In Defense of Wenger
Article by kingsley okiwelu
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As this year’s EPL season draws to an exciting climax, the minds of observers naturally turn to assessing who did well and who performed poorly. The debate will no doubt rage well into the summer but the postmortem has already begun.
One English Premiership team, for which the critics seem to have reserved their harshest vitriol, is Arsenal FC. On the face of it, the reasons for this seem apparent. The team led the league for most of the season, but faded terribly once the business end approached. As the Arsenal Manager, the buck invariably stops at Arsene Wenger’s table for what many term to be a slightly disappointing campaign. On the other hand, quite a few of the pundits seem to have gone overboard in their criticisms of Wenger’s stewardship especially considering that this season may yet see the gunners finally put their much talked about hoodoo to rest and claim a first trophy in nine years.
In what passes for serious journalism these days, there seems to be a complete one-sidedness, a proclivity to dispense with any attempt at offering balance and a tendency to take quotes out of context, rely on half-truths, and regurgitate false stereotypes. In most cases, the most appropriate course of action for the discerning reader is to sift fact from fiction and quietly dismiss the offending News item’s conclusions. Occasionally, however, the twisting of the facts is so egregious and the blithely delivered half-truths so misleading (particularly when they come from the supposedly the serious media), that an immediate riposte is required.
Paul Hayward’s article in the Daily Telegraph, is a case in point. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10808016/Arsenal-must-dictate-terms-to-manager-Arsene-Wenger.html
Firstly, the conclusions the respected Telegraph columnist draws from Wenger’s recent confirmation of his intention to continue as the gunners’ Manager next season are at the very least disingenuous and at the worst, downright false. In attributing Wenger’s desire to wait till Champions league qualification was secured to a cleverly concocted ploy, Mr. Hayward takes quite a leap. Wouldn’t the more plausible theory simply be, that in the course of a season where there were more than the occasional rumblings of discontent owing to the gunners’ precipitous fall from their previously vaulted position at the league summit, the Arsenal handler was always likely to wait until he had at least achieved the club’s minimum target before putting pen to paper on a new deal? Secondly, it’s public knowledge that a deal was on the table for the gunners’ gaffer as early as the start of the season. It’s a matter of public record that even when Arsenal was on top of the table for several weeks before February, Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke and Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis continually implored Wenger to sign off on the dotted lines.
In reaching their rather spurious conclusions on what they constitute to be the “failure” of Arsenal’s season most of the pundits make use of the same misrepresentations.
The most common of these is Wenger’s oft taken out of context assertion that finishing in the top four is “like a trophy”. Now, one can argue about the merits or lack thereof of the Arsenal “model”. But for the unbiased observer who has seen the original quotes, Wenger’s was simply stressing the quite simply logical reality that a failure to retain their top four status during a period where the club was handicapped financially could potentially have dire consequences. It was never meant (as glibly suggested by many) to convey the impression that the Club’s ambitions were limited to simply coming fourth. Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, said as much when he spoke of his disappointment with the way the season had progressed. http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140505/szczesny-my-regrets-over-title-race
The danger of course is that in touting the club’s “project”, as a long term one, one is perennially ready to excuse failure as the logical precursor to success at some time in the distant future. However, in sustaining a prolonged challenge and with excellent prospects of winning the FA Cup secured, one can confidently say that progress was made by Wenger’s charges this term.
Time alone will tell whether this progress will carry over into next season. Until then, patience may very well be a virtue.
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f*** me thats good journalism. We'll need this level headedness during the crazy transfer summer thats upon us.
ReplyDeleteWenger has repeatedly cocked up in the final lap for the epl title.
ReplyDeleteAssuming Arsenal have 2 matches left to play and must get a minimum of
4 points,I have grave doubts as to his title winning credentials.He is too idealistic in his conviction that attacking will prevail when pragmatism laced with a dash of reality is called for.
Moyes was sacked because he was accountable for MU' disappointing season.
ReplyDeleteseriously hope the fm will have a clause rerdaing accountability in his new contarct.
Otherwise we will have a repeat of the last nine seasons.
Btw,MU are still overlord of the epl interms of revenue generated. Now imagine if Arsena had been partially successful,the gap with the rd could have closed significantly. This all due to the manager.
When the Arsenal Board decided to build the Stadium and told Wenger there would be NO BIG money for transfers for eight years. Wenger did not jump ship like other managers. He stayed and took us limping into Champions League. He did so by selling some very good players to pay for the seats that your fat arses sit in at the Emirates
ReplyDeleteWhat most of the lower IQ Arsenal fans forget is that we, yes we, do NOT have the spending power of the Oil Clubs, We cannot go into a transfer and spend money we cannot recoup in ad revenues or ticket sales.
Here is the conundrum for the brain damaged. You scream “Why won’t Arsenal just spend a Bazillion gazillion pounds?” Then the same lame brains turn around and weep, “The ticket prices are too high.” WTF you want? Arsenal does not sell Russian gas to the EU or Oil to the Open Market. We have to be prudent with purchases.
Now the main point. We were shepherded through the dark days of “reduced potential” by Wenger; he brought us here over some very rough times while preserving our standing. Now that the Club has money, I can’t get why the oxygen deprived fans want him gone. Wenger was offered some serious cash to jump ship but remained LOYAL. It is time that he reaps the benefits of the good cash flow days ahead.
The Board has hidden behind Wenger, he is the face of the Club; they are never exposed to scrutiny, Wenger has never complained. He has taken all the arrows from the poo slingers and refused to blame anyone else. He has my respect; I want him to sign another contract for three years.
Instead of pleading like Eunuchs for a new coach, consider us blessed. We have a world class coach. I would bet some disgruntled fans want David Moyes to replace Wenger; such is the insanity that prevails here.
Now I hate ranting against a fellow Gooner, but like any large family, every once in a while you have to tell a drunken cousin at dinner “S T F U !”
now thats something these dickheads needed parker..brilliantly said!
ReplyDeleteVery eloquently put, if only the media would hire sports writers even half as insightful and well written as you.. but i guess the wider public doesnt seem to want more than the mindless cliches and sensationalism that passes for sports journalism these days.
ReplyDelete