Arsene Wenger Can Win League Again Says David James

Clive Mason/Getty Images

It may seem similar a ridiculous fourth dimension to be asking if Arsene Wenger can win some other English Premier League title. Yet the sad reality is that question has never been more relevant.

Because if Wenger can't capture another EPL crown, what is the signal of prolonging his tenure at Armory? The even sadder reply, peculiarly for an ardent supporter of Wenger, is that the EPL title is as far abroad from the French boss as it has ever been.

However, simply beginning and ending this article with the word "no" would exercise a disservice to the growing complexities surrounding Wenger and Armory. Because no affair how much his critics like to blame everything on the man whose picture no incertitude adorns their dart boards, Arsenal's issues are far from simple.

Permit's brainstorm get-go with a brief look at the context of Wenger's contest. It's quickly piece of cake to see why it is so hard for Arsenal to reach the elevation of England's top flight again whatsoever time soon.

Consider the reported £70 one thousand thousand spending spree supposedly fix to have place this summer. Depending on where Arsenal terminate, they are still going to have to engage in careful spending.

Shrewd recruitment will keep to be a necessity for Wenger, no affair how big the transfer state of war chest gets. That's because he is competing with iii teams who can simply overwhelm his nearly meticulous efforts with one marquee signing.

Imagine Wenger spending effectually £twoscore million to secure the composed finisher, intelligent centre-back and decisive goalkeeper this author believes they demand. Fantabulous business, at least on the confront of information technology.

However, before Arsenal fans get too excited about possibly redressing the rest of power, they wait nervously in case Chelsea sign Radamel Falcao. Or perhaps Manchester Metropolis will sign Edinson Cavani?

Let's not forget Manchester United warming to the idea of again unleashing Cristiano Ronaldo on the EPL.. The indicate is the 3 premier clubs in England's superlative league work within a reality Wenger can't match and probably tin can't even comprehend.

It's the reality that says Chelsea can continue to splash the cash even after wasting £l meg on Fernando Torres. Even afterwards spending in excess of £30 million on Eden Hazard and close to that on Oscar simply one summer ago.

Information technology's a reality that doesn't say to United how dare you trounce out £24 million on a 29-year-quondam in the final year of his contract. Does several hundred meg worth of debt mean goose egg? Evidently not.

That's non forgetting the truly frightening wage barriers United'south neighbours are prepared to smash in the pursuit of silverware. Okay it'due south not fair, just that's the way it is, and then why mutter?

Maybe then adjusting their own wage policy would render Arsenal and Wenger back to the glory days? So now Wenger can offering as much lucre as Chelsea, City and United. Problem solved you suppose.

Well perhaps not. Now Arsenal are competing direct with clubs who are currently far more successful, for the same players. If Arsenal pay shut to or the same as Real Madrid, which gild is a acme player withal more probable to choose?

There'southward also a mayhap more pressing question. Fifty-fifty with a substantial transfer kitty, can Wenger still be trusted to spend wisely? This is becoming a greater business concern each season.

Information technology certainly is after watching Olivier Giroud lurch around White Hart Lane, terrified by even the idea of controlling a pass. Then at that place is that familiar Achilles heel of contempo seasons, the defense.

It doesn't say anything skillful when Wenger is scrambling to replace a center-backs he only recently bought. A succession of poor purchases makes even one of Wenger's biggest supporters wonder if he deserves another opportunity to open the handbag strings.

Nevertheless afterward the initial over-emotive anger that another reckless display from Thomas Vermaelen is sure to illicit, reality sets in. It is the temperance that says that buying the right players and risking signing a few duds, is a business for any manger.

However, fifty-fifty if Wenger sticks to a measured financial arroyo in his attempts to rebuild Arsenal, will his prospects be any better? It's difficult to conclude they volition since the alternative to a major spree would be another youth-based evolution.

The harsh reality is that title-winning teams built on a young foundation are rare, especially in the mod era. Certainly teams can produce a few select stars from their own ranks or unearthed from relatively untapped corners of the transfer marketplace.

Nevertheless, these are thin offerings. Finding the ground of an entire team founded on precocious youth is no easy thing. Ajax are the prime number example.

Yes they have yielded the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart in contempo years. However they still haven't matched the glorious European Cup winning team of 1995.

Small wonder that they haven't. Imagine developing a core including Marc Overmars, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Frank De Boer and Patrick Kluivert.

Barcelona's current, but potentially fast-fading dominance may seem to contradict this view. Notwithstanding the trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi were supplemented by large money acquisitions.

The likes of Dani Alves and David Villa were non unknowns Barca's direction decided to take calculated risks on. And for all his successes and longevity, Sir Alex Ferguson has never unearthed another crop comparable to his mid-nineties contingent.

Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverly are solid citizens. Withal neither compare to the likes of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.

Certainly Wenger has to his credit, remained a bang-up advocate of developing through youth. However, if he was charged with edifice another title winner via this route at present, what basis would he have?

His latest attempt involves six British youngsters. Commendable on the surface, but which of the grouping could actually key a return to silverware?

Jack Wilshere peradventure. Well, the jury has to even so be out. Particularly after watching his lame attempts to human action as an advanced creator in the North London derby.

Peradventure this author'southward original view, formed 2 years ago, that Wilshere is a tidy, halfway line water carrier is correct. Okay and so what about Theo Walcott?

Well later watching Aaron Lennon score the one goal Walcott should e'er score but rarely does, it's easy to be sceptical. The bigger implication of Arsenal taking the youth option would be the increased burden it would identify on the already besides battle-scarred Wenger.

He would be correct back to a situation where he faces an annual scramble to keep whatever emerging star out of the clutches of the uber-rich. He needs just look at Borussia Dortmund for a reminder of that claiming.

This smartly and cheaply assembled squad is gradually being plundered. Shinji Kagawa regrettably joined United and Robert Lewandowski is touted for a motion to Bayern Munich of all clubs.

This is the star striker for a squad that claimed sequent Bundesliga titles and a German language cup. They are competitive in this season's Champions League and well-placed to be in next yr'south tournament.

However Lewandowski seems set to leave and leave for a club in the same division. If yous heed very carefully, you tin hear Jurgen Klopp banging his head against his desk.

With but one year remaining on his contract, Wenger may feel he's too old for that sort of depressing chore again. Which brings things to the state of Wenger'south future at Arsenal.

That's an issue easily equally contentious every bit the many arguments over the root cause of Arsenal'due south current malaise. In terms of the question in the title, Wenger'southward future intentions raise some other primal question in response.

Has the increasingly downtrodden veteran coach even got one more than rebuild left in him? After all this is a true innovator who bears the brunt of increasingly savage criticism and ridicule about his credentials.

That a lot of that abuse comes from his own fans is particularly sad. Yet the criticism from inside is somewhat borne from the way Wenger has boxed himself in during contempo years.

It wasn't an intentional pace. Rather, information technology was the upshot of one man trying to wrap his artillery around every aspect of a club in turmoil in the boardroom and on the motion off the pitch.

For the record, nobody is going to convince this author that Wenger is tactically inept. He is still equally sharp and thoughtful every bit any manager in the game. Sadly information technology may take him leaving and succeeding at another lodge to bear witness that point.

His major failing has been to recruit players with the wrong attitude and place too much faith in those players. A look at Abou Diaby this season perfectly illustrates the point.

A player Wenger should accept signed to his heave his midfield was former Celtic star Ki Sung-yueng. Indeed Armory were briefly linked, but Ki eventually signed for Swansea City.

Then at that place was Argentine bruiser Claudio Yacob. Armory were said to be running the dominion over the intelligent and gritty midfield enforcer terminal twelvemonth.

Yet Wenger never made his move and Yacob went to West Bromwich Albion on a gratis transfer. The disturbing attribute is that information technology's so easy to imagine Wenger thinking, "why exercise I sign these players, I take Abou Diaby."

Talent-wise there is no question Diaby can lucifer about whatsoever midfielder in the game. All the same his physical fragility and mental lethargy were always going to toll Arsenal big.

Wenger's faith has again gone unrewarded. The human being famously so reticent to "kill" the development of his young fledglings may yet pay the ultimate price for keeping that faith.

That may be an inevitable truth Arsenal volition face this summer. Particularly since this master team architect won't recapture the glory years of 2001-05, while he continues to struggle merely to stay relevant.

domenechinhoullear.blogspot.com

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1554034-can-arsene-wenger-win-another-english-premier-league-title-at-arsenal

Share this post