For the last decade you could pretty much copy and paste the same article about the status quo at Arsenal and simply change the date.
Because nothing changes.
Sure, they have a great stadium – one of the best in the world – but most Arsenal fans would sprint back to Highbury without a second thought, if it meant that they could be considered a serious prospect, as they were in the days before The Emirates.
Arsene Wenger comes across as an intelligent man and that status is polished by impressive stats about how many langauges he speaks.
But, increasingly, we wonder whether he understands the language of football – the one that really matters as far as Arsenal fans are concerned.
It’s not rocket science. Indeed Arsene once had the winning formula in his own squad. But he seems loathe to work to the template that brought him so much success a decade ago – a template which offers the balance between grit and guile that is required at home and in Europe.
‘Police please – yes it’s an emergency. there is a madman on the loose’
If Wenger could put Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Theirry Henry in this side they would probably win the lot. He can’t do that of course.
But he can at least work to that template – bring in the sorts of players who can add steel to the spine of the team instead of just going after the fleet-footed fairweather players like Mesut Ozil – a continued source of chagrin for this writer.
The Arsenal manager will opine that such players are irreplaceable.
But he hasn’t even tried to sign a midfield general like Vieira, instead using utility men in there or waiting for ill suited home-grown talent to mature.
Manchester United have Schweinsteiger, Carrick and Schneiderlin. Chelsea have Ramires, Matic and Mikel. City have Fernando, Fernandinho and Toure. Arsenal have Coquelin for the engine room and defensive midfield areas.
Carvalho, Wanyama and Schneiderlin are the sorts of players who would immediately improve this side.
And a brute in defence, like Adams, has apparently never even been targeted. Wenger seems loathe to spend big money on a centre back. But Nicolas Otamendi could have done a great job for Arsenal this season.
In attack it’s easier to understand Arsene’s struggles as it’s increasingly difficult to sign top-class.
But he continues to make too many glaring errors elsewhere in the team and we can’t think of another club in the world who would have stuck by their manager after so mamy years of mediocrity at a club which expects to be winning things.
It’s well and truly time for a change because the only person in football who doesn’t understand Arsene Wenger’s shortcomings is Arsene Wenger himself.
He’s like a desperate gambler who has spent all of his money and is now rummaging around on the ground for more coins to put into the very same slot machine.
