Benjamin Franklin once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. With this definition in mind events at the Emirates stadium on Sunday could lead some Arsenal supporters to question the mental health of their manager.
Sunday 28th August 2011 will be a date forever etched on the minds of Arsenal and Manchester United supporters alike, remembered with very differing degrees of fondness. For Arsenal fans it was the nightmarish day when their defence was repeatedly torn to shreds by a rampant United side. One of the main causes of Arsenals demise that day was Theo Walcott’s inability to offer defensive cover to the inexperienced Carl Jenkinson, ultimately resulting in the young full back prematurely enjoying the luxuries of the Old Trafford Jacuzzi.
Fast forward 5 months and another Arsenal full back sadly bereft of cover could be found loitering in the changing rooms as the game rumbled on. Although on this occasion the decision to remove a struggling defender was made by Arsene Wenger rather than the referee, but in the eyes of many gunners this epiphany of Wenger will have come 6 months and 45 minutes too late.
Johan Djourou was left completely exposed by highflying wingers with little interest in defending. Only unusually lax final passes from Nani and some poor finishing from Welbeck prevented another United romp over Arsenal. Wenger’s failure to correct his tactical errors of his teams first meeting with United was a cause of anxiety for Arsenal supporters throughout Sunday’s tense encounter.
Supporter’s taunts of “you don’t know what your doing” directed at Wenger, following the decision to remove the excellent Oxlade-Chamberlain in favour of the out of sorts Arshavin, conveyed their loss of faith in the Professor. Wenger’s resolve to persist with his now dated footballing philosophy appears to be testing the patience of inhabitants of the Emirates and with the threat of the removal of Champions league football on the horizon the sun may be starting to set on the Professors time in London.
