbered like a brontosaurus, onto the bouncing ball, to shin it in for 2-1.

I think quite a few people were writing Wengers’epitath there and then. They were on Twitter anyway. Staring us in the face were five defeats before November, and a negative goal difference, against the backdrop of the same litany of defensive howlers. And yes, missed chances, decent chances that we hadn’t taken, yet again -the same criminal finishing just like year upon year gone by. Like it or not there’s a large anti-Wenger banner just waiting to be unfurled once the owners feel there is enough support for it.

I know of a couple of nascent groups who will attempt to garner support as soon as the club finds itself in a bad run, and their focus is on Wenger, not the board. There is a sense amongst some that the Wenger brand is covering for the ignoble intentions board, and to see the board exposed, standing naked as it were, Wenger needs to step aside first. I know people who don’t mind if we win, but, in quiet moments, terrible though it may sound admit that they ‘Aren’t too upset if we lose’. I firmly believe that the club teeters in a position only two or three defeats away from a breaking of ranks the like of which it has never seen before.

So what happened in the second half may just have been, in my view, a historical turning point. Let’s face it; we were lucky, our keeper, by his own admission, could have been sent off. We would not have won with 10 men. Walcotts’ goal was somewhat unusual, in that it included him sitting on the ground then getting up again. And if John Terry did not so enjoy falling flat on his face during important football matches, it would have finished 3-3.

But for the anti-brigade, which I was a fully signed up member of prior to Saturday, its’ significantly more difficult to take the same tack with Wenger, and Arsenal, after such a performance. I say performance, and not victory, because that is what matters. In the second half, we ran them all over the pitch, Wenger showed Villas-Boas for what he is at this stage of his career - a hyped-up nobody. Even the staunchest advocator of big money transfer fees cannot help but have noticed that Torres was not better than Gervinho, in fact he was significantly worse. And the bad spell that we have been waiting for Torres to snap out of, has been going on an awful long time, about two years in fact. Ramsey was as good if not better than anything in their midfield. I even felt quite fond of Grandma Rosicky by the end. Our shape was better, our tactics were better, in fact, even our defending was probably better, although only just.

Saturday was a massive victory for the AKBs, let’s admit it. Chelsea, as we all know, is the antichrist of modern football. They who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Various Arsenal writers have even traced the origins of our financial demise back to the very day Abramovic bought their club. A question done to death by the AKBs is ‘who other than Wenger could do a better job on the money available.’ And I have to say, after Saturday, in that one off game, well, probably nobody, not yet, not really, if we are honest.

Saturday was significant in a different way as well. In my view, Chelsea, one of the impregnable fortresses of modern moneybags football, one of the teams apparently disappearing over the horizon in front of our eyes, are right in the sh*t. The old guard of Cech, Drogba, Terry, Cole, Lampard, and Essien, are exactly that, old. Torres is stinking the place out. Mikel was nothing special. Chelsea have lost three games now to our four, and we are the club in crisis.

Frankly, I’m not sure how long Abramovic is going to give the current manager to adapt the entire squad to the ‘you score seven we’ll score eight philosophy’ that we saw in the second half. And finally, I don’t know Abramovic personally, we don’t get invited to the same parties, but I wonder how long he’s going to stay interested in Chelsea at all when there’s a bigger and richer kid on the block. All the rich people I know don’t throw money at being second best. They change fields. Just a hunch.

Anyway, before the AKBs start crowing, I suspect they should be grateful to the dissenters and naysayers that have blighted Wenger and the board these last 6 months. There is evidence that Wenger is changing, listening even. It seems likely that Wenger would have tried to wing it with the likes of Traore and Djourou in defence but for the uproar after Old Trafford. Most of us thought that Arteta was a cut price replacement for Fabregas when he was ushered in. But he isn’t, he is a clever compliment to Song, and after Song was run into the ground at the end of last season, that is a very good thing. We have spent a couple of years telling him to buy a big centre back. So he has. A very big one in fact. We all whinged about the lazy and feckless types like Bendnter and Denilson, and they have all been sent on their way. And we haven’t seen so much as a pimple of Squillaci all season.

On other matters, Arsene DID know best. A year ago almost everyone you met was telling him to buy a keeper. But he had a very good one you see, that we didn’t know about. Koscielny wasn’t up to it, people said, another powderpuff French waster. Not so sure about that now are we.

Saturday has bought Wenger, and therefore the club, a LOT of time. To step out of the perceived crisis and make cool calm decisions as to our future. To a lot of the old timers who have been calling for his head, a win at Stamford Bridge will represent a semi successful season on its own. One of the anti Wenger squads main arguments is that we are losing touch with the likes of Chelsea. But on Saturdays evidence, we aren’t.

Wenger still needs to make the right moves from here. There is a very large elephant in the corner of the room and that is the goalscoring exploits of Robin Van Persie.  There’s’ been a lot of defensive stuff I’ve heard from what I call the paranoid brigade, about how ‘other teams have a talisman but we get called a one man team’. But it’s different with Arsenal. Because when Rooney gets injured there’s proven talent like Chicarito and Berbatov and Wellbeck waiting in the wings.

Still needs to buy to compete

 We’ve got the invisible Chamakh and a 3 million pound purchase from the French league whom very few of us have ever seen play. If  Robin gets injured, and keen students of our history will know that it is not entirely unknown for this to happen, then we will not win many games.  He needs to buy a forward, a good one. If the club will not let Wenger buy one, rather than taking the brunt of our anger when the inevitable collapse sets in and our goals dry up, he needs to say so. It might be better for all parties if he does.

 Likewise, our defending has not been good. Wenger needs to continue to think about better ways to defend, three goals against in any game is not to be praised. The goal we let in against Stoke last week, that was not good either. Wenger needs to remember that his teams tend to collapse in March-May. Every season in fact. When he tries to patch the squad in the latter months of the season the patches come off again. He needs to act on this, and he needs to buy sensibly, at Christmas. But are we taking steps in the right direction overall? Well yes, we are.

Most importantly, the result will have broken down barriers between the pro and anti brigade. The away end at 1430 on Saturday will have contained AKBs, anti Wengerists, bloggers, moaners, Johnny come latelys, old stagers, George – Grahamists, realists, pro –board, anti board, and people who just like drinking beer and shouting. Everybody has a viewpoint and an agenda nowadays. But sometimes the football gets in the way. When the fifth goal went in, I don’t suppose anyone gave a toss about agendas and viewpoints. Let’s see if Wenger can keep the club on this pleasingly positive trend.

Can one half of football be turning point in history of Club

Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 01/11/2011 09:24

Arsenal Times
01/11/2011 09:24

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:03:12:23:09 by Padre Pio.

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SandyB
01/11/2011 09:59

Quote:

Saturday was a massive victory for the AKBs, let’s admit it.

It wasn't..that's why I started a thread to check the mood where Arsenal will finish. It appears the mood is still the same and cautious. I just didn't want to put water on the euphoria but I'll tell ya all..that nothing has actually changed except a WIN over Chelsea and this is the season Arsenal will still finish the lowest in last 1 years..I'll tell you all why...let the euphoria settle..

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AJ The Gunner
01/11/2011 10:49

the summary being; same old same old...

like you rightly pointed out, nothing much has changed cos if rvp takes his usual vacation, then we are toast.. this big win (if you choose to ignore the 3 goals shipped in) just gave wenger & the board something to spin more fabbles with..

something ain't right with the club & someday the whole truth will come out.

Can We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿‍♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿‍♀️

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Merlion96
02/11/2011 01:44

Arsenal vs MArseille just answered your "turning point" question.

We only need Hodgson to outwit Wenger at Hawthorns to resurrect those "Anti-Wenger" banners.

You think WBA is that daft to play as open as AVB's Chelsea Rent-Boys down on all fours like JT?

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hippogunner
02/11/2011 07:53

That win over the Chavs is more of a "positive blip". Expect us still to lose to the likes of Swansea and WBA at some point in the season. As you pointed out it isn't good when you concede three goals, our gd still looks poor considering our improved position in the league.

And a 0-0 draw with fangless Marseille seems more a likely barometer for the rest of the season.

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Padre Pio
02/11/2011 11:04

The problem with turning points is that things dont always turn as you expect, but you cant ignore them either, they can have a real efect.
Marseille might be fangless but their defence is good.
The real test will be WBA on Saturday.

"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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