There was an interesting study done recently at the university in Edinburgh, claiming that watching Romantic comedies can "ruin your love life" because they create unrealistic expectations. At first when I read it, I laughed, but then thought about the concept - and I put the likes of Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail to the proverbial "real-life exam" and deducted that, in actual fact, the study made a lot of sense. How often do you meet the love of your life via an AOL-email, how often do you fly thousands of miles across the Atlantic to Milwaukee of all places and come back home with two beautiful women. The answer of course is rhetorical; it doesn't happen, and if it does, it's a pure fluke, a one off, the stuff dreams are made of. That, in my view, is what's wrong at Arsenal. The barrier for success has been set at such high standards that, whenever Arsenal lose in the Premier League, it is considered an absolute travesty.
The media have slated Arsene Wenger for a wide variety of aspects this season. Team selection, lack of activity in the transfer market, selecting a fit and proper captain - among others. But for me, the biggest elephant in the room this season occurred when, days after Arsenal's early season 3-1 win at Bolton, it was revealed that Arsene Wenger had sent out a team letter to the entire squad detailing the following:
Confidential
Team meeting 19th September 2008
The Team:
A team is as strong as the relationships within it.
The driving force of a team is its member's ability to create and maintain excellent relationships within the team that can add an extra dimension and robustness to the team dynamic.
This attitude can be used by our team to focus on the gratitude and the vitally important benefits that the team brings to our own lives. It can be used to strengthen and deepen the relationships within it and maximize the opportunities that await a strong and united team.
Our team becomes stronger by:
Displaying a positive attitude on and of f the pitch
Everyone making the right decisions for the team
Have an unshakeable belief that we can achieve our target
Believe in the strength of the team
Always want more - always give more
Focus on our communication
Be demanding with yourself
Be fresh and well prepared to win
Focus on being mentally stronger and always keep going to the end
When we play away from home, believe in our identity and play the football we love to play at home
Stick together
Stay grounded and humble as a player and as a person
Show the desire to win in all that you do
Enjoy and contribute to all that is special about being in a team - don't take it for granted.
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Sound familiar? You could be forgiven for thinking it was the base of a script for a romantic flick involving George Clooney and Julia Roberts. This, in my opinion, is the problem at Arsenal - and with Arsene Wenger. He persistently demands unrealistic expectations. These players are young, this sort of psychological mumbo-jumbo isn't what the younger players need. Sure, a helping hand and a father-like figure to look on to is helpful, but going as deep as this note does, well, it seems too far down the rabbit hole for my liking. Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson employing a similar tactic? Not a chance. Coincidentally, the team deservedly beat Bolton to go top of the league. However, as I stated, news about the note was leaked to the media in the days after the game. Wenger was forced to field some embarrassing questions about the note. He, as per usual, went on a self-proclaimed rant against the "moral ethics of society" and further stated that he was "proud" of the note... but the perplexity of some of the messages within it made me wonder.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Arsenal threw away a 1-0 advantage to Hull, losing the game in the process, and surrendering their position at the top of the Premier League. Worse was to follow, letting a 4-2 lead slip against Tottenham, shocking defeats to Man City and Stoke, and the William Gallas fracas somewhat deflected the shameful performances of the team - but further brought to light the emotional instability inside the ranks at Arsenal. To bring my point back to what I said at the beginning, I believe Wenger is living in the past. When he is questioned about his methods in press-conferences, he states that he strives for perfection at the start of the season - and reminds the media frequently of the "unbeaten season". And that's one, of many, of Arsenal major problems. Had Arsenal lost 2 or 3 games that season, and still won the league, there wouldn't be this barrier at unprecedented, Mount Everest-like heights. It would have been another league winning season.
Ironically, Mourinho's first title included a near-perfect season. A record points total, record number of clean sheets, etc... but one blemish; a solitary defeat away to Manchester City. When Wenger was asked to comment about Chelsea's unbridled success that year, Wenger cheekily pointed out that his side had gone unbeaten, and there is "a big difference" between winning the league and going unbeaten. In the following years, Chelsea won trophy after trophy - and Arsenal have won next to nothing; including an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the league cup final in 2007. In conclusion, if Arsene Wenger wishes to make Arsenal a successful team, he needs to abandon this philosophy of absolute perfection. The unbeaten season was fantastic, but it was a one-off; it might never be repeated again. And it is lingering around the club, like a ghost - a terrifying re-occurring nightmare that spells disaster season after season. The sooner Wenger abandons eulogizing about the 2003-2004 invincibles, the better. It was nearly half a decade ago...
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