To a proud, hardened competitor from The Kingdom, Arsenal’s bickering and callow displays must seem utterly unfathomable.
Kerry men and Kerry women are as passionate about their county’s footballers as Arsenal fans are about their club but only one has a Fan TV show dedicated to lamenting defeats and iffy performances. The differences don’t end there.
The latest reports from North London are that Arsenal are considering bringing in former Gunner Marc Overmars as Director of Football with Wenger signing a contract extension to stay on for at least another season.
When asked if he was aware of the Overmars links, Wenger told reporters, “No, I’m not. I like Marc Overmars.”
While all the talk has been about the Frenchman’s future, many of his under-performing players have escaped scrutiny. That does not cut it for many and Marc Ó Sé has had enough.
The former Kerry GAA star told SportsJOE Live:
“The older you get as a manager, the tougher it is, and Wenger is pushing on in years.
“When younger lads come in and if things are not going well, the first thing they are going to do is they’re not going to blame themselves. They’re going to look at someone else to blame. They’re obviously blaming Wenger so it’s a no-win situation.
“These fellas, at the same time, need to have a bit of pride and start playing.”
Pride. Simple as that.
For Ó Sé that is a pure, basic requirement and something that is sadly lacking at Arsenal. The former defender never saw a cent for his years of inter-county service but he still poured himself into every role and task he was given.
“There’s an onus on you as professionals,” he declared.
“These guys are getting huge money every week – week in, week out – so there’s an onus on you to perform to your highest level. These fellas, if they’re not doing it, they should be sitting down straight away.”
Former Ireland international Andy Reid knows the North London football scene well, having represented Tottenham in the Premier League and having come up against Arsenal numerous times.
He does not feel Wenger is a manager that players can ‘walk all over’ but the players are not taking personal pride in their performances.
While Wenger is the one feeling the heat, many of the Arsenal players need to have a long, hard look at themselves as the season reaches its boiling point.
