Wenger Takes A Hammering

[Tooj]

Arsene Wenger reckoned those three games with Liverpool would produce a moment of truth for his team.

 

But when the truth was delivered he tried to swat it away with a lie. An embarrassing one at that. Blaming the referee for the 4-2 Anfield defeat was a lamentable diversionary tactic. Wenger failed in Europe once again because his squad wasn't strong enough and his leadership wasn't good enough.

 

A few myths were shattered in those three meetings about a team whose free-flowing football is hailed as the best in the land. Easy on the eye it undoubtedly is. But you don't win games by adding up the passes and you don't win trophies without a killer's mentality.

 

In the two games at the Emirates, Arsenal failed to score from open play and at Anfield Pepe Reina was hardly tested outside the two goals. Over the two European ties the Gunners threw away a leading position three times. Each time, very cheaply.

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Wenger has clearly needed to dip into his £60million war chest but refused to on the grounds it might upset the balance of a team of kids who were developing together. Another myth. Most aren't kids anymore. The average age of the starting line-up at Anfield was 25.

 

The Frenchman's real moment of truth will come tomorrow if he fails to beat Manchester United, meaning his trophy haul these past four years comprises one FA Cup. Benitez can match his FA Cup over the same period, throw in a European Cup and possibly add a second one next month. So how come Wenger is perceived in this country as one of the great managers of modern times yet Benitez is consistently derided?

 

The Spaniard recently masterminded wins home and away against Italian league leaders Inter Milan. Wenger beat their ageing Milan rivals (who lie 20 points behind them) in the San Siro but failed to do so at the Emirates. Yet whose achievement had English football in raptures? Wenger's of course.

 

The Arsenal boss rested five first-team regulars against Liverpool last Saturday to keep them fresh for Europe. It cost them the points which probably cost him the title but no one said a peep. When Benitez did that earlier in the season he was slaughtered for being a Tinkerman.

 

Liverpool clawed their way back into Wednesday's game via Sami Hyypia's free header at a corner, yet no one pointed out the deficiencies of Wenger's man-to-man marking system. Whenever Liverpool concede from a set-piece, Benitez is savaged for employing zonal marking.

 

Maybe it's time Benitez's legion of critics within football (and Anfield) faced their own moment of truth, and admitted he is not in his third Champions League semi-final in four years because he has pact with the devil, but because he is one of the modern game's great coaches, whose only failing in top-flight management has been an inability thus far to deliver the Premier League title to Anfield.

 

Maybe they should accept he's been up against clubs like Chelsea and United these past four seasons, with far greater resources, and recall it took Alex Ferguson seven years to win his first title.

 

Maybe, now the blood is drenching the boardroom carpets, they will realise civil war has been raging at Anfield all season, and Benitez has been caught in the middle. His mental health publicly questioned, judgments undermined, spending ridiculed and forward planning sabotaged. They even admitted to actively seeking his replacement.

 

Yet his reserve side has just walked the northern section of the Premier Reserve League league, he stands on the brink of a Champions League Final and qualification for next season's competition. I'm sure his many critics will dismiss it as a fluke. Just like his two La Liga titles and UEFA Cup wins were at Sevilla.

 

What did Gary Player once say about being lucky. The more he practised the luckier he became. In the biggest club competition in the world Rafa keeps getting plenty of practice.

 

Maybe one day he'll get lucky, unlike Wenger, and win it. Oh . . he already has.

 

I never knew Rafa was manager of Sevilla mind. 

[manorpark]

Not sure which paper this is in, but it is VERY unusual for the parochial Cockney-based press, to attack their own.

 

Reading this makes me really wish we had a 'National Media' (as opposed to "what Cock-neys think of everyone else", all the time) as this is what it might look like.

 

A "National Media" in the UK?  The stuff of DREAMS!

[Robster]

That is surprisingly critical of Wenger.

However, they only seem to be focusing on the last 4 years and forget to mention the league titles and fa cups that Wenger has actually won. Its those titles that have put him ahead of Benitez in most peoples eyes.

[indi]

I'd put money on the journalist being a liverpool fan. Fuck me he's bitter!! It's all very well talking about having a national media (i agree it'd be nice) but if you notice he's dumped all the blame directly on wenger as if it was him who wrote the articles. National media would be great, but personally, i'd prefere an honest media. This is just yet another blinkered journalist with an axe to grind, it just happens that this one's isn't with us, for once.

[Unbelievable]

This article is ridiculous. I agree to an extent that Benitez gets too much stick from the press as he is a good manager, but the way Arsenal and Wenger get discussed is quite frankly shocking. Does this journalist even watch football, or does he only look at the final scores..? Arsenal were all over Liverpool in the first half, just like they were all over AC Milan, who are still a great team as well (ridiculing that achievement shows real bitterniss, they were in more CL finals recently than his beloved Liverpool ffs). Arsenal have been unlucky with injuries this season (Van Persie, Eduardo) and their defense doesn't look good enough, which is something Wenger can be blamed for I guess, but this very much looks like a journalist who has been waiting for years for an opportunity to deliver his vindicative opinion on Wenger's Arsenal. It's sickening. Is this actual journalism or have you taken it from a Liverpool forum?

[Geordie Boot Boy]

"[benitez] is one of the modern game's great coaches, whose only failing in top-flight management has been an inability thus far to deliver the Premier League title to Anfield."

 

That's a pretty big failing all things considered.

[Unbelievable]

"[benitez] is one of the modern game's great coaches, whose only failing in top-flight management has been an inability thus far to deliver the Premier League title to Anfield."

 

That's a pretty big failing all things considered.

 

Not really, the competition has been quite intense these last couple of seasons and only one of the so called big 4 can win it. It´s not so much his inability to win the Premiership in my opinion, it´s the fact he hasn´t even got close. As a matter of fact, they are turning into a perrenial 4th place place team, slipping away from the big 3 and getting caught up by the likes of Everton. Have to admit he is an excellent cup manager however, going by results of course..

[Mike]

Is it really that unreasonable to put the blame for the CL loss at the feet of the referee?

[manorpark]

This article is ridiculous. I agree to an extent that Benitez gets too much stick from the press as he is a good manager, but the way Arsenal and Wenger get discussed is quite frankly shocking. Does this journalist even watch football, or does he only look at the final scores..? Arsenal were all over Liverpool in the first half, just like they were all over AC Milan, who are still a great team as well (ridiculing that achievement shows real bitterniss, they were in more CL finals recently than his beloved Liverpool ffs). Arsenal have been unlucky with injuries this season (Van Persie, Eduardo) and their defense doesn't look good enough, which is something Wenger can be blamed for I guess, but this very much looks like a journalist who has been waiting for years for an opportunity to deliver his vindicative opinion on Wenger's Arsenal. It's sickening. Is this actual journalism or have you taken it from a Liverpool forum?

 

I wonder if supporters of other clubs, having read all the (very) many recent articles criticising us in an equally ridiculous and over the top manner, have rushed to their own forums to defend us like this?

 

Also (on the question of 'Parochial Cockney National Media' which we have now, versus 'a real National Media', versus 'an Honest Media') - the first step is to get a National Media. There is more chance of some 'natural' objectivity and honesty, if we get a National Media first. What I'm saying is, one should lead to the other. 

 

However, lets get real, we have NO chance of ever getting a National Media in the UK. All the POWER is in Cockneyland.

[Sparks]

Looks more like a post that's been lifted of RAWK more than anything!

 

"and at Anfield Pepe Reina was hardly tested outside the two goals"

 

oops, just the issue of the two goals then.

[Ericz]

It is a different form of expression I would say.

 

Incidentally, I do agree with some of the points he mentioned.

 

A Question to all: Would you rather

 

( 1 ) Win a match in a boring way or

( 2 ) Lose a match in an exciting way?

 

You only got 2 choices to choose from.

 

Some people just like winning regardless of the methods used to win it. The end-product is more important than the process.

 

 

 

Regards,

Ericz

[Geordie Boot Boy]

"[benitez] is one of the modern game's great coaches, whose only failing in top-flight management has been an inability thus far to deliver the Premier League title to Anfield."

 

That's a pretty big failing all things considered.

 

Not really, the competition has been quite intense these last couple of seasons and only one of the so called big 4 can win it. It´s not so much his inability to win the Premiership in my opinion, it´s the fact he hasn´t even got close. As a matter of fact, they are turning into a perrenial 4th place place team, slipping away from the big 3 and getting caught up by the likes of Everton. Have to admit he is an excellent cup manager however, going by results of course..

 

I was taking issue with the fact that his main target, the Premiership title, is consistently out of his reach, yet it's almost an afterthought the way it's mentioned as a failing.  "One of the game's great coaches" should surely have won it by now with the resources available or at the very least he should be getting somewhere close to winning it whilst showing real signs of progression each year.  As you say, he isn't anywhere close though.  That's a pretty big failing.

[Wullie]

Wenger's been a victim of his own success this season with the flack that he's getting at the moment. At the beginning of this season, quite a few were tipping them to drop out of the top four having lost Henry and being in transition a little bit. Now he's gotten more out of those players than anyone expected but it's not quite been enough to win the Premiership or the Champions League (because that's dead easy) and it's somehow open season for everyone to have a go at him.

[Keefaz]

Well said, Mr Wull: my thoughts exactly.

[Guest Edd]

That's the most biased article I've read recently that wasn't about us.

[Dave]

Anybody having a go at Wenger's managerial abilities has a screw loose.

[Guest kingdawson]

Actually they make a very good point about Benitez being constantly criticised about resting players for European games (and it usually ends up being the right decision). Wenger more or less fucked up any chances they had of winning the league by resting those players against Liverpool last week.

 

As for the champions league tie, Wengers ridiculous decision to start Senderos at Centre back and move Toure to rb, cost them the game.

[Parky]

IMO Wenger is in a different league to Benny and always will be.

[Guest alex]

If it wasn't for that pen everyone would be going on about how good Wenger was instead of questioning his tactics and his not making a 'massive' signing in the summer (more on about the press than anything else).

 

[Pilko]

I rang Arsene last night and asked him what he thought about this article.

He said he couldn't possibly comment, because he didn't see it.

[Lotus]

I am puzzled why Wenger didn't buy another CB during the last 2 windows, actually. Senderos isn't up to it and he's had ample time to see that.

[Dave]

I rang Arsene last night and asked him what he thought about this article.

He said he couldn't possibly comment, because he didn't see it.

 

I was going to make an additional gag about you possibly being Alan Oliver, then I realised he'd be calling you.

[Rebellious]

Wenger has had some big injury problems this year aswell. Van Persie out alot and Eduardo would have come in handy against Liverpool. Also Eboue has lost it for some reason. Gilberto has been out as well as others.  Would Liverpool done as well with out an in form Torres and Kuyt ?

[NE5]

Arsene Wenger reckoned those three games with Liverpool would produce a moment of truth for his team.

 

But when the truth was delivered he tried to swat it away with a lie. An embarrassing one at that. Blaming the referee for the 4-2 Anfield defeat was a lamentable diversionary tactic. Wenger failed in Europe once again because his squad wasn't strong enough and his leadership wasn't good enough.

 

A few myths were shattered in those three meetings about a team whose free-flowing football is hailed as the best in the land. Easy on the eye it undoubtedly is. But you don't win games by adding up the passes and you don't win trophies without a killer's mentality.

 

In the two games at the Emirates, Arsenal failed to score from open play and at Anfield Pepe Reina was hardly tested outside the two goals. Over the two European ties the Gunners threw away a leading position three times. Each time, very cheaply.

Advertisement

 

Wenger has clearly needed to dip into his £60million war chest but refused to on the grounds it might upset the balance of a team of kids who were developing together. Another myth. Most aren't kids anymore. The average age of the starting line-up at Anfield was 25.

 

The Frenchman's real moment of truth will come tomorrow if he fails to beat Manchester United, meaning his trophy haul these past four years comprises one FA Cup. Benitez can match his FA Cup over the same period, throw in a European Cup and possibly add a second one next month. So how come Wenger is perceived in this country as one of the great managers of modern times yet Benitez is consistently derided?

 

The Spaniard recently masterminded wins home and away against Italian league leaders Inter Milan. Wenger beat their ageing Milan rivals (who lie 20 points behind them) in the San Siro but failed to do so at the Emirates. Yet whose achievement had English football in raptures? Wenger's of course.

 

The Arsenal boss rested five first-team regulars against Liverpool last Saturday to keep them fresh for Europe. It cost them the points which probably cost him the title but no one said a peep. When Benitez did that earlier in the season he was slaughtered for being a Tinkerman.

 

Liverpool clawed their way back into Wednesday's game via Sami Hyypia's free header at a corner, yet no one pointed out the deficiencies of Wenger's man-to-man marking system. Whenever Liverpool concede from a set-piece, Benitez is savaged for employing zonal marking.

 

Maybe it's time Benitez's legion of critics within football (and Anfield) faced their own moment of truth, and admitted he is not in his third Champions League semi-final in four years because he has pact with the devil, but because he is one of the modern game's great coaches, whose only failing in top-flight management has been an inability thus far to deliver the Premier League title to Anfield.

 

Maybe they should accept he's been up against clubs like Chelsea and United these past four seasons, with far greater resources, and recall it took Alex Ferguson seven years to win his first title.

 

Maybe, now the blood is drenching the boardroom carpets, they will realise civil war has been raging at Anfield all season, and Benitez has been caught in the middle. His mental health publicly questioned, judgments undermined, spending ridiculed and forward planning sabotaged. They even admitted to actively seeking his replacement.

 

Yet his reserve side has just walked the northern section of the Premier Reserve League league, he stands on the brink of a Champions League Final and qualification for next season's competition. I'm sure his many critics will dismiss it as a fluke. Just like his two La Liga titles and UEFA Cup wins were at Sevilla.

 

What did Gary Player once say about being lucky. The more he practised the luckier he became. In the biggest club competition in the world Rafa keeps getting plenty of practice.

 

Maybe one day he'll get lucky, unlike Wenger, and win it. Oh . . he already has.

 

I never knew Rafa was manager of Sevilla mind. 

 

interesting. Maybe Benitez can sit alongside Wenger when he's won 3 ? premiership titles [including going through one season unbeaten] and 3 or 4 FA Cups ?

 

It may be that Wengers time at Arsenal is up, but you can't dismiss what he's won for them.

 

 

[Guest kingdawson]

Wenger has had some big injury problems this year aswell. Van Persie out alot and Eduardo would have come in handy against Liverpool. Also Eboue has lost it for some reason. Gilberto has been out as well as others.  Would Liverpool done as well with out an in form Torres and Kuyt ?

 

You're comparing Arsenal's 2nd and 3rd choice strikers with Liverpool's 1st and 2nd choice, so its not exactly a fair comparison. Kuyt and Crouch would be closer to the truth...