Wenger's Evolution of Arsenal F.C.

When I think of the word ‘evolution’ I think gradual change over a period of time. I also think of this change as an improvement on what was there before. This is what I want to discuss, whether in fact it is improvement. Therefore evolution might be the wrong word to start with, but things certainly have changed in North London.

On a fateful autumn’s day in 1996 Arsenal Football Club changed its face, presumably forever. The club has since far been removed from its typically English style and has embraced a more fluent and less physical strategy that is more commonly found in the ‘total football’ territories of Spain and Holland. When Arsene Wenger was introduced to the media as the new manager of Arsenal he was greeted by a roomful of sceptics. Fans of other clubs simply laughed, but Wenger went to work and was the champion of England in less than two seasons, and has won two more Premierships since then. Wenger’s three league titles were won with the aid of his pass and move philosophy but it can be argued that his true principles have only emerged with the exit of the last of the players he had inherited from a very different era. The Frenchman has now controlled the North London club for a generation in terms of a playing career. Everything at Arsenal belongs to Wenger, even the stadium itself. Of course with complete control comes complete accountability, as the previous long standing manager discovered.

George Graham was the manager of Arsenal from 1986 until 1995. He is the obvious comparison we can make with Arsene Wenger, because he is in many ways the polar opposite. Graham is remembered fondly by Arsenal fans, firstly for his playing career with the club, and secondly for the success he brought as manager which included two league titles. However, many of the gunners remain uneasy towards the Scotsman on at least three counts. Firstly, he accepted the manager’s position with the great enemy, Tottenham Hotspur in 1998. Secondly, he was vilified for accepting an illegal payment from an agent; a mistake which led to his departure from Highbury. And thirdly, modern day fans disapprove of Graham’s more defence minded style of football, and point to the team’s slump in form immediately before he was fired.

However, unlike Arsene Wenger, George Graham’s will to win can never be doubted. Of course Wenger wants to win, but it is hardly win at all costs. Wenger is today put on a pedestal by the supporters who fell in love with his team’s attacking style. His knowledge of how to break the opposition down is his primary gift. It is at the other end of the pitch where his difficulties lie. Lucky then, that when he first took charge there was in place a ready made defensive foundation, allowing him to work on the side of the game he loves most. He began assembling players who could play the game according to his own philosophy. He sought players who had vision to see great passes and the skill to execute them. He wanted players who had pace and athleticism and the intelligence to find the right positions to receive passes. He signed Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka. The defensive unit that Graham had built worked perfectly in tune with Arsene’s fluent attacking formation and the league title and F.A. Cup were secured in 1998.

The next three league campaigns were relatively disappointing as the team struggled to compete with Manchester United. However, Wenger used this time to assemble a new attacking team, albeit a team that once again relied upon defensive players such as Seaman, Dixon, Adams and Keown who were all brought to the club by former manager George Graham. Wenger signed Sol Campbell on a free and brought through Ashley Cole from the youth team. These players supplemented the solid defence already in place and brought with them better technical qualities than the other defenders. Of course Wenger also coached his defenders to pass the ball out of defence, as opposed to Graham’s more direct approach. Back in 1999, Wenger had reluctantly sold his prized asset, Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid. Fortunately he had discovered an ideal replacement in Thierry Henry who immediately settled into the Premier League. A year before Henry he signed Freddie Ljungberg and a year after Henry he signed Robert Pires. These three players in particular were to become the heartbeat of one of the most frightening forward lines in English football history. In 2002, Arsenal once again captured the league and cup double.

In 2004, Arsenal made history by winning the Premier League without a single defeat. The squad that achieved this success can reasonably claim to be the greatest English club side in league history. However the 2003/2004 season was significant for another reason with the departures of Ray Parlour and Martin Keown meaning that George Graham’s mark on the club was finally extinguished. What was left was entirely of Wenger’s making. This event is made all the more significant by the fact that Arsenal have not won the league title since that summer of 2004. The teams completely built by Wenger have only won one trophy in five years and have recently ceased threatening to win the league. The perfect blend of Graham’s defence and Arsene’s attack has been replaced by what was Wenger’s plan all along, to develop a conveyor belt of young talent who could all contribute to a possession focused game. However, as technically gifted as his team is, the manager has somewhat neglected to coach the players how to defend properly and how to contribute when the team does not have possession of the ball. His answer to these problems is always to be better at keeping possession. Wenger’s desire to nurture young players is equalled by his desire to balance the books at Arsenal. Indeed he has been applauded for his financial planning almost as much as his football strategy, especially in recent seasons with the team trophy less.

Despite the club being profitable, Wenger has been unable to successfully transform academy players into first team regulars. Instead his main success has been in developing players he has recruited such as Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Robin Van Persie and current captain Francesc Fabregas. He has failed almost entirely to trust young academy graduate players over a season. The media in general rave about the so called young Gunners that Arsene only deploys in the League Cup. These players have included Jermaine Pennant, Arturo Lupoli, Jeremie Aliadiere and Sebastian Larsson, all of whom were intelligent, gifted young footballers who failed to develop to Wenger’s frustration.

The main criticism of Arsenal teams since 2004 has been that they lack genuine belief and courage. They have failed in the mental challenge despite at times playing the most glorious football. Wenger’s Achilles heel has been his inability to replace the great defence that he inherited from George Graham. He signed Sol Campbell to his credit, but really it was a no brainer. He has been unable to find a goalkeeper to replace the steady and consistent David Seaman. Overall he is a poor judge of defenders. Wenger does not encourage his team to defend a lead, even near the end of a match they go forward in numbers, leaving space for the opposition to equalise. The defensive unit is chaotic when it does come under intense pressure. Another concern is the team’s lack of physical strength compared to some opponents. During the initial years of success, Wenger had Vieira, Adams, Keown, Campbell, Silva and Henry. Not only were they better footballers than the majority of teams, they were also stronger and quicker. Today they have Fabregas, Diaby, Nasri, Arshavin and Van Persie who possess pace but lack physicality and at times bravery. At the back they have Gallas and Vermaelen who cannot match the leadership and defensive abilities of Adams and Campbell. In short, they are considered a soft touch.

The current reality for Arsenal seems to escape many of the fans. Arsenal Football Club was at its best during the amalgamation of Graham and Wenger philosophies, at the point when both styles were overlapping each other, playing fluent football and producing results. It is true that ‘the invincibles’ of 2004 were comprised almost entirely of Wenger recruitments and they played his brand of football. That being said, we should not underestimate the importance of the two vice captains that season, Ray Parlour and Martin Keown whose leadership and mental strength was crucial, as well as their playing contributions at times. Both players helped to maintain the spirit and fight that George Graham had instilled into the club. Both players instilled that same spirit and fight into the players around them. Slowly, as time has moved on, these qualities have been lost among all the acclamation of the pretty football.

The modern day fans are undoubtedly different to the ones who would have evolved if George Graham was still the manager. There would be no artistic principles and there would be nothing like the pretentious attitude that has engulfed the soul of the club. It can be assumed as well that there would be somewhat less entertainment for the spectators but if George Graham was winning trophies it would hardly matter what way his team was playing. Arsene Wenger is not under any pressure for his job, and rightly so. But how long more can the fans wait? Is the Wenger brand alone enough to appease the fans even if the cabinet remains empty? The message ‘In Arsene We Trust’ is indicative of the club’s position of not really knowing what direction they are headed. The message states that the fans trust the manager, but if they really trust him do they need such a public expression of it. What does ‘trust’ even mean in this message? Do they trust him to win trophies or do they trust him to uphold his principles, regardless of success? Do the fans who communicate the message even know what it means?

The problem a critic faces in the judgement of Arsene Wenger is in not knowing when his ultimate plan is going to end, because until it does, we will not know its true merits. Having said that, how old does his current team have to get before they are deemed failures? How many more goalkeepers and defenders must he go through before we can call him a defensive flop? Are his ‘principles’ alone worthy of recognition? Indeed what are his so-famed principles? They are to always play attractive football, whatever the result, right? Flatter to deceive comes to mind. After thirteen years of preaching and coaching, shouldn’t his team be playing like Barcelona, or is he just unlucky?

Wenger is rarely a target for the English press. In fact he is lauded as a genius and criticism of him is hard to come by. Part of this is due to his foreignness. The press are polite to foreign coaches while British managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Harry Redknapp and Sam Allardyce receive much harsher judgement. Of course, for Ferguson, this is partly due to his highest of high profiles. The public want to read about Ferguson’s misdemeanours because they resent his success. Only minutes after any Manchester United defeat there is the anticipation of the Fergie post match interview. There is the willingness for controversy that is unlike any other manager. However, while Ferguson blames the officials for a lot of his team’s inadequacies, Wenger often blames the opposition for their lack of creative ambition. There is an ever-present undertone at Arsenal that even when they lose they are better than everyone else. These pretentions have inevitably spilled over to the supporters. Occasionally Wenger has even denied his opposing manager the privilege of a handshake. The younger Arsenal fans who worship Wenger are forgivably supportive even when the Frenchman displays such contempt for the ordinary, under-pressure and results driven football manager. These are the same fans who have simply forgotten what Arsenal was pre- Arsene Wenger.

Despite all the failings I have pointed out regarding the current regime, Arsenal Football Club is still the second most successful club in the Premier League years, and being runner-up to Manchester United is nothing to be ashamed of. I have also questioned Wenger’s principles but the most impressive thing about Wenger is that he has ignored every single temptation that might bring such principles into disrepute. And perhaps this is a season when his loyalty and trust and belief in those principles will be rewarded. The team is currently threatening to make a title challenge as it threatened to make one in 2008. However, we are approaching a critical period as Wenger simply can’t afford another challenge to peter out as it did in 2008. Mentally, it would be a crushing blow for the team and it would once again raise questions about Wenger’s approach. Arsene Wenger will forever be loved by the Arsenal fans. His reputation outside of Arsenal however relies on his ability to win at least one major title with his current side.