If the world of football commentary and punditry think working out whether Arsenal are a credible challenger for the title or simply the providers of flair and entertainment before the inevitable Manchester United/Chelsea juggernaut rolls them over, spare a thought for the club’s fans. If anyone has faith in the team, it is surely them, the loyal fans.
The supporters who have so much to thank Arsene Wenger for, and who passionately and proudly reiterate the widely perceived wisdom that "Wenger knows."
But does he? Here lies the ultimate dilemma for those trying to work out if the Frenchman is right in his policy of producing a young team from academy graduates and unknown, cheap foreign talents. It seems folly, with no trophies in five years and the club’s increasingly poor record against the very best. But then again, this is not the craziest of Wenger’s goals.
The Frenchman once suggested he would get a team to go through a season unbeaten. The problem for many is that the ideas and beliefs that Wenger espouses are so far fetched that they seem ridiculous. But the former Monaco coach is perhaps the only manager capable of achieving such lofty ambitions. It is what separates him from his peers. Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho would never take on the kinds of challenges that Wenger seems to believe in; they’re too busy worrying about the number of medals they’ve won.
The Wenger experiment though has meant that for years now, Arsenal have been starved of the most invaluable of ingredients; experience. Experience is so crucial in every walk of life. They say that for someone learning their way, making mistakes is a good thing, as it enables you to learn what not to do. But the Premier League is not a school. There is little doubt that the current Arsenal side have the ability to match anyone on their day. In Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott, there is an argument that actually Arsenal have more match winners than Manchester United or Chelsea.
Yet against these teams, Arsenal have increasingly found themselves losing, and club captain Fabregas has made the point that their players seem ‘scared of losing’ whereas United are ‘not afraid to win.’ It is a difference of mentality that separates Arsenal from success, and it is a lack of know-how that holds the team back. Many have accused the team of lacking heart for the battle and being unprepared to put their feet in and do the dirty work. Such an argument is a classic English refrain, and ignores the fact that Arsenal dominate possession against their more physical opponents. The more powerful argument made by the critics is the lack of experience in the Arsenal side.
Fabregas is probably the team’s most experienced head. And while Gael Clichy may be the only player to have won the league with the club, at 18, he was so young that it is unrealistic to think he understood what was in the minds of the first team squad that made the difference between success and failure. The former Barcelona midfielder is probably the only player in the team who now understands this subtle difference from his time with the Spanish national team. As Fabregas can now comprehend, the game is much more than simply technical skill.
Wenger has clearly moulded a side with the technical ability to match anyone, but his team do not understand what it takes mentally to win the Premier League. It requires belief and concentration under pressure. All too often this Arsenal team have fallen apart under pressure, simply because of inexperience. Last season the Gunners dominated the early exchanges in games against Chelsea and Manchester United, but once they conceded a goal were unable to find their rhythm, and resorted to hurried play and lost their composure: In the minutes after the opening goal in those games last season, it is remarkable how uncharacteristically rushed and careless Arsenal were in possession. Without the ability to remain calm in such situations, it is impossible to come back from behind in the biggest of games. It is one thing being able to turn around a losing score against a team like Stoke or Blackburn, but it is another entirely when playing Manchester United or Chelsea. And this is Arsenal’s problem.
Wenger has a policy which means players over the age of 30 are only kept on for a year at a time. Such an approach has seen the club lose the likes of Edu, Robert Pires and Sol Campbell. Despite their advancing years, all were players with experience who knew how to win. With experienced winners in the side, the current Arsenal team could have lifted silverware in the last few years. The extra money gained from prize money alone would have paid their salaries.
But somehow, that wouldn’t be the Wenger way. The problem that Arsenal fans have long learned with the Frenchman is that for all his genius, he sets higher standards than are needed. For Wenger, to sign an experienced player and to win would be a shattering blow to his footballing philosophy. To win with a young team created in his image is Wenger’s goal; Not simply to win. For Arsenal and their fans, all they can do is hope that the Frenchman is proved right.
