Arsenal succumbed to life in the Europa League for next season after an extended run of undesirable form this year, and some people have gotten off lightly. All term we have heard calls for Arsene Wenger to leave the club, and the protests by fans demanding change, but maybe the players should have received more flack for their failings this term.
The Gunners had a very late surge of form toward the end of the campaign after the Frenchman opted to freshen things up with a formation change, and we so nearly rescued ourselves a Champions league spot, but Martin Keown believes that some players have gotten off lightly.
‘Ozil wasn’t available for large periods. Was he injured, wasn’t he? Was it sickness, was it injury? He didn’t seem to be around when they needed him most,’ Keown said.
‘Sanchez then had an incident at the club (reacting to being dropped against Liverpool in March). It felt like he threw his toys out of the cot for a little while. We don’t really know exactly what happened.
‘All of that was I think, as a result that these guys were maybe overindulged a little bit. I’ve been a bit surprised how the group have been a bit nice with them.
‘I do feel like if I was playing in some of the games when Ozil doesn’t get a perfect pass I think I already would have been in his ear telling him my bit: “I’m trying to give the ball to you, don’t disrespect me in the way you do when I don’t get the ball to you”.’
Have Ozil and Alexis gotten off lightly with their fellow fans and players because of their contracts or their status? Should other players attitudes be analyzed too?
Pat J