Who's to blame? Wenger, the players or both?

It feels no better this morning does it? In fact it feels worse!!

I could have checked my lottery numbers last night and found out I’d won the jackpot but it wouldn’t ease any feelings I have right now…

Something has to change at Arsenal and soon before we slip off down the table and kiss our season goodbye.

Yesterday was a gutless, cowardly and dire 45 minutes and it came against a side we haven’t lost to at home in the league in seventeen years.

We went 2-0 up due to sloppy play by the oppositions goalkeeper and defence and then we spurned chance after chance to put the game out of reach. Then in the second half we just hit the self destruct button.

The manager, well he broke up a winning defence to bring back Kos in place of Johan Djourou, big mistake which proved costly when yet again he gave away a silly needless free kick which gifted them a goal from the resulting free kick. Would Djourou got his head in the way of that cross? Yes, I expect so too.

Nasri, our best player on the pitch who was fired up for this game was taken off when we needed a goal, why?

Why did Wenger keep both Denilson and Song on when we needed a goal?

Why keep on a slow sluggish Cesc Fabregas who in my view kept slowing the game down yesterday and talking of which what is he doing for that free kick which ultimately cost us the game?

Where was Denilson when Bale was through on goal, side stepping away from the player, that’s where!

Why have we not got enough players in our side who want to fight for every ball, fight for the love of the club and ultimately fight for the shirt on their back?

What makes it all so so sad is that our fans will wake up feeling like shite, will Wenger? Will most of the players? I doubt it, they will still get paid won’t they and no doubt they will just brush it aside and think about Braga. Meanwhile we all suffer until the next time.

Who do you blame, Wenger for buying the wrong players to give us steel again, the players for the lacklustre show or both?

Wenger says some of the players were tired, well my answer is why play them then? We have Lansbury, JET, Bendtner, Vela all fit and desperate to play, why not pick them?

If Wenger won’t buy these players, is it finally time to find a manager who will?

Olivers match report will be up later….

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Mukhtar sada
Mukhtar sada
15 years ago

Arsene is é culprit, his time is over, he wont buy é right players, always saying he has the best squad or de worst players ever in arsenal paraded 2 lose against spurs is ratherly lose 2 chelsea co’s they are paying their dept.ñ arsene should stop picking players he love than quality and committed once.

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Morning Rico I have to salute you that you were able to go back and think about the game am gutted Rico how? 2 – 0 then we still shoot ourselves sorry we have a problem and Aw got to fix it

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Rico Its hard to say what went wrong the first half was great then am not sure what went on 🙁 🙁

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Rico am speechless just can’t put a finger to it 🙁 we have the players may be the spirit is lacking 🙁

Douggie
Douggie
15 years ago

So many concerns it is difficult to know where to start. Sadly, a manager of any business cannot act in the childish and petulant manner that Wenger does when we lose. Squatting inelegantly on the pitch with his head in his hands is so pathetic that his bosses must have a word. What message is that sending to the players. What’s more he was tactically out thought by Redknapp of all people. No doubt Wenger will continue to believe we deserved to win and made more chances when the stats show that that is not really the case. He is permanently in denial and needs to wise up sharpish because we could end anyway from first to fifth this season.
I know it’s been said before, but it’s hard to win anything when your centre halfs are Sunday League players.

Judith Le'Strange
Judith Le'Strange
15 years ago

After watching the debacle that was Arsenal yesterday, I think it’s time that Arsene Wenger resigned with immediate effect as he can no longer convince the players that we’re going to win anything and with him in charge the only place we’re going is backwards. We need a manager who can instill confidence in the players and buy decent defenders not over the hill ones who aren’t equipped to cope with the rigours of the Premier League. Sell Fabregas cos he no longer wants to be there as he knows we aren’t going to win anything with Wenger in charge. Personally I think we need a clear out of all the dead wood players and buy spend decent money then we can get decent players. Wenger has turned Arsenal into the laughing stock of the premier league

Jockdownsouth
Jockdownsouth
15 years ago

Absolutely agree about Koscielny. I feel he’s becoming a bit of a liability with his fouls and cards in scoreable positions. Also Djourou at least knows how much this match means. None of Koscielny, Squillaci (who played better than Kos BTW) or Chamakh have played a home game against the marsh dwellers before. Did anyone bother to tell them how important it is? Where was the Vieira or Adams to rouse them out of their slumber? I think Nasri was actually a bit tired so his substitution was right. As usual, however, the substitutions came to late. Still feeling pig sick this morning!

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Calling for Aw resignation its a bit too much we are so close yet so far two world class players would do it for me 🙂

Rennie
Rennie
15 years ago

“What makes it all so so sad is that our fans will wake up feeling like shite, will Wenger?”

Mate, at least U were able to catch some sleep, I bet my arse that Wenger wouldn’t even have slept at all!

The 2nd half capitulation was all the doing of the ones on the pitch.. Where the hell was Song on the build-up to the 1st goal? Why would a holding midfielder feel so compelled to play near the opposition’s goal when his team is 2 nil up! There was no chance in a million that Denilson could have outrun Bale on that goal, but why he’d step aside & give him a free lane is freakin’ beyond my understanding!!.. And coming to the mother o’ all fcukups, what in the name o’ God has Cesc been smokin’ lately, puttin’ his hands up for that penalty! I’m not sure if anyone’s noticed, he now believes that he’s too good to play for Arsenal, never giving his 100% effort to the cause anymore. All you have to do is watch his 15min cameos for Spain to see where I’m coming from. He works his arse off to such an extent that U’d think that he works (effort+concentration) more in those 15 minutes than in a full 90 for Arsenal! How could one blame the defenders for that fiasco, when they have 2 brainless morons & one Mr.GoodyTwoShoes playing in front of them!!!

If there is one gripe that I have with Wenger, is that I don’t understand why he repeatedly puts his own arse on the line for some of these indisciplined bunch of underachieving overpaid mugs @#(*#@!!!

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Hi all.im literally in pieces and this defeat will stay with me for years just like the Paris CL final.im so pissed right now!!!even the ball boy showed more passion than some of those players.i’ve never had so little faith in Aw but am afraid his time with us may end up being ugly.

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Totally agree Rico he is the best and am sure he does see the weaknesses we will come back strong. I watched the Manc game Rico and to be honest we have a better squad and we can make it 🙂

Gunnernet
Gunnernet
15 years ago

Morning all. I believe also in this squad. But anarchy is the problem. As you mentioned winning 2-0 at HT, overwhelming the opposite side in our home and still not respect them and storming like a bunch of headless chickens with everyone wanting to score is playground, simply unacceptable. Where was Song at their counterattack that led to the 1st goal? What did Denilson to stop the attack at any cost? Why are we giving away too silly fouls around our area, when we hadled every single of their attacks to our box yesterday? Why Mr Wenger didn’t pull out Chamakh after 60 min? He was totally tired, looking like a 90 year old granny waiting for death to come to change the routine? Class is there. Maturity, discipline not..

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Erick asked me if we could beat barça home and away and i said NO.this defeat showed us why.we have become big game bottlers.Messi has 101 goals in 153 la liga games.he has scored 61 goals in this calendar year.CR9 scored a hattrick yesterday just like messi to help their teams to 5-1 and 8 nil wins respectively.Henry used to do that for us but now we have chamakh cutting back when through on goal…did we move to the Emirates to buy players like koscielny and wait on freebies like chamakh?im so pissed and i don’t know if the players know how much it means to us to beat the scum.

Paul
Paul
15 years ago

You lot need to wake up to reality, too many gooners are still stuck in the Henry/Viera days. That team was head and shoulders above todays team and would never have caved in the way Arsenal did yesterday. Fact is there is no such thing as an easy game in the premiership nowadys and most teams are now aware that if you “stick it” to Arsenal they can’t take it. Also i’d like to point out the three yellow cards Arsenal recieved and there were at least two challenges, one from Fabregas that went totally unpunished. Makes Wenger look like even more of a hypocrite!

Hadeel
Hadeel
15 years ago

The Players
they didnt play with passion and th worst player was fabregas
When I saw him started losing the ball I Knew that we will lose

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

If we had won the newcastle,brom and spud games we’d be 7 points clear…

Gunnernet
Gunnernet
15 years ago

And now let me talk about Nasri. Yes i know that Gallas may be a scum and he is a difficult character, causing problems but Nasri’s desicion disappointed me yesterday. His denial has been disgraceful. Kid u are only how? 22, 23 years of age? And u act like u are a legend? No respect, no education, no ethical values. You are just a kid with loads of money. After all u are just a footballer aren’t u? IMO this characterizes all of our young players or the most of them. How do you expect discipline and focus from these self-overrated trapped-in-a-corp-stars?? I don’t want even to comment at Nikki’s statements. I know that many will disagree with me and moan at me but i don’t care. This is my opinion and it’s a fact..

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Denilson did the same with rooney last year…

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

To think we were vermaelen away from a full strength team…

Erick
Erick
15 years ago

Kt right now we can’t even beat Almeria to be honest

stevus
stevus
15 years ago

The ingredients of this squad are, more or less, alright, but the head chef has long since forgotten how to cook. We had a similar situation in 1986 and George Graham jettisoned the superfluous, lazy, or past-their-best players, promoted hungry talented youths and added ONE new signing – Perry Groves, a squad player – for next to nothing. The same thing needs to happen in May – and personally I’m looking forward to that moment far more than any new signings. That can happen when the NEW manager has galvanised and analysed the existing squad, reminding it of its responsibilities and what it means to don the cannon.

Jim
Jim
15 years ago

Arsenal win nothing and will nothing with this bunch of kids. We don’t expect the team to win trophies but the way they surrender is just shocking.

Ayepa
Ayepa
15 years ago

Am from Ug but felt like sh*t watching that game, where is vela? this kid is soo good but has not had the chance to prove it…..is Chamakh a striker? the lad cant think…….@##@*&***

Bob
Bob
15 years ago

It’s basic tactical ineptitude on Wenger’s part, and on the part of the experienced players. You’re 2-0 up at half time, during the break you reassess your game plan. You tell the centre halves, one of stays back for our corners, so we have a solid three at the back at all times. You tell Denilson, oi son, you’re playing in the premier league against one of you’re biggest rivals, stop strolling around like you’re out shopping. Fucking awful, naive defending. Wenger is never go to learn that if are you 2-0 up, the primary objective is not to concede, it is not to try and get a third.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

As we all know we lose 2 games in a row.we lose to braga shaktar finish top.we get drawn with madrid/barça in the KO while the spuds finish top to get copenhagen.we get KOed in the last 16 while the spuds gloat reaching the quarters…SORT IT OUT AW!

Jan
Jan
15 years ago

It’s the same heartache season after season. It’s like a bad movie replay over and over again. Why don’t the mananger and the board just go the fans and admit that Arsenal is just a so and so club with ambitions no more than a CL club. A Valencia of the Premier League so to speak. Why do they keep saying Arsenal is aiming for trophies when everyone knows that we’re not good enough. If the board and the manager admit the truth, it’ll be frank but less hurtful.

Birmingham fans never expect their club to win anything and they’re happy with that. We Arsenal fans can accept the truth as well. Obviously the Arsenal board think we Arsenal fans are stupid and can be misled year after year, season after season. Just tell us the truth and we can take it. The Arsenal board and the manager are nothing more than a bunch of liars.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

What happened to Aw?i miss the skinny newbie from japan…when 2 nil up we should have brought on theo to slaughter them on the break.i watched madrid last night transition from a corner to a goal with 4 passes!cesc slowed us down alot yesterday.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico Aw is a legend but if he doesn’t sort it out he’ll be in for an ugly ending to his time with us.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Aw said this is his best team ever…WTF?Let them win something before making bold statements that make you look like a mug.the invincibles remain heads and shoulders above this team and its up to them to prove otherwise…

Jerry
Jerry
15 years ago

I think Aw has reached his peak and from now it’s all the way down.This season has been the same old story and it’s one kid after kid or free transfers.
He doesn’t know how to nick a win ie play anti soccer.Birmingham withstood intense Chelsea pressure and won 1-0. Had it been Arsenal sorry Arsene the guners would have lost.
To him football is an art and players must be allowed to express themselves ie roam freely /awol when the attackers come to score.
I bet Mourino/ Maclish/Pulis would have detailed two defenders to stifle Bale who scored on one on one.
Next stop AV.Believe me if the gunners lose,thats it.
The gunners may thrash Braga and come down to earth with a thud against AV. What then?And with ticket prices set to rise,fans should turn the es into a white elephant. Then the bod will finally take action and ask Wenger to go upstairs.This is to put it mildly.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico he is as hurt as we are if not more.in his 14 year reign he has never lost at home to them.i wish he projects his anger to the players in training.if it wasn’t bad enough the team bottled it with henry in the stands who never lost to the spuds.

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

sack wenger??

dont be daft we are third in table two points behind the leaders and we were 2 up at half time..

the players threw that game

cesc the biggest culprit

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

and after a good start it turns out i was right about kos

hes shit..

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

wenger got it right yesterday

we were cruising 2-0

the team the tactics everything was spot on..

then in the second half we lose a goal to a long ball allowed to bounce, a stupid handball and a hit a hope into the box

what does wenger do about that????

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

How the hell did kozzer miss that sitter?he did the same against the CSKA London.

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

JD should have started??

but the team that started was 2-0 up and flying…

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

because he his spawn of cygan. ktr7

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Hi jj.the problem ir we had the chance to be clear of the chavs but we haven’t capitalised.when they get their shit togetheq they’ll be battering teams left right and centre again.we have arguably the best squad in the league but our players seem to need coaching to win trophies.when 2 nil up song doesn’t need to be told to stay back,denboy has to track the runners…

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

weve had the same problem a while mate

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

JJ we were flying and the spuds couldn’t handle us.i think the players let down Aw again as he must have thought they were mature enough to close out the game but they didn’t.how the hell the team that was cruising in the first half could catipulate like that in the second half i’ll never know…thats why i always say we need players like cambiasso in the team who can help in grinding out such games.

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

cescs fit hes just acting like a petulant child

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

I was invited to a party last night by a beautiful young lady but when she was handing me the invite i was shellshocked that i didn’t even listen to her.the players should know how messed up Arsenal fans are today and they ought to apologise.Cesc apologised after Spain lost to portugal but now it seems he is on a Mugabe lockdown.im like a zombie right now…i still can’t believe it.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Cesc has not been his usual self.he is moaning alot and commiting stupid tackles.if he continues in that manner it will be worrying for us in the coming games…

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

cescs always been slow..

hes never had natural pace..

hes losing interest

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico he did apologise minutes after the portugal game…but not to the fans who adore him and pay his wages…

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

we just aint ready for the league yet..

we need to target one of those domestic cups or both this season..

once those lads have a few medals they will start to learn to see the big pl games out

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico im worried about jj.what happened to him?

JonJon
JonJon
15 years ago

haha

im just getting older guys..

nothing we say or do can change the result and to be honest its not rocked us that much..

chelsea lost again and three points for us next match could put us top…..

the league is wide open anyone can beat anyone and we have the best squad we just need to get a consistent run of that mental edge..

we are doing it away from home we are impressive but at home we seem to relax too much and not do what we are supposed to be doing..

after so long without a trophy id be happy for a top four finish and a domestic cup this season and so far so good

oliver
oliver
15 years ago

morning rico…me too. feels just as bad a day later. somewhere along the line, the message about winning seems to have been lost.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Oliver it doesn’t feel any better this morning…

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico this defeat will stay with me for years…losing to the spuds is one thing but the manner in which we lost was sickening…

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

Well, hell, folks. 🙁

Soo, sooo gutted. The pain’s almost visceral. 😥

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

I meant, “hello”. Sorry, must be the typing equivalent of Freudian slips.

But “hell” works too. This state of affairs is infernal.

oliver
oliver
15 years ago

the result is only part of it. the players seem to have a collective attitude problem arsene seems utterly incapable of correcting. or is arsene one of the biggest problems?

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Oliver these players are playing as if they are a placenta with Aw as the umblical cord.the expectant mother (fans) is 14 months pregnant in need of delivering…

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

As well as can be expected for someone still reeling from such surreal results… Which means, I feel so absobloodylutely wretched.

Hello, oliver and KT. KT, I completely commiserate. The way our players squandered the lead is beyond contemptible. I hate the lot of them right now.

oliver
oliver
15 years ago

once again, arsene was lavish in praising these players ahead of the match. perhaps what we see is a group of players who think they are far better than they really are, and are not necessarily prepared to put in the necessary effort and sacrifice. if arsene does not want to publicly criticize, neither should he praise in the fawning, obsequious manner he does. we probably shouldn’t be surprised our players no longer play for ninety minutes. after all, they are arsene’s best ever squad. seeing games out properly may well be beneath them.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Hi agag.the manner of the defeat is unforgiveable…

oliver
oliver
15 years ago

hi agag and k. what is done is done. we are all hurting. i am not so sure all our players are.

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

I’m not proud of the fact that I was ashamed of our team last night. But I was. Right now, I’m just incensed. 😡 How dare f-ing they?? They knew what they were up against, and they had the temerity to feel like a two-goal lead was license for them to coast through the second half? Unbelievable.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

The spuds wouldn’t exchange that win for the CL…Thats how much it meant.kozzer and chamakh had never played in a NLD and you could tell they were not told how much it meant to us.Adams would’ve eaten chamakh alive for checking back when through on goal in such a game…

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico you know who your boo should be directed to…

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

We are a cleansheet magnet with JD in the team.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico we can only hope the players know how hurt we are.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Ricn JD and vermy look like a future partnership.JD was playing so well and it hurts to see him benched.JD is first choice even in my video game.i was raped by drogba with squillaci/kozzer bouncing off him in my video game.since then JD has been a colossus earning MOTM against the spuds.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

Rico Aw looked pissed on the touchline.im sure he is very hurt by that defeat…JD is a cleansheet magnet as he wins most aerial duels.squilli is experienced but i wouldn’t start him against villa.young and agbonlahor will have a field day if he starts.

K-TR7
K-TR7
15 years ago

I would start kozzer and JD.Kozzer needs to improve his tackling or else he’ll get booked alot.

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

Hola! Still very angry. (Sigh)

Kozzer’s last two games have been appalling. 🙁 Maybe, it is time to restore JD to the starting line-up. I hope some of the players read the blogs. They need a rude awakening!!!

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

rico, nothing from Lansbury, Cesc or Wilshere on the game. I haven’t bothered to check Denilson’s. Why should I? 😡

They never learn. They say they will fight blah blah blah. Do they??

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

It was just shocking. How could they? I wish the young(er) ones played. They certainly seem more enthusiastic about our club. I’m sure the players “care”, but I am equally sure that they don’t care nearly enough.

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

You know, Lansbury’s picture on twitter seems to be the one where he scored v. the tots.

agirlagunner
agirlagunner
15 years ago

Now, that’s enthusiasm. I wish Cesc still remembers the feeling. 🙁

I am off, rico. too much vodka + too much cake + too many rubbish players do not go well together. 🙁

Rennie
Rennie
15 years ago

Hej Rico, I do accept your view that he gets his tactics messed up (a lot) but U 4get his underlying vision of playing attacking football.

Wenger’s mentioned a few times in his interviews that he always gives it a lot’o thought before he takes off a player who in his view is more classy than his replacement. That is he hesitates to take someone as talented as Arshavin or Cesc out of a game even if they are not playing so well coz he believes they are capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat at any moment in the game & thereby create a goal. That’s why he never ever takes Cesc out of a game unless he’s broken a leg or 2 & similarly only substitutes Arshavin when he’s run his arse to the ground.

The only other player he believes to be in the same class is Van Persie, but lets face it he’s hardly ever in contention. However, I do think that this season he has put Nasri in that bracket, so that’s why Theo is finding it so tough to see some playin’ time.

Rennie
Rennie
15 years ago

So I think that it’s not that Wenger doesn’t like defensive tactics, it’s just that his idea is primarily ‘Offence as the best form of defence’. Naive as it may sound, he wants to keep the opposition pegged back in their own half so that they see as little activity as possible in front of our goal (remember our tactics in the unfortunate loss at the bridge), & that also explains why our defenders always play a very high line regardless of the quality of the opposition!

But the bloody problem is these tactics require real discipline & concentration throughout the whole 90, which most of our players seem to lack!!

Rennie
Rennie
15 years ago

It would be quite awesome to see our boys mix it up depending on the situation/opposition, but Wenger clearly leaves this to the players on the pitch to read, realize, and adjust accordingly. That’s why we never see him shouting out commands to his wards from the touchline (a la Benitez/Maureen), but we do get to see him face-buried-in-hand very often when he’s not getting what he expects from those on the pitch.

Wenger’s still waiting for his team to mature in this aspect, how long is he prepared to wait?.. HOW MUCH MORE LONGER ARE WE!