So after Arsenal lose 3-1 at home to Aston Villa, a few days later I get sick. The last thing I remember as I was being sedated were the words still ringing in my ears: “Spend some f***in’ money,” then I fell soundly asleep.
When I woke up 6 weeks later, Arsenal are sitting proudly ontop of the league, and also top of their Champions League group – the so called “Group of death”. Wenger has signed a £42m player in Mesut Ozil, and my old favourite, Mathieu Flamini, has returned to marshal our midfield and protect our back four. I quickly checked my lottery tickets, but alas only so many of my prayers had been answered.
Next I checked my phone for messages and tweets – a month of gloating Wengerites tweeting their normal deluded twaddle, “In Wenger we trust”. And there are those predicting Arsenal to win everything – hell, even the bloody World Cup! Oh, what I wouldn’t give for another sedation.
However, like all good things that come to an end the drugs have now worn off and the reality of Wenger’s achievements have now kicked in. So what are they?
After the Villa fiasco, Wenger obviously had some sort of visitation. Maybe his unsigned contract crept into his room one night, or maybe Gazedis totted up his own personal possible loss of bonus and put a .45 calibre to Wenger’s now dark brown head and repeated the words of the fans, “spend some f***ing money”. So after months of being linked to Higuain, Suarez, Rooney, Benzema, Villa, Benteke, Soldado and every other striker in the world, Wenger signs one of the world’s best midfielders, breaking Arsenal’s transfer record in process with only 30 minutes of the transfer window to spare.
During the transfer window, Wenger took the opportunity to relieve the Arsenal wage bill of much of our deadwood , thus saving around 30m a year in wages . We also brought in around another 12m from the sale of players, Gervhinio in particular, who ironically has found a new lease of life at Roma and can’t stop scoring goals. So all things considered, did the 70m war chest actually get touched and will it ever be?
Watching Arsenal battle to a well earned draw against a well drilled West Brom, we looked tired and for the first time Ozil looked human. And dare I say, in my opinion went missing for large parts of that game. Sorry, but a £ 42 million player needs to make a difference in games like that. Yes, he deserves a rest, which hasn’t helped his form. Apart from Spurs, which was a great result, 13 points from Stoke, Swansea, Fulham, Sunderland, and West Brom is hardly the second coming of the Invincibles, and in all honesty 13 points should have been the minimum we took from those games if we are to be considered challengers for honors this season.
My first reaction to what is currently happening down at the Emirates was a genuine joy that my previous rants and observations were maybe wrong. I was definitely wrong about Fellaini – what a waste of £ 27 million he looks to be for Manchester United. I really thought he was perfect for Arsenal, when in comparison Flamini on a free was the signing of the transfer window, even though Wenger admitted that he never intended to sign him when he first arrived back from AC Milan.
No one likes to be wrong , but when you’ve been the prophet of doom about the team you love for the past 3 years and suddenly they are top of the league, it’s easy to just sit, lay back and enjoy it. However apart from a Tottenham side still finding their best team, who have we beaten? What have we achieved? Are we genuine contenders for honours, and should Wenger be given a new contract. If so, when? So many questions. Apart from Fellaini, what do all the Wengerites who have tweeted me think I was wrong about Wenger? Whatdo they think they were right about ?
To date Arsenal and Wenger are into the ninth season without a trophy, as you all know. During what was supposed to be Arsenal’s definitive transfer window with a £ 70 million kitty, we released up to 15 players and, although looking for a marquee striker, we signed a midfielder at the very very last minute who had been holding out to join Manchester United. By Wenger’s own admission the Arsenal squad is still very light. It’s so light up front last week we brought on Nicholas Bendtner for our star striker Olivier Giroud. On the other hand, we have a midfield chock filled with so much talent we are in grave danger of compromising one of our most gifted players in Jack Wilshere in order to accommodate Ozil, a much improved Ramsey, Carzola, Arteta, Flamini not to mention Rosicky!
Ozil is a great addition but was he ever our real target, or yet another panic buy that pacified the fans? When all of our players are back fit where will they all fit in? Or is Wenger lining up another major sale in Wilshere because he can’t keep playing him out on the left because the kid won’t stand for it. No wonder he’s started smoking!
With all of our players back fit , can we really challenge for honours? Well the real acid tests will come in November and December when we will play some of the top teams we have struggled to beat in the past. The good news is that for once I think maybe we can. It will be very interesting to see what sort of team we can field against Chelsea in the Capitol Cup .
Should Wenger be given a new contract? No, not yet! Let’s see exactly what he achieves this season with this team and act accordingly. Another season without a trophy will be unacceptable, however well we play. Silent Stan Kroenke might well be eager to resign Wenger, but that is obviously based on our accounts rather than our achievements on the pitch.
As I watched Arsenal dismantle Napoli it’s hard not to get carried away, but the reality is it’s to early to properly evaluate this team, especially as we still have a long list of injured stars to return. God forbid Giroud gets injured! Let’s get them back, let’s beat some top teams, let’s look capable of really winning something and consider our position after Christmas.
Then if I was wrong, I will be happier than if I was right, and you Wengnerite tweeters can call me whatever you want. I won’t care because I’ll be back under sedation from the booze this time .
Richie Rich Goddard
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