Arsene Wenger is Arsene-al.
He’s currently the club’s longest serving manager as he has already notched up over 900 matches in 16 amazing years. The first nine years were filled with fond memories as he brought Arsenal out of the gallows, revolutionized the club and topped it all of with an intricate style of football that saw his sides win trophies after trophies.
Premier League titles, FA Cups, you name it. Monsieur Wenger has been there and has definitely done that. However, the UEFA Champions League has eluded the French gaffer as his side continues to have doses of bad luck, injuries, suspensions and shameful officiating, with the most recent being that foolish act in the Barcelona – Arsenal clash two seasons ago.
The last seven years of Arsene Wenger’s tenure has failed to reap fruit and the way players exit the club freely has changed the outlook of this team, as it’s now labelled as the new Walmart of football.
Players that have gone through Wenger’s alchemy move on to seek greener pastures but the boss continues to rebuild because Arsenal is like the mythical creature, Hydra – you take one head off, another pops up.
The latest instalment of the Arsenal Player Sales Chronicles was the bewildering exit of Alex Song to Barcelona, and it caused mixed emotions at the club.
Some were happy to see Song leave because they felt that he wasn’t doing his “primary job” well, disrupting the team’s harmony and the funds would be used to finance the acquisition of a new holding midfielder. Other weren’t happy because Song was a player that just hit his prime and his output to the team last season was very encouraging, which gave this faction a hope for the future with a gem like Song in the club.
However, Song’s departure didn’t go down well with a senior player in the form of Bacary Sagna, that was quick to voice his frustrations on the matter. This bit of info made the media Vultures speculate that Sagna was next in line to leave the club, but Wenger has intervened on the situation,
“That he was disappointed that Song left, I can understand, but when you look at the number of players we have in midfield, you can understand that as well.
He’s close to Diaby as well. So when you have Arteta, Diaby, Cazorla and Song, one can’t play”
I fall in the ranks of the Arsenal faithful that was disappointed with the sale of Song, but seeing Abou Diaby’s renaissance gave me some peace of mind. As expected, Diaby is already in the treatment room but I know that there are able deputies that can hold the fort till he’s fully fit.
Francis Coquelin can get a chance to strut his stuff as the enforcer, allowing Mikel Arteta to return to his box-to-box role. There’s also the much-maligned Aaron Ramsey that can put in an efficient shift in Diaby’s absence.
In the Premier League, one manager stands out for not just being outstanding, but for his tactical proficiency, influence, pink face and gum eating escapades. Sir Alex Ferguson is managing Arsenal’s fiercest rivals after Tottenham, but the commitment he has shown to Manchester United is unrivalled.
Speaking of commitment, the Arsenal hierarchy has decided to take a step forward by offering Arsene Wenger a new contract but the manager has invoked the spirit of Robin van Judas Iscariot, as he was quick to cool down contract talks,
“I have two years to go. What is important for me is Southampton (on Saturday) and I think I’ve shown my commitment in the past.
I’m an Arsenal man and I think I’ve always shown that. I have to consider if I do well or not…if I don’t do well, I’ll consider my future”
In his time at Arsenal, Wenger has been linked to coaching roles in Spain, but he has remained steadfast at Arsenal, doing what he does best. With his bumper contract expiring at 2014, I’m pretty sure that Wenger would take time to think through, before putting pen to paper.
As he rightly said, should Arsenal fail to win any trophy till 2014 (God forbid!), that would make it 10 years of the trophy drought. Wenger will also be 65 years old as well, so he’ll have to consider his health and other factors to know if he can continue to cope with the rigors of the Premier League.
Whatever happens, I’ll always be there for my club, with or without Arsene Wenger.
Moving on to some off the field shenanigans, the cuddly Brazilian maverick, Andre Santos, was arrested last month for practising Grand Theft Auto in reality. The police chums had stated that the leftback was speeding at 130 mph with his Maserati.
He was charged this week with dangerous driving and he is due to appear in Hendon Magistrates’ Court on September 27. It is believed that Andre Santos could face a two-year jail term if he’s convicted.
With a club as disciplined as Arsenal, this act could have further ramifications for the Brazilian. Every one hopes that it turns out good because serving a jail term while playing for a prestigious club like Arsenal will paint a very bad image.
A preview for the Southampton game comes up tomorrow.
Sayonara.
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