I have to admit I have never seen an Arsenal team concede eight goals.
In fact you have to go back to the 1880’s for a record of the Gunners conceding eight goals in a top flight game.
So to say their 8-2 defeat Manchester United yesterday was a surprise would be an understatement.
Weak
The Arsenal team that took to the pitch against Manchester United was undeniably weaker than the usual eleven put out by the Gunners. However no matter what team Arsene Wenger puts out in a Gunners shirt you couldn’t have imagined a result like yesterdays.
Far smaller clubs will go to Old Trafford and come away with less harsh results. They will go to Old Trafford to defend for their lives and I doubt that United will score eight again in the Premier League this season.
I’m not taking anything away from Manchester United, they were absolutely outstanding. However Arsenal gave them far too much space to knock the ball around for fun.
Leadership
The Gunners looked like they badly lacked leadership. This is nothing new but somebody usually tries to galvanise the team on the pitch. Yesterday there was nobody on the field trying to rally the side when things were going badly.
Nobody wanted to take responsibility for the ball and even the experienced players on the pitch just looked like they were lying down and accepting a bad beating.
Sympathy
I have to admit I started feel sympathy for young keeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Carl Jenkinson. Young keeper Szczesny couldn’t really do much about any of the goals and it’s odd to say but he didn’t have a terrible game.
Young defender Jenkinson only started playing league football in January and all of a sudden he is playing in the Arsenal first team appearing at Old Trafford. The youngster currently looks out of his depth.
He tried his hardest and even created a goal. He was however, badly let down by the more experienced defenders around him, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou. Jenkinson picked up his second yellow because he was trying to tidying up his centre-backs mess.
Djourou and Koscielny quite frankly didn’t even look like they were Premier League defenders yesterday. Unfortunately Arsenal are that short of players that the Gunners are forced to play the pair.
Confidence
Confidence is low amongst even the few experienced players still left at the club. They really do need to find a way to regain that shattered confidence. However there is no magic formula to restore that confidence.
One of the only ways to restore confidence is if results improve. Arsenal’s results won’t improve while the confidence is so low at the club though. The Gunners are stuck in a catch 22 at the moment.
Boss
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger seems to be being criticised by every section of the media. The cracks are starting to show in a man who has previously not shown the pressure telling on him. Wenger is now paying for his stubbornness.
Wenger has failed to strengthen his squad this summer and has lost key players as well. This has left his squad paper thin and means youngsters have to be thrown in when they are not really ready.
Signings
Even with the injured and suspended players coming back Arsenal’s squad simply isn’t good enough for the top four of the Premier League. Arsenal definitely need to strengthen their squad but have left it late.
This is down to Wenger wanting to get value for money. That simply doesn’t exist in today’s transfer market. Wenger has to bite the bullet and spend over the odds to buy the players needed to improve the squad.
The worrying thing for Arsenal fans is that Wenger is unlikely to change his ways now. That could mean the Gunners drop out of the top four and struggle in the Premier League.
Time
One good thing for Arsenal is that there is now an international break. The break will mean some rest bite from the spotlight for Wenger and his under pressure players. This time will be crucial for Wenger and his players to regroup. Arsenal will recover from this blow. However without key additions Arsenal fans may be in for a hard time in the coming months.
Is it time that Arsene Wenger left Arsenal?
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