Hassan Chamas
Football can be the receptacle of the harshest things. As magical as Harry Houdini’s tricks, you can find yourself on the euphoric side of a cheering, blissful mob, when before you realise it, white hankies are out in the public to signal disgruntlement or to console the humidity of the eyes.
Arsenal, one of the clubs that used to startle audiences a few years ago, are now finding themselves blown off track in the race towards league supremacy, and risk the daunting possibility of ending the current season outside the top four for the first time in a dozen years. What does Arsene Wenger needs to do in order to turn his light artillery into the Arsenal that it once was? Does he have the resources to spend generously? More importantly, will he do so?
Firstly one point should be perfectly clear: The Arsenal of 2004 are long gone and buried. While Thierry Henry and friends made headlines and wrote books for breaking record after record during the “Invincible” years, it’s reasonable to say that the side who finished 2004 unbeaten for 38 consecutive league fixtures has lastly encountered its kryptonite. With Patrick Vieira leaving for another spell in Italy, and the subsequent exit of Henry to Barcelona after more than a year of flirting, Arsenal lost their two most influential and decisive players.
After Manchester United’s recent win over Newcastle United, the champions re-established a 16 point-gap between them and fifth-placed Arsenal, with the Red Devils also holding a game in hand. As 10 more fixtures linger before the Premier League bids its goodbyes, the Gunners hold virtually no chance of lifting its trophy come May. So with 2009/10 in mind, what can Arsene Wenger come up with in order to turn his team into a squadron of winners?
One thing that Wenger needs to desist from doing is to drop the weight of the team on talisman Cesc Fabregas, much like he did to Thierry Henry back in the days. With Fabregas allotted as the field leader of Arsenal – much before his appointment as captain – things were going relatively well for Wenger’s boys, up until the Spaniard’s injury against Liverpool. Since then, the Gunners have been a shadow of themselves, barely struggling to come out with a descent result against various opponents.
Another style that has developed at the London-based club is that of scoreless draws, which have become the latest trend at the Emirates Stadium, to such an extent that “Boring, Boring Arsenal” metamorphosed from an inspirational cheer to a despising jeer. Now Arsenal have showed their aptitude for defending, but we all know that’s not the way to win matches: Scoring goals guarantees you triumphs, and if you can’t manage to sadden the opposing keeper for successive matches, you are in no position to have your trophy case festooned with ornaments.
Another step that Wenger ought to pursue is to cut-off the bad influences on his team. By “bad influences”, William Gallas most certainly fits the bill: The Frenchman acted in absolute ignominy as skipper, and his “sit-down” during the infamous Birmingham match was the icing on top of a cake that already had expressions such as “disrespect” chocolate-written all over. The former Chelsea man has made it clear that he holds no true friends at Ashburton Grove. So why wait for him to hang around until he’s ready to go home?
With these negative influences long gone from London, the rest of Wenger’s cream of the crop will be allowed to grow in order to harvest their full potential: With a team boasting the likes of Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and new signing Andrei Arshavin, the Gunners may have license to rage war upon each team that crosses their path, both domestically and across Europe.
But that is not to say that Wenger’s team is immune from needing some serious modifications: As good as Gael Clichy, Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey might be on their given day, they are all but household names, and very repeatedly produce irregular displays. That said, wouldn’t it be better for club chairman Peter Hill-Wood to use some of that £24.5M that his team recently acquired and fortify where needed? It is widely known that Wenger’s policy is to nurture juvenile flair, but the former Monaco head-boss must finally confess that a professional team cannot be put together on the fantasy dreams of a bunch of teenagers: As good as Fabregas is – many say he’s second to Steven Gerrard in England – Manchester United have Paul Scholes and Anderson in that particular department. Theo Walcott might wow some of the crowds at his moment, but right down the street trains a certain Didier Drogba for Chelsea.
The North London club has the fiscal possibility. The club earned a £209.3M pre-tax profit in the previous season, and pounds are certainly accessible to be placed at the disposal of Wenger. Whether the grey-haired manager opts to save them for when the going gets tough, is anyone’s guess. But a shake is most certainly compulsory at Arsenal. With the shadow of a 5th placed finish and a denied Champions League berth ever looming in the horizon, it would be a real shame for England’s thirteen-time champions to dispute the “Europa League” next season – the new dull name of the UEFA Cup.
Another step that Wenger needs to take in order to conduct his team back to glory days is to make certain of his personal continuity at the club he took over thirteen years ago. The coach’s fate is seen to be bound to that of Spain’s playmaker Cesc Fabregas, and Wenger’s exit from London will lead the former Barcelona-man onto the first flight back to Catalunya, as Fabregas himself declared as a future plan recently.
Wenger’s team holds perhaps the biggest potential in all of England, but the supporters at the Emirates want to see trophies, not a Sunday park game. A combination of homegrown players and established superstars – Wenger’s own “Zidanes y Pavones” strategy, if you like – and you have a winning team. After four years spent away from the Premier League trophy, going on to five, Arsenal will surely have to write a few cheques in order to be considered once again as one of the best out there. Faced with ever-growing challenges, Arsenal will surely be active in the summer’s transfer market… won’t they?
AEK 08/09 Third RIVALDO Napoli 86/87 Away Maradona
