Does Arsène Still Know Best? – Clear Thinking “Post Old Trafford”. « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
By Nick Tolhurst
Does Arsène Still Know Best? – Clear Thinking “Post Old Trafford”.
Self criticism is nearly always beneficial, a mad orgy of doom, gloom and self destructive Scapegoating less so.
As those who read my last “Harsh Truths” article here while I may not be optimistic regarding Arsenal’s chances of lifting the Title this year I am very much in the Arsène knows better, if not “Arsène knows best”, camp.
But, faced with an 8-2 defeat against a bitter rival (a defeat to match the freaky results of the 19th century), should we “loyalists” reconsider? And, perhaps more importantly, what is exactly happening behind the corridors of power at the Emirates?
True, the mood has changed following the frantic events of the end of the transfer window, but we still need to consider where we were before these new men arrived.
Let’s look at the Old Trafford result (and the stuttering start to the season) with a cooler eye than the media are doing. While I disagree that all the media are somehow intrinsically “anti Arsenal” the sheer level of demented punditry going on does make me doubt the motives of some – although to be fair to people like Steve Claridge much of what passes for analysis seems to be more a mixture of spontaneous ill thought out kneejerkery and ignorance rather than premeditated malice.
As stated in “Harsh Truths” any knowledgeable Wenger observer will know that Arsène hasn’t changed his philosophy in 2 decades now. He doesn’t mind spending “big” – witness the 11million spent on Juventus reserve Henry in 1998 (nearer 20 million in “today’s money”). What Wenger has always done though is been his own man – in a number of ways. Firstly, he buys youth sprinkled with mature players who have “slipped under the radar” through injury, bad form or misfortune. He rarely ever buys a big star at a big club – financial constraints don’t really come into this philosophy – it’s just the way he is. Secondly, his teams are sent out trained to play a certain way – attacking football with technique put before defensive strategies and “thumping it long”. Thirdly, Arsène Wenger himself exudes throughout his professional life an almost moral asceticism which demands high standards both of him as well as of others. I have no problem with the first two and quite frankly any real Arsenal fan shouldn’t. There is case to be made though that Arsenal in general, and Arsène in particular, is suffering from the new found turbo oligarch investment and accompanying mercenary system which has infused top class football.
It is clear that Arsène thought that at least one of Nasri or Fabregas could be convinced to stay. While I have great sympathy for Cesc’s desire to return to his hometown, it seems from many indications from inside the club that Nasri misled Wenger into his intentions earlier in the summer when he angled (and received assurances) for the “Cesc role” in the team should Fabregas leave.
As a near bankrupt Barcelona dragged the Fabregas transfer on, in the hope of getting the most gifted young midfielder on the cheap, the role (and power) of Samir Nasri increased with each day. Arsène Wenger could of course have insisted that Fabregas stay but I believe his family like attitude to his players and strong moral code made this impossible. And Barcelona and Cesc of course knew it. Witness Cesc’s incredible honest, but sheepish, eulogies to Wenger over the last weeks – this is a man who knows that while Barca are his team, they have got him on the cheap largely thanks to Wenger’s refusal to force Cesc to see out his contract. Had this been Manchester United, I doubt if Fergie would have been so magnanimous! He would have demanded 60 million and given the player the choice between a pay rise and longer contract or playing in the reserves if he refused to toe the line till the other club paid up – friendship or “gentleman’s agreements” be dammed! For better or worse, Arsenal is just not that kind of club.
These, in Arsène’s own words “mentally draining”, transfer sagas combined with a very late transfer deadline that encourages clubs to grandstand till the last hour left Arsenal fatally exposed when 3 suspensions and 6 injuries hit simultaneously just as the team faced two very tough fixtures. The team against Manchester United was in all honesty a hastily cobbled together side better suited to a carling cup tie than such an important fixture. More worryingly Arsène himself, in all honesty even before the Old Trafford game, didn’t look like he had spent the summer recharging his batteries but had been consumed with the wearying and depressing minutiae of every singly transfer deal.
What can we learn from this and how can we avoid such a debacle in future? While a move toward changing the transfer deadline to finish before the season starts would be most welcome it’s both unlikely to succeed and beyond Arsenal’s power. More importantly, Arsenal as a club has to think a little deeper about the way they conduct business. It’s always nice hearing from clubs (Charlton being the most recent example) about how well Arsenal conducts negotiations. That Arsenal “did everything right and by the book”. This reflects well on the club and Wenger’s ethos, but quite frankly we know that such behaviour comes with a price as increasingly those old ways are disappearing in the new world of the Gary Cooks and the Jose Mourinhos. It may be time for Arsenal to adopt the widespread practice of agreeing everything in secret with the player first, tapping up and grandstanding. Arsène’s treatment of Cesc was exemplary and reflects well on him but ultimately Barca exploited such behaviour as a weakness.
Secondly, but just as importantly the board need to have more responsibility to ensure that transfer and negotiations are carried out quickly and effectively. Arsène should provide the board with his list of targets and the board should obtain these to a strict deadline decided by Wenger in the way they see fit. Having Arsène as coach, manager, head scout, mentor, negotiator and spokesman is simply piling on too much pressure and more crucially hopelessly comprises him when dealing with players like Fabregas who he is as much a father too as a coach. It is worth noting here that Alex Ferguson rarely speaks to the media nowadays, undertakes few training sessions and delegates transfer negotiations, leaving him (despite his age) free and refreshed to deal with and inspire the team.
What we must realise though is that for the club to abandon the system that Arsène built with it’s nurturing of youth just when Wilshere, Frimpong, Walcott, Ramsey, Gibbs, Szczesny and Miguel are breaking through would be madness itself. But by the same token Arsenal as a club must realise that in a world of Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid etc with unlimited resources and zero scruples we can no longer be champions through mere good will, good behaviour and Arsène’s wonderful playing style as in the late 90s and early 2000s. It’s time for the board to step up and give Arsène Wenger the backing he deserves, and more importantly needs, to do the job.
Nick Tolhurst
The writer is a Germany based Arsenal fan and author of numerous articles and books on sustainable business, including most recently “Responsible Business” (Wiley 2010).
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