If the reports are true about Alexis Sanchez and his attitude being the reason that he was left on the bench when Arsenal faced Liverpool away on Saturday then I think we have to have some sympathy with the manager, even though at the time it seemed to be a crazy move and it certainly did not help our chances of coming away from Anfield with anything other than a defeat.
The suggestion by John Cross in The Mirror is that the Chilean striker has become increasingly difficult to work with of late and is almost like a spoiled and sulky child at times, so the question now is where do Arsenal go from here?
We still have some important work to do before the end of the season and even if the Frenchman is planning to leave he will want to ensure that he does so on some sort of a high, perhaps with an FA cup to celebrate but if not then at least with our usual place in the Champions League.
But if Sanchez is being awkward and it is affecting the whole squad then it is vital that the rest of the Arsenal players step up to help out the boss and allow him to be has hard on the striker as he deems necessary. The last thing we need is for Wenger to have to play Alexis against his better judgment but if the likes of Giroud, Walcott, Welbeck and Ozil are not doing the business on the pitch the need for a result may force the manager’s hand.
Next up for Arsenal is the FA cup clash with non league Lincoln City and that should allow Wenger to leave Alexis out. After that will the rest of the Arsenal squad help Wenger to manage Alexis and prove that the team is strong enough to do without him?
Bob.
We talk about no player being bigger than the club but in this situation we really should be doing what we can to keep Alexis. I am holding on to my last hopes that we can tie him down with a new contract, because the rest of the team is simply not good enough/lack the passion required to play (and win) at the very top level. Losing Alexis means we will be left with no world-class players (Ozil’s form is honestly too sporadic to be considered on the same level). We are risking being stuck in a position where it will be difficult to bring in a replacement anywhere near as good as Alexis, and they will definitely cost a lot. The question of whether they would want to come is also a problem, as well as availability.
If we are forced to settle for some Wenger type replacements, then we will probably again struggle for a top 4 finish. At some point, you have to ask how many more years of the same style are we going to have? That is if we manage a top 4 finish in this season, which is looking less and less likely.
alexi forcing the issue, its done…. just like RvP, Nasri, Cesc, decision is made by the player, max out the cash, buy another… we are in trouble because our manager can not create an atmosphere that great players want to play, he is cheap, and living in the past, weak,
Next up for Arsenal is B.Munich ? and not Lincoln City.
There is too much pressure and tension surrounding Arsenal, something has to give.
If Wenger truly loves Arsenal, he should announce asap that he is retiring at the end of the season. That is the only way the players and fans will unite for a strong finish.
Sanchez and Wenger were pictured shaking hands at the training ground today, which indicated that there was truth in the early reports of some kind of bust up, last week and that being the real reason for Wenger dropping Sanchez to the bench and I must say that was some lame punishment considering it only lasted 45 minutes.
And Arsenal being Arsenal made sure that these handshake photos got out today ( to show that’s alls well) after the truth got leaked out by anonymous player, after the Liverpool game.
Some reports have suggested that Arsenal’s PR are just trying to push the blame on Sanchez and are trying to make him look like the bad guy and as per usual we won’t know exactly what happened but it’s safe to assume that something did occur, especially when you look at Sanchez’s cryptic message on social media which he posted earlier on today.
alexis_officia1Un verdadero guerrero no lucha por odio a los que tiene enfrente.
Si no por AMOR a los que tiene detrás ⚪️? let ‘s go Gunners . “el único fracaso es no intentarlo. ” ⚽️ The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him. ?⚪️ Let ‘ go Gunners.
” The only failure is not trying.” ?
The above statement says it all.?
I have absolutely no doubt that Arsenal PR will try to push everything on Sanchez. Just like Wenger decision to make a half a$$ed point by benching Sanchez, I do hope this PR spin will backfire.
Here’s the rub – nothing seems to inspire this group of players. Ozil and Bellerin come out and say their futures at least in part tied to Wenger and yet then play like pants. Sanchez reportedly rips a strip out of his teammates and they mail it in against Liverpool. For whatever reason, this group of players in unmotivatable. When that happens, there is only one place to look.
Another stupid article. It’s past time that there is a question of anyone proving Arsene the dope right about anything. The only thing Arsene can now do ‘right’ is resign, ASAP.
I find it hilarious when players come out and back Wenger, yet you never see them busting a gut on the pitch for their beloved manager lol ?
That just about sums up those all talk and no action muppets donning the badge for nothing but a paycheque.
And what with the latest issues at the club, we can now clearly see what Sanchez’s beef with his teammates was all about.
“The only failure is not trying” Sanchez’s words should be written somewhere In the tunnel at the Emirates, so that the ??? can see it on their way out onto the pitch.
100% correct. Mertesacker backs manager but what does he do on the pitch? He becomes as thin as possible when trying to block shots. I knew it would be him that went to the press conference with Wenger today.
What I can’t understand (and never mentioned) is why Sanchez was only signed under a 4 year contract, 5 years should have been the bare minimum with the club having a further 1 year option to take up!! If I remember correctly Ozil was signed for 5 years the summer before, why the difference for these two massive marquee signings?
Wenger says Alexis future at Arsenal depends only on Arsenal FC yet Sanchez is pushing for an exit. This was visible at the end of last season and I think Sanchez already made his mind up last summer. Anyway, I do hope two things will happen: a new manager will be announced in April. I know that’s a long shot and that Wenger will fight tooth an nail to be here but one can at least hope. I do want a manager which is dedicated to the team only, no transfers, finance bla bla. He just announce what he wants and the DoF takes care of it. Next thing to happen will be to put some order in the team, offer contracts to the ones deserving and which will commit. I already see a lot of players leaving or being shown the door. And yes, offering Alexis a 250k salary is way cheaper than looking for a replacement costing us 70 million and paying him 200k. For once in your life Gazidis, do the right thing. Or get the fsck out. In fact, just get the fsck off.
Good comments Budd.
Ot did anyone see Mertesacker laugh when questioned about Wenger in the press conference?
I think he misunderstood the question or just couldn’t believe it had been asked but talk about awkward!
I don’t care what Alexis does off the field as long as he performs well on the field
And he is the most consistent top performer we have. The hardest worker too and professional too. Even on holiday he works his but off with training
Even if he had a meltdown off the pitch, he came on against Liverpool, set up Welbeck and was MOTM
It was madness to leave him off the starting team.
Wenger out please, for the love of God, please
He has been far from professional this season…
Leading in everything, top scoring, hard working, motivating his teammates to press opposition, creating goal scoring opportunities for teammates, are you drunk? What have the rest of the players been doing? No wonder Chile says he plays alone
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke’s son Josh wants Thierry Henry to replace Arsene Wenger at the helm.
According to the Telegraph, Josh Kroenke is reportedly eyeing Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to take over the reins from current manager Arsene Wenger should the Frenchman leave the club at the end of the season.
Apparently, Henry will have all his coaching certificates/Badges in time for the 2017/2018 season.
Who knows, maybe daddy Will give his son a new toy to play with.?
I’d rather have Bould than Henry as a coach. I don’t understand from where this obsession with ex players to put in a shift for the club they were playing for when their manager experience delivered squat so far.
This manager has been playing Iwobi the whole season. On the bench we have a seasoned player in Perez, who has the quality to create and score. Iwobi is clueless especially when it comes to defending. He only plays good when the whole team is playing good.
Perez—Sanchez—Welbeck <————That would be the best front three Arseneal have seen in many many seasons.
His childish behavior is well documented when he was with Barca, and even before that at Udinese. I’m not trying to defend Wenger, but when the player thinks he’s bigger than the club, certain measures have to be taken. Arsene is still the manager, good or bad you have to decide for yourselves, and has the authority. If the rumors of the row in training are true, I have to side with Wenger here – he did the right thing by benching Sanchez. I hope they can put their differences aside though, but I still think we’re gonna lose Alexis in the summer. Again, I have to give Wenger some credit here for giving him a chance. Barca didn’t want him. Arsene picked him up, and gave him an opportunity of a lifetime – to be THE GUY. Credit to Sanchez, he took it with both hands, but now I feel like he’s overstepping his bounds, and behaving unprofessionally towards the club, the manager, and his teammates. I love Alexis, and I love his fighting spirit, but if he made up his mind about going, he should try and do the honorable thing first. Play as hard as you can (without laughing on the bench when we’re losing) until the end of the season; then pay respect to the guy who was like a father to you, and the fans; say your goodbyes; and then be on your merry way.
Truth.. all this sulking and tantrums reflects soo poorly on us as a club and seeing our best player act like he’s better than us is detrimental to the team. All it’s doing at the moment is slicing his transfer fee and dividing the team…
Vlad, I would suggest you don’t fall for only one narrative. Truth, as always, is hidden somewhere in the middle. You can’t call either party here holding the absolute truth in the matter. I am just a bit torn here because I have now the confirmation that when Ozil said he will stay only if Wenger stays. What is more to that is the fact that Ozil will stay if Wenger stays … and Sanchez gets out. Sanchez is no different from other great players. He could not do this at Barcelona because Pep was not Wenger. Remember once Pep left his rows with Tata Martino? Remember at Udine? Malesani and Guidolin. No nonsense managers and to be honest to me we have seen the best of Sanchez at Udinese. If anything, I call Wenger at fault here for doing a half a$$ed job. What was he trying to prove by benching Sanchez for 45 minutes and throw him in in desperation when the game is lost? One thing he did prove: Sanchez is by miles the best player in this squad and also is the player on which this whole team rely on. No Sanchez today = no win.
very good point Budd. F you are determined to discipline a player let him watch the match from the bench, the whole game. You can even make him warm up just to go back to sit. But for Wenger here he sees that his ship is sinking and no one else to turn to, that was out of desperation. The old man is soft and that’s why he’s not suitable for this job anymore
Wengers legacy should be to leave sanchez on the bench or at home when he’s been a naughty boy. Play nice you get to play, cause grief then stay away.
Yes it would be detrimental but I actually think the rest of the players would respect Wenger for it. Our seasons finished anyway short of the fa cup.
The photos of him laughing on the bench did it for me, well out of order what ever he feels about arsenal and his team mates now.
The 3 year cycle for each club is now making sense.
But winning trophies define a player and not his loyalty to one club.. Gerard is mocked cause he never won the EPL in his entire career, but was one of the most loyal players in England.. Sanchez has been winning trophies from Spain to his country, but lacks major trophies at Arsenal that’s why he’s not settled, although the rest of the soft players at Arsenal are ok with winning the Wenger trophy every season, he is not