In a league that has become obsessed with transfer fees, wages and debt, Arsene Wenger’s team represents that romantic vision of a well-run club striving for nothing less than perfection on the football pitch. At time of writing, Wenger’s Arsenal sit on top of the premier league in what is shaping up to be the most fiercely competed title chase in many seasons. But come June, when the fervour and tension has eased, even the staunchest of rival fans from Manchester United and Chelsea would surely accept that Wenger and his philosophy are deserving of a crowning success.
Opening a newspaper or checking the sports websites and reading about a club in financial difficulty is becoming frighteningly frequent. It came as little surprise that Arsene Wenger’s response to Chelsea’s claims to be “virtually debt free” after converting the loans owed to owner Roman Abramovich into club equity was not one of congratulations. The Arsenal manager’s retort that clubs who recklessly reject the need to manage team and club finances as one are “half-cheating” was a timely reminder of his beliefs, which in the current environment, should be applauded.
In the past 5 years, Wenger’s rivals have grown richer than ever before. Chelsea have emerged as a threat thanks to Abramovich’s billions and Manchester City may well follow next season. Yet Wenger has not backed down or changed his style out of fear of the nouveau riche. If anything, Wenger has become entrenched deeper into his own philosophy. A whole new team of typical “Wenger-type” players has been slowly constructed at Arsenal. The ‘Invincibles’ of Henry, Vieira, Pirés, Ljungberg, Lehmann, Ashley Cole and more recently Kolo Touré and Adebayor have all been replaced by younger models for a sizeable profit. Wenger’s belief in his youngsters is something that is sadly not shared by all managers. The pressure for instant success has played an important role here. Sure, 4 years without a trophy is a long time for a club like Arsenal, but Wenger has earned that time and the Arsenal fans and more importantly, the board, are safe in the knowledge that their manager is usually right in the end.
The current side contains the big signings of Vermaelen and Arshavin, who themselves, in the current market, look like shrewd deals at a total of around £25million. These are surrounded by the classic Wenger signings. Young talent, brought in for a typically small fee who develop into key parts of the first team. This has been best highlighted this season by the midfield. The hole left by the likes Vieira and Flamini led to persistent rumours of either Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso being brought in for a huge fee as Arsenal looked for a player to fit next to Captain Fabregas. But now it seems like Wenger knew all along. Alex Song and Abou Diaby, were already at Arsenal and have been two of the most impressive players in the league so far this season, themselves ably backed up by Denilson and Aaron Ramsey. Plus, the TV pundits are quickly running out of superlatives for Cesc Fabregas. Again, Fabregas’ growth into perhaps the Premiership’s best player is not an accident. His performance in the 2006 Champions League game as an 18-year old against Juventus’ Patrick Vieira was one of maturity and quality. Since then, he has continued to improve and add different sides to his game. He has taken on the responsibility of the team’s talisman and is now the complete midfielder who would be the first name on arguably any team sheet in the world.
Perhaps the greatest achievement that can be attributed to Wenger is that Fabregas is not an anomaly, but rather one in a long line of successful Wenger projects. One point of interest personally as a Chelsea fan is that Fabregas arrived in 2003, the same summer as Roman Abramovich. Since then, Chelsea have bought over 15 players who have featured in central midfield at a total cost of 115 million. These include: Michael Essien,
Jiri Jarosik,
Juan Sebastian Veron,
Joe Cole,
Tiago,
Claude Makelele,
Scott Parker
John Obi Mikel.
It was slightly embarrassing to compare some of those deals to Cesc Fabregas.
Of course, Chelsea have won 2 league titles since then, every team would have been better off buying Fabregas,and players as good as the Arsenal captain are very rare, but it just signifies the difference between Wenger’s ideals and those of his rivals. One more thought that comes to mind after that kind of statistic, is Arsenal’s purchase of Fabregas the best signing of the last 7 years? Quite possibly.
Wenger’s team this year seems to be rid of the occasional vulnerability of a soft underbelly that has been exploited in the past. But even this has been done more mentally with a new steely determination rather than the addition of big, strong players at the expense of his preferred type of footballer. If a manager has ever, or can ever, deserve to win the League, then Wenger has to be considered. In the previous few years, he has portrayed the demeanour of a slightly mad professor, blinded by his own perfect vision of his football team. This year however, it could all pay off spectacularly. A title win in 2010 would mark a place in history for the “Wenger Way.” It would be an achievement for what is right about modern day football, something that we need to happen to restore some belief in the Premier League today, where the unthinkable notion of a club going out of business is becoming a real possibility. But we can be assured that it won’t be the end, Arsene Wenger is already working on his next Arsenal team.
You are a CHELSEA fan?
Who are you kidding?…
For premierships best player, look a Wayne Rooney and Michael Essien, Torres, Drogba… etc etc..
Posted by Nicky | 25 January, 2010, 19:28Wenger is a genius but he has a flaw. If he can only find a world class goalkeeper, the title will surely be his
Posted by John Hall | 25 January, 2010, 20:07Good article. I’ve been saying for a while that with Chelsea having success since Abrahmovich and now Manchester City attempting to follow suit, it is only clubs like Arsenal and Everton that make this game more than a game of ‘who has more money wins’. As you say in the article, not having to care about the financial side of the game is ‘half-cheating’. It is only in instances where the less financially able clubs have success that I can keep my interest in football. That it proves that this game is played on the football field. Because if it even becomes a game that is simply played in the owner’s box, then what would be the point?
Posted by Jethro | 25 January, 2010, 22:35Some great points raised in these comments. Nicky, don’t get me wrong, like anybody I enjoy seeing my rival teams lose, and have on many times laughed at the classic arsenal problems. Drogba for example, almost always dominates the arsenal defence, and i love seeing chelsea’s bigger, stronger midfielders over power the likes of Fabregas, which they did 3-0 at the emirates earlier this year. But even though he manages Arsenal, I have great respect for Arsene Wenger and do quite enjoy seeing his team back up there challening for honours. The league would have been a lot worse if he’d left for Real Madrid last year.
Agree wtih John about the goalkeepers. Lehmann, Almunia, Fabianski and even Mannone earlier this season have all looked brilliant at times, but are always liable to that one costly error. But I doubt any of us would be surprised to see him stick with his youngsters rather than go and buy an established name.
And Jethro, it seems we share the same ideas. And it’s not even at the top end where the problems are, the mismanagement of finances at Portsmouth, an established Premiership club, that could lead to administration simply should not be happening.
Posted by David Harrison | 26 January, 2010, 14:35As a neutral when it comes to English football, I’d be more than happy to see Arsenal win the title. I was concerned that Wenger had gone too far in trying to prove that he could win the league with a team of youngsters but I think he has a team that will go close this season.
While I take your point regarding Song and Diaby, I still think Arsenal would benefit from another couple of proven internationals. The likes of Xabi Alonso or Samuel Eto’o would have been fantastic signings, although Wenger may have had nightmares about paying the sums involved in the deal took Eto’o to Inter.
Posted by William Heaney | 28 January, 2010, 00:31Overall I think Wenger has been a credit to the English Premier League, I do however think this current crop of players isn’t good enough. I read a quote that expresses the same as I think about Arsenal’s team said by Ancelotti. Wenger spoke about how much possession Arsenal had had against Chelsea and Carlo’s response was…
“Maybe they did have more possession, but football is about attack, defence, keeping possession when you need to – and results,” he responded. “You can’t just speak about possession. You have attack, defence, counter attack and keeping results. That is football.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Posted by Steven Jones | 8 February, 2010, 13:21It was classic Arsene Wenger to stick with the same ideas against Chelsea after being beaten my Manchester United. Chelsea’s second on the counter attack was almost embarrasingly similar to Man Utd’s goals.
Wenger’s idea that he won’t change his team for anyone, that the opposition will have to adapt to stop Arsenal is admirable, but like we’ve said here, if he sticks to this mindset teams like Man Utd and Chelsea will keep beating arsenal in the same predictable ways. But after wednesday, arsenal’s run-in is free of the “big 4″, so i dont think theyre out of this title race just yet.
Posted by David Harrison | 8 February, 2010, 13:41much as I admire the way Wenger has Arsenal playing the game, he is a fool. Had Wenger bought Drogba or Van Nistelroy or a goalscorer who isn’t always looking for a pretty pass to a team mate, they would be top of the league.
Posted by Wales Man | 8 February, 2010, 19:08i know no one likes a fans whinging about injuries, but i believe van persie could of definitely earned us an extra 6/8 points this season if he was not injured for all of it.
everyone saw the trouble liverpool had without torres this season. i think rooney and drogba are just as important to there teams.
man u did themselves proud with all the defensive problems though, as did chelsea with african cup.
i know arsenal will carry on fighting till the end! just hope chels or the mancs show some frailties. i’m certain the league will have a few more twists yet.
nice article by the way.
Posted by oliver. | 8 February, 2010, 23:42To me, football is about social integration, being proud of who you are and where you’re from and the team that represents that, and entertainment, I don’t see my football team winning a trophy as a massive achievement on my part as all I did was watch them do it. With that in mind, Wenger perfectly captures what football should be all about – endeavour to perform and entertain, play well and as Eric Cantona said in an article for a be-ticked sportswear brand ‘Play Beautiful’.
As a neutral in the Premier League race for many years now, I would take Arsenal over the three others purely and simply because watching them play is more exciting and interesting to me. If you like watching beautiful football you like watching Arsenal. The sensible running of the club was born out of necessity after the colossal undertaking of Ashburton Grove, yet has been applied well and become yet another source of admiration from the rest of the league and Europe.
I know others will criticize and say they need to be more workmanlike a la Chelsea, or utilise counter attacks a la Man Utd but to me the romantic notion of creating something beautiful wins over stone-faced pragmatism every time. Here’s hoping they carry on and win it.
Posted by Steve Atkinson | 11 March, 2010, 15:49I’m a ‘pool fan. However, it is very easy to appreciate and respect Wenger and Arsenal. As such, I hope they, rather than Chelsea or god forbid, United, win the league. Good luck, Gooners.
Posted by Dave | 12 March, 2010, 16:32