Arsenal and the Reasons

We’ve heard from the massed ranks of the ‘Ah but’ brigade, whose efforts to put the boot into Arsenal have revealed little more than the depth of their misunderstanding. So in the interests of education (something which in their arrogance they may well resist) it is time to set the record straight and explain what is, and what isn’t, relevant to the Gunners situation this season.

Let’s start with the clutter. Forget all that nonsense about Arsenal over elaborating, always trying to score the perfect goal, stifling the English game with too many foreign players, lacking a ‘plan B’, not having the stomach for a fight or, conversely, being too eager for a fight.

There are in fact three valid reasons to explain why Arsenal are not going to win a trophy this season. To begin with, the club has been hit by crippling injuries. Captain, talisman and world class striker Thierry Henry has not been fully fit at any time and that is why his performances have fallen well short of his normal levels. William Gallas has been unavailable for a period of several weeks. Abou Diaby has only recently completed his rehabilitation after last season’s horrific fracture. And the club has been denied the services of Robin Van Persie with a broken metatarsal just when he was emerging as a major force in the side. In addition to the long term absences of these key players, the list of those whom Arsene Wenger has had to do without also includes Hleb, Rosicky, Eboue, Clichy, Hoyte, Djourou, Senderos, Adebayor, Baptista and Walcott.

With a casualty list like that, it has been almost impossible for the manager to field his strongest side, yet Arsenal have consistently produced magical football and, far from ‘over-playing’ have created such a profusion of chances that if they had taken only half of them they would be leading the Premiership, their young team would have won the Carling Cup and the club would still be in both the F.A. Cup and the Champions League. And any member of the ‘Ah but’ brigade who doubts this needs only to run all the tapes.

The third reason for Arsenal’s failure to win trophies this season is technical and it is a matter of genuine concern. Both in attack and defence, they do not handle set pieces well. There has been a marked tendency to concede goals from free kicks and corners and many people feel this is attributable to the use of zone defence in preference to man marking. By contrast, in attack so many of their corners and free kicks have proved unproductive (the latter partly because of Thierry Henry’s lack of real fitness) that Gunners fans no longer tend to greet the awards with any optimism.

It should be emphasised that the above are reasons, not excuses, and there is no doubt whatsoever that if Arsenal were more clinical in their finishing, more effective at set pieces and more fortunate with injuries, they would be the outstanding team in Europe and all the other clubs would have to cope with constant carping about the absence of silverware.