Under-fire Wenger urged to get defensive coach by hapless players
Published:Just when it looked as though things couldn’t get any worse for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal they go to a winless Blackburn Rovers and ship four goals in a dire defeat.
According to the Daily Mirror, Wenger has now been urged by senior players to get a defensive coach to help stop the rot that has seen them concede 14 goals in their opening five games.
Quite what a defensive coach could have done about the defeat on Sunday other than tell them to stop scoring own goals is another matter, but there is no doubt the Gunners need to shore up their defence if they are to even have a chance of finishing in the top four.
The Daily Mirror reckons the prime candidates for the role are Martin Keown, who seems to be spending less and less time on the Match of the Day sofa these days, and Steve Bould, who is currently working within the Arsenal youth set up.
The North London side are out to 7/4 to finish in the Champions League places and a massive 50/1 to win the league – you’d have to go back a long way to find the last time they were that price half way through September.
The odds suggest the Gunners’ best chance of silverware this season is in the Carling Cup in which they have been installed as 7/1 fourth favourites.
They have what should be a relatively straightforward game against Shrewsbury on Tuesday night and will be expected to steamroller the League Two side at 1/5.
Having made the final last year, the Gunners could be well worth an each-way punt to win the cup this year.
