Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has launched a scathing attack on Arsene Wenger, accusing the long-serving manager of 'bad planning' in the transfer market, and building a team that 'lacks spirit' and 'doesn't compete'.
Speaking to The Mirror, Lawro was typically blunt in his assessment of Wenger's performance in the transfer market over the last year, and he argued that Arsenal's failure to replace players like Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas has caused the the club to fall 'further and further behind'. He observed:
"We all knew Fabregas was going. Nasri was a transfer saga for most of the summer yet Wenger left it until a last minute supermarket dash just before the transfer window shut on August 31.
"That’s either bad planning, bad management or dithering in the transfer market on a negligent scale.
"Arsenal have the finances to spend bigger than they have done, but chose not to. Fans have seen Arsenal go from the Invincibles of 2004 – even the class of 2008 beat AC Milan in the San Siro – to a side which doesn’t compete, has a lack of spirit and is falling further and further behind"
The inconsistency of Arsenal and Chelsea this season has presented Liverpool with countless opportunities to capitalise, but every single time, the club has failed to take advantage.
The most galling thing is that 4th place was/is there for the taking this season, and despite Arsenal's poor start to the season, and indifferent form all the way through, Liverpool are still stuck in 7th place, *below* Wenger's team.
Jaimie Kanwar
Speaking to The Mirror, Lawro was typically blunt in his assessment of Wenger's performance in the transfer market over the last year, and he argued that Arsenal's failure to replace players like Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas has caused the the club to fall 'further and further behind'. He observed:
"We all knew Fabregas was going. Nasri was a transfer saga for most of the summer yet Wenger left it until a last minute supermarket dash just before the transfer window shut on August 31.
"That’s either bad planning, bad management or dithering in the transfer market on a negligent scale.
"Arsenal have the finances to spend bigger than they have done, but chose not to. Fans have seen Arsenal go from the Invincibles of 2004 – even the class of 2008 beat AC Milan in the San Siro – to a side which doesn’t compete, has a lack of spirit and is falling further and further behind"
The inconsistency of Arsenal and Chelsea this season has presented Liverpool with countless opportunities to capitalise, but every single time, the club has failed to take advantage.
The most galling thing is that 4th place was/is there for the taking this season, and despite Arsenal's poor start to the season, and indifferent form all the way through, Liverpool are still stuck in 7th place, *below* Wenger's team.
Jaimie Kanwar
that just shows how bad liverpool have performed with the addition of £75m of english class (coughs)
ReplyDeleteLawrenson should perhaps note that big spenders Liverpool and Chelsea are doing worse !! Why does he criticise Arsenal and not theose clubs ?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, in the same time, Chelsea have spent close to twice that on 'foreign class' and arent doing much better.
ReplyDeleteAll of the traditional big 4 have been negligent in their transfer policies over the last 3 or 4 years, which is why City and Spurs have been able to break in so easily.
ReplyDeleteThe failures of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in the transfer market are obvious due to our poor performances in the league now, but Man U have been almost as negligent. Man U just happen have a better manager who refuses to accept the same standards of mediocrity that are viewed as success elsewhere, and so is forcing his team to continue challenging for the title while we challenge for 4th... :-(
That 'better manager' spent 6 years investing in and reshaping his squad before winning the title.
ReplyDeleteHe's criticising Arsene Wenger because he is in the news after going out of the FA Cup, and probably going out of the Champions League this week in a fairly limp and toothless manner. Wenger's reticence to spend big in the transfer market for quality players with character and leadership seems to be coming back to bite him on the bum. It is not as if he has had to balance the books, the money, and a lot of it, is there.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that Lawrenson will have something to say about Chel$ki's exit out of the FA Cup, and Liverpool should they exit too, but for this week Arsene Wenger is the news.
No denying the missed chances this season, however when you revamp the squad to the level LFC have then instant success is going to be difficult to achieve. We were a side on decline from 2009 losing our best players and not able to bring in adequate replacements, its just over a year since Kenny has been back and for me only enrique and suarez can be deemed to have settled well. Adam has did ok, Carroll and Henderson have failed to impress however they are young talented players and time should be given to see them develop into integral team players. Downing for me is poor has never performed to an acceptable level for LFC. Liverpool have spent lots of money and so far we have been able to put the club back on the road to recovery we have a long way yet to go however to be in 1 cup final every chance of making another and also still able to attain 4th is a huge improvement we still need pace and guile on the wings and a top striker to score on a regular basis but all is not doom and gloom up and down yes but plenty to be positive about
ReplyDeleteAnd how long has Wenger been reshaping his squad now? That argument just doesn't hold water.
ReplyDeleteAnd btw, by all accounts the owners over at Man U are just as self-serving as our last set were, if not worse. Their manager is just dealing with it...
Newcastle were in the Championship two years ago...
ReplyDeleteEveryone was having a go at Rafa for not buying British crap. KK proved him right cos that's what British players r. CRAP.We will never c champions league football till Rafa returnes. YNWA.
ReplyDeleteWho cares!
ReplyDeleteThe accounts of AFC are in the public domain. Anybody who says Wenger had money to spend is wrong.
ReplyDeleteFigure dont lie. Spending reserve cash was deemed risky by the board and management, and was probably not permitted by our mortgage lender anyway.
Im a very disappointed Arsenal fan. I do see failings in our squad and in the management, but there is no way I will blame Arsene for that. He took flak for not spending for 6 years, but the money was not there. As is normal in business, this wasnt declared because it would have weakened us far more.
I will criticise Arsene for things like - erratic motivation, lack of a plan B, defensive frailty etc. But not for taking the flak regarding finances.
Wenger may be going through a rough patch, and perhaps that is largely his own doing, but if he does go, the Premier league will be losing one if its defining characters.
ReplyDeleteHave you never admired Arsenal under Wenger as a football fan?
its liverpools first season, man city have been buying for the last 4 years and now have come good, give kenny time, we are improving
ReplyDeleteWenger has tried to prove you don't need to spend big and a academy can produce the players you need the same path we are on.
ReplyDeleteSlagging of Kenny's British buys lets not forget we were after Chamakh and Gervinho and both have them have both proved to be a disappointment to Wenger!
Wenger should have got Nigel De Jong give Arteta the protection Fellani use to give him at Everton.
I admired the team that used to counter attack at such ridiculous pace, and literally bully opposition off of the park on Highbury's tiny pitch.
ReplyDeleteThe teams that followed though, not so much. Even when everybody else was wanking over their 'pretty' football, I viewed it as pointless and ineffective due to the lack of width, penetration and pace in play.
If Wenger had left after 7 years, he'd be argued about as one of the greatest ever managers in England , whereas Ferguson would've been viewed as a failure. It just goes to show that every situation is different, and just going on about the time it took Ferguson to build his team proves nothing...
Manchester City were spending to build on a team that had just established itself as a mid-table Premiership team.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool on the other were spending to revitalise a team that had been perennial Champions League contenders, that had suffered a terrible year of mismanagement.
It's not quite the same thing...
Newcastle is a midtable premiership club. They had 1 unfortunately awful season that saw them relegated for just a season. They're now having an unusually good season that's seeing them amongst Chelsea, Arsenal and ourselves. It won't last.
ReplyDeleteActually it is. We've suddenly changed so many of our regular 1st 11 that they won't be as coordinated as we'd like. None of them could anticipate one another. None of our older players could anticipate them either. Carroll is just starting to click, Adam and Downing aren't looking too far away, but not there yet. Henderson is getting better but has a long way to go. But what this means for our squad is the goals will still not flow regularly, until everyone has clicked.
ReplyDelete