Arsenal becoming just another club, and Wenger just another manager

It's dismaying to me. The excuses.

Maybe I am an abnormal football supporter, but I can't help seeing things exactly as they are. I don't have a biased bone in my body - I am almost totally objective when it comes to watching any sport, irrespective of the individual or team I support.

Nationality does not interest me, and neither does creed or colour.

The fine details of my opinions may well be worthy of debate, but I can at least guarantee to myself that there remains an honest objectivity there. That's why I always believed I would be a different blogger, and that's why I called my blog Arsenal Truth. I dont see much objectivity on other blogs, I'm not convinced they always express exactly what they feel, mostly for fear of being pilloried by other Arsenal fans.

Perhaps my objectivity explains then why every time Arsene Wenger opens his mouth these days, all I hear is contradictions, excuses, false truths.

I can't back him when so much of what he says flies in the face of the facts, lacks sensible enquiry, impartiality.

More to the point, I often feel patronised by our manager.

Arsene Wenger's reaction to Adebayor's sending off at Liverpool has made me even more disillusioned, lowered my respect of the manager by another 1%.

His blindsided opinions are no big deal as an individual event, but just another brick removed from  a slow-crumbling facade.

To tackle the subject in question, let's get this straight - it's highly questionable whether Adebayor should have been sent off at Liverpool. The first challenge he committed was a booking - the second challenge probably not. But from referee Howard Webb's angle I can completely understand how and why Webb decided to hand out a second yellow.

Adebayor raised a foot several feet from the ground and brought it down sharply in the direction of Arbeloa (to build a barrier between his body and the ball) whilst simultaneously pushing him in the face.

From the referees perspective, and at full speed, it looked as if Adebayor put his foot through him and that's why Arbeloa went down.

It was a genuine refereeing mistake. The reasons for Adebayor's sending off, correct or incorrect, are so obvious, and any fool must surely know by now that in a world of TV replays, a tackle from one angle can look completely different from another.

Some might even suggest that despite Adebayor making little, if any, contact, his actions should still be punishable as a dangerous play offence.

Armed with this knowledge therefore, why after the event is Wenger continuing to blame the referee, and even more disappointing, insisting that Adebayor's sending off denied Arsenal a victory?

According to Wenger, Arsenal would have won had Adebayor stayed on the pitch. It's a lame excuse - the very lamest of excuses. From what I saw, Arsenal re-doubled their efforts after the Adebayor sending off and earned themselves a point from a game that looked to be desperately slipping away. Besides all that, Arsenal were at home and there was nothing to stop them winning with 10 men - it's happened dozens of times before, especially under Wenger.

Unfortunately, Wenger yet again chose to bring out the anti-Arsenal card. All this anti-Arsenal tripe is just that, tripe. Referees are not anti-Arsenal and Arsenal get as much protection as any other team.

Some managers are honourable in defeat. Martin O'Neill, Steve Coppell, Roy Hodgson, Harry Redknapp, Gareth Southgate - I have a certain respect for all of them. Maybe not the clubs they represent, but for their usually fair post-match appraisals. They call a spade a spade, tell it how it is. They may even criticise their own players from time to time.

Wenger NEVER criticises his players, almost as if it's that's the difference between success and failure.

Personally, I believe it can do more harm than good. When you have a bunch of vastly overpaid footballers that never have a bad word said against them and are continually protected from every misdemeanour they commit, you can end up with a bunch of lazy egomaniacs who actually believe they are beyond criticism, perfect players with ability perceived to be well beyond the realms of reality.

Of course the Adebayor incident was just one incident in which I lost yet another smidgen of respect for Wenger. But when you add up 10 months of almost continual excuses for non-performance - without even a hint of objectivity - it does tend to corrode one's opinion of a manager over time.

It's really nothing to do with lack of trophies, lack of success, more to do with lack of honesty, sincerity and integrity. The latter of which I assumed Wenger to have in abundance, but it's faded pretty fast this season.

I think Arsenal fans need some honesty and integrity from the board (due to present circumstances) and the manager - they've been pushing a hand in our face for a long time now.

What's happening at Arsenal is not a disaster, the club's long-term future, with or without Wenger, is excellent, we still have a good team, far from great, but good, and we should never as supporters expect success. Improvement yes, success no. But I do expect the club to be on the level with it's fans, both in the boardroom, and especially the more immediate face of the club, the manager.

Without that you have little. Maybe it's just me, but Arsenal just doesn't seem like Arsenal much these days. The board are in-fighting, Wenger hides all his intentions and repeatedly gives false accounts of every event, the players - bless them - are in a mollycoddled dream world - and even the fans squabble amongst themselves and  boo players when they know they probably shouldn't.

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As I unfortunately pondered last Sunday, Cesc Fabregas will be missing from Arsenal for at least 3 months rather than 3 weeks. Wenger now has his excuse to move into the transfer market without losing face.

Names have cropped up. Arshavin, Tevez etc. but are these the players Arsenal need? How will Arshavin make up for Arsenal's lack of a defensive midfielder or flaky central defence?

However unlikely, should Wenger bring in both I doubt either would make a significant enough difference to turn Arsenal into genuine trophy hunters.

If Wenger was to purchase four experienced players, including a defensive midfielder and centre back I would have more belief, but this seems highly unlikely - even though not an unrealistic objective because Arsenal really need that many top quality players.

What with the inconsistency of the current top three, one might even imagine Arsenal could somehow put in a title challenge if Wenger could transform the team with at least three Premiership-ready players in the most necessary of positions.

Personally, I believe Manchester Utd will walk it in the end - they have great fixtures, but I can but dream.