Arsene Wenger is a man that deserves a tremendous amount of respect. However, lately Arsenal's most successful manager has been making decisions, which quite frankly boggle the mind beyond belief.
First was the decision to play Gervinho as a center forward at the start of the season. While the move might have given moderate success, it was clear for everyone there was no long-term view to it. Or was there?
The Ivory Coast international was again played as a central striker in the 2-0 loss to Swansea, albeit he was swapped a few times to the left with Lukas Podolski filling the central role.
Gervinho was woeful in the game, so thankfully he was shifted to the left of the front three for the 2-0 win over West Brom, although he was far from convincing there as well.
Then, again Wenger, even if he might not have had too many other options, chose to play Gervinho down the middle in the humiliating loss to Bradford in the Capital One Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday.
Gervinho has one of the poorest first (second and third) touches I have ever seen in an Arsenal player over the past 20 years or so. So to play him as a central striker, when through balls come at you at pace, and there are layoffs and the need to be aware inside the box, another quality he sorely lacks, is not understandable.
The 25-year-old missed one of the easiest chances any striker can ask for in the first half of that game, a chance which, if he had converted, would have made the game 1-1, with plenty of time remaining.
Kieran Gibbs played a delightful ball across the six yard box, after some neat build up play from Arsenal, one of their very few in the game, but Gervinho somehow managed to miss the target - an open net - from three yards out.
Then another inexplicable decision was made by Wenger, early in the second half, with Arsenal still trailing. The manager brought on Marouane Chamakh for Francis Coquelin, who had easily been the best player for Arsenal up until then.
Wenger also introduced Tomas Rosicky and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - for Aaron Ramsey and Lukas Podolski -- a few minutes later, but again chose to leave Gervinho on the field.
Arsenal are not a team that should be happy with just a player's commitment. Gervinho works hard, runs all game and gives it his all - but for all those positive attributes, he lacks quality and technical ability. The 25-year-old would not have gotten anywhere near the squad that bossed the Premier League in the early 2000s.
It is easy to criticize one player when the club is going through a bad phase. There were several others who did not perform up to expectations at Bradford, but Gervinho's inability to make any sort of positive impact stuck out like a sore thumb.
Ever since making his move from Lille, where he enjoyed much success, the Ivorian has flattered to deceive, to put it very mildly. One good game is followed by three or four frustrating ones, yet Wenger continues to persevere with the 25-year-old.
Arsenal need to make some serious changes, before everything goes pear-shaped and beyond repair. Putting a little more trust in the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott, over Gervinho might be the starting point needed.
Gervinho's best position is on the bench; he can be useful as an impact substitute in the final 20 minutes or so, but surely nothing more. It really is that obvious, isn't it?
