The criticism of Arsenal’s manager has been a well-documented affair, but The Hard Tackle believes he rather deserves applause for his and the team’s response.
Arsenal’s public image as a football club makes it easier for fans and pundits alike to open their diaries of criticisms and throw bits from it like rocks on still water. In recent times, however, these pebbles have turned into massive stones, full of blame and the manager has been the one taking the majority of the impact, not the players, and not the club.
Arsene’s tenure as manager could be divided into three stages – the first ending with the Invincibles era, making that the starting point to the second. This part ended when Arsenal found their financial muscle back and thus began the third with the audacious signing of Mesut Ozil. Since then, Arsenal have been dealing with the third, and by all means, it will end with Arsene’s departure.
In February, when Arsenal, for the first time under Arsene Wenger, lost four games in a row, the fans went straight into their storerooms to clean the dust off their ‘Wenger Out’ banners. Only this time, their campaigns gained momentum from people known as pundits who live for their TV ratings and not for the actual development of football.
Had it been a David Moyes, or even a Jose Mourinho who himself endured a torrid time as Chelsea boss when his team lost game after game, and eventually quit his post. Arsene Wenger has shown a different character to those names above.
Did Wenger quit? No! Does he intend to? Not at least until his contract expires! And the Arsenal fans know it, and more than just criticising the man further, to no avail, its time, Wenger gets some respect back in his sleeve, and gets another shot at taking Arsenal to glory.
The wins against Milan and Watford highlighted that the team is getting back to form and restoring some lost confidence, and Wenger is responsible for it. Things have taken a severe route, even before, but not this bad, and Wenger was always there to battle the rough seas and steady the ship again those many times.
The way Arsenal played in those victories, where they scored eight goals and conceded only two shows the team’s and the manager’s character. Arsenal have never succumbed in a situation to a point where recovery has been impossible, and especially under Wenger, they have revived and achieved something out of a season year after year. It may not be a trophy always, but pride.
The idea for fans should be to focus on what the Manager is willing to do for the club. Instead, most fans, who feel associated with the club are taking sides of the Pundits and getting carried away by their views, which is to see Arsene fail miserably. Its part of their job to give out their opinion and they succeed when the majority buys into it. Their views most of the time are not necessarily valid to the image or the happenings of Arsenal Football Club.
All we feel is, Arsene Wenger’s shortcomings in recent weeks should be considered a blip and the man needs to be given his due respect and applause for the way he handled everything thrown at him. Instead, most fans are looking to polish and to make their ‘Wenger Out’ slogans shine in the next rays of criticism that is to follow soon after Arsenal’s next shortcoming.
In an era of managers looking for excuses and scapegoats, Wenger remains a unique warrior. Whether he stays at Arsenal beyond the 2017-18 campaign is irrelevant. One thing though, is for sure, if he does bow out, he is sure to go out swinging, as the recent results suggest.
