Let us get this straight, Arsenal have been in a slump since the start of February and since the loss against Swansea City, the majority of the media houses along with some disgruntled fans have started solving the mystery of the Gunners crisis and they are all pointing towards one man.
Yes, you guessed it right it’s Arsene Wenger, once acclaimed to be one of the greatest managers of this era. So, is he really to be blamed for the way the North London club have moved away from the title challenge? No. Here’s why.
The Gunners were in a great position of ending their decade-old Premier League drought at the start of the calendar year and were the bookies favourites to be the champions of England, but somehow they have (almost)messed it all up. If you look at the performances in detail it is more or less evident that the players lacked the effort and didn’t put in their best.
What do you expect from players like Ozil and Sanchez when you put them on the field?, If you ask me then I would say nothing less than their match-winning exploits. There were games in this stretch, where some players were completely invisible on the pitch. Wenger from his side did his best by using the available options like playing Welbeck up front, Walcott and Chamberlain on the right but the team on the whole failed to perform.
When the North London derby was going on against the Spurs, I heard the commentary saying Arsenal players lack the leadership qualities after Gabriel was seen shouting at the defence for lack of cover at the back and this is what the Gunners actually lack. When things are not going your way there aren’t many players who will stand up and lead the team.
If this isn’t enough, let’s assume that Mahrez and Vardy are underperforming for Leicester then will you blame Ranieri for that? you just can’t because all a coach can do is motivate and plan the tactics but it’s up to the players prove the worth which Arsenal are lacking at the moment. Many people would blame the lack of signings for this situation, but I would like to question how many thought the same when we were at the top of the table? None.
The other thing being the decisions and substitutions taken during games with many pointing the Campbell substitution against Swansea, but how many remember Welbeck being brought on against Leicester and the impact Giroud had against Spurs. That Campbell decision was a mistake but it was a one-off decision.
I understand the papers targeting Wenger to get mileage, but some fans jumping on the manager is sad to see. The current scenario seems that even if we buy Messi and he fails to turn up in few games, the same people will jump on Wenger. There is no denying the fact that we are a little down due to the performances but blaming the most respected manager of this era, doesn’t solve the issues we are having on the pitch.
Stop blaming and start backing your team when they are down. In Wenger we Trust.
