The papers continue their scathing critique of Arsene Wenger this morning, in the wake of a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend that all but ended their hopes of winning the league this season.
Chelsea’s own Michael Ballack accused Wenger of being a bad loser after the Frenchman claimed the Gunners were the better side and that Chelsea did not play proper football. It is a common refrain from Wenger and Matt Dickinson, writing in the Times, is one observer who is tired of Wenger’s determination to occupy the moral high ground.
“Arsene Wenger can never exhaust his levels of credit in English football, but there are an increasing number of occasions, such as in the media room at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, when he seems determined to give it a damn good go.
“Great admirers of ‘The Professor’ actually found themselves shaking their heads in sorrow and dismay as they jotted down his latest unsustainable explanation for a damaging Arsenal setback.
“It was not that Wenger was making excuses for a defeat; every manager has done that since time began. No, what increasingly distinguishes a Wenger tirade is the moralising tone. And while that was once acceptable, and justifiable, in the occasional outburst at roughhouse methods from Bolton Wanderers or Blackburn Rovers, it has now reached the point where Wenger risks becoming an unpopular parody of himself by preaching from on high.”
Dickinson further calls for Wenger to freshen up his backroom staff, even if he is reluctant to demand the manager’s departure after all he has achieved in North London.
“Every club needs freshening up. Sir Alex Ferguson does it by leaving almost all the daily training to his assistants. He has conducted fewer than a handful of sessions in the past decade.
“Is it not time for Wenger, whose voice is heard day after day by his players, to bring a strong new assistant on to his coaching staff? To explore other ways to skin the cat?
“Let those shrill terrace critics at the Emirates who call for Wenger’s head any time there is a blip not take this as some kind of encouragement; the club, despite the heavy defeats of the past two weekends, remain so indebted to Wenger’s brilliance, and dependent on it, that to wish his departure any time soon remains unthinkable.”
Taking up the baton, the Guardian’s Kevin McCarra also trains his focus on Wenger and what the future may hold for Arsenal.
“Arsene Wenger has always followed his own path, but he is leading Arsenal into mediocrity. A largely justified reputation as a visionary distracts people from noticing the most basic flaws in the team. With 25 Premier League games completed, the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge means they have conceded 30 goals. That equals the worst defensive performance Wenger has presided over since his arrival in the autumn of 1996.
“Statistics of that sort are far from bloodless, and Arsenal have been wounded. Never before in the history of the Premier League have they lost all four of their encounters with Chelsea and Manchester United. The Old Trafford defeat may have been undeserved, but there is no quibbling with the aggregate score. Arsenal must be dazed after the 10-2 thumping from Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams.
“In a practical sense, nothing grave has befallen the club. Arsenal are very likely to qualify for next season’s Champions League and their current interest in the competition is genuine. They are favourites to get the better of Porto in the last-16 tie that starts next week. The real harm is done to fans, who are starting to feel undernourished on a diet of idealism, and, less gravely, to neutrals who would prefer to see more than just a pair of contenders for the Premier League title.”
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