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Dissecting the Pundits: Paul Merson Berates Arsenal
By Josh Sippie
In this, the first edition of ‘Dissecting the Pundits’, we take an in-depth look at one of our dear media patrons to determine the credibility of his statements. The media has never really defended Arsenal. Not the club, nor the players and certainly not the manager.
Paul Merson is just the latest to get to the microphone to lash out at Arsene Wenger, the man who is single-handedly burning the rich history of Arsenal to the ground. From there, Wenger plans to pile the ashes up, set them on fire again and stomp the remains into the ground with gusto.
Here is the full statement of Paul Merson:
"[The fans] think “what are we coming for? We turn up every week, pay the highest prices and what for – the top four? We might get a day out at Wembley again in the FA cup.” Wow-ee! Just put in a bid for Benzema – £75million. If Real Madrid turn around and say “we’re not selling him”, you can’t argue with that. There’s a saying in life: Keep on doing the things you do and you’ll get the same results. How different is this season going to be for Arsenal? It’s the same team that finished 12 points behind Chelsea last year. Why, this year, will this team finish above Chelsea? I can tell you now, there will be a phase this season when they’ll be unbelievable, win seven on the trot and play the best football you’ve ever seen. But at the end of the season, with this team and no signings, I’d be absolutely shocked if they won the Premier League."
You can hear the tone of voice in the text. This was not a pleasant berating. Merson wants to see his former side find success and that is understandable. But what is not understandable is Merson expecting Wenger to go completely out of character.
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Let’s start at the top. Fans expecting Wenger to make signings that do not benefit Arsenal are cheating themselves. If a signing is there that can benefit the team, Wenger will capitalize. He may be a bit lax sometimes but in the end he has the best interests of the team at heart. Many point to Geoffrey Kondogbia as an example but Kondogbia chose Inter in light of an Arsenal bid. Whose fault is that?
I also strongly disagree with Merson’s assessment that this is the same Arsenal that finished 12 points behind Chelsea. That is an absolute falsity. Not only have we added Petr Cech but we have added health as well. In the first half of last year, when we fell so far behind, we had no Oliver Giroud, no Mesut Ozil, no Ox, no Francis Coquelin yet and Aaron Ramsey’s appearances were spotty – that is a huge chunk of this team. Alexis was on his own.
Just because Arsenal has gotten off to a slow start does not mean that the season is over already and that is what Merson is hinting at.
The only part of Merson’s statements that I find somewhat insightful is his bit about how there will be a portion of this season where Arsenal will be unbelievable. However, we disagree on how long that time will be. Merson says seven games. This club has the potential to string together a much longer run of success than seven games.
The one part about this team being the same as last year that is true is that injuries could wreak havoc again, like they are already trying to. We do not have much cover for Giroud or Coquelin. Putting faith in our medical staff is a risky endeavor but one that Wenger and the club has been preparing for with the additions to that very staff.
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All Paul Merson is doing here is grabbing headlines by regurgitating what the fans have been saying on social media. It is an easy thing to do. Say what the fans think in a loud voice and they will love you and listen to you and come back for more.
Paul Merson’s Grade: C-
Merson hit at one potential snags, albeit accidentally. This is the same team in that injuries could derail them. Aside from that, he has delivered nothing original that you could not have read on Twitter or Facebook.
Next: Did Wenger know about Welbeck?