Listening to many so-called Arsenal fans recently you would think the club were struggling to qualify for the Champions League or even battling against relegation...but no, we are actually still in the title race going into the final month of the season!
It seems the problems are two-fold - our failure to win a trophy for six years and a lack of big name signings. That, apparently, is enough for Arsene Wenger to be sacked!! Yes, the manager who has transformed the entire club, won us seven major trophies and led us to 14 consecutive Champions League campaigns should now be sacked. Unbelievable!
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| Is his time really up? |
Okay so it been a while since we last won anything but is that the only way to judge success? Since we last won the Premier League in 2004 the football landscape has changed dramatically. Clubs like Chelsea and Man. City have had massive cash injections while Man. United have continued to spend big. We, on the other hand, have built a shiny new stadium and invested in youth, but despite that we have still maintained our place in the top four and challenged for the major honours.
Since our FA Cup success in 2005 we have reached a Champions League final (06) and semi final (09), two Carling Cup finals (07,11), one FA Cup semi final (09) and challenged for the title on three occasions (08, 10, 11). Not exactly a succession of mediocre seasons is it??
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| These three trophies have eluded Arsenal for 6 years |
Of course on top of all that we have continued to play the best football this side of Barcelona. Yes we have a weak under-belly, as has been shown in recent matches, but if you seriously think Arsenal have been unsuccessful in recent years then you really need to take a reality check.
The club are in a very stable position. Our financial future has been assured by the prudent management of Wenger and the top four position he has helped us to maintain. Yes he could have splashed out £30m here and £40m there but that would have put the very future of the club at risk and would not have guaranteed trophies anyway. Look at Man. City...
Don't get me wrong, of course I would love to see us lift a big shiny pot or two, just to shut up all the doubters if nothing else, but football is not just about that. Maybe its because I have seen us win everything, with the exception of the Champions League, that it is no longer the be-all-and-end-all for me anymore. I just want to enjoy the football I watch and know that the future of the club is secure. Yes, players like Denilson, Diaby and Squillaci are not good enough and we do need another centre half, a holding midfielder and a 30 goal striker (or give Theo a run up top??) but we are in a far stronger position, both on and off the pitch, then just about everyone else in the Premier League.
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| Time to play him up front? |
But if its just trophies you want then think about this. The new rules coming in over wages and player nationalities will see the Wenger template viewed as the way forward. Clubs from all over Europe will be copying it but we will already be 2-3 years ahead. This should lead us to trophies over the next few years but only if we stick with the current policy and let the squad continue to develop. With players like Wilshere, Nasri, Djourou, Szczsensy, Gibbs, Walcott, Chamakh etc all set to improve even further over the next few years, and other like van Persie and Vermaelen who are already the real deal, the furture is looking very bright. Meanwhile we have the likes of Frimpong, Lansbury, Afobe etc. coming through so we really do have much to look forward to.
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| The future |
But if you still want Wenger out then fine. Just don't complain when we are no longer in the top four and clubs like Spurs and Everton have overtaken us...But hey we might win the odd Carling Cup to satisfy your need for trophies so it will not be all bad eh??
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