Okay so things should get very interesting at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow, where Arsenal play host to a Norwich City side fighting for their Premier League survival. There was already going to be protests from the Arsenal fans about how the club and the groundhog day of a season and the need for either Arsene Wenger to change his ways or be replaced.
At the pre-match press conference reported by The Mirror today the manager tried to rally the troops by calling for the Arsenal fans to get behind the team at this crucial point of the season. He also pointed out some positives for the Arsenal fans to focus on but I think his words, instead of putting out the fire of our frustration will act more like fuel.
Not only did Wenger suggest that the negative attitude of the home crowd was a factor in the failure of yet another title challenge, his view of how the team has performed this season is at odds with the general consensus and actually at odds with the facts.
The Frenchman claimed that our away form would have won us the league but the numbers show that our 30 points is behind the 37 of Leicester and the 33 of Tottenham and both have played one game fewer. In fact our away form could still be overtaken by Man City and Liverpool as well.
Wenger also claimed that our recent form has improved after an earlier dip and in the last month and a half the Gunners have been good. However, a quick look back at the last six weeks shows Arsenal winning just three of our eight games, against a West Brom side already on the beach, an out of form Everton and an awful Watford.
We also got knocked out of the FA cup by the Hornets at home, were put out of the Champions League by Barcelona and were held to draws in the league by Sunderland, Crystal Palace and West Ham. Wenger also suggested that the team’s attitude has been spot on throughout the whole season and if that is how he really sees things, is this final proof that the boss is blind to the failings of his own team and the individual players in it?
Predict the Norwich Score and win an official Arsenal Home Shirt!