When Arsene Wenger talked about “values” last Friday he was talking to Stan Kroenke.
He was sending a message to Colorado.
Consider, or re-consider, exactly what Wenger said.
“I don’t think the club needs a big investment. This team has shown they can beat everybody and that it is part of their growing process. There is a huge potential here. I don’t feel at the moment the needed solution is more money.
“In the longer term, it’s always better that you produce your own resources and for us, with a new stadium, I feel in the near future the club will be capable of competing on its own resources.
“It’s just somebody who has bought shares. You have to wait in the future to see what his intentions are. At the moment, he has come out and said he does not want to buy the club, he wants just a partnership, and that should not change anything inside the club at the moment.
“It’s important Arsenal maintains its values because they are what makes the club so popular and that is beyond any investment. The club must maintain the values we have always had here – of human class, distinction, respect for people and ambition to have a certain class in what you do. That’s what I felt when I came to this football club. There was fair play, a desire to do things well and basic human values. It’s a daily struggle to keep those values.”
“What I like inside at this club is that we have maintained our values, we show we care about our fans, and we care about people who love the club.”
What are Arsenal’s values?
Well, the traditional Arsenal values are (1) British players produced by the club and (2) professional defending as coached by Don Howe and George Graham and (3) fighting spirit where every player battles to the last kick of every game in every competition and (4) a captain like Frank McLintock or Tony Adams who can organise and inspire the team before and during a game.
Arsene wasn’t talking about that.
He can’t have been talking about any of that.
BECAUSE ALL OF THAT HAS GONE.
It doesn’t exist any more.It has been replaced by his values.
So when he talks about Arsenal’s values what he means is : my values
What you have now, after ten years of Arsene Wenger, is a French club captained by a narcissistic ballerina, and a technical team where nobody shouts at each other, and a changing room with thirteen nationalities.
After training, most of the players don’t even stay to have lunch together.
WAS WENGER TALKING IN CODE?
If so, what was he really saying to Kroenke ?
Was he saying : My kids are all brilliant ?
Was he saying : My kids will be stars in four years time ?
Was he saying : I’m in charge of the ethics and the aesthetics and the brand, as well as the footballers? If you buy my Arsenal, you have to do what I say, or I’ll quit ?
Stan Kroenke might look at the league table, and last season’s league table, and ask: Is this Arsene Wenger the only soccer coach in the world ?