Saturday 17 September 2011

The Great Sack Race!


Wenger, Keen or McClaren, who will be first for the tin tack? We all know at West Ham how leaving a failing manager in charge for too long can do catastrophic damage - look at Zola - but it does seem remarkably early for supporters to be hitting the panic buttons.

Incredibly, Arsenal fans are using the relegation word. Despite Van Persie, Metzlesacker, Walcott, Ramsey, Song and company, the Gooners appear to think that relegation is a possibility. That seems like an absurd over reaction to me but realistically Champions League qualification is looking like a massive challenge already. Indeed, Arsenal fans should probably pray for a Tottenham victory over Liverpool tomorrow as the Reds seem better equipped for a sustained challenge for a top 4 place than 'Arry's mob.

But irrespective of all that, Wenger's bolt is increasingly looking shot. His dilly dallying in the transfer market, even when it was obvious that he was losing Nasri and Fabregas, was absurd. Arsenal weren't good enough last season so how, exactly, did he expect them to cope without two of their best players? When the signings belatedly came, they were second rate. Arteta is good but he is a poor man's Fabregas and Benayoun is not in the same league as Nasri. Metzelsacker is a reasonably good defender but he is not out of the top drawer and the new left back is certainly no world beater. Whisper it quietly but little old Stoke City have a better balanced - though less technically proficient - squad.

Does Wenger deserve to be sacked after all he has done for Arsenal? Well the brutal truth is that he has presided over a demise and whilst he can hardly be blamed for billionaires pumping money into Chelsea and Unreal City, he has displayed absurd stubbornness over the last three years, refusing to admit what was obvious to everybody else. In fact, since the departure of Henry, Wenger hasn't really had an answer to the big question of how Arsenal can succeed rather than simply sit at the top table. But will sacking Wenger change anything? How can it? Who would Arsenal appoint? O'Neill? Is he the right man to manage the egos at Arsenal? Moyes? Where is the evidence that he can win anything? George Graham? Tony Pulis? Sam Allardyce?

As for Keen, you have to feel for the guy. No matter what he does, a section of the Blackburn crowd will hate him. Despite today's victory, there are still Blackburn fans calling for his head. That's rough. Even Avram would have enjoyed a weekend of praise had we rammed four up the Arse!

And meanwhile, down in the Championship, nobody's friend Steve McLaren can't see the wood for the Forest. Defeat at home to 10 man Derby may be enough to see him jettisoned. And would anybody feel any sympathy for him? Not in a million years!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Last time we had a winner at Millwall was with Paul Ince some 23 years ago.

Anonymous said...

Bigger tits next time

Hammersfan said...

I would be happy to offer my sack to any of them personally.

Anonymous said...

Cactus

Deane said...

Amazing how the press are hounding Arsene while he trys to keep football real in this money orientated world His footballing philosphy obviously doesn't suit sky's demands. They could ruin a true football man. Sep Guardiola would never have made it in England just like they ruined a great talent in Joe Cole by insisting he had to be stronger fitter less flair more power even Messi would be at Bognor Regis Town now had he been at an English academy