It’s quite alarming how similar Arsenal’s slump is to Chelsea’s form at the start of the season. Arsène Wenger doesn’t seem to know his best Arsenal team, just as José Mourinho changed his line-up around in a desperate attempt to find a solution in the closing weeks of his reign at Stamford Bridge.
Olivier Giroud is playing like the Diego Costa of the autumn, Per Mertesacker resembles the Gary Cahill of that period and Alexis Sánchez is doing a good impression of an out-of-sorts Eden Hazard.
Wenger can’t decide whether Mertesacker or Gabriel is a better bet at centre back, if Theo Walcott is preferable to Joel Campbell out wide or whether Giroud should play instead of Danny Welbeck.
The manager bears a huge responsibility for the type of characters who have come in to the club. He has a very timid team. When things go against them no one wants to stand up and be counted.
When they lost to a second-string and inexperienced Manchester United side at the weekend Wenger walked into the dressing room at Old Trafford and didn’t say much.
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That approach was fine when Arsenal had the likes of Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams around because those players would sort things out between themselves, and say what needed to be said.
Wenger being quiet in the present circumstances is a disaster. Arsène, for once you must give the players the hairdryer treatment. At the moment it feels like he is giving them the shampoo-and-set treatment.
Arsenal’s players are not the type to indulge in open rebellion, as Costa did at Chelsea earlier this season, but there are some worrying signs for Wenger. When Walcott and Giroud have come off the bench they have given the impression of being irritated and disillusioned at being dropped. They have looked uninterested.
Wenger must make tough decisions, giving Sánchez a rest even if the Chilean is pleading to play every game.
As for Mesut Özil, he has won the World Cup with Germany but he didn’t want to get involved against Barcelona when he encountered players who were better than him. When push comes to shove he doesn’t look like he will do it for you.
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Arsenal have had a really average season and it’s getting worse. Wenger cannot afford to lose to Tottenham tomorrow. If he does, the rumbles of discontent will turn into the worst he has experienced in his 19 years at the club.
