From Glenn Dalton :Who is the superior politician, Myles?
Oh Myles! You need to take a break.
Avoid Ashburton Grove for a few months.
The summer can\’t come quick enough… Who is the superior Politician?
There\’s some very good reasons as to why Sarkozy only lasted 4 years as opposed to Wenger\’s 16 and counting.
France is a left country (well predominantly anyhow) so when Sarkozy declared himself right he lost 80-95% of journalists in the French media immediately.
He is a small man in many ways who wears high heels at public events. 60% of those who voted for Hollande did so to get rid of Sarkozy and remember Dominique Strauss-Kahn was no longer an option.
Sarkozy was also disliked because of his lifestyle and his ability to spend money. That was always going to go down badly with the French electorate.
The French also hated the sight of him being Merkel\’s lap-dog. He has left France in far worse shape than when he first arrived.
On the contrary, Wenger is a very tall man in many ways, a good politician and is respected by almost everyone with an IQ above 12 in the game (that probably halves the sample).
He doesn\’t spend money and has built a self sustainable economy (Arsenal to you and I), a state of the art home for everyone (the Stadium) and tries to play the best football in the country.
The great players/managers focus on the style of football you play and not the trophies you win. It\’s self-fulfilling.
I genuinely believe the staff and playing staff at Arsenal are good people. They don\’t employ the likes of Rooney, Ferdinand, Giggs, Terry, Barton etc. It is true though that if they did then maybe Arsenal would have more success but at what social /economic cost?
After 16 years Wenger may well leave the club and if so he leaves it in far better shape than the club he inherited. Not many leaders have the ability to do that. Sarkozy certainly failed.
Also, Myles, you are forgetting that the French had an alternative! What alternative do Arsenal have? I have heard you suggest the likes of Owen Coyle in the past.
Don\’t get me wrong Myles, I like him. He\’s one of Football\’s good guys but is he fit to take the reins at Arsenal? Evidently not. The main reason that Arsenal have no alternative is that there aren\’t many out there better than Wenger.
Anyone who is better needs a cheque book and pen. We can all buy big players and get results that will have long-term negative consequences to the club\’s balance sheet and the club as a going concern.
Take out a blank page and draft the pros and cons of Arsenal FC and compare that to the other 5 of the “Sky Sixâ€. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
The glass is half-full Myles, not half-empty.
Glenn
P.S.
It\’s a shame Wes Hoolahan isn\’t in the Irish squad!
Trappatoni has no room for flair players like him, though. He sets up a mean green machine. He plays 4 at the back with 2 centre midfielders that don\’t go past the halfway. We will draw 2 games and win 1 (Italy or Spain).
After that, who knows? Greece did it. Watch this space.
Agree on Shane Long too. A very underestimated player with a big heart.
Have said long ago that Liverpool should have bought him and not Carroll and kept the other £30m. Think he will be key this summer. Possibly Kevin Doyle too.
Myles says :
You’re a lovely guy, Glenn.
You’re such a nice man. You can’t help it. You were probably born that way.
And, I think, you’re one of many. Having been around Arsenal supporters a lot since 1986, and having read emails from Arsenal supporters since 1998, and having met many ANR readers over the last 14 years, I know that Arsenal fans are some of the smartest and nicest people in London.
And that includes the women who occasionally write to me here.
Like you, those women are loyal to the club.Very big-hearted and forgiving and tolerant.