League cup final match reaction

[IBK]

My thoughts this morning?

This manager and group of players, and the lattter's previous incarnations have pretty much destroyed any enthusiasm or passion that I have for the game. Still I bothered to watch yesterday, and what I saw simply confirmed - for the thousanth time - what we have all known for years. Whatever Wenger's achievements - now well over a decade ago - let's all be honest, are ancient history. Since we moved to the Emirates, supporting Arsenal has been, overall, various degrees of disappointment and abject misery. We talk about Wenger tarnishing his legacy. What a joke. It was tarnished years ago, when he lost his drive; innovation; commitment and ability to be the best.

His players are a direct reflection of the manager. I can honestly say that I have no love or respect for any of them. not a single one. There is no one who has any passion for the club or commitment to the cause, and this has transmitted directly to the supporters. Yesterday encapsulated the feeling that we are left with. Embarassment at being aan Arsenal fan. I don't give a shit about relative league positions. What the fans of Huddersfield; Southampton; Swansea have is en element of player and manager responsibility and engagement that can still be discerned from time to time - nothwithstanding the overall strength of their teams. We don't - and we haven't had this for years. I don't blame Wenger for not winning the league since 2004. I don't blame him for lack of European success or dispute that the FA Cups have provided momentary relief from the gloom. What I blame him for is leeching the joy out of being a Gooner and taking away something that used to mean so much to me. I resent the fact that for years I have had to be apologetic about being an Arsenal fan.

Back when I used to post regularly on here - perhaps 7 or 8 years ago - I remember asking whether this was it. Whether the 'glory days' of being a big, significant club were over an whether we would look back on the early 00's in the way fans of once big, but now mediocre teams regard their heyday. Seeing our ignominious decline gathering increasing momentum, and knowing what the ownership structure of our club is, it is very, very difficuult today to have any faith that we will ever again be what we were.

Sorry for what may be regarded as over the top pessimism, but this is what Wenger and his bunch of closeted and over-indulged muppets have left me.

[Letters]

This is it though. All that has happened. I didn’t even bother watching the cup final. A fucking cup final! And i couldn’t be arsed.

A mate (Adzz as) it happens) went. And before the match, instead of being jealous, I slagged him off for going. How fucked up is that?

It was Sunday afternoon, I had nothing at all to do so instead of watching a cup final that the team I have supported for over 40 years was in, I had a nap.

A nap instead of a cup final.

Adzz texted me after. Didn't know he was there before that, hadn't heard from him in a long time.
He was fuming. I, like you, didn't bother watching. Well, I did find a stream for a few minutes, it was just when it went from 1-0 to 2-0, soon as that happened I switched off again.
There is something in what N_Q says, but you feel how you feel and, honestly, I don't care we lost yesterday. I mean, obviously I'd rather we'd won and there is a pang of irritation that EVERY SINGLE RESULT went the wrong way at the weekend. But, basically: Meh. It's not going to spoil my week.
This is not all Wenger's fault. That really isn't me being an apologist for him, he has played his part. But there are bigger things going on in football - Sky hyping everything to ridiculous levels, the billionaires buying up trophies left, right and centre, the clear corruption going on at all levels, the obscene money being paid to all and sundry which leads to players being multi-millionaire mercenaries.
I watched "89" recently, was good to see that long being interviewed about that game and to wallow in some nostalgia.
It was different back then. I really don't think that is looking back with rose-tinted specs, it really was. Players played for the shirt, they were often local lads who understood what a North London Derby meant, understood what it meant to play for The Arsenal. This lot? We're a stepping stone. The nest big offer comes along they'll be off. Wilshere maybe "gets it", I don't think anyone else does.
It is hard to be interested in all this.

The only good thing which can come out of his apathy is fewer people going to games, revenues going down and maybe that will lead to change, but the rest of the circus which surrounds football will persist and it is increasingly difficult to care about any of it. Sad really.

[Gooner23]

Do not underestimate his stubbornness though. I can't see him leaving of his own free will.

Wenger needs to go without doubt. However we really have some dross in this squad that need to follow him out the door. The likes of Ospina, Mustafi and Xhaka are just dreadful players and will never be good enough. Some of the youngsters I would like to see given a second chance under a new manager. Its going to be a major rebuilding job.

[Mac76]

We won't even score against them, let alone beat them. Last 16 is our level and has been for some time.

except this is last 16 of the lower european league - so even worse

[Mac76]

I watched "89" recently, was good to see that long being interviewed about that game and to wallow in some nostalgia.
It was different back then. I really don't think that is looking back with rose-tinted specs, it really was. Players played for the shirt, they were often local lads who understood what a North London Derby meant, understood what it meant to play for The Arsenal. This lot? We're a stepping stone. The nest big offer comes along they'll be off. Wilshere maybe "gets it", I don't think anyone else does.
.

we need this kid...

[HCZ]

It’s been ten years since Wenger has been an effective manager

But I find it’s only in the last two years or so that we are consistently more shit than we are decent

Arsenal would always disappoint you because of mental weakness, defensive errors etc

But the games used to be watchable at least in the main. Last two years I can think of half a dozen games I actually enjoyed watching.

Yesterday wasn’t bad because we lost to city, it was bad because City didn’t really turn up and yet won with absolute ease.

What is Mustafi doing for the first goal, he knows he’s fucked up so instead of trying to make up for it he just stands there and pretends he was fouled.

City in getting to the final were taken to penalties twice and against Bristol City had to score in injury time to win both matches. Neville bemoaned our midfielders walking, City weren’t much better because they didn’t have to be.

We’ve lost 12 games this season, how many of those games would we have avoided defeat with a different manager. Hard to say, certainly not all of them but I think at least we might have gone down fighting in most.

[Niall_Quinn]

Apparently Bellerin is a vegan.

Explains a lot tbh.

He likes to eat nuts.

[Niall_Quinn]

the last time i saw any emotion from him was when we won the FA Cup Semie final against Citeh last year - he jumped up for joy and you just KNEW it wasn't to do with the club, he was thinking "that's it, i've beaten Man City and got us to the final and that's enough to have my contract renewed"

Why didn't he take that gift and bow out? What a vain, arrogant, self absorbed fool.

[Marc Overmars]

It’s been ten years since Wenger has been an effective manager

But I find it’s only in the last two years or so that we are consistently more shit than we are decent
.

Be careful what you wish for was the mantra back then. While comfortably being in the top 4, we showed absolutely no signs of improvement. We fucked around for so long, now we’re out in the wilderness because the others caught up and are now well over the horizon.

We’ve paid the price in full for being so accepting of a manager who showed clear signs of not being able to compete in this era. Sentiment outweighed performance for too long.

[Niall_Quinn]

There's only one slight hope of rescuing something from this season. Wenger has to be sacked TODAY. That would give a new caretaker manager, Bould even, a remote, distant, vanishingly small chance of getting this squad prepared for the Milan match. And a result there could fire up some momentum that could carry us through to the end of the season. It's a tiny, tiny opportunity and the only one left. Nothing else bar sacking the manager TODAY could possibly have any bearing on the remainder of this awful season.

But such an option is not even flickering on long distance radar. No such thoughts will have entered the heads of those who claim to be in charge at this club. It's assumed, it's a given, some sort of fucked up, unimpeachable truth that's unique to Arsenal Football Club. The manager and his contract, chiselled into stone, endorsed by God himself and delivered from the mountain. Impossible to resist. Wenger and his fucking contract. That's ALL this club has been about for years now. Even he admits it, without a trace of shame. That stupid grin, will he be here, we will see. NO - just FUCK OFF! Fuck off, here's another 10 million quid for your pile - just fuck off!

What is the matter with the people running and ruining this club? We're like a shop that doesn't open, a train that never runs, a power station that's forever dormant. Everything is in place to mount a serious challenge, the money, the facilities, a squad of international players, the remains of a reputation, a fan base that has proved it will endure everlasting torture and still dig in pockets. What the bloody hell? What kind of a "business" is this? Funny business at best, some sort of self interested operation running under the cover of a football club. What the fuck is going on? How can a club of our supposed stature get to a state where the squad can't be motivated to turn up for a cup final? And in what fantasy land do we seriously think it will be any different in the Europa cup, that we'll somehow overcome the serious teams that lie in wait in that competition? The Europa is just one more thing that maybe, perhaps, might, could have, should have, will never in a million fucking years happen. It's pure fantasy, wishful thinking of the most extreme kind. We have zero chance of winning it with this lunatic in charge. And if the powers that be can't see this then they must be fucking crazy too.

Why hasn't he announced he's leaving? Why haven't they demanded he go? What possible reason could there be for him to stay now? We're 6th, 27 points behind the leaders and 8 points (might as well be 80 the way we're playing) behind a badly misfiring bunch of chavs. If the league was any good we'd have stronger challengers than Burnley biting at our heels. It's only because this league is mostly shit that we can hang on to that 6th place. Down is where we're heading, not up.

And yet, he has this contract. The holy contract. So despite the hopelessness of it all and the now extreme damage that is being inflicted, he stays. Regardless of results, regardless of performance, regardless of his unwillingness to change or do anything different. Two 50 million quid strikers thrown at him and he still doesn't have a clue. Tip tap, tip tap, as well you know, one day we will be Barcelona. 10 years later, tip, tap, tip tap. Any day now. Fucking lunatic.

WTF? What is this all about? What's going on?