Tag Archives: Arsène Wenger

3rd round defeat the final nail in Wenger’s battered coffin

5 Replies

We’ve never finished outside the top 4 under Wenger

We’ve never finished below Spurs under Wenger

We’ve never been knocked out of the FA Cup 3rd round under Wenger

And in 8 months, we have now finished outside the top 4, we have now finished below Spurs, and we have now been knocked out of the FA Cup 3rd round.

We should have won yesterday. The team Arsene Wenger put out was good enough. It was a team of internationals and bright young talented. But we lost. And we deserved to lose.

The team, on paper, was good enough. But you have to look beyond paper.

Our cup team has struggled past Doncaster and Norwich in the League Cup. It lost away to a then-bottom-of-the-League Cologne. It drew 0-0 in the most boring game of the season against Red Star Belgrade. The 2nd team should be good enough to dispose of these but they clearly are not.

The senior pros are letting down their young counterparts badly.

Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, Mohamed Elneny, Alex Iwobi, Per Mertesacker. These are experienced internationals, yet have been amongst the worst players on the pitch against Nottingham Forest, and the other cup games.

I feel for the likes of Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Naitland-Miles and Joe (or Chris?) Willock. Even Rob Holding. They have been badly supported by their international team mates, and their manager.

The line up did not disappoint me yesterday. It was as expected. But the bench did.

Against Sutton last year, we had Our bench vs sutton last year we had the likes of Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Sanchez & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench.

When I saw the bench for yesterday I said to a pal “it reminds me of Sheffield Wednesday”. The lack of top class options. That if we went one behind, would we have the fire power on the bench to get us back into the game.

It proved that we did not. And Wenger has to shoulder that blame.

Some will highlight that we are still in the League Cup – but what team will Wenger put out mid-week v Chelsea? – and that we are in the next round of the Europe League. But that doesn’t get away from the fact that yesterday was not good enough.

It isn’t that we finished outside the top 4, it isn’t that we finished below Spurs. Nor is it yesterday as to the single reason why Wenger needs to go.

Arsenal have come stale and predictable. Each poor result exaggerated.

Wenger needs to go so that we can get our sanity back. Our hope back. Our enjoyment of the game.

2018 needs to be his last year in Islington

Keenos

Who is in line to start v Nottingham Forest

Leave a reply

Who is in line to start v Nottingham Forest

When Arsenal have been drawn with lower league opposition in the early stages of the FA Cup, Arsene Wenger has rotated his squad.

This policy has proved correct for Wenger, as he has never been  knocked out of the FA Cup at the 3rd round stage, and only ever once lost to a lower league side – the 5th round defeat to Blackburn Rovers in 2013.

I have spoken before about how Arsenal should prioritise the cups over the league in the second half of the season. That winning silverware is more important than finishing 4th.

That being said, Arsenal have a very busy January – from December 28th to February 3rd, we are due to play 11 times. That is just 36 days (I think). With FA Cup games, and the League Cup double header against Chelsea, we need to rotate the squad.

We play Nottingham Forest on the Sunday, then Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final on Wednesday, before visiting Bournemouth next Sunday.

Wenger will want his first team for the Bournemouth fixture. It will be interesting to see how he shuffles the squad for Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.

Will he play 2 separate sides? The first XI in one fixture, the 2nd XI in another? Or a mixed XI with key players split across the 2? Or will he play his second XI in both the Nottingham Forest and Chelsea games, giving his first team a 10 day rest before Bournemouth?

What is for certain is David Ospina will start in goal against Nottingham Forest. I imagine he will also play against Chelsea.

The make up of the team will be further confused by the formation.

In the last round of the League Cup, we went to 4 at the back with Rob Holding partnering Calum Chambers. We have recently returned to 3 at the back in the league.

With Laurent Koscielny likely to be rested as he continues to have his career managed due to a troublesome Achilles, we will certainly see Per Mertesacker return in the middle of the defence. I doubt Wenger will risk Shokdran Mustafi – who is still returning from his own injury issues.

Having played the last few games, I would not be too surprised if Chambers drops out with Rob Holding starting alongside Mertesacker. Partnering Holding and Mertesacker in a back 3 will either be Krystian Bielik or Julio Pleguezuelo.

My opinion is that whoever does not start between Holding / Chambers and Pleguezuelo / Bielik will be in line for a start against Chelsea (with Mustafi coming into the middle).

It will be interesting to see what Wenger decides at wing back.

Mathieu Debuchy will be in line to start ahead of Hector Bellerin on the right. On the left, Sead Kolašinac and Nacho Monreal are almost certainly out injured and, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles on first XI duties our options are limited. Utility youngster Josh Dasilva might get the nod, or Wenger might choose to go for someone like Chiori Johnson.

I do not expect Granit Xhaka or Jack Wilshere to start in the middle of the park. Wenger will surely go for the experience pairing of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny. Do not be too surprised to not see Wilshere until the Bournemouth game.

Another interesting talking point will be who plays behind the striker.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez will both surely be rested. The worry is Wenger will go with Theo Walcott who does not suit playing narrow, behind a striker. But he does need match fitness, even if it is to prove he is ready for a transfer. Personally I would prefer to see Reiss Nelson get a wrong out.

Alex Iwobi was dropped for the game against Chelsea in the cup, he will surely come back in, playing behind Danny Welbeck.

All in all, it should be a strong XI filled with internationals. Beating Nottingham Forest should not be a problem.

Expected XI:

Ospina

Holding Mertesacker Pleguezuelo

Debuchy Coquelin Elneny DaSilva

Walcott Iwobi

Welbeck

Now I am off to Hooters

Keenos

Hopes for Arsenal in 2018…

Leave a reply

To win a trophy

Ultimately, we are in football for the success, the glory, to cheer our team on. Some clubs have a different level of success than other. For Leyton Orient, success is surviving. For Arsenal, it is trophies.

Arsenal might have been out of the title race by December – but so was every other team in England bar Manchester City. That leaves the cups as realistic targets.

Arsenal need to re-prioritise their season away from the league and onto the cups.

A trip to Wembley in March, or at the end of the season. A cheeky flight to Lyon in May. Any of these will do. Because ultimately, it is the winners who are remembered, not who finish second but put the pressure on.

Back the team to its 4th trophy in 5 years (and can we dream of a cup treble?)

Change in leadership

Whether is the manager, the owner, Ivan Gazidis or Vik Akers, something needs to change at Arsenal to freshen things up.

In Gazidis’ defence, he has acted on his summer words and we are about to see a new Head of Football Relations and Head of Recruitment join us in the shape of Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi.

Realistically, Stan Kroenke will not be selling any time soon. And my personal opinion is that I do not want to be a dodgy Russian’s play thing, despite needing £350m investment.

The time is up for Arsene Wenger. Even those who still talk about his success, and the 3 FA Cups in 4 years will agree that he has gone stale.

I hope 2018 will be Arsene Wenger’s last, and that he can leave having bought us further success

Beat Spurs at Wembley

It is the little things that count, and whilst beating Spurs at Wembley will not mean much in terms of league placings, it will reinforce that Wembley is ours.

Keep Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere

I do not care for Alexis Sanchez. He can go away and do nasty things to his dogs. But recently both Ozil and Wilshere have shone.

Ozil has returned to form and, perhaps with the limelight on him rather than Sanchez, people are realising the good work he does.

Jack Wilshere meanwhile is still on the road to recovery.

I would be concerned about giving him the mooted 5 year – £100,000 a week contract, but would not be upset if he signed a new 3 year deal.

Just remember when it comes to Wilshere, if you are calling for him to have a new contract, and he breaks down again, do not blame the club that he is “stealing” a wage, as you wanted him to get the new deal.

Spend some f*****g money

We might not have £350million to spend, but we are by no means paupers.

Hopefully this summer with Mislintat and Sanllehi at the helm, we actually buy the players we need, and act clinically in the market. It might not be enough to overhaul Manchester city, but better to try and fail, then not try at all.

 

What wishes do you have for 2018?

Keenos