Arsenal Lose Title and Self-Respect: Arsene Wenger Shamed

For any Arsenal fan watching the final ten minutes of the Premier League match against Wigan on Sunday, the shame and disgust will live long in their memory. To see a team with all ones support, love, money and faith, repay those things with such a display will surely cause one to burn with shame and pain.

To see the reaction of Wenger after the match, and read the many Arsenal fans' tweets and blogs, one would sincerely believe that the team had been relegated, such was the outpouring of grief.

Yet, can such reaction ever be justified?

A loss to a lowly team such as Wigan must rankle, though it should be remembered that Chelsea lost at the DW stadium earlier in the season, proving Wigan can be much more than simple push-overs. One loss in the course of a season can also generally be thought of as inconsequential.

So what's the problem?

Not only was this a chance for Arsenal to demonstrate their position as title contenders, but also to put themselves firmly back in a title race opened wide by Chelsea's loss to Tottenham the previous day. With a win, Arsenal would have put themselves on 74 points, a mere two points behind Manchester United, and three behind Chelsea. Still looking for those two teams to stumble a little more, but remaining there to capitalise if the opportunity arose.

That chance was wasted, and any hope however remote, of the title is lost.

But it is not this that has caused such anguish for the fans.

It had been felt that Arsenal were comfortably ahead of the teams in fourth and fifth positions, and that being overtaken was unthinkable. Now, however, the Arsenal faithful see a very real possibility of being overtaken by not only a resurgent Tottenham side, but also a Manchester City side who have struggled on and off all season.

To finish third may hurt, but to finish fifth behind their neighbourhood rivals Tottenham and Manchester City, would be anathema to most supporters.

Whilst a frightening prospect, it is not this issue that pains the fans either.

The crux of the matter, and it is one which is dividing Arsenal fans strongly, is the manner of the loss. The performance of the team that led to a two goal lead being thrown away with ten minutes left to play.

Stronger teams, it is being asserted, would have put Wigan to the sword from a position of a two goal superiority. And surely Arsenal should have indeed done that. Putting the score at 80 minutes into perspective however, it should be understood that Arsenal had not dominated a weak dispirited Wigan side. With high percentage possession, yet again, Arsenal almost conspired to fail to score. The performance was not that of a league winning side.

Excuses abound of course, the primary one being that of injuries to key players. Whilst a very valid excuse, and one which saw a number of second string players on the field, those players are still Arsenal players. With Van Persie on the bench an unused substitute until too late in the game, injuries cannot be used to explain the catastrophic turnaround in this match.

The manner of the defeat was an Arsenal collapse. Mistakes by Diaby, Silvestre, and notably Fabianski, epitomised an error strewn, lacklustre performance. Many players didn't appear to apply sufficient effort to justify their starting positions during the rest of the game. In the last ten minutes, effort dropped!

No player on the field yesterday had been immune from criticism. Some have received more than others—Diaby for his lack of effort and concentration, and Fabianski for his awful mistake which cost the second goal. Yet it is not the players alone who have been targeted for criticism.

Wenger himself has been the target of many fans calling for him to be replaced. Whilst hardly a campaign, there is certainly a groundswell, following the game, of fans questioning his tactics; on the day and over the course of the last few seasons. In particular the transfer and youth policies.

Having written about these before here with the view that they are beginning to be successful, it is painful to see such a backward step in the midst of a general forward rise.

Shame, Failure and Recovery

The team that played so poorly, and indeed miserably, on Sunday should feel ashamed of their lack of effort. Wenger in particular should make them face up to the self-respect they lost, and the respect of the fans they wasted.

Facing up to failure and recovering is the mark of champions. Arsenal have done it—this season—and have recovered from set-backs. The last three games culminating in this game, have provided a massive set-back, and one which Arsenal need to put behind them in an emphatic way on Saturday against Manchester City.

The fans can be won back, by effort on the field, and by acknowledgement off the field of their failings. Most of all they want to see reactions; hard work, and tactical changes by Wenger showing he has learned from the defeat.

The last three games of this season are, I would suggest, crucial to not only Arsenal's season, but also the future of Wenger and many of his players. Win the fans back and end the season on a happy note, and it will be seen in a very different, positive light, than if the last three games are wasted chances.