Self-inflicted Wounds: the basis for the fan’s distrust of this flailing organization by Vieira Lynn
There are many Arsenal fans trying to speculate on how and why the relationship between the club and our best player has disintegrated to such a degree over the last year, so much so that one has to wonder if his presence in and around the club can actually be beneficial this season.
For many, like myself, it was the only reason I felt it best to cut and run prior to the close of the window, in the hopes of avoiding another nightmare scenario if things continue to go horribly wrong and the focus shifts squarely on his mismanaged contractual situation. Of course this isn’t an indictment on Sanchez, he was the only party that truly honored his commitment. Few, if any, former Gunners have given more effort game in and game out, regardless of how his methods may have rubbed fellow teammates and Wenger the wrong way. The fact is that this team has waited a long time to have such a vocal and focused leader on the pitch who likewise possessed such talents, whereas this club, instead of embracing his passion to succeed by bringing in the necessary transfers and handing him the armband, they seemed to side with the overpaid and under-performing lesser lights.
If that wasn’t crazy enough, they actively engaged in treasonous behaviour by trying to sabotage Sanchez’s popularity, which is why it’s vitally important to remember that the point of no return came precisely when this organization tried to undermine fan support for Sanchez around the time of the Liverpool game last season. Their actions were reckless and were certainly not done with the best interests of the club as a whole. Whether this was ultimately done to protect the increasingly fragile Wenger or to plant a seed, with the goal of making it easier to sell off Sanchez in the summer, matters little now, except to prove once again that this club is an absolute sh** show! So it begs the question, how many times can our manager and that muppet, Gazidis, contradict themselves, lie through their teeth and/or fabricate stories, before our largely complicit fan-base rises to the occasion and forces major changes at this club. It appears that these individuals, including our absentee landlord, will go to any lengths to spin whatever tale is deemed necessary to maintain the status quo, which clearly only benefits their pocketbooks.
Whether it’s Gazidis making ridiculous claims about our supposedly successful transfer window, even going so far as to suggest that everything went according to plann, or it’s Wenger having the audacity to speak about taking a much more proactive approach to the re-signing of players with less than 2 years left on their current deals; which on it’s own is a nothing story, it’s football management 101, but let’s not forget just a few weeks ago he was proudly championing his “ingenious” plan of having his best players playing in the last year of their respective contracts. This “company man” appears to be willing to say anything, no matter how contradictory, so long as it fits the current narrative. He even made some of you Pro-Wenger suckers believe that he had just unveiled some sort of cutting edge business model that was sure to reshape the footballing landscape.
Then there was the recent release of “information” regarding our supposed financial shortcomings, which feels contrived on a number of different levels. The most obvious being the timing of course. Think about it, Wenger is stumbling and bumbling at the close of the window again and the fans and pundits are demanding some show of intent on the heels of the thrashing at Anfield, and out of this shambles – lo and behold a story emerges involving the “true” inner-workings of the club. Not surprising it appears to provide some much-needed damage control for our under-fire manager. My only question to those who currently run one of the richest clubs in the world, where the hell is all our money?
Furthermore, if we didn’t have the available funds, why would we have offered Monaco nearly twice as much money as we have ever offered for a player a few days following these supposed revelations, regardless of the pending sale of Ox or any potential Sanchez move. Would it really make sense that a club claiming to be functionally “house poor”, who has a lengthy history of thriftiness, would be willing to leverage everything in the kitty and more on a relatively unknown and unproven player that no one rated anywhere near that 11th hour price point. So either our club is blatantly lying about our financial capacity or the whole Lemar late window offer was a ruse meant to intentionally deceive the fans. Both possibilities send a horrible message to the supporters of this once fine organization.
Finally, although not surprising whatsoever, I’m reading today about Wenger wanting to spearhead the elimination of the dreaded January transfer window. According to this learned man the winter window puts too much focus on the business side of the game. How ironic that someone who has willingly got into bed with one of the most money-grubbing owners in the sporting world, who appears to have little to no interest in the sport itself minus the obvious business opportunities, would openly complain about the negative role of business in the footballing world. If I was him I would avoid even saying the words “transfer window” considering his colossal ineptitude when it comes to all things transfer-related.. One has to assume that either that he suffers from some form of dementia, or even worse, he takes us all for fools, believing that none of us fully understand the serious implications of this particular transfer window. Just think of the nightmare we could be in store for when you combine the issues surrounding those with expiring contracts and the January window, which has always been a nemesis for this most frugal of managers.
For those of you who can’t see the big picture, you might be wise to take a little closer at the facts before you verbally chastise your fellow Gunners. Most, like myself, are simply trying to open your eyes before this club makes bigger fools of us than they already have. It’s time to ask not ‘what you can do for this club’, but ‘what can this club do for you’
Your thoughts fellow Gunners?
Vieira Lynn