Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has said that Arsene Wenger’s comments about trophies worries him, suggesting Chelsea’s ruthlessness to win silverware is something Arsenal lack.
Carragher was one of the more vocal Wenger defenders last season, as he took issue with the way the fans treated him when results dipped. However, he has admitted that he’s concerned about Arsenal after Wenger played down the importance of trophies during a press-conference in pre-season.
“I was actually delighted Arsenal won the FA Cup final for Arsene [Wenger] really especially with all the criticism he took,” he said, reports the Express. “We’ve been very vocal on Wenger’s future and when people were marching in the streets and I didn’t like that.
“There was a fan remonstrating against Wenger in a pre-season game and that doesn’t bode well going forward. If Arsenal don’t make a good start to the season, will the crowd turn again?
“One thing that massively worried me from Wenger was a quote in pre-season when he said ‘trophies aren’t the most important thing’. They’re a great club, well run and have great values and many look up to them.
“That mentality though is the difference between them and Chelsea. It explains why Chelsea have dominated under Roman Abramovich – it’s that ruthlessness where finishing second is not good enough never mind top-four.”
Carragher isn’t the only pundit to discuss the impact of the Arsenal crowd, as Michael Owen has expressed a similar concern. The mood of the Arsenal fanbase is highly volatile these days. Admittedly, it doesn’t take a great deal to set them off. Carragher isn’t wrong about how a poor start to the season will see the crowd turn despite recent cup successes.
Nonetheless, it’s up to Wenger and the players to ensure that performances are at a good standard and that they achieve good results. A good run of form is the best way to keep the fans onside.
There is, of course, a risk of reading too much into Wenger’s comments. Despite what he says, his attitude towards the FA Cup has shown that he quite clearly values trophies.