Arsenal’s two games against Manchester City this week told us quite a lot about where Arsenal are as a club and a football side, and it’s not a pretty place.
Well, it perhaps confirmed it more than revealed, but there is no denying that this week the club, players, supporters, and press all seemed to cross the Rubicon.
There can be no going back…
2There is a war going on behind the scenes
Arsenal are known for their ability to keep most things out of the paper but over the course of the last week leaks have increased as both sides – those who want Wenger to go and those who want him to stay – lay out their case in the press.
We’ve had stories from private player’s meetings, a former chairman weighing in, and reports of Wenger’s meeting with the players.
We’ve also had leaked manger lists, reports that Arsenal wanted to hire Leonardo Jardim last summer and Thierry Henry, backed by Sky Sports, pitching himself for the job.
While it certainly makes for interesting reading, it is concerning because it seems to indicate that nobody is actually in charge or has a clue what to do.
If there was one person ultimately responsible for the club, they would be able to make a decision.
As it stands, we’re waiting for a manager to decide his own future, despite his claims of being ‘only an employee’ while his employers, who have been happy to hide behind the manager for the last decade, are paralysed by the fear of making the wrong decision.
But doing nothing in a situation like this is exactly the same as doing something. It represents a choice.
If your house is on fire you can choose to try and extinguish that fire, knowing you might only add to the flames, or you can stand by and watch it all burn to the ground.
Taking the latter option, you may not have contributed directly to the situation getting worse, but by failing to even try to stop the fire, you made it quite clear than you give no shits whatsoever about your house.