Morning:
8°c
The hardy perennial rumour about Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal has been enjoying its yearly run out. This time it concerns Real Madrid, where Juande Ramos is widely regarded as a glorified seat warmer for a more illustrious coach than himself.
Although the calm assurance of the denials, from Wenger himself and chairman Denis Hill-Wood, suggests there is nothing more than usual to the gossip, suspicion intensifies all the time that a clean break might be best for all concerned.
All the smarter Arsenal fans of my acquaintance now regard Wenger a little like the British people viewed Churchill in the mid-1950s. They revere him enormously for past achievements, but are increasingly dubious that he is the right guy to lead them into the future. Put more bluntly, they think he's lost the plot.
Little they saw at Ninian Park yesterday will have reassured them. Facing a tricky tie in the one competition Arsenal have a realistic shot at winning, Wenger had two clear options.
He could have selected a full-strength side to dispatch Cardiff City without fuss, or sent out the kindergarten kids, League Cup style, in the expectation of painless defeat to clear the fixture list with larger matters in mind.
In the event he fudged it and did neither, fielding a hybrid team of first choices and afterthoughts, and ending up with the result he wanted least . . . the draw that lumbers him with a replay at the Emirates just when he needs to concentrate on the return of the Champions League.
As scoreless draws go, this FA Cup tie was among the more throbbingly appealing. It followed the familiar pattern of such catchweight contests almost to the letter, with the underdogs roused by a raucous home crowd to dominate early on but fading once their inferior conditioning became an issue after half time.
Ordinarily, though, the lower division team that squanders as many decent chances as Cardiff did in the opening 20 minutes, when they made Arsenal look sluggish and inadequate, will be spanked for the profligacy.
With Aaron Ramsay understandably subdued by an opinionated reception on his return to his home-town club, and with Emmanuel Adebayor in wasteful mood himself once Wenger had sent him on in the vain hope of avoiding that replay, the toothlessness that has defined Arsenal of late was on full display again.
There was a time, not so long ago, when any side put out by Wenger, even one dominated by people yet to lose their milk teeth, would have swatted aside opposition of this calibre - spirited and able but hardly electrifying - with insouciant ease.
But that age has passed, and with the notable exception of Robin van Persie, whose pace and creativity caught the eye throughout, any gulf in quality was difficult to discern. The swagger has deserted Arsenal, whose respectable recent form is built on an admirably nostalgic but charmless run of low scoring wins, and there were no persuasive signs yesterday that it is about to return.
Wenger was gracious and civilised after the game, greeting Cardiff's Dave Jones with warmth and claiming he was happy to accept a rematch "if that's the price we have to pay to be in the hat".
He was lying, of course, in deference to a competition to which lip service must still be paid regardless of its denuded status as consolation prize to the mightier of our clubs. The fiction that the Cup remains the incomparable prize it was, and all the mythologizing about such precedents as the 1927 final in which Cardiff beat Arsenal thanks to reportedly the worst goalkeeping howler in Wembley history, must be indulged.
For all that, with 15 minutes remaining Wenger must have been praying for Lukasz Fabianski to replicate Dan Lewis's nightmare from 82 years ago by elbowing the ball into the Arsenal net. At that point, indeed, given the choice between a replay and a full rectal examination by a sadistic medical practitioner, he'd have considered his options for as long as 0.007 seconds before offering a cheery: "Snap on the latex gloves, Nurse Ratched, if you please."
The probe Cardiff City will offer Arsenal at the Emirates next week probably won't be as searching or painful, but it will be an energy-sapping distraction from grander matters.
It could have been avoided had he picked a side to win the game or to lose it, and you have to believe that the unquestioned genius of a few years ago would shown more clarity of thought than a man who begins to look slightly befuddled and in urgent need of the rejuvenation only a fresh challenge can provide.
Reader views (16)
As much as Wenger may appear jaded and Arsenal in crisis (5th in league, still in FA cup and CL.....mmmm crisis indeed) why not ask more pertinent questions such as...
Where are Spurs getting their money from?
How much more can they spend to be a mid-table team?
Who are the biggest mugs - Arsenal for sticking with Wenger or Spurs for believing they are a 'big' club capable of finishing 4th in the PL..............let's think about that one for a mo'!!
- Tony C, London, UK, 30/01/2009 12:59
Report abuse
Pathetic comments by "hopeful" Spurs fans again. Last year Wenger said in 3 years we'll be ready for the title. Last year he almost pulled it off ahead of schedule.
All Arsenal fans wouldn't change him for the World even if we are going through a 10 game "sticky" unbeaten run. Changing Managers every 10 months has never worked for Spurs so why would it work for a big club?
- John Livermore, Rotherhithe, London, 28/01/2009 10:26
Report abuse
I totally agree with you Mathew, After watching the game against Cardiff I couldn't believe that Arsenal couldn't finish them off in the final twenty minutes. The Cardiff players were completely out on their feet at that time and what did we get, Bentdner who it seems can't hit a barn door and the ungainly Adebayor missing a sitter from five yard out.Not forgetting the fact that Cardiff could have been two or three goals up at half time. Unless things get better sooner rather than later Wenger will be managing on borrowed time.
- James Hennessy, london england, 27/01/2009 16:53
Report abuse
Keeping Mr Wenger in charge almost certainly guarantees a continued decline at Arsenal – the last thing we want is for them to switch managers now, halt the decline and scrape into 4th spot! With AW in charge, I think Arsenal are going to be lucky to qualify for the UEFA cup – oddly enough, they might get in because of our forthcoming victory in the Carling Cup, which would be a bit annoying. Then again, Wenger doesn’t even know the way to Wembley!
- St, London, 27/01/2009 13:36
Report abuse
I stumbled on this article quite by accident as I haven't read The Standard since I left London nearly forty years ago and I have never previously heard of Matthew Norman. To say that Wenger should move on is ludicrous as he is in the process of building yet another great side which will certainly challenge for top honours next season.
- John, Hevingham UK, 27/01/2009 13:25
Report abuse
Matthew. I suppose it is your job to entertain the masses with your thoughts but if one was to apply your logic to most other teams throughout the devisions then it would make sad reading indeed. Would you be writing about their demise because they were are not in the top four or heaven forbid they were going through a rough patch. The cyclic nature of football is exactly what makes it so interesting. I am 50 and I have lived through periods in Arsenal's history when they were not one of the top four but more a mid table team with occasional good cup runs etc. I have also witnessed Man Utd go down from the top flight to the 2nd devision in 74-75. When Arsenal and Man U were going through these phases, was this the end for either club. Well obviously NO!
- Ian Dudzinski, London. England, 27/01/2009 12:18
Report abuse
Well twelve months ago before the horror injury to Edruardo this Arsenal side were top of the league and looking strong to win the title. Five draws later and the young squad still trying to recover from there dear friends near career ending tackle the side buckled and fell. I think it is a silly thing to say Wenger should consider moving on. A little rub of the green in the right places and this Arsenal side will be back where they belong.
- Jonathan Young, Aylesbury, 27/01/2009 11:57
Report abuse
For what it's worth, every Arsenal fan I know thinks it is totally ridiculous that some 'fans' think he should go. I suppose that's what you get from a generation of supporters who are used to top two finishes, doubles and unbeaten seasons. Youngsters who didn't see the dross that many Arsenal supporters suffered for many a year. If anything Wenger is a victim of his own success. Still, why let facts and objectivity get in the way of good, old-fashioned tribalism?
I still cannot think of anybody who could do a better job and who would be a realistic target for Arsenal.
- Sniffer, South Asia, 27/01/2009 07:14
Report abuse
So if the FA cup is our only real hope of silverware this season, why would Wenger have preferred us to have lost on Sunday and gone out of the tournament?
Presumably you think that we don't have a realistic chance of winning the Champions League. Well in that case a replay at home to Cardiff will not make a big difference in the grand scheme of things.
- Thomas Leveson Gower, Woking, Surrey, 26/01/2009 21:42
Report abuse
Dream on Matthew Norman. A Spurs fan suggesting it is better for Arsenal if Wenger leaves. It ain't going to happen mate.
Wenger will keep going and build his fourth great team. In the meantime Spurs will keep buying and selling the same players and every August they'll tell us this is the year they'll make fourth place.
- Ian T, Brighton, 26/01/2009 15:05
Report abuse
Mr Norman - it is YOU who is jaded not Arsene Wenger.
- Sandra White, London, 26/01/2009 15:00
Report abuse
Song and Eboue are simply not good enough, in fact song makes gus ceaser look good
- Nick ,, weybridge, 26/01/2009 14:55
Report abuse
if arsenal wins 5-0 you guys complain that we can not win the close ones. yet when we grind out hard fought 1-0 wins you guys complain that we a have no flair. a win is a win, and i know we did not win yesterday but this team has not lost for 8 matches and on a descent run of form. at least wait till we lose games to start the banter. I am more than confident we will dispatch of them on our own pitch with a squad of similar calibre. have some faith boys still alive in 3 competitions and have a good chance to possibly win 2. Gooner for Life
- Ebuisness, england, 26/01/2009 13:13
Report abuse
A stadium we never asked for, filled up with corporate clones, and sapping our ability to compete when we were told it would created fopr this very reason?
A state of the art training ground filled with the mediocrity of the likes of Diaby - Eboue - Song - Denilson - Bendnter - etc etc?
A famed youth system that actually is 95% of stolen prodigys from other clubs? Wilshire the exception, NOT the rule.
The fact is those things are a Managing Directors role, and the results of the team have suffered as Wenger has been given free reign to create the club in his image.
Every year the squad gets weaker - players leave - and we know who those likely to this year are.
Wenger consider himself above the fans, above the club and even above the game with his "Wengerball" philosophies.
The problem is he has been breeding sheep at the Emirates and the baa-ing is ringing loudly even now.
- Chris, London, 26/01/2009 13:08
Report abuse
blah, blah, blah...
being a die hard Gooner, I must admit there is little cause for optimism this season, but calling for AW's head is plain ridiculous...
coming from Spurs supporter this sounds a bit like sour grapes.
- Suga3, Maidstone, UK, 26/01/2009 13:03
Report abuse
"All the smarter Arsenal fans of my acquaintance".
Really?? You would regard these acquaintances as "smart" presumably because they share your opinion? I would assume that you were one of the "experts" calling for Ferguson to resign 3-4 years ago?
State of the art training facilities, a youth and recruitment policy second to none, the best stadium in the country and a continued presence amongst the top four (which shall continue this year and beyond). A squad built on a practically non-existent transfer budget yet still a quantam leap infront of our neighbours down The Seven Sisters Road who are seemingly operating on a completely different level financially.
- Chippy, London England, 26/01/2009 11:53
Report abuse
