Seeing Arsene Wenger’s hair has turned to all gray these days, I can’t help but thinking how much energy, effort and heart Mr. Wenger has put in Arsenal Football Club for the past decade.
I do have an impression - our boss probably cares about the club more than any other current players in the team. Not like no one else wants him. Over the course of his Arsenal career, there was interest from the France national team, Japan national team, Real Madrid, Barcelona. Had he chosen to go, surely he would have made more money, earn a bigger reputation. And in the case of clubs like Real Madrid, with a much bigger spending budget, his job surely would have been easier. No longer needed to unearth the rough diamonds, he could just go out and buy the finished articles. Particulalyr when our new stadium project suffered a setback, with the club virtually having no money to spend, he could have jumped ship and people would understand his decision. But he DIDN’T.
Unlike a certain “Speical One”, our “Ordinary One” gives me an impression he’s into the job not because of big money, or an attempt to improve his reputation (at least he didn’t appear in American Express did he?!). As stated, if his main concern is all these, then there is no better place than going to a team like Real Madrid where he could sign the big stars, and achieve an instant success. Personally, I believe what Wenger wants is a place where he could put his own football philosophy into partice. A place where he can get his team playing passing, attacking football, without too much interception from the board.
Of course, sometimes his decisions may turn out to be wrong, and at times he appears to be too stubborn in his own belief. But that’s the way it is, you give, and you take. You can’t have everything. Had Wenger been a man who would bend his principle and belief, he probably would have ended up elsewhere already.
Personally, I believe Wenger’s priority this season is to win the Champions League. Probably out of a selfish reason - Let’s don’t forget how much stick he had to endure at the past for the theory that “Arsenal always bottled in Europe”. And how people kept on saying Wenger would not be considered a truely GREAT manager just because he never won the Big Ear Cup.
For a competitor like Wenger, I can imagine this must be something very difficult to swallow. What Wenger did this season is very similiar to what Rafa did with Liverpool last season. The Reds virtually gave up their league campaign at the later stage of the season and focusing 100% on the Champions League. The only difference is back then Liverpool were already hopless for the 4th place finish. So not many people made a milk out of it.
If Wenger did appear to focus more on the Champions League this season, even if it’s purely because of a selfish reason to fulfill his own ambition, for what he had done and contributed to the Arsenal Football Club for the past 8 years, I’d say Ok Boss, Go For It. You have EARNED every RIGHT to.
Hell, had it not been because of you, we probably would not be there in the Champions League season after season at the first place.
6 Responses to “Arsene Wenger’s gray hair”
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April 25th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
Good post, Andez.
I have faith in Mr. Wenger b/c I get the impression that he’s one of those rare coaches that wants to BUILD & NURTURE a team/club instead of buying one.
It’s so much more gratifying when you build something from less or practically nothing than being handed all the tools & the knowledge & then creating something. When you do it on your own & on your way, the joy that comes with that is utterly indescribable.
I have an anxious confidence about tonight. Not bad anxiety mind you, but it’s a slightly giddy anxious feeling more like “We’re ready, we’re prepared, LET’S DO THIS!”
Up the Arse
Keep the faith
Kiss the crest!
April 25th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Absolutely agree, trust le gaffer, let’s sink that yellow submarine, come on arsenal, get at them, come on you gunners!
April 25th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
I don’t know if he started out the season focused on it above all other things, but it certainly looks like it developed into that. Amazing when you consider our away form and the injuries.
Perhaps there was some kind of momentum that made him decide this was it. His 4-5-1 became most effective after January, but with all those kids? Most would be mad to put all your eggs in the CL basket, even with our relatively easy group stage.
If Wenger is set on anything, I wouldn’t bet against it.
April 25th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
I’m building a sculpture of him in my living room. My dog keeps wanting to eat it - I knew I shouldn’t have used macaroni and glue.
April 25th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Yes Scotty, I don’t think he started the season aiming at winning the CL neither. Just the way things developed, when u get to so far (semi final of CL), i think it’s just natural for manager, players the likes to probably focus more on it.
The 4th place finish is VITAL, but mostly from the club’s point of view. For the players, apart from money, I bet most of them want to win MEDALS. I think that’s probably one of the reasons we seem to play better in CL than the league in the later stage of the season.
Of course, “ideally” speaking players should show enough professionalism by treating each game the same. But the bottom line is they are also HUMAN afterall.
I remember back then in 1994 and 1995 when we broke into Cup Winners’ Cup final two season in a row, our league form also suffered. Particular in 1995 when we dropped to a 12th place finish.
Adams, Bould, Keown, Winterburn, Dixon, Seaman the likes were all model professional players. If their mind would get distracted by an European competition campaign, let alone the current bunch of the young Arsenal side.
April 25th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
hey gerard, i been building a Speical One sculpture , problem is my dog keeps trying to pi$$ on it!….