Wenger – Hang your head in shame
By Fozzy
Post Schalke frustrations
This was an even worse performance than the Norwich game, and I didn’t think that was possible. Full of expectations at seeing The Arse in the flesh again after the meaningless international break, I was well up for this one. Such a shame that the players weren’t.
What was going to be the excuse this time? Perhaps it was too long a journey in the private plane from London Colney Airport to Highbury Fields. Whatever the reason, this was abject stuff. What on earth was Wenger thinking or doing, trying to play with nobody out wide? We all know that Ramsey is not a wide player, so why even attempt to play him out on the right? There was no link-up with The Jenk and no end-product. The left side was even worse. Fatty Santos had no idea whether he was an attacker or a defender and so many times he was caught in no man’s land. It didn’t take the opposition long to realise that he was our real weak link and he was consequently exploited to the maximum. Now, I am just a fan who cares and not an expert, but if even I could see that Wenger’s team selection was woeful, why did it take 75 minutes to change it? And why did none of our players come to tuck in either just in front or behind Santos when it was obvious he was having a nightmare.
Mannone was very fortunate not to give away a penalty and even to remain on the pitch after fifteen minutes, when he clearly took away the legs of the attacker and, if it wasn’t for BFG throwing himself in the way, Schalke would have gone in at halftime at least two goals to the good.
And now we come on to Gervinho. I thought that we had got rid of a clown with a number 27 on his back, but here is an exact reincarnation, only this time he is wearing a syrup. Every attempted pass in the first half went straight to a blue shirt, and that included two particularly risky clearances out of defence. On the one occasion when he was clean through, although he had the speed to bear down on goal, he dithered and lost time trying to cut inside the defender and the chance was gone. I finally lost my patience with him in the second half after he had overrun the ball in the box; he then took a dive and was quite rightly yellow-carded. I have no time for cheats and I would rather leave those antics to the likes of Rooney and Suarez. I won’t be disappointed if I don’t see Eboué-in-a-syrup play again for us. He was never going to score as long as I have a hole in my backside, so why he was left on the pitch until 15 minutes before the end?
Just before Schalke banged in the first of their two deserved goals, the ball was on the edge of our box with BFG looking for some movement up front. There was none. He therefore passed the ball to the Verminator who may have had a better option. There was none. Our captain passed the ball back to Mannone who hoofed it up to the halfway line where a Schalke midfield picked up the ball with no red shirt anywhere near him.
The match ended with just my son and me sitting alone with empty seats all around us in block 103. We stayed to applaud the Schalke players off the pitch and watch their superb supporters. In fact it was lovely to see their players celebrate with their fans and showing a close affinity with each other. Would any of our overpaid and overrated individuals even think of doing the same? No chance.
Wenger may well try to absolve himself from criticism for this abject display by claiming to be upstairs collecting fares with the prawn sandwich brigade. Er, I don’t think so. After the Norwich debacle he had the opportunity to have them all back to work on Sunday in an attempt to iron out the faults from Norwich. He also had all day on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for this one. Where was the plan for this game? What were the tactics? We saw none of these, yet this was the Champions League no less, the competition that we dream about, yet none of our lot were up for it. So what have we got to look forward to? It’s back for more with the QPR game on today. That nasty piece of work Hughes must be rubbing his hands with glee. Wenger, you’ve had two full days to get it right.
27th October 2012
User Comment and Reaction
User comments on this article are now closed. If you want to continue the debate, why not do so on the Gooner Forum.
Ali 7:07am 27th Oct 2012
its all on english fans for Arsenal football club now .. ! yes you gotta do something inside the stadium , outside the stadium .. we have seen enuff from the cheats of Arsene wenger and his gangs of economy in the club the likes of " hillwood-gazides-kronke .. everytime when the media heated up on the current boards we get answers likes " if we find the right player we will buy " we have the right quality to compete ! i am gonna say something " we are arsenal football club " we need the quality to Win .. and not to compete only and only ! year come year go .. no huge change on the team ! and we droped more and more to the luck of quality by losing our best players for aaaaa " football reason " this is the most shamefull replay i have ever heard .. wenger said in the AGM thats the EPL came first for arsenal to win it !! okey its ok than why you sell your best players to the teams win the priemerleague " Man city - Man united ".. we are just walking in a dark the only way we can skip from it , its by changing the current boards and Manager the only way .. - Post No. 29792
gunnerfan 7:08am 27th Oct 2012
With the gunners expected to beat QPR,nothing could be further from the truth.Wenger has lost it tactically . So don't be surprised the gunners lose or draw. - Post No. 29793
Wombledin 7:22am 27th Oct 2012
Bit harsh on Gervinho. He's being played out of position. He's not a centre-forward, he's a handy winger, while Ramsey is not a winger. What on earth is Wenger doing with all this experimenting and playing guys out of position? Wenger has got to stick with Giroud as the front-man and give the chap a chance and leave Gervinho on the wing. I think Wenger's been drinking too much French wine lately. - Post No. 29795
bennie 7:56am 27th Oct 2012
Keep playing Ramsey in ur starting line-up and u will pay the price always! - Post No. 29796
Mad M ax 8:01am 27th Oct 2012
just a thought to all the akb.s who have bee n stating there.s no one who could replace OGL how about frank de boer and a certain mr bergkamp. there team that cost 3 and half million beat city,s petro dollar outfit 3-1 i think thay would be ideal for the arsenal. these are desperate times for our once great club revolution is in the air come on fellow gooners lets demand the changes that are desperately needed, i hate the sight of wenger now. i would love us to win a domestic cup stuff the 4th place trophy and unattainable champions league. WENGER OUT coyg. - Post No. 29797
Joe S. 9:13am 27th Oct 2012
Fozzy! Why are you always looking for trhe negatives? - Post No. 29798
Nick 9:13am 27th Oct 2012
Great article. I have been going to Arsenal for over 35 years and am a season ticket holder. The club I loved I now detest. It is a brand and I am trapped in a corporate coma where a sanatised football experience based on profit appears to have replaced passion, commitment, and shared identity - with the odd bit of **** and glory thrown in. I refused to go Wednesday and will not go today. My last match will be Tottenham for old times sake, and then no more. This emotional self harm must stop, and I will concentrate on my local non league side as they will not treat me with contempt. A sad end to a gloriously intense relationship. - Post No. 29799
Andy M 9:27am 27th Oct 2012
It's woeful. I hope Jack comes back and relegates Ramsey to the bench forever. Giroud, bless him, needs to start - his positional sense and work-rate will pay off eventually. Podolski needs to keep his effort up - he's started to go missing now and then. And what's the point of Cazorla's talent if no-one is making themselves available in the area? - Post No. 29800
Tomas Wojtyga 10:05am 27th Oct 2012
The worst part about Arsenal's terrible form in recent games is Wenger's inability to explain it. You might think a manager making nine million a year should be capable to find the solution to his club's slump. ''We might've hit the wall '' is not an assessment suitable for a Premier League manager. Seeing how preoccupied Wenger has been with the bean counting recently , allow me please!. There are three basic factors you have to be able to execute to be successful on the pitch. Movement, tempo and team positioning. Arsenal players have been deficient in all three aspects. Players are spaced out too much , each formation on to itself, the movement is too slow. The player on the ball can't find an open option for a pass because there aren't enough teammates around him. The whole squad needs to move in unison , forward when attacking and backwards when defending. Unless on breakaways , the entire squad should never occupy more then a third to one half of the football pitch. I know it's easier said then done, but with practice and talent it can be achieved. You welcome mr Wenger. - Post No. 29802
Kevin Kong 10:37am 27th Oct 2012
@ Wombledin--What makes it all the more frustraing is that he plays Gervinho as a striker as an experiment and Walcott has been asking to play up front since he signed for the club and Wenger just wont do it. He`s crazy. - Post No. 29803
Gerry 12:06pm 27th Oct 2012
You think that's bad Fozzy, just watch us roll over and get our bellies tickled by the winless QPR today. Bottlers the lot of them! Thanks for everything Arsene, but now is the time to go. Best for him and The Arsenal I think. - Post No. 29804
Peter Wain 12:33pm 27th Oct 2012
If you buy enough bad players these performances happen all too often. We use to have a lot of world class players then we had a lot of good players now we have a few good players some truly awful players and many players who should not be called professional. We have far too many of them due to our transfer policy coaching and general ethos. We have players on contracts way above their ability meaning they are unsaleable and many in the first team squad that you do not really want to play unless you have too. Mannone is a case in point. A hull reject unsaleble to a championship team but now our current first team keeper making mistake after mistake becuase he is not good enough. the manager has spent money on three French strikers of all whom lack pace ability heart and passion. Not good enoungh for Arsenal by a long long way. But who will buy Chamak Giroud or Gervinho. No one so we are stuck with them on high wages and not able to change the dynamics of the squad. The only solution is for the owner to go back to America stay their and sell his shares. Take Gazidis with him becuase he is to football administration what Park is to our fist team. Totally useless and overpriced. Wenger has to go nbecause f all of the mistakes he has made in the transfer market. I know all managers make mistakes but when did we last sign a top top player with special quality. Also the team for last Wednesday's match was badly chosen. No pace playing Gervinho up front was a joke. We should have played spme of the younger players from the start. They at least should have had the energy that others like Podolski lacked. No a new manager is essential and is only a matter of timne 15 or below for oir first team this year at best. - Post No. 29805
Yanto 12:39pm 27th Oct 2012
Anyone with any sense can see that it's time Wenker went....enough IS enough. I would just like to amend your last line Fozzy. from "Wenger, you’ve had two full days to get it right." to "Wenger, you’ve had seven seasons to get it right." - Post No. 29806
maguiresbridge gooner 13:33pm 27th Oct 2012
Correct Fozzy we thought it couldn't get any worse but it did. So much for making it up to the fans maybe they'll do it today ? there were no excuses for a while because none could be found but then hitting a wall popped up.I think fatty might have lost a bit of weight but he's still useless who is scouting these players ? No matter where wenger was sitting he was in total control it makes you wonder why he needs an assistant.It's the mighty qpr today and they will be fancying their chances like most teams do nowadays. The team have a lot of making up to do and players have a lot to prove hopefully they'll keep their word and do it today. - Post No. 29808
jjetplane 14:32pm 27th Oct 2012
The German and the Dutch fans and teams showed that football is alive outside the the Premier league which is now such a bore that Chelsea and spud-we-no-like are playing the better football. Looking at the Ajax fans and Dennis Wonderland at the end of their demolition of ****eh and you see how far the Emirates revolution is behind real football times. Piss off Wenger and lets get the Dutch in. - Post No. 29811
Wenger out 16:20pm 27th Oct 2012
excellent piece, agree with every single word. Wenger is finished, it is time people woke up to that reality! Get Wenger out! - Post No. 29812
I want my club back 18:24pm 27th Oct 2012
Good stuff. Wenger is a dinosaur. His transfer market activity is a joke, no tactics, 7 years trophyless (soon 8), poor man manager, clueless. It's passed him by, he is nothing special any other manager with a crazy wage bill of £143 mil (!) would get better value for money and finish "top 4". Wenger is killing this club but he's on £7mil how "loyal" of him! Wenger piss off out of our club. Look at Klop in Dortmund, battering Real and Bayern, winking trophies with a wage bill under £40mil and young players! Look at De Boer and Bergkamp humiliating Citeh with a team that cost A QUARTER OF GERVINHO/GIROUD TO ASSEMBLE! Yet all you hear out of Wenger's mouth are pathetic excuses about "can't compete". Wenger is a busted flush. Get Pep Guardiola in ASAP - Post No. 29813
goonercolesyboy 21:43pm 28th Oct 2012
Interesting comments about Ajax....didn't Real Madrid spank them at home recently yet now they are the donkeys bollocks...and Real Madrid lost to Dortmund...Chelsea have now lost two in a row, must be a crisis...let's wait until the half way point of the season before we get our typing knickers in a twist...admittedly it could be a lot better but there are too many fifa managers on here thinking they know it all. If you don't like it then stay away and go shopping with the missus. - Post No. 29844
HowardL 8:55am 29th Oct 2012
Just for the record, I also stayed to applaud the Schalke team off the field for the sort of away performance which was commonplace for the Gunners less than 10 years ago. Their support was also significant and it was enlightning to see how the WHOLE Schalke team went to celebrate with their fans. Amusing also afterwards to see their coach luggage holds absolutely full of good German beer! What has happened to Arsenal? I think we know only too well. - Post No. 29853
Ben 11:07am 29th Oct 2012
"Wenger has to go nbecause f all of the mistakes he has made in the transfer market. I know all managers make mistakes but when did we last sign a top top player with special quality." Peter Wain - In answer to your question in your post. How about Carzola for £12m? 50 Spanish caps. Not world class. Or how about Lukas Podolski over 100 caps for Germany and the youngest player ever to do this. Every manager makes errors in the transfer market, few have as many success as Wenger. Before everyone jumps on this comment - I don't think everything is rosy at the club and I do think we are short in a number of areas. I hate the current structure at the club and the lack of accountability. Just wanted to point out an inaccuracy in Peter's comment. - Post No. 29863
GG89 20:19pm 29th Oct 2012
Well played Schalke04, eveoryone is out played sometimes, perhaps this happens too many times at the emirates though!!! Sets up the return leg nicely... predict a win for the gooners in Germany, with wingers, com´on the lads... - Post No. 29884
No. 17
Arsenal FC News 24/7
