After such an embarrassing performance like yesterdays, it is no surprise that Arsenal fans are up in arms that their team surrendered so easily to Pep Guardiola’s Man City side. In Wenger’s early years at the club, Arsenal were known to be a team of fighters who would never give up`no matter what the opponents threw at them, and would never accept defeat as an option whoever they played and they were proud to play for the famous Red And White.
But this season, sadly, we look like a shadow of a side, without any leaders or fighters on the pitch. As the Arsenal legend Ian Wright said yesterday on the BBC’s 5Live: “Against Manchester City it was always going to be a tough ask. They have been magnificent all season, but it was disappointing the way Arsenal played. There was a lack of fight, lack of determination.
“It’s a final and players were walking. You don’t want to see the team you support in a final put in such an insipid performance.
“People say it’s the attitude, but it’s been the same for years. Everybody’s recognised it’s about leadership and characters, and Arsenal don’t have them.
“Whatever we say about Alexis Sanchez and what he was like in the dressing room, he felt he had to leave because he wanted to win, and be in a dressing room of people who want to win.”
Alexis at least tried to egg the team into action, so much so that players like Bellerin thought he was just a bit too intense, but after he decided to move on last summer we have had no leadership at all. I’m not just talking about yesterday! If you look at some of the teams we have succumbed to already this season, it makes very grim reading. Teams like Stoke, Watford, Koln, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Swansea and most embarrassingly Ostersunds, have turned us over and embarrassed us.
I’m afraid if we don’t start finding real leaders that actually want to play for Arsenal, I simply can’t see us getting better any time soon. Can you?
Admin