For a club of Arsenal. �s pedigree, a season without silverware is not merely a disappointment. It is a bitter pill that sticks in the throat of the G...
For a club of Arsenal. �s pedigree, a season without silverware is not merely a disappointment. It is a bitter pill that sticks in the throat of the Gooner faithful. GoalZaza can now lay bare the reasons why Renee Slegers. � charges, despite flashes of brilliance that lit up the Emirates, have fallen short in the Barclays Women. �s Super League and waved goodbye to Champions League glory. In the scheme of things, the North London side gave a good account of themselves on many occasions, yet the cold, hard truth is that they have come away with the lion. �s share of the blame for their own demise. The primary ailment has been a troubling lack of clinical edge in the final third. While the midfield, marshalled by the formidable Kim Little, has often dictated the tempo, the attack has been guilty of squandering clear cut chances. Against the elite sides of Europe, such profligacy is a death sentence. One cannot score three goals and then fail to kill a game, allowing the opposition to steal a draw or a late victory. It is a disease of the mind as much as the feet. The powers that be at the club will be looking at the strikers. � conversion rates with great concern. Defensively, the Gunners have been uncharacteristically porous. The usual stalwart organisation has given way to individual errors at the most punishing times. When a team ships soft goals in a Champions League quarterfinal, the journey ends abruptly. The midfield has not always provided the necessary shield for the back four, leaving the goalkeeper exposed. It has been a season of. �nearly. � but not. �enough. �. In the Nigerian context, the absence of a top tier Nigerian international in the Arsenal frontline has been felt. While fans remember the exploits of past Super Falcons heroes who donned the red jersey, the current squad lacks that raw, African power that can turn a tight game on its head. Compare this to the impact of Victor Osimhen or Victor Boniface at their respective European clubs; they bring a relentless hunger that Arsenal. �s women have missed. At the end of the day, football is about putting the round thing in the back of the net, and Arsenal have simply not done it often enough when the heat is on. Meanwhile, down in the viewing centres in Surulere and the plazas of Wuse, the reaction has been one of resigned sorrow. You will see a man in a Kanu jersey sip his malt drink slowly, shaking his head as the final whistle blows on the Arsenal season.. �Na so we dey suffer,. � he will mutter under his breath, watching the blue of Chelsea or the red of Lyon celebrate. The air goes out of the room as the dream of a treble fades, replaced by the familiar refrain of. �next season.. � The local analysts on the benches will argue vehemently about the manager. �s tactics, insisting that if you cannot win the aerial battles in the box, you cannot win the league. The frustration is thick enough to cut with a knife. So, as the season closes without a trophy, Arsenal must return to the drawing board. The talent is there, but the mentality and the ruthless streak are missing. For a club with such a storied history, this is not good enough. And every single Gooner, from Highbury to the streets of Ikeja, knows it.
