Wenger takes his biggest gamble (2/9)

[TeeCee]

quite simply, Wenger has put his job on the line.
Fiszman said money was available a few days before the transfer deadline and Wenger chose not to spend.

If Arsenal fail this season then Wenger has no choice but to go.

[Trevheff]

I can't believe I'm about to say this but for the first time ever I have to question whether Arsene really does know anymore? And I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. I accepted 2 years of transition and then last year we made a strong challenge and for me were 5% short of being a title winning side.

Now I reckon we're 25% short. Last season our squad was too small, lacked height and lacked experience. A few months on we now have an even smaller squad, less experince still and a shorter squad than last year. Last term our starting 11 was a match for anyone in Europe but the squad lacked depth. This season our first 11 isn't even good enough let alone the squad. Some one tell me how that is progress and how that is building on last season??

FACT: If Cesc gets injured we're f*cked. If Cesc stays fit Arsene will run him into the ground and we'll burn him out as the truth is, with the lack of midfield experience and creativity we are half the side without Cesc and he now must play every game. What if Almunia gets injured now? Four months minimum pinning all hopes on Fabianksi??!

How have we not strengthened? It's beyond belief. We didn't need to splash £30m on one player, not even £20m. We just needed 1 or 2 astute buys to compliment what we already had. I hate to say it but I am fast losing confidence in Arsene's judgement.

Feel free to slate me and mock me for doubting Arsene after all he has done for us. But if you honestly believe we will have silverware in May given our current squad you are in dream land.

I'm very angry and very concerned.

[26may1989]

Very good article, had me nodding all the way. I was thinking along similar lines earlier today, when I posted this on a thread on General Chat:

Wenger's failure (and that's what it is) to use the £30m he had to shore up midfield is a gamble. It might pay off, if our luck is better this season than last. But he has now put unnecessary and potentially destructive pressure on himself and on the players. If we don't do better than last season (probably winning the league is essential), the tabs and more importantly the doubters amongst Arsenal fans will be calling for Wenger's head. We need to keep him but this failure runs serious risks for both Wenger and the club. He has given ammunition to those who threaten his future.

And it was all unnecessary. Having failed in his bid for Inler, Wenger could and should have signed Alonso, Veloso or Barry. We have lots of great players, and in some ways are in better shape this season than we were last, but the failure to make that one additional signing, when the money was clearly there, and despite the fact that it might mean paying over the odds, could well become an albatross round Wenger's neck.

We'll all be crossing our fingers and hoping for more of the performances against Newcastle.

We may still do well this season, but I don't see why Wenger hasn't secured his and our position by spending just some of the money he had. I doubt you will find someone as convinced as I am that Wenger is still a genius and the best thing for Arsenal's future, but today I (and many others) are feeling very worried and let down by all this.

[6OONER PETE]

I agree with TeeCee, Trevheff and 26May1989. We've had weeks to replace Flamini. It's so obvious that we need to replace him it's like a statement that doesn't need saying.( Like saying wrestling is fixed!).
I have been waiting all summer to see a minimum of a decent centre back and a defensive midfield player brought in. With £30 million it's no good arguing that there was no one available.
Last night I was resigned to the fact that it would just be a midfield player we would get. I was annoyed that we had left it so late but waited until just after twelve for the inevitable signing. It didn't happen.I couldn't believe it, so got up at three to see who we had signed at the last hour.
I am still stunned. I have been stunned all day at work.
I'm sad to say it but I really think that Wenger has lost the plot.

[g88ner]

Very good article Kev, and I think it sums up the frustration of many on this forum.

Ken Friar made the position on the transfer budget clear to his audience yesterday evening. The manager has plenty to spend, but the board can’t force him to spend it.

How depressing is that; can't force him to spend

It defies logic, and I just hope Wenger knows what he's doing, because from the outside, looking in, it seems like Wenger has taken one hell of a gamble on our season by failing to address what - to me - are glaring flaws in our squad.

Wenger may be happy with our current squad, but I thought the Fulham performance was significant. Once again, we showed that in the away games, where teams close us down quickly and battle for every ball, we look very ordinary and ultimately drop too many points.

Unfortunately, not all teams will sit back and accept defeat as easily as FC Twente and Newcastle. I think Blackburn away will tell us a lot about whether this team - that Wenger has great faith in - has the metal to mount a serious title challenge.

I remain hopeful, but I have my doubts.

[androyd]

Unfortunately, not all teams will sit back and accept defeat as easily as FC Twente and Newcastle. I think Blackburn away will tell us a lot about whether this team - that Wenger has great faith in - has the metal to mount a serious title challenge.

I remain hopeful, but I have my doubts.

Actually I think you are giving Blackburn too much credit. I suspect as usual it will be Bolton away who are more of a test, but I do take your point. We have to accept that Wenger has decided to gamble on his youngsters but I'm sure he doesn't consider it that much of a gamble. Having seen the quality of youngsters coming up it appears he feels he has to give them the chance to prove themselves. Without getting too far out about it I think he is engaged in a exercise to show that a club that encourages and develops young talent can win things and if successful will prove to be a role model for many clubs. Don't look to buy instant success but nurture and develop it - this has to be the preferred option for the long term good of football. Personally yes I am disappointed that Wenger hasn't spent but I don't claim to be 1000th as knowledgable about players as him. You see to me Jay Emmanuel Thomas looks like he could soon grow into the defensive midfielder we need. Randall and Wiltshere even Jay Simpson show huge promise. How gutted would we be if Wenger bought in the players we crave and we lose these kids to other clubs and we spend season after season regretting that we lost them. I really believe that up to now Wenger hasn't really believed in the quality of the kids coming through or been disappointed with their attitude when on the brink of first team breakththrough like Pennant or Bentley. However now he really believes he has a group of very special kids there can be no other explaination for this attitude. So we can either call for his head or get behind the team and give them 110% support. I do believe that as young players the team will respond well to total committment from the fans. Lets take stock at Christmas -we may yet see Alonso in then. What if Diaby has a good run of games and doesn't get injured? To whoever thinks he can't really tackle - sorry, I disagree, he really can.
On an unrelated manner I think we should rousingly cheer every other manager who bring a team to Arsenal and get pasted and see if we can set a record for getting managers sacked!!

[I Hate Hleb]

No Mr Hleb-Hater, just a case of glass half full, and not getting whipped up by all the tabloid anti Arsenal brigade whose simplistic view is that to compete is to spend £30m on overpaid wankers who think they are a lot better than they really are.

Still no one has been able to suggest a viable signing that we should have made to improve our squad..........

It seems the only ones getting 'whipped up' by the media are those who keep claiming in Wenger's defence that the majority of Arsenal fans want him to spend £30m on a player!!

Who, apart from Wenger himself and members of the Board like Fizsman and the now departed Edleman, has mentioned spending £30m on a player? No-one on this forum, as far as I can make out. What most of us 'malcontents' are 'whinging' about is the fact that the obvious weakness in the squad still haven't been addressed, months after they were obvious to almost all.

If that makes me a ' glass half empty' type, then I'm happy with that. Rather that than someone that swallows any old shit that comes out of the club's mouth, because they haven't got a mind of their own or because they're frightened of being labelled disloyal!!

However, when even some of the rose-tinters on here - like MagicHat, Quartz and 26th May 1989 - start worrying about our lack of signings, as was the case during this transfer window, then surely that indicates that we really must be in some sort of trouble and all is not well at the Home of Football!!

As for listing players we could/might have signed, I could write a lot of names but it would be pointless as they would be my personal preference and you could come up with any number of reasons to reject the suggestions. Yet, Arsene hasn't stated player non-availability as a reason for a lack of signings. As other clubs have shown, if you really want a player, you pull out all the stops to try and get him.

On the contrary, Wenger has money to spend but seems to be happy with the squad he's got - despite claiming at various times that he would like to strengthen certain positions - and if that's the case, then responsibility will lay squarely on his shoulders if we struggle to compete with our so-called peers.

The minute you stop trying to improve is the minute you start regressing, and I fear that happening to my beloved football club more than anything.

[gooner.ed]

No Mr Hleb-Hater, just a case of glass half full, and not getting whipped up by all the tabloid anti Arsenal brigade whose simplistic view is that to compete is to spend £30m on overpaid wankers who think they are a lot better than they really are.

Still no one has been able to suggest a viable signing that we should have made to improve our squad..........

you know, linguistically, there are elements of rolypoly about this. you haven't re-registered hoping for a clean start have you roly?

[I Hate Hleb]

Although I don't think it is, I thought that as well initially for the same reason. Or maybe Rolypoly bought himself a title with that 'big win' he had on Chelsea?

[proudtosaythatname]

i'm surprised but will back AW as I'm sick of the way naff clubs like Man C can just buy success. Someone needs to prove this doesn't work, for football's sake. And how can both of I Hate Hleb's postings be no 4810? Is the Forum fixed? Also, good to see so many new posters coming out of the woodwork on this issue.

[QuartzGooner]

Excellent article, it sums up what the majority of fans are thinking.

IHH makes the point that when myself, Magic Hat and 26May1989 are worried about squad deficiencies, then there is genuinely cause for worry.

He is correct.

I do not consider myself a "Rose Tinted" fan, despite what IHH feels, but consider myself a realist.

Reality One:

Wenger must play a proper central defensive partnership.

There are title winning centre backs at the club, if we asses our players as individuals, but as Gooner.Ed says, it is not going to be a Gallas - Toure partnership that brings honours.


Reality Two:

We are massively gambling that a defensive midfield partner for Cesc will emerge this season, from a squad that has lost Flamini, Gilberto and Diarra since this time last year.

I have written at vast length on this, as it is my personal belief that there is no coincidence that no honours have been won since Patrick Vieira left.

I can only hope that one of the below fill a glaring defensive midfield gap in our team when we play our usual 4-4-2 formation.

Song (though built more like a centre back, can a man his size run for 90 mins in central midfield? I am not convinced), or

Eboue (though not experienced in the role), or

Coquelin (rookie, but great potential to be new Flamini) or

Jay Emmanuel Thomas (rookie, and by own admission needs to work on tracking back), or

Aaron Ramsey (will have to step up his positional play and tackling frequency)

Johann Djourou (I prefer to see him form central defense partnership with Gallas, but he can tackle, though can a man his size run for 90 mins in central midfield? Possibly, as he is quite lithe, but we will not know until we see it happen), or

Kolo Toure (can tackler, but with his sprinters build Wenger has cast doubts on his suitability to play central midfield in a 4-4-2)


Denilson and Diaby do not look suited to the role of Cesc's partner in a 4-4-2, though I would concede that they, and Rosicky, could do that in a 4-5-1 if there was a Makalele style player behind them to screen the defence.[/b]

[donaldo]

The crazy thing is we lost the title last year because the squad was not strong enough and the back up players were not good enough.Yet during the summer the squad got even weaker.Yet in the first two games of the season we had a midfield of Eboue/Denilson.How can a manager with a track record of success like Wenger not see this.If we fail this season no one can put the blame on injuries like some tried to do last season.What we saw before the transfer window shut was a stubborn manager who is not willing to admit he has been wrong for the last 3 season and is not going to change.The only person to blame if we fail is Mr Wenger

[26may1989]

The crazy thing is we lost the title last year because the squad was not strong enough and the back up players were not good enough.Yet during the summer the squad got even weaker.Yet in the first two games of the season we had a midfield of Eboue/Denilson.How can a manager with a track record of success like Wenger not see this.If we fail this season no one can put the blame on injuries like some tried to do last season.What we saw before the transfer window shut was a stubborn manager who is not willing to admit he has been wrong for the last 3 season and is not going to change.The only person to blame if we fail is Mr Wenger

I agree with part of what you say, donaldo: it is beyond dispute that we are weaker in central midfield (at least for defensive midfielders) than last season.

But it is significant that elsewhere on the pitch, things aren't so bad, and I'd say we're actually stronger in several respects: swapping Hleb for Nasri improves us and Vela improves our options up front (and possibly on the left wing). And at CB, while it's short of perfect, having Toure, Gallas, Silvestre, Song and Djourou is better than Toure, Gallas, Senderos, Song, Hoyte and (for a small amount of the season) Djourou. The keeper situation is no worse and at least will be stable. And in creative midfield, Ramsey's signing gives us something extra.

But I agree, Wenger's failed attempts to sign Inler or Alonso do, as you say, put him squarely in the position of responsibility if our season founders on failing to replace Flamini.

[Lord Peter of Highbury]

you know, linguistically, there are elements of rolypoly about this. you haven't re-registered hoping for a clean start have you roly?

Whilst I might be carriying a few pounds, I am still not at the stage of being described as rolypoly - but I am working on it.

Back to the serious stuff. Whilst IHH et al get all heated about the lack of incoming players - and don't get me wrong, I wanted to see some too - the fact is that apart from Silvestre, we didn't get any and now there's nothing we can do about it now 'til Jan.

We have a squad of young and so far largely unproven talent, who we can either get behind or moan at. Supporting them might just help, and we know what moaning will do.

AW is a winner who HATES losing. He devotes his life to studying the global game and interprets what he learns on OUR training ground with OUR players, generally pretty well!

He also knows what it takes to win trophies and is probably therefore best placed to judge whether/who he needs to bring players in to help achieve that goal.

What we really don't need is for AW to walk because he is made to feel that he has lost the support of the fans - THEN we would really will be in the brown stuff!

Don't right off our chances of success this season, after just 3 games. We expected little of Flamini last season and look what happened. Henry and Pires looked like serious lightweights when they first arrived. Who thought Kolo would become a centre half alongside Sol when TA packed up? Lauren at full back?

So Denilson, Diaby, Ramsey, Vela? every chance.

[I Hate Hleb]

Can't really disagree with any of that Lord Peter of Highbury. I just hope you and Wenger are proven right and my fears prove to be unfounded.