Raging at Arsene, Alexis and Arsenal fans…

Raging at Arsene, Alexis and Arsenal fans…

A Mailbox before 8am? Arsenal must have lost in humiliating fashion and we must all be working from home because we are office-less. Mail us at theeditor@football365.com

Oh Arsene…
I’m sure you’ll get plenty of mails on the match itself but I wanted to throw my two cents on what Arsene said after the match. To use Arsene’s own words, I thought his post-match reaction and comments were “revolting” and almost insulting to Arsenal fans.

Arsene’s pathetic attempt to cast the referee in the role of the pantomime villain to distract from the latest footballing embarrassment served up by him and his team was so transparently obvious that it was almost insulting that he expected Arsenal fans and the media to accept that the referee and his actions were responsible for the score line. Having watched the game I thought the referee had gotten it wrong with the yellow card, Koscielny got nowhere near the ball, shoved Lewandowski (I think) to the ground and was the last man AND denied him a clear goal scoring opportunity. The fact that the referee had the courage to change his decision to the correct one I think is the sort of thing that should be encouraged in referees, not derided. The Walcott penalty was more 50/50, I can see an argument for both for and against giving it, but the way the ball changed direction when Alonso put his foot in, you can understand why the referee didn’t award a pen.

The sad thing is that wasn’t even the worst of Arsene’s post-match performance:

“My team has produced a huge effort tonight and played very well.”

For me, that is his attitude in a nutshell and is the main reason he shouldn’t be managing Arsenal anymore. How can you say that after losing 5-1 at home and 10-2 (TEN TO TWO) over two legs is beyond me. I cannot imagine any other manager at a top-level club saying something that is so obviously out of line with what everyone, fans, pundits and the general public saw. And should anyone (including Arsenal legends and players Arsene himself managed) have the hide to criticise the performance and/or Arsene’s reaction to that performance, they are roundly criticised by Arsene – they obviously don’t know what they are talking about.

And that is all without even going into the limitations he places on the players with that mindset – I don’t think it should be overlooked that twice now in two weeks and countless times before as soon as this Arsenal team are faced with any sort of adversity from a team who (again, according to Arsene) “are a better team than us”, they have capitulated in spectacular fashion. This is a team that takes their cue on performance and just as importantly, attitude from their manager. As F365 pointed out earlier this week, Sanchez’s refusal to accept that has landed him in the naughty chair.

This defeatist attitude that he is 100% responsible for and that now permeates the club to such an extent it is now possible to predict WHEN Arsenal’s annual capitulation will begin will not leave until the manager does. And now that they are firmly out of the two major competitions they started the season in, who would be surprised to see an FA Cup run and a late resurgence in the league to nab that top four spot, followed by a beaming Arsene pointing out to anyone who will listen what a successful season this has been. And thus the cycle continues.
Ben, Oz (Like a stale fart in a cramped room, Arsenal are in desperate need of a breath of fresh air)

…How can you lose a two legged tie 10-2 (record margin is it? Certainly a record for a Prem team) and go out at this stage for the seventh year in a row yet somehow believe it was the refs fault. Ridiculous. Man up and admit you’re own faults and don’t lash out just because for once you didn’t mana’ge to lose with a better second leg performance and gain some dignity and pretend you’re not as crap as everyone knows you are.

Wenger will go down as a legend but he needs to go – not that I really care as a Man U fan but he does deserve to decide to leave rather than get pushed.
Jon, Joburg (“The same thing that makes you live can kill you in the end” – Neil Young – how about a mailbox for lyrics or songs that fit managers or players?)

But we were excellent with Kos…
Before history is rewritten as it was after the first leg against Bayern – we were outstanding until Koscielny left the field. It’s been a long time since Arsenal played with such aggression against anyone, never mind one of the best teams in world football.

Unfortunately we don’t play for 50 minutes and we obviously deserve criticism for the final 40 minutes (of both legs). We were outclassed and just aren’t good enough to beat a team like Bayern over two legs. Despite spending 42m on Ozil, 32m on Sanchez, 40m on Xhaka and 34m on Mustafi we haven’t progressed.

Looks like there’ll be a lot of changes at the club over the summer and, realistically, a difficult period of transition to manage over the next couple of years at least.
Simon Cochrane (Kos to play for Bayern in the next round after beating them 2-1)

Alexis is a disgrace
Alexis has some bloody nerve. Sitting on the bench laughing at the team after the absolutely shocking performance he put out tonight. You’d do well to find a supposed world-class player be that utterly insignificant in a big match. Yet he’ll escape this match still revered by fans for his non-existent work rate and his non-existent love for the club.

I’ve had enough of the bloke, he disrespects the club by walking out of training in a strop, then he disrespects it further with his absolute shocker of a performance tonight and then tops it off by having a laugh on the bench whilst our team is falling apart. I couldn’t care less if he leaves in the summer, I’d rather have a very good player who plays consistently at their best than a world-class player who plays well when he feels like it.

If someone like Hazard, Ozil or Pogba had done stuff like this you’d never hear the end of it, but because little Alexis Sanchez shows “passion” on the pitch it’s all swept under the rug. I’m sick of him and I’m sick of the “he can do no wrong” media narrative.
Matt, Arsenal fan

Loyalty is not always a positive
To answer Stephen Chicken’s question, Leicester were 5000-1 I believe at the start of last season.

His article raises a good point as well as giving me the opportunity to offer my two cents on Wenger and Ranieri. I don’t think anyone can argue that Leicester were rubbish this year. We judge players on a game by game basis and so why not managers? Yes Leicester lost Kante but if they knew months in advance that was going to happen. To my mind Ranieri didn’t deserve the sack as such, but persisting with him would have been a risk. Loyalty for loyalty’s sake a là Arsène Wenger.

Wenger is a loyal man, that much is clear and his Invincibles team were incredible. I mean, Wenger vs Ferguson was the story of football when I was growing up. So while I didn’t get to see the Liverpool v Arsenal match, when the live update told me Sánchez was on the bench and seemingly dropped I burst out laughing because I couldn’t help but think of Wenger protecting his team from mean old Alexis who wanted them to try a little harder. The manager is blind to the teams’ faults while the players hide behind Wenger.

I recently read on F365 a post match article in which Oxlade-Chamberlain talked about how Sánchez got on his back for missing a chance even though they’d won 3-1. The Ox’s reaction was to laugh it off because that’s just Sánchez’ way, instead of thinking ‘yeah he’s right, I should have scored.’

Says it all.
Alan, Córdoba

Enough is enough
I grew up watching Arsenal as a typical countryside TV based fan. My first big football memories were of Michael Thomas so I was hooked early on. I was, and still am, an avid reader of anything remotely Arsenal related and know both the history of the club and the latest youth team prospects. I’m a football geek and spend hours every day reading about it. It was always a dream as a kid to be able to go to watch games in the flesh and I made my first and only visit to Highbury in my early twenties.

After the Emirates was built and increased ticket availability, and as I’ve been fortunate, I’ve been lucky enough to get to more and more games and, for the last three years, have had a season ticket.

Tonight, I gave away a ticket to a knockout Champions League tie and didn’t even follow the score (albeit partly due to no signal, the addiction kept me trying to check). I got online to find my decision was a good one and to read, again, a string of people wanting to pick sides between our greatest ever manager and best current player. I have nothing left in me to offer support to either of them and just don’t really give a shit anymore.

For the majority of Arsenal fans, it’s now just quite sad. I suspect it’s even (almost) reaching the point where it’s becoming dull rather than funny for fans of other teams.

Enough now.
Tom A

It is time
While perusing the athletic contest last evening between the Ex-Invincibles and Bayern Munich, I was astonished to witness Bayern launching attack after attack throughout the first half, with both fullbacks overlapping as if their lives depended on it and the midfielders continuously flooding Arsenal’s box. I thought to myself, “is this stupidity or arrogance on Ancelotti’s part?” Surely any sane coach would just instruct his players to sit back, relax and wait for the inevitable counter-attacking opportunities sure to present themselves from opponents trying to erase a four-goal deficit. I realized soon after, however, that, no, this was contempt, the kind you feel when facing erstwhile minnows who have gotten ideas above their station necessitating ‘correction’. Unfortunately, the minnows in this case were runner’s up last season in the bestest league in the world.

To call this humiliation is being kind.

Stewie was right.

Mourinho was right.

It’s time.
Courtney, disinterested third party

And here’s Stewie
That was one of the most entertaining indecent assaults I’ve ever seen! Watching the two teams, you’d think there were about six divisions between them. I had to then remind myself that Arsenal’s wage bill is higher than Bayern’s, and that Wenger spent almost £100m over summer!

Still, be careful what you wish for blabla etc. I genuinely think Sutton would have given Bayern a better game.
Stewie Griffin (thoroughly enjoying the hubris this arrogant clown and his dwindling fanclub are now getting)

A change is gonna come
Surely now something has to change at Arsenal, a new kit maybe?
Tk (South Africa)

The alternative
At times like this I wish we finished third in our group, qualified for the Europa League and went out to a mid-table Belgian side so no one would have said anything.
Johnny, Bangkok

Oh when the fans…
Just saw visuals of Arsenal “fans” staging a protest outside Emirates stadium to let Wenger know they want him out.

What a bunch of douchebags.

I almost wish Wenger does leave for another team and then wins the Champions League, while Arsenal get someone like Allegri and he just doesn’t fit, then they get on the manager merry-go round and sit in the mid-table mire for 10 years.

Appreciate the man you have, you haven’t had to defend Roy Hodgson and Paul Konchesky.
Nathan, Cape Town

…How angry do you have to get before you take some action? I don’t mean writing in to the F365 Mailbox for a moan, I’m talking real action. Sometimes in life, enough is enough and something must be done. Donald Trump elected into power? Getting down to your city centre and making sure your voice is heard is understandable. Cuts in the NHS, in education or any other public service? Fair play to you if you march your way up to Downing Street or wherever you can be noticed and make your indignation known.

Even if it’s not your country, but your football club being unceremoniously shafted by the self-interest of those in charge, then give ’em hell. March on down to Bloomfield Road, or Ewood Park, or The Valley, or the Ricoh Arena, bring along a strongly-worded banner and break out the most catchy anti-owner(s) chants you can think of. No-one wants to stand by helplessly whilst something they care for is destroyed, and an organised mass protest is perhaps the most effective way of getting this point of anger and indignation across.

This leads us to the group of Arsenal fans who organised and partook in their own protest march last night. A march to convey their indignation at a man who has kept Arsenal in the Champions League for a year longer than I have been alive; to show their disgust at the continued employment of the only man to have ever delivered an unbeaten Premier Legaue season; to direct their rage held towards a man who has perhaps underachieved, but certainly not done anything heinous or deplorable.

I can absolutely understand Arsenal fans being frustrated at Wenger, but there’s frustration and then there’s organising a march which required police presence. There’s quite a chasm of difference between booing at the end of a game or sending an angry tweet, and attending a planned mass protest. Yesterday’s march was not just an insult to Wenger, but an insult to mass protesting itself and what it is supposed to stand for. It devalues what should be the common person’s n’th degree, our chance to be heard.

Save the marching for the heinous, the selfish and the cowardly in football and in the world. Wenger might warrant criticism, but last night looked a bit silly to me and rather a lot of others. There’s a good reason for that.
Laurence, Reading

Let’s hear it for the Moyes
Not a major issue on a night when Arsenal climbed new peaks of peak Arsenal, but Thiago’s performance illustrated beautifully why a certain over-promoted Scotsman, who neglected to sign him and bought Fellaini for twice as much, is now exploring his talents relegating Sunderland.
Chris MUFC

Thank you for the laughs
Pretty rotten time to be a Gunner, so let me thank you for the excellent article of the moment ‘Premier League Hall of shame’. It’s distracting in a good way.

The last line in the paragraph regarding Chelsea’s mascot will go down as one of the greatest things I’ve ever read on this site.

Keep up the good work Daniel Storey.
Matt Wright, Gunner in Aus