Wenger anger betrays his true views

ARSENE WENGER would never have openly admitted it, but his anger after Monday’s defeat at Fulham made it plain that he believed his Arsenal side were still in the title race.

That may sound ridiculous, considering Arsenal made their worst start to a season in 58 years and lost 8-2 at Old Trafford, but they have been building a head of steam for three months now.

Since they lost at Tottenham on October 2, Arsenal had taken 29 points from 12 games — three more than both Manchester United and Manchester City in the same period.

Arsenal had risen from 15th to fourth. If they had won at Fulham, the gap would have been down to six points, and with away trips to Old Trafford, the Etihad Stadium, White Hart Lane, Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park already completed, Wenger’s quietly held optimism would have been justified.

Yet amid the furore and anger at Craven Cottage, Wenger adopted his most sour demeanour and poured scorn at referee Lee Probert down every available microphone.

Largely, his criticism was unjustified; Probert had little choice but to dismiss Johan Djourou, although he should have awarded Arsenal a first-half penalty.

Ultimately, the game demonstrated why Wenger must lower his sights, and perhaps that was why his fury boiled over. The reason was there in the fact that Robin van Persie was asked to play a full 90 minutes for the third time in seven days, so poor are his replacements, Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin.

It was there in the fact that he had a centre-back and a central midfielder in the two full-back positions.

And it was there in the fact that the substitutes’ bench was packed full of past-it professionals who no-one wants to see at the club anymore.

Sebastien Squillaci? Sacré bleu.

All that was highlighted in the last half-hour, where Arsenal desperately tried to cling onto the advantage given to them by Laurent Koscielny. They could not, thanks to Djourou’s dismissal, and their inability to keep the ball. There was no respite for their overworked defenders; they could not hold out.

Yet it should not be all doom and gloom. Arsenal have progressed beyond recognition since those dark days in August and September.

Van Persie has proven he is the best striker in England; perhaps, depending on whether you would classify Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as forwards, the world.

Koscielny has surprised everyone by being arguably the best defender in the country, holding together an ever-changing back four.

Aaron Ramsey is blossoming into the player it was hoped he would be before suffering that sickening broken leg in February 2010, while Alex Song is ever-impressive.

And ultimately, Wenger has regained much of the respect that was lost amid the opprobrium and invective that was heaped on him during that tumultuous start to the season.

The return of Thierry Henry may not prove to be effective, but it serves as a reminder to the supporters of what their manager has done for the club.

A place in the top four is possible once again. True, they face a battle royal with Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool for the two spots behind the Manchester clubs, but it can be achieved. Granted, Theo Walcott and Gervinho need to remember they can produce the final ball that has been so conspicuously lacking of late, while the team as a whole needs to rid itself of the complacency that infected their first-half performance at Craven Cottage.

That is what has cost them a tilt at the title. Yet to be back in the race at all was quite an achievement.