When is enough not enough – how about three Premier League titles (’98, ’02 & ’04) and four FA Cups (’98, ’02, ’03 & ’05). For a perfectionist such as Arsene Wenger you can bet that it’s never enough. If Arsenal fails to advance against Liverpool on Tuesday night in the Champions League the ache will felt deeply as it will be three years since he last tasted that perfection in the form of silverware.
Three years is the longest trophy drought for the man known as the Professor since he arrived on English shores and took the reigns of Arsenal FC in 1996. In those days he was known as ‘Arsene Who’, no one calls him that anymore but one can’t help but wonder whether the three time Manager of the Year is beginning to lose his alchemists touch in the winning department?
You’ll find no argument from me regarding the quality of football that the Gunners have sometimes displayed this year. On occasions its reach a height that I’ve never seen before. The fluency, movement and sheer exhilaration of 100mph football being played flawlessly would take your breath away and it looked for much of the season that his boldness and belief in his kids would be rewarded – but then the lights were turned out.
Some may ask ‘where it all went wrong’ while others may say that this grand experiment in re-inventing football is a year ahead of schedule and that there were bound to be the odd hic-cup along the way.
If we look back at the campaign, Wenger’s decision not to aggressively enter the transfer market in July ’07 and in January ‘08 initially looked sound as they’ve topped the table for a total of 23 weeks. He only spent $16 million on Bakari Sagna and Lassana Diarra (who later moved to Portsmouth at a profit!) but its money that was not spent that looks like eventually hurting him.
I like many pundits thought that the squad while bursting with fresh, new and exciting talent was dangerously paper thin and above all lacked a ‘big’ personality. This has been borne out since the strange 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United in the 5th round of the FA Cup. What was once fast and stylish has now become slow and ponderous – it’s as though they’re punch drunk.
You can point to the win in Milan, which was epic, as was the comeback against Bolton last weekend but if you swing enough you’re bound to eventually connect. What’s missing is the stinging jab that’s landed over and over again.
Of course ‘Big’ personalities cost ‘big’ money and although Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry were all past their ‘sell-by-dates’ when Wenger wisely moved them out, their charisma and strength of personality has not been replaced. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a war chest though and when you consider that his three main challengers have spent in excess of $200 million since 2007, you have to wonder why the Emirates purse has been kept stashed firmly in his codpiece. For sure the players that have replaced the three ‘Highbury Titans’ are fitter and younger but it takes years to own a dressing room. When you look at the current behavior of club skipper, William Gallas, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Supposedly Henry had too much of a say in the dressing room and with his diminishing skills was the reason that he was let go. Fair enough Arsene, I say but who is in charge now?
I know Wenger takes great pleasure in developing talent and his record is second to none but I can’t help but wonder whether he’s letting his ego get in the way of signing someone to boss his club where it matters – out on the park.
If you believe that Cesc Fabregas or Mathieu Flamini are the future, you’re correct, but they are not the complete finished article…yet!
At the end of the day Arsene Wenger wants to be in charge – he is in charge – he rules Arsenal and the Emirates, however, he needs to make available some space on his throne - for someone who is going to cost him a lot of money - and who will arrive in North London with an ego as big as his if not bigger.
Currently there is no danger of Wenger getting fired, in fact uttering that phrase would be considered sacrilegious but with football increasingly becoming more about the bottom line, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal Football Club need to start winning trophies again.
Seems to me, prior to the season, none of the pundits had Arsenal finishing in the top 4. Without Henry, it was said we were doomed to a mid-table spot, with Spurs in the
ascendancy (how big a laugh did that turn out to be), and yet, it's nearing the end of the season, and we're still (if only slightly) in the running for both the Premiership title and the Champions League trophy.
All of this without possibly our best striker (van Persie), without Thomas Rosicky, and lately without Eduardo.
I want silverware as much as the next person, and we will have to spend to get some solid players, but I don't think we necessarily need them to have massive egos.
I don't think they are punch drunk but rather beat up and weary. Youthful enthusiasm carries a player just so far, and then the ability to adjust to difficulties caused by chronic fatigue and knocks (better known to older players) becomes important. However, considering they were picked to go no better than 6th at the outset, they have really done rather well, and could yet win the EPL if Chelsea and Man U falter (and neither of these teams seems to be wearing the big red S on the uniform these days). I think the lack of a big, fast central defender has hurt some, too--that turns out to be an important ingredient when other teams try the direct approach and also benefits set pieces at the other end. However, such defenders aren't all that easy to find.
I believe Mr. Wenger is wise enough to know that big talent comes with big ego, but it has to be the right kind of ego, the 'difficult I do immediately, impossible takes a few minutes longer' type, not the 'I am much more important than the rest of the team' type. Say, Eric Cantona as an good example.
Last edited by stujonesmd on April 8th at 7:14 PM.
Without spending too much time digging through the blogs here, what I have not seen in great quantity or quality are suggestions about whom it is that arsene ought to buy. Which player(s) out there during the transfer window would have made the sort of difference needed? Perhaps there were more alternatives (especially when speaking about cup-tied players) in the summer, but even then I don't believe that there were "difference makers" that would be available for under 12m. (Spending more than that on one player, whether at ashburton grove or not, just seems excessive and there are only a couple of examples that might prove otherwise).
there have been assertions in the past comparing arsenal to van Gaal's ajax teams in the mid-90's (which I find pretty appropriate), where the emphasis was on quality young players who could play at a high level and within the structure (even though possession- and attack-oriented). The cog, in my view, that made the ajax team great in '95 was the addition of Rijkaard. His experience and ability to calm the rest of the younger team was invaluable and perhaps the influence of someone like him might have prevented the possibility of the two late goals yesterday. (One had hoped that Gilberto could have been such an influence yesterday, but that's for another post.) Obviously, there will be very few players like Rijkaard around, but perhaps it goes some way in illustrating how one player can make a substantial difference for a team. People can go on about the quality of the arsenal defenders, but to go back to the ajax example, would anyone
Last edited by ccfbayern7 on April 9th at 10:58 AM.
compare blind, Reiziger, Silooy or Bogarde with a Baresi, Beckenbauer or even a Thuram? You wouldn't, because their strength was in their collective abilities (which, as a group, arsenal are not a bad defensive unit) and the calming influence in front of them. I don't know who that player might be for arsenal, but until such a personality can be ID'd for them, the transfer window talk is more than a bit harsh.
Which brings me to the depth question. While it cannot be denied that ManU and Chelski have strength in depth, could it really (successfully) be argued that ManU could afford to lose Tevez, Carrick and Vidic or Chelsea lose Sheva, Ballack and Cole and be successful for the end of a campaign? I use these examples (and they're not perfect parallels) because while not all of these players are full-time starters, their contributions to their respective teams could not be replaced. The loss of Eduardo, Sagna and to a lesser extent, Rosicky (not to mention the other niggling injuries), have robbed the arse of impact players that had significant roles in their success this year. Yes, ManU and CFC have depth, but not the kind of quality to replace the above-named players. Saha and Wes Brown, while serviceable, are not the real thing and undeserved caps aside, they don't represent much more than any youngsters arsene would throw out there.
I don't think Arsene needs an ego bigger than himself. I do think he needs a bigger personality in the locker room who has won something significant. Why not even get Lillian Thuram on a two year contract? He alone would be enough to push Arsenal over the top. And what about the Henry rumors???
How about Kaka? Someone who can run with Fabregas, and yet continue the runs and actually scores. His ego (or non of it) would be something Wenger can handle. If Chelsea thinks they can get him to leave Milan, I believe he would rather play beautiful football at Arsenal than Chelsea.
I believe when Wenger look at young talents , he should be more decisive. He talked about Ronaldo and Torres almost coming to Arsenal but the fact is there are not here and he could have done something. There are many other under 20 proven talents which might cost a bit more than why he usually pays, but still affordable by Arsenal. He can develop them not just to become some decent players, but superstars. I think he is a bit obsessed in trying to turning flee market finds into treasures. It might work once a while, but ...sigh
I would not be at all surprised to see Wenger buy nobody this summer. If he does buy, he'll only buy one or two.
So what if Arsenal play pretty nice football if they do not win anything they may as well be tottenham!
I think Wenger is like Benitez, i.e. he cant admit when he's made a balls up. Rather than admit he's not got what it takes to be a manager, i.e. he doesnt know what he's doing he prefers to stick with it...and get Arsenal players to waltz up to the six yard box all nicey nicey and NOT score!
I would like a quid for everytime I screamed "shoot, shoot" this season.
Wenger needs to go! What is he? A psychologist or economist? One of the two. What do either of these have to do with football and wanting to ram the ball and half the opposition team in the net ten times a game? Okay. Psychology has a lot to do with football, but footballers should not need anyone to tell them where the net is.
Wenger needs to be ejected, preferably to tottenham. I bet he would head for tottenham if he got the boot at Arsenal. That sums him up.
I have been an Arsenal follower (follower not fan) for well over 35 years (and football follower for 43 years) so I know what im talking about.
I bet if Wenger went the team would flourish!
And that fool had better not try to bring spoilt brat Henry back either!
Who will break into the 'B4' and who will avoid the drop. So many questions will be answered over the next nine months because it's back - the greatest show on earth - The Barclays Premier League.
