Arsenal
Arsene Wenger does it his way but will he now stay? Part 2
By Merlion
September 5 2013
This continues from Part 1During this period, a stubborn Wenger was adamant that there will be no change to his Youth Project.Asked if he was proud to be above Chelsea given their ability to spend £75million on two players within a few hours, Wenger said: “I don’t think I have to be especially ashamed. We have gone for a different policy. I don’t criticise people who invest bigger. We have gone for development of our youth system with the philosophy that is internal so we are less in demand to bring any in. We are in the market always because if a good opportunity comes up we will always take it, but we are not in a desperate situation.”
Gazidis gave full support to Arsene Wenger during October 2012 Arsenal AGM. “In the next two years, we will have the financial resources to sit and compete among the leading clubs in the world, which is an extraordinary achievement,” Gazidis said. Of course, he is referring to Arsenal’s shirt sponsorship and kit supplier deals are up for renewal in summer 2014 which will increase the player transfer funds.
But the current angst is simply Arsenal fans refuse to accept Arsene Wenger for who he is, his belief in his players, his belief in his squad, and building and promoting from within is the way to go, not Abramovich’s "financial doping" to build a successful team, which just broke even (£1.4m profit) during FY2011/12. That Chelsea FC figure of £255.7m turnover is the fifth largest in Europe and takes them above Arsenal for the first time in the Deloitte Money League FY2011/12 on turnovers from football-related businesses.
During 2011-12, Abramovich converted a £166.6m loan to the club into equity – a practice that has no bearing on the annual profit or loss – meaning the club is debt-free. From 2003 to 2012, or Abramovich's Era at the club, losses total £631.5m.
That is, Arsenal fans have to ask themselves the question: “Do you want to win titles and trophies any cost, even to the detrimental long-term effect of a heavily indebted club like Manchester United; or just a Sugar Daddy Play Toy like Chelsea and Manchester City? Where is your pride in your “Gunner” tradition of an English football club since the days of your great-granddaddy, granddaddy, yourself, your children and your grandchildren?”
Arsene Wenger is a principled man, from the “old school”, the 1970s “Ajax Model of Team Building” where it was proven you can build a team from within and win titles and trophies, even European Cup against the Aristocrats of those days, Real Madrid, Milan, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool FC, etc. when Arsenal FC is just a pipsqueak amongst them. Have we forgotten the Revolutionary Football that Arsene Wenger introduced to Arsenal FC that transformed an “also-run” smallish English club into the Aristocracy of European Football, that even in 2013-14 season; we are still amongst the Top-8 CL Cup seeded team? That this principled man still stubbornly clings to old-fashioned values that he introduced to Arsenal FC since his arrival in September 1996?
No doubt many still view his Youth Project as a flop, plus countless duds churned out by Hale End Academy. But developing a world-class young player is like sieving for a nugget of gold from hundreds of pounds of sand and mud and sediment.. When Arsene Wenger signed his last extension in 2010, he said he sensed something special in his squad and begged to be given two more years to deliver a piece of silverware. Well, he kept his promise, but unfortunately, his TEAM snatched defeat from Jaws of Victory by losing to BRUM in 2011 Carling Cup Final.
Most of us had forgotten that in 2010, he said his players will decide as to whether he will sign the contract extension. That he will only sign if he sees the potential in the squad and he can deliver success with them. And if he felt that there is the best he can do and cannot improve them further, he will leave and will leave behind a firm foundation for the next manager to continue to develop the team.
My perception is that Arsene Wenger had assembled all the pieces for his rebuilding of his 3rd TEAM; and he will need another two to three years for them to mature into senior squad, perhaps at long last, he has assembled the finest Wenger Wunderkind in his Arsenal FC career with the Brit Pack and potentially “Arsenal Greats” in Zelalem, Gnarby, Bellerin, Akpom, Dan Crowley, et al. That he can bring in three players every two years from the Youth ranks into senior team.
“We have some great players, while some, unfortunately, have been injured, like Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey. But they are now fit again. Ramsey is 22 and Wilshere is 21 so that means they can only get better. They have fantastic qualities and have fantastic engines.”
“But you have players like that where you know for the next five or six years you have real quality. That kind of pride and patience is not rated anymore. It has just disappeared.”
And a stubborn Arsene Wenger refused to acknowledge many Arsenal fans have become frustrated with his lack of spending with this explanation: “I always wanted to be in a position where I did not have to buy. People today have been brainwashed. People don’t question any more if players are better than the ones you already have.”
“People don’t realise they have something special here. They just want more and more. It’s consumerism at any cost. But you have players like that where you know for the next five or six years you have real quality. That kind of pride and patience is not rated anymore. It has just disappeared.” That encapsulates the Arsene Wenger’s Youth Project. And in a nutshell, Arsene Wenger is telling off disgruntled Arsenal fans: “Take it or f**k off. “
And so we fast forward to 2013 where success-starved Arsenal fans craved success, success at any price, success without principle and success to be delivered NOW! Not two years later! Not five years later! BUT NOW! In the current poisonous climate at Emirates, knowing Arsenal fans will now turn against him at every reversal; Arsene Wenger has only two options left: Deliver a major trophy or any trophy this season to prove his method is right; or like Terry Neill, hounded out of Arsenal FC as a loser.
Arsene Wenger is a proud man, always remembering what is going to happen when he outstay his welcome at AS Monaco. During his last two seasons with AS Monaco, the team lost their sparkle and losing their mojo. He lost all support from the Board and was sacked.
He will not outstay his welcome, and he will not be pushed out but to walk out at his own terms like "I always see through a contract". Either way I look at it, Arsene Wenger is damaged goods to growing number of Arsenal fans, which meant that this is Arsene Wenger's last season. He will not outstay his welcome in May 2014. The cruellest cut of all is that even AST put him on notice: "Perform or else" in writing to Arsenal Holdings plc. to put all his contract talks on hold till season end.
That, an intelligent man like Arsene Wenger should realise that like at AS Monaco, that “Arsene Wenger’s “mystique” is no more, Arsenal fans are no more bewitched and enthralled by his football developmental policies at Arsenal FC.
Remember what he said in April 2011 after signing his current contract extension till June 2014?
“I don’t know,” he said of his long-term future. “I have three years to go. I am 61. Nothing lasts forever that is for sure. If it’s not me anymore there will be someone else who can do exactly the same, if not better. I don’t know if I will stay with the club after I finish as manager. Right now I feel active and want to be on the football pitch.
“Once I cannot do it anymore I will try to be useful somewhere else, preferably at this club but if this club doesn’t need me than somewhere else.”
Two years later, and Arsenal fans are turning against him in increasing numbers.
And what he is doing now is to keep his promise of leaving a firm foundation behind for the next manager to bring them to a level to satisfy the expectations of the rabid Mob at Emirates. Arsene Wenger is just too weary and worn out to continue with his Youth Project at Arsenal FC.
Good bye Monsieur Arsene Wenger.
Thanks for the memory and leaving the last thought to the Bard:
Is Glendower “Arsene Wenger” and “Arsenal fans” Hotpsur’s?
Or vice versa?
Glendower:
I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
Hotspur:
Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?
Glendower:
Why, I can teach you, cousin, to command
The devil
Hotspur:
And I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil—
By telling the truth. Tell truth and shame the devil.
Henry The Fourth, Part I Act 3, scene 1, 52–58
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:09:09:14:49:07 by Padre Pio.
Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
The tabloid splash their backpage with the story that Arsenal are ready to offer their French manager a brand new contract worth £15 million.
Moreover, The Sun suggest that Ivan Gazidis and the rest of the Gunners board are hoping to sweeten the deal by making sure Wenger has at least £40m available to him in the January transfer window in order to boost the North Londoners’ squad for the business end of the season.
The Sun scribble that:
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes that Wenger’s ability to persuade Mesut Ozil o complete a £42.5m move from Real Madrid proved why he has to remain at the Emirates.
[www.101greatgoals.com]
CRAZY!!!
When Wenger has yet to deliver anything.
A Master of Bad Timing if anything.
And it will send the rabid Mob braying for blood again if we lose at Emirates or knocked out of any cup competition.
Wenger will be daft to even consider it, let alone signing it now.
Else he will look like a money-grabbing mercenary.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Also if Moyes is anything to go by, it's fair enough that the acquisition of Ozil proves Wenger still has what it takes to pull in some stars. If anything, having Ozil will make it much easier to bring in another top star in January if any are available/willing to hand in a transfer request.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Arsène Wenger’s future as Arsenal manager will hinge on the success this season of his team, with the Frenchman indicating that he expects to wait until next year before deciding whether to extend his contract.
Initial talks have been held about renewing a contract which expires next June but, although both sides are keen in principle on agreeing a new deal, Wenger clearly senses that he must still prove himself.
Wenger has never finished outside the top four in 17 years at Arsenal but has worked amid a steadily increasing backdrop of criticism from fans at the failure to win a trophy since 2005.
Paris Saint-Germain, who have appointed Laurent Blanc on a one-year contract, remain big admirers of Wenger and are expected to make another attempt to lure him back to France.
“I’ve said many times I want to do well with this club and in the end I will sit down and think how well have I done with the team I have had,” said Wenger.
“That has to be sufficient for me to decide yes or no. One of the main judgments you can have about a manager is how well he does with his team.”
Asked if any further contract talks were planned, Wenger said: “There’s no need to plan. We are in no hurry. We are in September and my contract finishes in June. There’s a long way to go.”
Arsenal backed Wenger during the transfer window with a budget in excess of £70 million and, having signed Mesut Özil for £42 million, further funds are available for major signings next year.
Wenger believes that the arrival of Özil has demonstrated that Arsenal are genuinely moving into a new era when they can compete to sign the very best players in the world.
“We had to go through some years when I signed a long-term contract where we had some restricted financial potential,” said Wenger.
“The target was to stay in the Champions League in this period and we managed to do it. We are now in a strong position financially.”
According to Wenger, his first attempt to sign Özil in the summer of 2010 helped lay the foundations for his deadline day deal this year.
“When Mesut went to Real, we were in touch,” he said. “Even then I wanted to get him to Arsenal but it didn’t work. That was the start of our relationship. Now the second time it worked. I think the first contact really helped.
[www.independent.ie]
He said the same thing before he signed that 3-year extension.
Arsenal fans at Emirates still want him or show their displeasures every time we can' get a result?
A step in the right direction but we needed more than one decent signing to put us in with a chance of trophies.
Another wasted season.
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."
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