Arsenal Disaster: Player or manager at fault?

Arsenal were predictably disastrous on Sunday as they were ripped to shred by a blistering Liverpool. But should the players or the manager take the blame?

Sunday’s loss to Liverpool was another to file under the ‘Arsenal capitulate against top side thanks to naivety and innocence’ category.

In usually spineless fashion, the Gunners were cut a part by a blistering Liverpool attack, with the Merseysider’s looking increasingly dangerous with every unattended surge through the sparse midfield.

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They lacked any semblance of control or understanding, foolishly bombing forward, uncaring and unconsidering of their defensive responsibilities, especially away from home against a team as potent as Jurgen Klopp’s pacy Liverpool. Arsene Wenger was routinely outmanoeuvred by Klopp, not that that was particularly difficult, with his players either ignoring his instruction, failing to execute his instruction or not receiving any instruction in the first place.

And that is where the discussion of Arsenal’s problems reaches a crucial point: Should it be Wenger or his players who take the brunt of the blame for the disastrous loss?

This was a performance that lacked defensive discipline, particularly in midfield. Was Wenger ignorant of the instruction that he gave his players — Thierry Henry revealed an interesting tidbit after the game where he asked Wenger about Aaron Ramsey’s performance against Tottenham Hotspur last season, questioning the attacking freedom that he had as he abandoned his defensive duties. Henry stated that Wenger wanted him to play in such a way and actively encouraged his attacking tendencies, even from a deeper-lying position –, simply ignoring the defensive restrictions and tactics that he had to implement or did the players simply ignore what he played?

It is, naturally, an impossible question to answer. I doubt we will never know the approach in training through the week, what Wenger’s tactics were and what was said in the dressing room before the game and at half time. But two factors do give us some clues as to who should shoulder the blame: history and effort.

This is far from the first time that Arsenal have been dismantled at the hands of a Premier League rival. No matter the makeup of the players, they are exploited again and again in the same way. The one common theme? Wenger.

Equally, however, there was a clear and painful lack of effort from the players on the pitch. The tracking of runs, for example, is not a difficult or complicated job. It simply requires running. The desire of doing it is all that is needed. Nothing more. But Arsenal showed none of that. It would be unfair and misguided to ascribe that to Wenger. You can’t expect the man on the sidelines to take the blame for the effort that is shown in between the white lines.

Next: Arsenal Vs Liverpool: 5 things we learned

Ultimately, this was a team loss. There was not one player who performed near the level that was expected of them. Whether Wenger did give the necessary instruction that was required or not, only he and his players will know. But what cannot be doubted is that improvements and change must be made. What that change must be, however, is a different question altogether.

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