From James M Levitt
When they gave up that last-minute goal at Anfield and then gave the damn armband to Walcott against Chelsea for celebrating his 10th year of failure, I knew it was over.
What tell-tale signs that an utter feeble mentality clearly runs throughout the entire playing culture. Sick to my stomach again.
—————
Wenger fails, James, at a higher level than most managers.
That’s his history, his schtick – it ‘s two thirds of his CV.
Then he claims that “Fourth is a trophy.”
Today his best team is anchored by Cazorla-Coquelin.
Without that pairing, the balance will never be right
By always training the same way, and playing the same way (more or else), Wenger has created a style that allows some interchangeability of personnel. The faces change, the style continues and, to be fair, it works pretty well most of the time.
Bottom line? Regime change is needed.
But that will never happen under the ghastly Yank Stan Kroenke because Wenger has his ear. He can call Kroenke without the directors knowing.
What do the board do apart from enjoy their perks and privileges? Well, they can veto the proposed wages of Benzema, as they did when the striker fell out with Mourinho.
Heard some stories from fans who were at the game on Tuesday night. Many punters thought it was an 8pm kick off and arrived late and the atmosphere was flat. Some were very jittery, convinced the team would blow it again. And they did.
And they will. And it looks like Wenger knows that already.
BUT NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
Arsene Wenger started at Arsenal in the 20th century and will certainly continue deep into the 21st century.
Mainly, he has his own agenda. But he controls the narrative and disguises his real agenda, which is to stay in power and prove that his style of football can beat the big teams and win big trophies.
But, alas, his current style is only effective enough to win two FA Cups.
And with his resources, two FA Cups is almost nothing. He’s been beating Hull, Reading and Aston Villa.
Dictators are always delusional, not least because they surround themselves with yes-men.
After Tuesday night, a Gooner friend said, “He thinks his players are better than they are.”
My reply was, “I know. I’ve said that for years.”
Wenger will never own up on Theo Walcott, who will always be chirpy, always talk twaddle, always tweet and tweet again, and never realise that 19 other managers in the Premier League would have unloaded him long ago.
Walcott has never been an important player at Arsenal. He’s still a nearly-man. The team now has major talents in Ozil, Sanchez and Cech. But with Walcott still there, they look like a nearly team, not a side that will go the distance in the title race.
By the end Wenger was scared of losing.
He warmed up Oxlade in 85, then bought on Coquelin! A fan near the front was close to the Ox and said, “You should have seen his face!”
Then Wenger had a go at the fourth official, Craig Pawson, and referee Lee Mason. How pathetic was that? And how typical. It’s never his fault and his unsportsmanlike conduct is so predictable that the officials must be waiting for it every week.
Talking to Mason in the tunnel after the game, Wenger apparently said: “It’s always the same with you.”
Ronald Koeman, overhearing this, said “It’s always the same with you. You had 10 chances to score and didn’t take any of them, instead you take it out on them.”
Newcastle manager Bobby Robson said at Highbury years ago, “Some people around here don’t know how to lose.”
If Bobby saw these Wenger’s histrionics he’d have said, “Some people don’t even know how to draw.”