Arsenal: Jamie Redknapp Lambasting Justified

Jamie Redknapp has lambasted Arsenal after their loss to West Brom on Saturday. However, such was their incompetence, it is utterly justified.

Arsenal entered the weekend having won just three of their last eight games. Of those three wins, two were against non-league opponents in the FA Cup and the other was a clunky but ultimatey successful 2-0 win over Hull City at home.

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With their top four hopes dwindling thanks to their recent struggles, a win against West Brom was much-needed as the Gunners looked to haul back the five point deficit to fourth place Liverpool. With the pressure rising and the need high, it was important that Arsene Wenger’s side played their best when they most needed it. That was far from the case.

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Arsenal were abject throughout the 90 minutes. They were slow and lethargic in possession, creating very little against a resolute West Brom defence that were well-drilled and disciplined. While their attacking failures were frustrating, it was the defending from set pieces that was so damning for Wenger. Working in his role as a pundit with Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp lambasted the North London outfit’s performance, and boy was it justified:

"“That’s the sort of performance that gets managers the sack. I have never seen a team at the top level, defending against a team we know are great from set-pieces, defend like that. Surely somebody has told them before the game you need to be very careful – Gareth McAuley, Craig Dawson, they are monsters at set-pieces. They were second best in every single way.”"

They may seem like overly harsh comments but, and this is a rather depressing sentence to write, they are representative of Saturday’s loss. As Redknapp points out, the defending from set pieces was particularly poor.

Against a team that have notorious struggles in creating chances, relying on set plays to score many of their goals, especially via their aerially dominant defenders – Craig Dawson scored twice on the day, unmarked and unchecked on both occasions – it is criminal to be so naive from a situation in a game that is consistent and controllable.

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Wenger’s tenure is being heavily questioned, even more so after Saturday’s loss. Redkapp’s highly critical opinion is one that is shared by a growing majority of the fanbase. Could this finally be the year where the lambasting culminates in Wenger’s departure?