Opinions remain divided on the current situation at Arsenal but one thing is for sure – Arsene Wenger’s reign deserves applause as he celebrates 17 years at the club.
When Wenger walked through the doors at Highbury in 1996, few would have known what to expect from a manager who was relatively unknown to fans of English football. Fast-forward 17 years and the Frenchman’s ability is still one to be admired despite having not won a trophy at Arsenal since 2005.
Under Wenger Arsenal have often played mesmerising passing football , admired by several other sides and fans around Europe. Longevity is rare in football these days and to see Wenger still passionately leading the club is great to see. Wenger has also signed some remarkable talent with the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira among the greats of foreign players to grace the English top flight.
In the early years of his reign, the Gunners’ exciting brand of football led to silverware. But, after eight years without a trophy, some fans and media have begun to question Wenger’s future.
As an avid Gooner I can totally understand the frustration of my fellow fans. Eight years without a trophy is simply unacceptable but, unlike some, I still firmly believe Wenger is the right man for the job and I hope he signs a new contract soon. The lack of major spending until the record signing of Ozil was very frustrating, but that doesn’t mean Wenger’s ambition is waning.
The Premier League is getting more competitive by the year and Wenger has always tried not to put the club in jeopardy by spending a big fee for the sake of it. I still think we need more depth in the squad as after a few injuries the squad can look a bit thin. But I also think Wenger is right not to just go out and splash the cash for the sake of it or give in to player’s ridiculous demands.
It is very frustrating at times, especially during the transfer windows, for an Arsenal fan. But the Ozil deal shows he means business and that he is only after the right kind of player for the club. The fact he was able to snap up the German international despite reported interest from Manchester United is testament to his managerial ability.
The start to the season, including a 1-0 win over Tottenham, the signing of Ozil and the completely change in the form of Aaron Ramsey, is all down to Wenger. He deserves a lot of credit for all the hard work he has put in at the club.
11 trophies, including an unbeaten season, is a great achievement for the Frenchman when looking at his reign as a whole. But, managers get judged on the now and in recent seasons Arsenal have failed to win trophies and have struggled to mount a serious challenge on the Premier League title.
This season, things certainly seem to be on the up and I am optimistic about the season ahead. We need to maintain our consistency and not implode in games as we have sometimes in previous seasons. We also need to add a few fresh faces to the squad in January to provide depth and cover for injuries and I think Wenger can do just that.
Despite my positive views on Wenger, I do admit that the trophy drought isn’t good enough and things need to improve on that front. Wenger himself will admit it is frustrating, but I believe his ambition to succeed is very much alive. But no manager is perfect! Although Wenger has signed several great players, he has also brought in his fair share of flops including Pascal Cygan, Igor Stepanovs and currently squad member Nicklas Bendtner.
Wenger’s comments during the transfer window can be frustrating and the way we have thrown some games away beggars belief. We need to consistently start games and two-legged ties quicker and not before it’s too late. We proved how good we can be last season with a well-deserved win at Bayern Munich, but we were knocked out of the Champions League tie due to a poor first leg. We need to be more consistent at killing games off when we are on top!
Whilst an unbeaten season, 11 trophies and consistently qualifying for the Champions League is impressive, something really needs to happen about the lull in silverware. Once the trophy drought ends and the monkey is finally off our backs, I truly believe we will begin to win a lot more silverware.
If recent seasons are anything to go by this will be easier said than done. But the way we have begun this season, after the blip of the defeat to Aston Villa, has given me fresh optimism. I’m not saying we will win the title, as it is set to be more open than ever, but we are in with a better chance this time around. Olivier Giroud is in top form and Aaron Ramsey has found a new lease of life, while Ozil is already providing a plethora of assists. We are looking more solid at the back and fans are starting to feel more positive. But we need to ensure we don’t let complacency slip in if we are to stand a chance.
I have no idea how things will pan out. It could be a hugely successful season or equally it could again fall flat. But one thing is sure in my mind – Wenger is the right man for the job!
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Ozil Gunner light up Premier League
Transfer deadline day is often frustrating for Arsenal fans but has Arsene Wenger’s latest deal proved he now means business?
It would have been great to see more than just two new faces walk through the doors at the Emirates on transfer deadline day and, at some stages, fans wondered if anything was going to happen.
Some fans have questioned Wenger’s hunger and ambition but new signing Mesut Ozil, arguably one of the best players in the world, mentioned it as a key factor in persuading him to join the club. Wenger is clearly still passionate about the club and the fact he mentioned to ensure the Gunners got their man ahead of other clubs is a great signal of intent by Wenger.
Ozil matched Lionel Messi for assists in La Liga last season and is a well-renowned provider of goals. With Olivier Giroud on top for Arsenal in the early stages of the season, adding an assist king to their ranks could be just what the club needs to push above fourth this season.
Ozil proved his world class ability on the international stage at Euro 2012 when he was named in UEFA’s team of the tournament. The fact Arsenal won the race for the German’s signature proves the ambition of the club and that maybe...just maybe...the glory days might return soon!
Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano also joined on loan from Palermo and will hopefully provide stiffer competition for Wojciech Szczesny to keep the Arsenal number one on his toes. Mathieu Flamini returning to the club last month also adds much needed depth and it
will be interesting how well he does in his second spell with the club.
The starting XI for Arsenal is decent, but many fans are worried about the lack of depth in the squad and when any player goes down injured it causes panic. We could’ve done with adding another defender and a striker in the summer transfer window, but it wasn’t to be! Although this is frustrating, the Ozil deal alone will provide a huge morale boost to the team and could be a key piece in the jigsaw and make players believe more that they can challenge for silverware.
Ozil and Cazorla in the same side is a mouth-watering prospect and will definitely put the fear into the opposition, but every single player in the squad needs to stand up to be counted to give us the best possible chance.
After the opening day 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, many fans and media were suggesting there was a crisis at the Emirates. Some even questioned whether Wenger’s days at the club were numbered. Four wins out of four in all competitions, including a hard-worked 1-0 win over rivals Spurs, shows Arsenal can compete with the best.
The squad may still be slightly thin but there is some incredible talent within it, and the latest addition is likely to have a major impact on the club’s fortunes this season.
It is hard to guage whether or not we will cope should we get another few injuries, but I want to try and keep a positive frame of mind and I believe the Ozil deal will lift the whole club and things could really be on the up.
Personally, I think it depends on whether or not we can keep the majority of our players ‘ injury free. If we can, we may be able to challenge for the league title this season, but we really can’t afford to pick up many injuries this season.
Defence and attack are still a bit thin on the ground especially with the recent injury to Lukas Podolski, but if Ozil gels with the squad quickly and Giroud keeps up his fine form we may yet be okay!
The defence will be key and the Gunners need to be far more consistent at the back, although there are not too many options to choose from. If the defence performs as it did against Spurs, and we don’t pick up any defensive injuries, I think we’ll be just fine, but every single Arsenal defender needs to stand up to be counted every single week.
The next few weeks are going to have a big impact on our season and the Ozil deal has given me genuine hope that the 2013/14 season will be a positive one for the club.
It would have been great to see more than just two new faces walk through the doors at the Emirates on transfer deadline day and, at some stages, fans wondered if anything was going to happen.
Some fans have questioned Wenger’s hunger and ambition but new signing Mesut Ozil, arguably one of the best players in the world, mentioned it as a key factor in persuading him to join the club. Wenger is clearly still passionate about the club and the fact he mentioned to ensure the Gunners got their man ahead of other clubs is a great signal of intent by Wenger.
Ozil matched Lionel Messi for assists in La Liga last season and is a well-renowned provider of goals. With Olivier Giroud on top for Arsenal in the early stages of the season, adding an assist king to their ranks could be just what the club needs to push above fourth this season.
Ozil proved his world class ability on the international stage at Euro 2012 when he was named in UEFA’s team of the tournament. The fact Arsenal won the race for the German’s signature proves the ambition of the club and that maybe...just maybe...the glory days might return soon!
Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano also joined on loan from Palermo and will hopefully provide stiffer competition for Wojciech Szczesny to keep the Arsenal number one on his toes. Mathieu Flamini returning to the club last month also adds much needed depth and it
will be interesting how well he does in his second spell with the club.
The starting XI for Arsenal is decent, but many fans are worried about the lack of depth in the squad and when any player goes down injured it causes panic. We could’ve done with adding another defender and a striker in the summer transfer window, but it wasn’t to be! Although this is frustrating, the Ozil deal alone will provide a huge morale boost to the team and could be a key piece in the jigsaw and make players believe more that they can challenge for silverware.
Ozil and Cazorla in the same side is a mouth-watering prospect and will definitely put the fear into the opposition, but every single player in the squad needs to stand up to be counted to give us the best possible chance.
After the opening day 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, many fans and media were suggesting there was a crisis at the Emirates. Some even questioned whether Wenger’s days at the club were numbered. Four wins out of four in all competitions, including a hard-worked 1-0 win over rivals Spurs, shows Arsenal can compete with the best.
The squad may still be slightly thin but there is some incredible talent within it, and the latest addition is likely to have a major impact on the club’s fortunes this season.
It is hard to guage whether or not we will cope should we get another few injuries, but I want to try and keep a positive frame of mind and I believe the Ozil deal will lift the whole club and things could really be on the up.
Personally, I think it depends on whether or not we can keep the majority of our players ‘ injury free. If we can, we may be able to challenge for the league title this season, but we really can’t afford to pick up many injuries this season.
Defence and attack are still a bit thin on the ground especially with the recent injury to Lukas Podolski, but if Ozil gels with the squad quickly and Giroud keeps up his fine form we may yet be okay!
The defence will be key and the Gunners need to be far more consistent at the back, although there are not too many options to choose from. If the defence performs as it did against Spurs, and we don’t pick up any defensive injuries, I think we’ll be just fine, but every single Arsenal defender needs to stand up to be counted every single week.
The next few weeks are going to have a big impact on our season and the Ozil deal has given me genuine hope that the 2013/14 season will be a positive one for the club.
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