Arsene Wenger, a name that’s become synonymous with Arsenal over the last two decades – A name that is also now synonymous with stubbornness and perhaps if Gary Neville is proven right this season, maybe even naivety.
There has always been a divide between the Gooners with the Wenger in/Wenger out battle fast becoming an annual event. This is something that is expected of any leadership with longevity – Zimbabweans and Mugabe, Libyans and Gaddafi – however, without going too much into politics, it is safe to say a divide is only normal – So it is likely Arsenal fans will again fall under one of Mr. Neville’s adjectives – Arrogant or naïve.
I have never been a Wenger in or Wenger out person, not fully anyway. There is so much to take into consideration that I see it is more of a spectrum, so I would take a litmus test approach to this subject.
Wenger has always had a knack for using players out of position (Thierry Henry was a success, yes) but just as we cried out for poor old Mesut Ozil to be put back where he belongs, I call for Aaron Ramsey to be put back in the middle and for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain/Theo Walcott to be put on the right-wing. I saw a fan on Twitter say: “It was not Wenger’s fault, the players let him down. This was the same team that beat Liverpool 4-1”.
It was not exactly the same team (defenders), but that is not the point here – this is not the same Liverpool team that were beaten 4-1. I do not need to explain how Wenger’s tactics make our game too one-sided with Alexis Sanchez the only one providing width. To switch play and stretch defences, you need two ‘widemen’ along with your fullbacks. Its effectiveness was there for everyone to see when the Ox came on and forced Brendan Rodgers’ hand with Alberto Moreno coming on to help the young Joe Gomez – that move alone took the sting out of Liverpool’s attack with Coutinho coming off for the defender.
Performances with Ramsey on the wing only come about when teams come out to play, and with Liverpool having learned their lessons from last season, the rest will only be encouraged to do so, which would not do our home form any good.
Santi Cazorla has been nothing short of brilliant in his new-found position, although I cannot help but feel that he and Ramsey are incompatible, at least not at the Emirates, when teams come to do a “Chelsea”. I would implore Le Prof to play Ramsey next to Coquelin and leave out one of Santi/Ramsey (I would say Santi, though opinions may differ) along with the sentiment that had pushed him to play them both despite a few shaky moments this season. This would not only benefit the team with a more balanced presence and keep one of the midfielders/wingers fresh for sticky moments of the game when the have to come on, but also preserve the dynamic of the team and the threat the same when changes are made.
Is he being overly confident at home in employing the same tactics? Or is he being too sentimental in playing both midfielders at once?
Is Arsene Wenger being arrogant or simply naïve?
