“I’ve supported this club for years, but I can’t do it anymore, fam. It’s over. Wenger’s got to go, bruv” were the words of an anonymous disgruntled Arsenal fan after the Gunners were beaten to pulp at the Allianz Arena by Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern Munich (5-1). If this was bad, it would only get worse as another fan had this to say after the game “Wenger must go, that will get me legitimately excited for Arsenal’s future; time will start moving again after years of mediocrity “.
This might sound harsh given what Wenger has achieved at the club since his appointment more than 20 years ago. Turning Arsenal into a title winning side at the same time playing a sort of attractive sexy football never seen in the English Premier League, Wenger was the only one able to challenge Sir Alex Ferguson having won the Premier League unbeaten in 2004, a record yet to be equaled as of date. Though he has been able to rebuild his team after losing most of his high quality stars following Arsenal’s inability to spend big during the construction of their new Emirates Stadium, the Frenchman has been a shadow of himself of late unable to win the league since 2004, winning only two FA Cup trophies in the process (13 years) and to make matters worse not advancing beyond the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League for the past six seasons losing to the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Monaco.
On the night It is difficult to fathom how everything went downhill considering Arsenal boasted an impressive five shots on target in the first half despite having only 21.2% of the ball which beats Bayern’s three shots on target even with their lions share of the possession. Perhaps Wenger was once again betrayed by the same players who he had so much confidence in with the likes of Mesut Ozil turning up cold on the night, ball watching Arjen Robben instead of closing him down in the build-up to the Dutchman’s opening goal. The German might have scored nine goals across all competitions this season but he has been one of the Gunners worst players in big games unable to influence proceedings since his 45 million pounds move from Real Madrid in 2013. Other players who should also take some blame tonight is Gabriel who failed to win a tackle for 15 minutes after replacing captain Laurent Koscielny (went off injured), the list wouldn’t be complete without the mention of defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin who couldn’t make a successful tackle in his time on the field of play which summarized the plight of the fans. The players at this stage must also realize they have failed not just their manager and fans but also themselves considering how badly they have been not just played tonight but this season across all competitions.
On the other hand, Wenger must hide his face in shame having reached the semi-final of the Champions League only thrice in his 20 years at the club although he narrowly lost with 10 men to Frank Rjikaard’s Barcelona in the final in 2006, with his record showing he has only qualified five times in 14 attempts with the Gunners in the last 16. Though it is difficult to accept, it seems Wenger’s time in North London has come to an end as he has failed o live up to the standards of the modern game; surely Arsenal fans pray his contract that is set to expire this summer isn’t renewed as a fresh start is needed at the Emirates.
Comments
Post a Comment