Arsene Wenger: Between Arrogance and Aggression

Many within the Arsenal school of thought watched during the last summer transfer window as Arsene Wenger preached his sermon that team cohesion was better than any signing that he would make to improve the team on field display. While many where not overly convinced by his sermon which he continually preached most of last summer, inside the web of disillusion, there was a quiet confidence that a squad that won two consecutive FA cup was in a good condition to mount a sustained title challenge. The signing of Petr Cech aided in the increased belief that the team had indeed solved an important piece of the jigsaw that has militated against consistency over the last few seasons.

Despite the fact that this sermon of Arsene Wenger had several gaping holes, as the seasonal injuries to players was something he obviously refused to avert his mind to, because the season had barely begun when players started falling aside, and some of the players that would have added as a pivot of squad depth in the mode of Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta have either not featured at all all season, or have just had fleeting performances here and there. While Danny Welbeck did not feature until the turn of the year. This turn of event meant that Arsenal had no adequate cover for Francis Coquelin as well as variety in attack. However, it was the injury to Santi Cazorla that few legislated for, and the ambidextrous Spaniard’s ligament injury in November contributed to Arsenal’s poor season. And a recurring Achilles problem has delayed the Spaniard return from injury.

When Arsene Wenger preached his unconvincing sermon of team cohesion over signings, he was clearly engaging in gambling. He gambled on the fact that players like Oliver Giroud, Theo Walcott, and Oxlade-Chamberlain would suddenly come good to consistently be amongst the goals. In short, he gave anticipated number of goals that these players would score when he spoke of goal targets for his forward and attacking midfielders. He gambled on the fact that a player like Cazorla that seldom got injured would stay fit all season.

All these gambling where clearly hinged on arrogance on the part of the Frenchman, who knew that his team had need for a striker for a number of seasons, and he still gambled on the fact that Giroud and Walcott would suddenly come good. By their usual standards both players have been very inconsistent. Giroud has not scored a league goal since January. While Theo Walcott has been a shadow of a footballer as he has ebbed and flowed into football abyss. 

That Arsenal are amongst the lowest scoring side in the top six of the English top flight should not come as a surprise, because big chances in prime areas of the field have gone repeatedly unconverted. Arsenal have the best chance creation ratio per game in the league, but conversion has been terrible. The team’s ills have come largely in the final third. The defence has never been steadily strong, but they have held their own in some matches as they have been abysmal in others. The attack would have been able to make up for the shortcomings of the defence, if chances created where converted with goal scoring regularity.

Arsene Wenger’s lack of aggression in the transfer market once again has cost Arsenal a great opportunity to stay and at least go on to win the title. When the season kicked off last summer, few would have envisaged that Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea would struggle in the league. Their struggle should have been an ample opportunity for Arsenal to go on and win the title. Instead if anything, Arsenal have been poor all season. There have not been a sustained period this season where it would be said that Arsenal have consistently produced convincing displays, rather it has been laboured performances.

The continuous collapse of the team is a reflection of the manager. They always buckle under pressure. Even the first decade of Wenger at Highbury and as Arsenal manager was interspersed with late collapses in the league, in the season prior to the invincible season, Arsenal were five points clear with five matches to go, but managed to ruin it with a draw to Bolton and a home defeat to relegation threaten Leeds United in April 2003 to gift the title to Manchester United. Then the players had the mentality to bounce back. That cannot be said of the present crop of players at the club. There are too many players that are not up to the plate to be at the level required.

Arsene Wenger’s arrogance laced gambles backfired spectacularly with the injuries which were exacerbated by the lack of signings to cover the grey areas of the team and squad. With another poor season that promised so much, his excuses may have run out.