It’s taken two games for the Arsene Wenger in or out debate to fuel again… the next eight days are crucial for the Frenchman
Gunners boss came under further flak from fans after his side crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Stoke last weekend
IT’S taken only TWO games for the Wenger In or Wenger Out debate to rear its ugly head again – with Arsenal falling to a not-so surprising defeat away to Stoke in the Premier League.
After a thrilling comeback against Leicester in their league opener, the Gunners succumbed to a defeat against a Stoke side that had only won 1 of their previous 11 Premier League matches.
And despite a number of decisions going against Wenger’s men on the day, questions have already been asked as to whether much, if anything, has changed from last season.
The defeat had all the hallmarks of Wenger’s nearly men in the Premier League recently – plenty of possession, wasteful in front of goal, all whilst looking extremely vulnerable on the counter attack throughout.
So it’s easy to see why fans are starting to think it’s a state of déjà vu for the north London outfit, with a transfer window that has ground to a halt only adding to the feeling of stagnation.
And, quite frankly, Wenger and the powers that be at Arsenal only have themselves to blame.
Despite finishing outside of the top four, The Gunners went into the summer on a wave of goodwill from supporters after the comprehensive defeat of Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
This was then built upon after a solid start to the transfer window, with Sead Kolasinac & Alexandre
Lacazette signed and sealed before the club went on their tour of the Far East and Australia.
But since then, the Gunners have failed to make a single signing, hindered by their inability to shift surplus players off the books.
Wenger’s stance on Sanchez has been commendable.
Many supporters believed the Chilean would be on his way, however the club have held firm despite interest from a number of clubs in the Champions League.
Equally, the club have been resolute in their stance regarding fellow contract rebels Mesut Ozil & Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.
But most fans know that only holding onto what they had last year, in addition to signing Lacazette and Kolasinac, won’t be enough.
Despite all of the negativity and the frustrations reappearing, I still feel it’s too early to be pointing fingers at the manager and passing complete judgement on the squad.
Only after six to eight games will we have a real idea of what this team is about, and of course the manager still has eight days to recruit the players needed to strengthen the spine of the side.
With Liverpool away and transfer deadline day up next, a win and a couple of solid signings could prove to be the tonic needed the get the fans back talking about the football again, rather than the manager’s future.
