For years the criticism directed at Arsene Wenger suggested he doesn’t spend enough money on elite players. Over the last two seasons he has changed his way, bringing in the likes of Mesut Ozil last year and Alexis Sanchez in 2014. The results haven’t improved. In fact, it’s gotten to be a lot worse.
After 12 league matches, Arsenal are 8th with only four wins. With so many teams below Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton suffering from declining quality and overall unstable and unpredictable results, their situation isn’t all that bad. But too soon once more it seems like it’s once again going to be about next year for the Gunners, already forced to give up their title hopes.
They will qualify from the Champions League group, but it’s hard to believe this team, showing that their winning mentality and fortitude is inferior to almost every other big club they face, will show up and actually make it into the quarterfinals of the competition and beyond.
Every season that goes by, and Wenger’s work, lasting almost two full decades, is going to waste. The titles of 1998, 2002 and 2004 won’t be erased, but they’re put into context of a lot less impressive and memorable moments. Fourth place, and another fourth place, and another loss in a big match, and the memory of glory and happiness fades away, getting lost amid the bigger picture.
And what is the bigger picture? That Wenger has hidden too many failures with words of building, youngsters, unlucky and other things that have been introduced into the vocabulary, all done in order for Wenger to spread some misinformation and confusion about how off he’s been compared to the expectations and goals.
It’s too soon to declare this season a failure, but it’s certainly heading in that direction. Once again, Wenger has done so poorly early on, that finishing fourth will make it seem like he’s actually achieved something.