I was intrigued by one of David Dein’s lines.
Dein spoke to Radio 5 Live last weekend and said Wenger is still the man to lead Arsenal.
The club\’s former vice-chairman said:
He has had to contend with the fact he hasn’t achieved what he would have hoped to achieve.
Here is the context : “Arsène Wenger will admit he has had the most difficult couple of years of his career, for two reasons. One is the fact the game is getting more competitive, we have seen more money coming in, so the competition out there is more intense.
“Secondly, he has had to contend with the fact he hasn’t achieved what he would have hoped to achieve, albeit he has done remarkably well in the quality and style of play.”
What does this mean?
He won’t sacrifice his style of play, regardless of what his rivals are doing? For him it’s all about his special brand of quick-passing five-a-side-football, not about winning trophies?
I think it means: My friend is damaged because, season after season, his ideas have not worked.
He keeps doing the same things because he knows they’re right and he’s sure they will bring success. But now his head is hurting. He can’t understand why his brilliant plans have failed. He doesn’t know why someone as brilliant as him has no silverware. It’s not only disappointing, it’s inexplicable. Our great manager has had to contend with something he can’t explain.
So we have to give him time to get over the trauma of losing the Carling Cup Final to a Birmingham team that fancied it, that really believed they could beat Arsenal.
My take on that would be : If he’s still re-living his failures, how can he create optimism and a winning momentum?
On Monday night Ivan Gazidis spoke to about 100 AISA members at a meeting and told them that Arsenal has a lot to be proud about.
He said, “We are unique, football wants to do what we’re doing.â€
He was asked: Why do you announce the attendance is 60,000 when it’s 45?
His reply was : “We’ve never had 45.”
Obviously, he can\’t say anything about the team because he works under Wenger.
That\’s why Celtic chief exec Peter Lawwell turned the job down in September 2008. Lawwell wasn\’t happy with his Job Description. He didn\’t want to work under Wenger.
Gazidis is a technocrat who talks in businessspeak.
He spends millions on consultants to find out what the Arsenal Supporter\’s Trust tell him for free.
A friend went to the AISA meeting and said Gazidis was left deflated, realising he hadn\’t won friends or influenced people. As he was saying, “Arsene is very meticulous in what he does, we\’re lucky to have him,†half the people in the room were shaking their heads.
One of the saddest aspects of the Arsenal shambles is that Ivan Gazidis is a bright guy and well aware of the issues. He knew that on Monday, six days before the start of the season, Wenger had still not signed a centreback.
He was having to face supporters on the very day that Wenger had bought another unproven kid for £12 million!! The purchase of 18-year old AOC looked like a two-fingered gesture by a defiant dictator.
After the AISA meeting, Gazidis spoke to fans off the record in the car park.
He said : Every club would like young players but what we now need a bit of experience to bring them along.
He said : I\’m here and I\’m taking it on the chin.
He also said : I\’m not as pessimistic as you lot.
Clearly, he can\’t admit that the dithering Wenger has bungled Arsenal\’s summer.
The Udinese fixture had made everyone very jittery.
It’s a far bigger game than Newcastle.