Sepp Herberger, who coached Germany to the 1954 World Cup is famous for saying, ?the ball is round.? By that he meant you never know what might happen in a game, or for that matter life. People change, games change, for any number of little reasons. While that may be true, here is something that I am certain of:
Arsene Wenger is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Commitment is not a strong enough word to describe his attachment to Arsenal. I would wager that his mindset falls closer to that of Captain Ahab. But his white whale is grander than just winning a trophy. I believe he truly sees his goal as establishing Arsenal as a power of the highest magnitude not for one season, but for a decade or more (even after he ceases to be the manager). Wenger?s rival isn?t just Sir Alex Ferguson, it?s Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Helenio Herrerra.
With the signing of Reyes, Wenger has put another piece in the puzzle that may not be fully realized for another two or three years. Winning today would have meant grabbing Kluivert. Winning tomorrow means getting players like Reyes and Cesc ? don?t forget about him ? from Spain; Senderos from Switzerland; Toure from the Ivory Coast; Clichy from France. Players who will form the cornerstone of Championship winning clubs for years to come. Players who, if need be could step in right now, and have, but really who are here to form the nucleus in years to come.
Does any of this guarantee victory? Of course not, but Wenger, and hopefully the Arsenal board, understand that you have to build slowly and stick to your guns. Bringing in a dozen stars and switching coaches every other year is what clubs like Inter Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea do. Remind me again what they?ve won recently?
Everything that Arsenal does is geared toward future results, but not, as far as I can see, done with recklessness. I don?t expect us to win major trophies every year, but I also don?t want us to be like Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, clubs that won the biggest prize available 20 years ago and now hope for an extended run in the Carling Cup for their season highlights video.
Now, more than ever, (say it with me) Arsene knows.
One Response to “Arsenal - The Building of a European Champion”
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January 28th, 2004 at 11:06 am
You are right on the money with this article. We have laid the groundwork / foundation for a magnificent team for years to come. The road should be littered with trophies and hardware. He does not buy older players, or players with baggage. He does not normally overpay for players. He appears never to be in panic mode. The future is indeed VERY bright for the Arsenal.