It’s been a while since I wrote about my beloved Arsenal. I
guess I find it can be a bit more difficult because there are so many different
gooner voices out there in blogland, let alone the blogosphere and spblogace,
that I wonder if I’m adding anything of interest to what’s already there. But
after a trying few weeks I’m going to add my thoughts to some things that have
already been written. Hopefully my voice adds something to the conversation!
(picture by Dan Leydon)
I have read quite a few different reactions to Arsene over
the last number of years and they seem to ebb and flow with regard to ‘he knows
what he’s doing’ to ‘what the hell is he doing?’ I’ve always been a massive fan and supporter
of his ideology and I still am. When arguments used to happen in pubs, I was
standing up for the need to build the stadium and an acknowledgment that there
might be a few years without a league trophy (wasn’t expecting the current
trophy drought!) and the need to go for youth. Arguments against this
philosophy were never personal attacks like these days on the beautiful magic
interweb. What Wenger did in the first years of the stadium was nothing short
of miraculous. I don’t think the fans were ever told the whole truth about
monies being available to the manager but I accepted that belt tightening was a
necessity due to our circumstance. However, what was apparent was the ever-increasing
competition for the top 4 places. That Wenger has kept us there is proof of his
ability as a manager and a coach. Yes there have been seasons with luck and
seasons where without a certain 30 goal scoring thing we wouldn’t be anywhere
but that is part and parcel of football. The point is that it happened, nothing
you can do now except reminisce. I’m not like others in that I don’t get strung
up about when Wenger talks about 4th place being like a trophy. Yes
an actual trophy would be nice after such a drought, but in todays football
world, putting the effort in to winning a cup like the League Cup and/or the FA
cup can cost you League points. I look at Liverpool – yes the club that
everyone likes to compare us to and if you ask Liverpool fans about blah blah
blah, they say they wished blah blah blah. You’ve heard it all. My point is
regarding their struggle post Benitez. Liverpool were like us. They were one of
the teams pre season who was going to finish in the top 4. Then they didn’t.
And look at their struggles since. Look at the money they have spent. Yes
they’ve bought quite a bit of mediocrity but it’s a very, very tough journey
back to the promised land of the top 4 and the margins for error are getting
slimmer and slimmer every season. Arsenal this season are showing slight signs
of slippage and despite Arsene’s previous miracles, there is just something missing from the club today
that I think is the cause of this slippage.
What I feel Arsenal currently lack is leadership at every
point in the club. We have an owner who is silent. We have a CEO who says the
right things to the right people at the right times. We have a manager whom I
don’t think is even questioned. Now I’m not asking for ownership that interferes
in the day-to-day managers job – that’s not Arsenal. The leadership I feel
we’re missing at the top are the custodians. People like Danny Fizsman and
David Dein, who while not questioning the manager, would (and I certainly feel
this) subtly have asked questions about players, teams and matches. Even if it
were to subtly encourage or motivate Arsene to think a little differently. What
they cared about was Arsenal. Well in Dein’s case, he did up to about 2007 when
he sold his shares to Usmanov. I don’t buy into his reasoning for selling and
if he truly cared about the club he’d clip his son around the ear when it comes
to being an agent for some of our past players. We currently have an owner who
cares about a club that will make him money. He is happy to keep things going
the way things currently go as it keeps our share price high and ultimately I
feel that is his sole goal having seen and heard nothing to inspire me or make
me think otherwise. I remember the summer of 2001 where after a few mediocre seasons,
Wenger whipped out the cheque book and brought players like Van Bronkhorst,
Sol, Richard Wright and Jeffers to the club. Now some signings were inspired,
some great squad additions and others didn’t work out. What happened after the
additions? My own personal thoughts are
that Wenger was told from above that the money was there, tell us who to sign
to make us title challengers again and let us worry about the money for now. There
was mutual understanding between everyone and Wenger trusted them like they
trusted him. Currently Wenger has to worry about balancing the books and the
team and I worry he does it alone. I look at the run down in the fantastic blog
from The Swiss Ramble
where he lays it out brilliantly and plainly how Arsenal’s business plan means
they really do need to sell before they can buy. No one on the board currently
is an Arsenal man besides the honorary PHW who hasn’t much influence anymore.
It’s very eerily silent.
The other lack of leadership issue I have has been the
choice of captains. Since Vieira left I don’t think Arsenal have had a proper
captain with the exception of a certain scoring thing last season. Yes I know
the way he left, but last season he had the players doing things together, he
knew the traditions of Arsenal and on the pitch he was a talker and an action
man. Wenger has never been much of a ranter or a hairdryer style manager. He
inherited Adams who knew the right things to say and gave 100% He gave the
captaincy to Vieira. These were players who didn’t know the meaning of giving
up, of not contesting every 50/50, but also knowing what to say and when to say
it. Henry’s shadow was too great when he inherited the captaincy. Look at the
freedom the team played with after his departure. Gallas? Need I say anything
more than ‘center circle’? While Fabregas was one of the greatest players I
ever got to watch, he was no captain. Vermaelen this season seems to be
burdened by it. He doesn’t seem to be the player of old who made less mistakes
but his slightly reckless mistakes were made up by the fact he scored goals.
Arteta would have been the best choice for captain but the fact he’s not means
he’s not going to try and step on Vermaelen’s toes. While Wenger doesn’t hold
the idea of captaincy in the highest of regard and prefers his leaders to be in
the dressing room and all over the pitch, there’s something that choosing the
right captain can bring. Vieira calmed his insane temperament when he inherited
the responsibility of captain. He was a leader on the pitch that if the team
was down he inspired others to rise with him. After Vieira left we still had
what Wenger termed ‘leaders’ on the pitch, but they didn’t do much without a
proper captain and leader. There’s just something that can inspire you when looking
to the man wearing the armband when you need inspiration. If you look and see
an Adams or a Vieira with the look of anger in their eyes after conceding, or
hearing them shout at you having done something silly – you awaken to the
challenge. Right now while Arteta is respected and seen as a captain, the
players will look at Vermaelen and see little to be inspired about.
So in summation – my belief is that Wenger doesn’t have
leadership around him in the club and this is what is holding Arsenal back. He
has yes men above him and players that respect the pants off him. I think what
Wenger and Arsenal need more than ever right now, is a true captain major to
run the ship and a true captain to rally the troops on the pitch. A club is
made up of many elements all gently pushing, persuading, sometimes fighting,
but all pushing in the same direction. Arsenal currently has a man trying to
steer somewhere he knows he wants to go, but has no leadership to help him get
there. I think Wenger is still the man to lead our club, but he needs his
leadership around him in the supporting roles. I think he misses the subtle inputs of others who share his same goal: for Arsenal to win trophies.
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