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Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees

Which Team?
By Boris Mellor
November 20 2008
In the 18th and 19th Centuries Miners took a Canary down the coal mine. This was not because they loved pets, but if the bird fell off its perch it was time for drastic action, as it was a warning of gas in the mine. I am not surprised to hear Gallas singing, and I don't care about what he has to say, because the Canary has already sung.

 The performance against Villa was warning enough that something is seriously wrong with Arsenal. I have never left a match so depressed, and we have lost more important matches than that. Cup defeats by Liverpool and Barcelona did not depress as much as this did. In those matches at least the team tried, and played good football. What did they deserve out of Villa game? To ask the question is to answer it. They stank the place out.

So any team can have a stinker, true, but this was a game at home after a week's rest. It was the way the team lost the game, there was no commitment and Wenger agrees, "the way we lost the game - we need a massive commitment on Saturday", was his comments at his pre City press conference. That is the most sensible sentence I have heard from him in a long time. The pity is that the journalists didn't ask him to explain what he meant by, "the way we lost the game".

I did wonder if I had overreacted to the performance against Villa, perhaps I was being influenced by Sky or other pundits, but I think Wenger is no longer under any illusion that this team is ok. There is clearly something wrong with it. That might be the personnel, it might be attitude, or even a combination of both. If Wenger doesn't find the answer quickly I can see trouble ahead. Once players start taking the piss out of a manager, and that's what they did against Villa, then the end is nigh. I really hope I am wrong.

 What will happen at City, who knows, who can predict? It depends which team turns up, and I don't mean Arsene's team selection. Arsenal always struggle after International weeks, and this time the injury roll is lengthy.

An away match with little time to prepare, followed by a CL game on the Tuesday and then Chelsea away. The Goldfish attention span of this team won't be able to concentrate for three games in a row. This could be the mother of all Novembers.

Cultzeros2

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Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Arsenal Times (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 19:52

Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Gooner_Mike (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 20:56

We are having a performance crunch, if we lose to man city the recession has hit.

___________________________________________________________
"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" (Wenger - take note)

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 20:58

Its not the first November recession we have had, but will it be the whole season?

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Gooner_Mike (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 20:58

Good post btw agree with it fully it is the manner of our performances that is more depressing than anything. Sure we used to lose lots in the past but we were always or 99% of the time the better team on the pitch, the same cant be said for our losses/draws this season.

___________________________________________________________
"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" (Wenger - take note)

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 21:14

This club was famous for never say die teams. That lot rolled over

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: bergmars (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 22:36

Ye writng and wall comes to mind.

Dennis Bergkamp, simply the best

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 20/11/2008 23:26

Time to hire Martin Keown as Wenger's assistant and let him be the man waiting at the dressing room door to great the players after a game and we would see much less of this terrible attitude from the team

Talent without effort is talent wasted

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: litmus (IP Logged)
Date: 21/11/2008 05:22

Agreed, there is no fight in the team that lost to Villa. This is not the same team that came back from two goal down and with ten men to win against Bolton last season.

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: AJ The Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 21/11/2008 11:31

i fear wenger has created a monster that he may not be able to contain.

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 21/11/2008 12:03

He will have to take firm action or suffer the consequences

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Re: Villa the Canary in the Coal Mine - Wenger Agrees
Posted by: Big Guhnz (IP Logged)
Date: 21/11/2008 12:14

padre you could end up in the job at this rate

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