Great news from the manager this week
Arsene Wenger says he will play no part is choosing his successor.
So he won’t stay on as Director of Football? That’s good news. He won’t hire Paul Le Guen? That’s good news. He won’t insist on maintaining the culture of what is, in the immortal words of the immaculate Robert Pires, ” a French club playing in England”? That’s good news. Arsenal won’t buy kids to play with kids any more? Brilliant news ! We won’t have a Phrench captain, a Phrench dressing room, and a four-week Phrench cafe discussion on the injustice of Wayne Rooney’s goal at Everton, causing Arsenal to lose four games instead of one? That’s really great news.
But always remember : football managers are like politicians. So you should believe what they do, not what they say.
Also remember : while Arsenal can still destroy bad teams like Birmingham, West Ham and Blackburn, it’s Wenger’s job to provide a winning team in March, April and May. He pays multi-millions of your pounds to Almunia, Clichy, Song, Eboue, Denilson, Walcott, Bendtner and Diaby, and gives them all new contracts when they’ve won nothing. That demonstrates that his belief in them is far greater than your belief in them.
In the meantime, CEO Ivan Gazidis says fourth, third and second are not good enough. Ivan says : We have to win a trophy this season for the fans.
He told the Sunday Express : “It’s absolutely our ambition to win a trophy this year. Second, third or fourth isn’t good enough. We want to win something this season and we believe we have the squad to do that, We have created a team playing fantastic football. Now it’s very important for us to focus strongly on winning something for the fans.”
At last, the CEO who is driving the business points out the purpose of the club : to win trophies. It’s not about having the best kids, it’s not about playing the prettiest football, and it’s no longer about selling the future to gullible Gooners year after year after year. It’s about now, Now and NOW! It’s about this Premier League, this FA Cup, this Champions League. The FA Cup has not started yet and neither has the Champions League.
It’s about time somebody gave the manager a reality check. Yes, Wenger has achieved many thrilling things and left an unforgettable legacy. But Gazidis looks at empty boxes and thousands of empty seats that have been paid for, and realises that Gooners will not accept another thrashing in the Champions League semi-finals. Is that success? Is that what you pay £1,700+ a year for? A 1-0 hiding at Old Trafford and a 3-1 annihilation at the Emirates? Is that going to be the highlight of a typical season for Arsenal? An aggregate 4-1 thrashing in a Champions League semi-final?
A 4-1 defeat in Europe is Arsenal’s worst result in 13 years !
The greatest spin-doctor in football history will never convince me otherwise.