Hi Myles,
I’ve never written before but this new audience participation fad has tempted me.
I think you represent the devil’s advocate to many of your readers, which is why reading your column is so compulsive and frustrating for many Gooners- but you are original within the pluralistic, and in my opinion, massively oversubscribed Arsenal News/blog environment.
Onto my point: I think many people have the concerns you do about the lack of end product of the team, something we never lacked before the last couple of seasons. Many people also agree with you that our defending is poor and reeks of a lack of practice.
However, most people don’t take your absolutist view of things with regards to Wenger. The reason seems to me to be an appreciation for what he has done for Arsenal and the knowledge that a manager who is able to work on a constrained budget and deliver Champions League football every year is an absolutely rare commodity. Can you name someone else in a top league doing this on a transfer surplus? Of your two main complaints one could be rectified by bringing in another coach or an experienced cb- but your qualms with the nature of the team, it’s youth and lack of hard edge cannot be solved, you cannot have a youth development program where you spend Market price for top kids and then not pay them enough to keep them.
You would condemn Arsenal if Ramsey came back and had a player of the year season and left two seasons later on a free, it’s well worth hedging your bets on kids because their prices don’t drop as much and you might find a world-beater cheaply. Not ideal but what Arsenal have to do to stay afloat.
That’s enough of my ramblings.
Myles replies :
Fair enough. I’m reluctant to add my ramblings to your ramblings.
You think the interactive Myles is a fad? Something that will burn out in a few weeks time?
You could be right. I’m burned out now. I’m ashes.