Sorry Sorry Arsenal. Should Wenger go?

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Green Room. Despite the title of this week’s offering we’ll be covering two topics. Firstly, and unsurprisingly, the (once mighty) Arsenal, who have taken shooting themselves in the foot to new levels. Secondly we have a brief word about Liverpool FC’s favourite plank, Nathan Eccleston. Who’s speciality is putting his foot in his mouth.

So, what can I say? Arsenal score five goals in a game and still ended up losing 4-3. Unbelievable! I think it goes without saying that Arsene Wenger is hanging on by a thread to his near 15 year tenure at Arsenal. How ironic would it be if what transpired to be Wenger’s last game as Arsenal manager was a 4-3 loss to the team that he defeated in his first match as Arsenal manager back in 1996?

As things stand, Wenger may well be the winner of the sack race this year. I believe that should they fall into the bottom three, then his stay in North London may well come to an end. I do find it had to believe though, that Arsenal would sack their astute and learned manager. Having said that, stranger things have happened.

What I’m about to say is something that’s been said more times than “Hello”. Or “Good morning” perhaps. Wenger must abandon his policy of youth. It worked for Sir Alex Ferguson because his youngsters were brought up on the rough and tumble that is English football and no adaptation is needed. Wenger’s youngsters have always been very hit and miss. Either they excel and set the world alight or they get their heads turned by a major club in their homeland. On one hand we have the likes of Manu Petit and Patrick Viera, more recently Robin Van Persie, who settled in relatively quickly and were immense.

On the other we have those who show some promise and when they’re beginning to reach their peak, they’re off. Step forward Jose Antonio Reyes, and when you do, make a space for Cesc Fabregas. Fabegas you could argue was a good servant for Wenger, but then I can’t help hearing the words of Randy Van Warmer’s 70’s classic “You left me (just when I needed you most)”. You Tube it. Wenger is in danger of becoming the next Ozzie “I’ll stick to my principles” Ardiles, and promptly being sacked whilst rock bottom of the league.

A quick look at the team sheet shows me only two players who I’d consider ready or experienced enough for premiership football. The aforementioned Van Persie, and of course the seasoned Mikel Arteta. That’s it. The rest are either new buys, or not up to the task. Arshavin? Song? Gervinho? I don’t think they’ll be making any Premiership opposition fret too much this season. Wenger needs to get real and get some more steel and experience. Rein in the indulgence in the young and untried. If not, I fear Wenger may well fall on his own sword.

So, to close today, I’d just like to comment on something that’s taken a lot of headlines this week from various bloggers and writers, myself included. Young Nathan Eccleston at Liverpool’s Twitter comments about the perpetrators of the 9/11 incident in the US. Eccleston has been slated in some quarters for voicing an opinion which, to be fair has gained some momentum over the last couple of years. Yes, the old chestnut about conspiracy. My take on this is that Liverpool should be proud that they actually have a player with an opinion about something other than the beautiful game. Perhaps mis-timed  though. I would say in Eccleston’s defense that he did not in any way condone or excuse the incident. He merely expressed a increasingly popular opinion. I applaud the lad, although I would advise to Eccleston: Stick to trying to break into the Liverpool first team, and not onto the front pages of the tabloids.

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