Arsenal managerial legend Arsene Wenger

It’s not been a good last couple of weeks for Arsenal. Out of the Champions League at the hands of European ‘bogey’ team Barcelona, out of the FA Cup at the hands of old rivals Manchester United, defeat in the final of the Carling Cup to upstarts Birmingham City and patchy Premier League results with draws against Newcastle and Sunderland. Not to mention an injury list that has contained, at various points of the season, Fabregas, Vermaelen, van Persie, three goalkeepers and now Djourou.

Manager Arséne Wenger must wonder what he has to do to win a trophy these days, because it’s not just this season where things have gone wrong. No, it’s been six long years since the North Londoners picked up any silverware and that, for a club managed by one of the best, is something of a disaster.

Yet Wenger remains in charge and it appears as if he’ll stay that way until he decides to give it up. The Frenchman does have a job for life at Arsenal, of that there can be no doubt. The real question is whether or not he deserves it. Six years without a trophy suggests it might be time for a change, but Wenger made Arsenal great and if Sir Alex Ferguson’s 20-odd years at Old Trafford has taught football anything it’s that you don’t dispense with the men who make you great.

Except Ferguson has never gone six years without winning something…

The success Arsenal enjoyed under Wenger was achieved through a combination of power, skill and a natural goalscorer. Today’s less successful Arsenal lacks both power and, unless van Persie is fit and well, a natural goalscorer. The skill level has been raised to levels unmatched in the Premier League. They are, without doubt, a joy to watch when on song. But they lack what it takes to win the League.

The fact that they have been dubbed “Barcelona Lite” is both praise and damnation in my opinion. They can play like the Catalans in periods of games, for sure, and who wouldn’t want that comparison? But they lack the confidence and winning mentality of the Spanish giants, they just don’t believe that their football, their talent is enough to win anything. And, of course, they’re not quite as good anyway – hence the ‘Lite’.

Wenger, then, has to accept that he needs to make changes. As much as his reputation and even position at Arsenal is secure, he is now in danger of appearing stubborn at best and blind to his own team’s problems at worst. Nobody is questioning Wenger’s talents as a manager but you do feel he needs to take a step back and see that the direction he is taking Arsenal is not going to be a successful one.

He has persisted with the beautiful football on its own for long enough. His transfer policy in the summer must focus on steel not silk and on goals not glamour. Arsenal’s squad is lightweight but the first eleven is only a player or two from making a genuine challenge on domestic and European fronts. Surely if Wenger expects to have that “job for life” at the Emirates he has to acknowledge these facts and act upon them?

If he doesn’t then it is possible that he will be removed from the managers position. This would no doubt cause uproar amongst the Arsenal faithful but even they will begin to tire of season after season of promise but no delivery. Without a holding, grafting midfielder of high quality and a striker with an unerring eye for goal (rather than the corner flag, Mr Bendtner) that is pretty much all I think they can look forward to.

They needn’t worry though. Wenger will be offered a role upstairs involving scouting and youth development more than likely. Job for life, remember, and one he would, I have no doubt, excel at.

Arsene Whinger needs to look closer to home

Having watched the Arsenal versus Birmingham game this weekend I was struck by one thing – Arsenal’s over aggressive tackling. There were some shocking tackles from a number of players. So why, I ask myself, does Arsene Wenger bother complaining about teams being dirty against his own men?

This was Birmingham, of course, and there’s history there, going back to Martin Taylor’s challenge on Eduardo, which led to a horrific leg break for the Arsenal man. That was back in February 2008 and despite the fact the challenge wasn’t malicious – or even particularly bad – Wenger ranted and raved for weeks, if not months.

Sam Allardyce’s Bolton and Blackburn sides have been equally accused, as has Wolves and Stoke by the Frenchman. Not a word about his own players’ indiscretions though. Remember Patrick Vieira in his pomp? Described as hard but fair, yet some of the challenges he dished out were lethal. It’s part of the game as long as it remains within the laws and, as was more than adequately displayed on Saturday, Arsenal are just as capable of dishing it out as the aforementioned clubs.

I’ve no issue with it. The game should have tackles and the argument that clubs lacking in as much talent as Arsenal have to turn to heavier tactics is a sound one (though how far they go sometimes is another argument all together). What really rankles is Wenger’s hypocrisy.

That his team gets kicked a lot is a fact. That his team kicks back a lot is also a fact – just one the so-called professor of football chooses to ignore. At least he had the decency to agree that Jack Wilshere deserved his red card on Saturday (Arsenal’s third of the season by the way…). Ask him about some of the other tackles in the game though, I’m willing to bet he has nothing to say and would prefer to rant about Birmingham’s heavy handed (or should that be footed?) play.

The game is physical, Arsene, and your team are equally as culpable as any other team you care to turn your blinkered view upon next week. Just deal with it and move on. After all, at least your Arsenal are capable of playing beautiful football and in with a serious shout of the Premier League this year if you avoid injuries.

Ah…now I see your worries…!