Just as the young lad with the welding goggles replied - 'I'm not a real welder mister', so I am not really a blogger or indeed an expert on very much at all. Certainly not the minutiae of transfer targets or the vagaries of 442 or 433 or 451, but I am a football fan, an Arsenal fan to be exact, and it's been a tough few weeks to say the very least.
I should also say that while I love the game, and my team above all others, I do not enjoy the tribalism that often seems to go with it and would certainly not ever use the term 'scum' in relation to any opponent or opposing teams' supporters. Sure, I enjoy the odd light-hearted banter at the expense of the 'Spuds' or Chel$ki etc., but not in a vehement or violent way like some do. But hey, each to their own I suppose.
So whilst the Black scarf brigade - perhaps 'squad' would be more accurate - and others are predictably debating the end of the world and the possible 'ousting' of the manager after yet another season without silverwear, I was wondering what success might look like next season?
Firstly, I think Wenger is the best man for the job - there is only one manager in the Premiership who is anywhere near as good as him, and he won't be coming to the Emirates anytime soon. Looking further afield, I don't see anyone else at the moment who would represent an improvement on who we are, IMHO lucky to have right now. Guardiola? Mourihno? Not out of the question, but also not very likely to come.
But, and as @rioferdy5 might say about PiersMorgan, it's a big 'but'. You might think that only the winning of a trophy next year will be enough for AW to keep his job - even if it is only the Carling Cup, and that might not be enough for the faithful. It's difficult to judge what the best case scenario would be - the Premiership is clearly the most difficult title to win, but we've done that. Many Gooners would swap that for the Champion's League trophy which we haven't. Difficult to call and I too am undecided. It would be a fantastic problem to have of course.
But how likely is it that Arsenal can win anything next season? One would have to say that this season has been one of the 'softest' for years. Man-U have not been great but have been very strong at the business end. Chelsea have been poor by recent standards but will finish above us. Man-City have been sporadic, never really sparkling, but again will likely finish above us.
All will spend more than Arsenal in the summer: Citeh by a massive margin with Chel$ki very close behind them. United will undoubtedly build and might be Champions League winners which would help them to attract the best. Liverpool now seem to be ominously back on track.
Next year will be much more difficult for Arsenal than this year.
The danger (for Wenger) is that the fans will measure the success, or otherwise, against the standards of this season. Not an easy prospect for him or the club.
In my non-expert opinion if AW sorts out the problems we all know about - positions including keeper, centre-back, a Viera-style centre midfielder and a 20-goals a season striker but most importantly attitude and commitment, then (and I hesitate to say this) I think the fans will be happy, even if we don't win a trophy next season. I'd even say that if he doesn't sort these issues out, and we were to win something like the Carling/FA cup through luck, that I'd be joining the calls for him to go.
I guess it remains to be seen. And that's why he's paid the big bucks. But he has the biggest challenge yet next year in my opinion - priority must be to put the fight back in the dog. Tony Adams would have gone berserk about attitude during the last ten games. We need to get to the position where he would have been proud of the team's attitude, win lose or draw next season.
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