Ainsley Maitland-Niles has stated that manager Arsene Wenger takes too much of the blame for his side’s failings, and urges his fellow Arsenal players to stand up and be counted.
The Gunners have fallen to sixth spot in the table this season, 13 points outside the top four, with only 24 potential points remaining from the campaign, but we may still save our season with Europa League glory.
This scenario is putting pressure on fans and the club alike, and tensions have been up and down throughout the campaign, but one player is keen to take some of the flack off of manager Wenger, stating that too much blame is placed on his shoulders.
“When he [Wenger] talks about football and how our team is doing, it’s solely his opinion and what he thinks on the team,” he said.
“It’s nothing to do with things that are coming from the press.
“He’s very straightforward in what he wants us to do and he tells us that.
“I don’t think we take enough [blame]. We should also take some of the blame because we are the ones on the pitch.
“He only picks the team, so that’s how far his judgement goes, but us on the pitch I think we need to take more responsibility and really fight and stand up for our club.
“He’s a great manager. He’s got a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge, and a big personality as well if he’s taking a lot of the blame.”
Can the players prove they are up to the standard needed to compete with the top sides? Is Wenger’s knowledge outdated?
Pat J