It’s probably easy to blame Wenger 100%, he has on face value been a major contributor to Arsenal’s failure to claim the Holy Grail last season, finishing in top four.
His lack of clarity on his own future caused uncertainty and unrest within the club and more importantly the players. It was the catalyst for a series of damaging performances.
That’s a given in football circles, with even Wenger admitting as much. For a club that is supposedly well run, it was an unmitigated disaster that derailed any ambition that fans might have had.
That aside we should delve deeper into one more factor that has made Arsenal as unstable as a badly made jelly.
Ivan Gazidis has distanced himself with the desperation and enthusiasm of a mass murder with a series of bad alibis. He is the man at the helm who has allowed the flagship to run around.
Under his watch, he has mismanaged various calamitous situations for the past few years, including the contract negotiations for the players.
He has allowed Wenger to amble along like a part time fun runner in the hope that the tide would turn in his favour but it hasn’t, quite the opposite actually. Gazidis is a man that likes bullets but as long as they are pointing in someone else’s direction.
Arsenal fans are acutely aware that a large part of the club’s continuous failure is because of a man whose only claim to fame was in marketing in the MLS. Hardly a ringing endorsement for the best League in the World or one of its finest clubs.
One doubt’s his passion for the club. He is probably more of an astute businessman who likes to see the odd kick about whilst looking for financial opportunities to line his and the clubs pockets.
He talks the talk but can not walk the walk and deflects the flak at every opportunity but he needs to reconsider his position as a matter of urgency.
Kroenke should also take responsibility as the owner of the club but his rare appearances at the Emirates or the boardroom, allows Gazidis to continue to make all the right noises long distance, whilst ensuring as the balance sheets are healthy.
Stan Kroenke probably thinks that Ivan is terribly bothered by the poor results, but he clearly isn’t or he would have acted before now. The absent American also fails to acknowledge that Gazidis is the major part of the growing problem.
He should concern himself with the daily running of the club and not be solely concerned with reimbursing himself large sums of money at frequent intervals.
He bought the Savoy hotel and put the waiter in charge, then stocked the bar with pricey and pretentious wines that no one wanted. It’s all part of the fluff and flummery at the North London club and has nothing to do with winning the title.
Between the Pair, owner and Chief Exec, Arsenal are destined for years of failure on a monumental scale, only picking up scraps from the top table or the leftovers that no one else can be bothered with.
When Wenger had one of the finest teams in the country, he ignored the competitions that were there predominantly for the clubs who weren’t capable enough to challenge for the title.
He put out weakened teams because he knew his team were more than capable of putting in a serious challenge on other fronts but that has changed.
Gazidis is not and never has been a supporter of Wenger and they have constantly clashed since his arrival because the Chief executive believes he knows best and can no doubt sell ice to the Eskimos. Well, the Eskimos want a refund!
As a replacement for David Dein, it’s like selling Ronaldo and replacing him with Austin Powers and that dubious decision was made by the Arsenal board, a collection of token football fans who are more concerned with the value of their share than the future of the club.
Gazidis is not the man they thought he was and selling popcorn to semi interested soccer supporters in the States is not the same as possessing the skills and abilities to provide stability to one of the best-known clubs on the planet.
Wenger is at fault but simply put, that’s like blaming the car salesman for selling you a duff car. Gazidis, on the other hand, is the manufacturer who knew the headlights didn’t work but extolled the virtues of a vehicle that has an engine and a boot.
If we are looking for a change, Gazidis must go first. Wenger is a less pressing priority in my mind.
