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CONTINUITY BREEDS SUCCESS – WENGER MODEL TO BRING TITLE?
CONTINUITY BREEDS SUCCESS – WENGER MODEL TO BRING TITLE?
It is the conundrum we always address prior to the birth of another exhilarating Premier League campaign – will Arsenal mount a sustained title challenge?
For the best part of a decade the Gunners have either started sluggishly, relying on a late rally to earn another top four finish, or they have been in the mix early on, before being out-muscled by a Stoke or a Bolton, knocking their confidence and leaving them with a mountain to climb.
Angry fans have confronted Arsene Wenger at train stations, signs have been held up around the Emirates pleading for the French supremo to stand down and experts and social media aficionados have come to the conclusion Wenger has had his day, and a new, innovative manager needs to take the reins.
However, while Wenger’s ardent long-termism has frustrated those Arsenal fans who wanted a more instant revival after the 8-2 thrashing at Manchester United represented a nadir in 2011, has Wenger finally built a talented, settled squad, primed and ready to actually return the summit of English football once again?
Theo Walcott and Sani Cazorla have put pen to paper on new deals as the good news continues to flow out of the Emirates.
Wages of £140k-per-week does seem excessive for Walcott, who has had so many injury problems, but added expenditure is money well spent if it contributes to the stable environment in north London. Liverpool fans were outraged when Raheem Sterling demanded such astronomical wages, claiming the young England forward had done nothing to suggest he was worthy of such an amount.
Yet, would the Reds faithful not be more content with a player who is tried and tested under the current regime, than spending £29m on a relatively unknown Brazilian?
Walcott likes to be told he is the main man. This season he will likely be deployed as a striker, where he wants to play, and as a top earner, he will be motivated to succeed even more – psychology is as important a factor to consider as any in today’s climate.
Wenger has been criticised for not matching rivals in the transfer market, but as he has built this rejuvenated Gunners on the back of that massacre at Old Trafford, he has invested in several marquee players, and they are primed to spearhead an Arsenal title tilt.
Mesut Ozil didn’t hit the ground running, but for those watching him week in, week out, his immense quality is becoming more apparent all the time, and his contribution cannot be underestimated.
On the otherhand, Alexis Sanchez needed little time to settle, and immediately looked at home in the Premier League. After leading Chile to Copa America success, with an uber-confident ‘Panenka’ penalty to clinch the trophy in the penalty shootout against Argentina, the only direction he is heading is to the top.
Laurent Koscielny has developed into one of the best defenders in the country, Aaron Ramsey continues his recovery from a tough start to life at Arsenal, while Petr Cech is the experienced goalkeeper fans have been craving for years.
There are still obvious deficiencies in the ranks, though. An over-reliance on Olivier Giroud, who perennially suffers bouts of low confidence, there is little cover in defensive midfield areas, fitness concerns over Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and doubts remain over the lack of pace at the heart of the Gunners defence.
“I believe we have a good base, a good structure and a good balance,” Per Mertesacker said recently.
“I think the key for our success will be not suffering too many injuries and not dropping too many points at the start of the season.”
The German knows both of those have been the Gunners’ downfall, but now Arsenal have the options to cope, and the artillery to deliver a long-awaited title.
Down the years teams have bought their way to the title, but sometimes taking time to assemble the right squad, breeding continuity under the right ethos can reap rewards – and who would begrudge Wenger such an achievement?
