I’m writing this post with reference to the FTK petition to Arsene Wenger showing him that many still believe in him – I’ve just read through all the comments and I was downright shocked at the way ‘supporters’ have turned on each other….and I tell you everyone’s laughing at us Gooners eh? We can’t even unite behind our own club because we all appear to have differing views on what the club is/should be.
There are basically two options that are touted; 1) Get into more debt and spend big to buy expensive & established players with big well known names, 2) live within our means and spot unrecognised talent. Both options have risks – pros & cons. With option 1) we might get the quality we need to succeed, but we might not. We could just as easily spend big like our competitors do and end up with an Andriy Shevchenko (£30 mill), a Robbie Keane (£19 mill), a Berbatov (£30 mill), Bent (£16.5 mill), Jô (£18 mill) – I could go on at length. It’s easy to blow money – All three of our chief competitors have chucked cash away on players I consider to be klunkers (Berbatov could be disputed, but there’s NO WAY he’s worth £30 mill). Can Arsenal afford to make mistakes like that? Jeffers, Reyes etc? With the new stadium, the Highbury development on rocky ground, a shite economy meaning refinancing of loans is nearly impossible (unless extortionate rates are quoted) and a Fat Russian at the door waiting to milk the club for all it’s worth…
The bottom line is that regardless of whether you like Wenger or not he’s necessary at this point in time. The club is in the midst of hostile movement at the boardroom level, there’s an insane new paradigm in football with new owners coming into the marketplace and being able to afford to chuck money at teams with differing effects (Chelski, Citeh, Manyoo, ‘Pool, Spuds) and we’re in the world’s worst economic crisis since the crash of 1929. Is it really wise to follow like sheep and spend money that could be used to help us get out of debt faster? Isn’t it just that attitude that caused the Credit Crunch in the first place (buy now pay later)?
Like it or not a football club is a business and all businesses have plans, ours is a mid to long term plan to secure the future and generate revenue to keep up with Europe’s elite. Chelski and Citeh are exceptions because Chelski is a plaything to an egomaniac and Citeh is a marketing exercise for a rich country that wants to get its name on the map. Manyoo’s plan is to win everything for 5 years in order to pay interest on £750 mill of debt, however what happens if they can’t? What happens if they come 2nd or 3rd and loose all that cash? ‘Pool’s plan is similar, but they aren’t winning and can’t afford a new stadium like the Emirates – both clubs owners are comfy with their situations because they aren’t taking any risk, the respective club’s own all the debt and the owners are gambling on their clubs status to continue (‘too big to go down’).
Is that really what you want for Arsenal? If not then Arsene needs to stay. I too have been amazed at the squads that AW has picked for certain games this year (that 4-5-1 is hideous), but I always remind myself that I don’t see them 5-7 days a week in training like AW does. I run a small team myself, and I can tell you that what however much you plan, sometimes what occurs is beyond belief… AW is doing a great job with what he has at his disposal in my opinion. Mourinho, Ancelloti et-al are both used to being able to spend big… and would do a worse job (again in my opinion)…football management is an art form, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a mix of strategy, players and ego juggling. Just imagine that Diaby had been consistent in the flashes of brilliance he’s shown from time to time? What if Bendtner was calmer in front of goal? What if Gibbs hadn’t have slipped? Running a team is more then simply buying players that look great on TV playing for another team – they’re people, and so have to be managed.
Personally I’d like AW to stay, because I believe EVERYONE makes errors of judgment- at work, at home, wherever. Can you reading this honestly say you haven’t phucked up? Wenger is no different… you have to give the man time to change things around and watch the young players mature – otherwise we risk becoming like the Spuds; how much success has buying the hottest thing at the time and playing musical chairs with Managers bought them? Chelski the same since they got rid of Mourinho… The main thing is – save your ire for Manc’s Spuds, Russians & Scousers etc. Fighting amongst ourselves never did any good and at the end of the day we are Supporters we have no control over the club we support… While there’s nothing wrong with disagreeing with the clubs direction, or even voicing these disagreements on the subject, there is something wrong with calling the manager/players/owners any number of colourful words for not living up to expectations – the truth is that the truth behind the closed doors of the boardroom/dressing room etc. this is probably a more complicated picture then we’ll ever get to and so making statements without factual knowledge never ever did anyone any good.