Originally Posted by
Ice Berg Kamping
Sensible stuff. People can talk about us being fickle if we are now in two minds about wenger after 5 games, but its simple really - the manner in which the team has played, and the spirit that they have shown demonstrates that the manager has not lost his players, and that Wenger has not forgotten how to make a team tick.
People grumble about CL football being regarded as an achievement - but we have to look at our current league position in context. It is almost impossible to compete with Citeh's wealth - the fact that Manure have been able to do so is a testament to the talent of the best British manager the country has ever seen - and even Manure are considerably better resourced than we are. Behind them - well we are just a point behind the team that have been the media's darlings all season, and who have repeatedly been described as having a far better/deeper squad than we have. Not bad going for what has been our worst season in recent years. Behind us are the Chavs - who have shown precisely what can happen when you decide a change of manager is the solution to underperformance...and look at Liverpool who appointed a club legend as manager, have spent shit-loads and may well not be playing European football at all next season.
We have to accept that the league is ever more competetive. If a new manager were to come in and finish 3rd or 4th any sensible fan would regard that as a decent achievement.
Also, we have to look at other factors. People bemoan our lack of consistency, pointing out that we have had good runs before and then the wheels have come off. Well, they have never come off sufficiently for us to lose a European place. Unlike Spurs. Unlike Liverpool. Unlike possibly the Chavs this season. We do need to keep things in context.
Then look at what we have had to contend with this season. Our captain and best player, and another 2 important players leaving over the Summer, in very disruptive circumstances. Even Citeh would have struggled if they had lost Ya Ya Toure and Silva. What if Manure had lost Rooney and Valencia? Even with resources, your best players are difficult to replace, and them leaving will disrupt/weaken a team - at least temporarily. And thats before we even get to our season-long injury crisis. We have lost arguably our best midfielder for the entire season, and played half the season without a left back. Its no coincidence that our team looks far more balanced and far more threatening with Gibbs and Sagna back.
We rightly criticise the manager's decision making - and we had a miserable Summer, and have suffered from Wenger's stubbornness in not ringing in proper cover - particularly up front (although that particular gamble has worked so far). But lets in fairness look at the things he has got right. We criticise his perserverance with the likes of Ramsey, Djourou, Walcott - but he perservered also with RVP and Rosicky through years of injury. He seems to have bought duds in Chamakh; Park but Koscielny; Oxlade; Arteta; Mertesacker have all been shrewd signings. Jenkinson and Santos both showed glimpses of potential before their respective long term injuries. For a last minute panic mass buy - last Summer's signings, while disruptive in the short term, may well largely prove to be suceessful ones. It is not an easy thing to pull off mass successful signings.
Wenger still has much to prove - for the rest of the season and over the Summer - but where we are now, as opposed to a month ago, is that there is reason to hope that he can get it right.