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| Arsene Wenger reacts after watching his side self destruct against Manchester United at Old Trafford, August 28th 2011 |
It came as a massive shock to me the day I read the way Arsenal were demolished at Old Trafford by a young and rather fresh Manchester United side. There was no contest in the game, or so I felt after watching the repeat telecast online. Manchester United were ruthless in almost every sphere of that particular encounter, and all Arsene Wenger could do was sit and stare at the score board wondering what might have been!
True you will accuse me of praising Manchester United a lot, but that is what the outcome was. Wenger was sorry, Arsenal refunded the fans that came all the way to watch the demolition unfold and Sir Alex was in no mood to celebrate: showing his respect for Arsene Wenger and all that he has achieved with Arsenal Football Club. The aftermath was simple or so one thought. The backline for the Gunners simply collapsed. You might argue that Arsenal were short on players and I totally accept that fact but you cannot forget that Manchester United had key players missing too - Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick were all missing.
Anyway, the whole point of writing this piece was not to gloat or point fingers at Arsenal. I write this because I feel that Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy has been influenced by want not be desire. He isn’t signing someone like Per Mertesacker or Mikel Arteta because he eyed them for ages, he is doing so to try and save his face. That, ladies and gentlemen is not the Arsenal FC that I grew up to respect. That is not the Arsenal was of doing things. Believe it or not, I had tremendous respect for Arsenal legends like Tony Adams, Freddie Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp (who to this day remains my favourite Arsenal player of all time). I recall reading British football history and the way one late Herbert Chapman reinvigorated Arsenal into one of the early top teams in the country. That is the Arsenal I grew up to respect! I may not be a diehard Gunner but that’s just the way I see things. You may find fault with me or find some minute reason or point that I make to debate on, but that is the way football is.
I could hope Arsene Wenger had some way of reading this particular paragraph. I write this article very close from Highbury street in North London, Ontario, Canada and every time is see the street signs I am reminded of the great Arsenal side of 2003-04, the team that everyone feared and the team I had the utmost respect for. Every time I hear about some trauma at Arsenal it does pain me and a lot of football fans for Arsenal is a team that belongs at the top, competing with the other teams that stake their claim there. Don’t be like City, they just buy their success.
I end, as a diehard United fan, I say it out loud in unison with Arsenal fans:
“In Arsene We Trust”
