Filed under: Arsenal, Premier League, Football
Whenever his team were playing Arsenal up until a few years ago, one Premier League manager told me recently, he used to look at their players in the tunnel and the apprehension would rise within him.On the basis of the old saying attributed to the Duke of Wellington that he didn't know what his men did to the enemy but by God they frightened him, goodness knows how that manager's players must have felt.
Arsenal had such athletes then, were so intimidating physically, he said. When they had that, allied to their undoubted talent, you hoped for the best but feared the worst. Now, he added, he knew plenty of fellow managers who no longer felt that way about them.
Arsene Wenger may point to his team's 16-match unbeaten run as evidence that they are winners and do have the talent and strength to win the title yet, but few are buying it. Arsenal have drawn four of their last five games. If such as Sunderland and Blackburn are no longer in awe of them, even at the Emirates, then Liverpool and Tottenham are not going to be.
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The manager's preparations for the derby with Spurs - the 3-3 draw showing the best and worst of Arsenal - were interrupted by an interview with his captain Cesc Fabregas in Spain.
If a Spanish manager had gone six years without a trophy, Fabregas apparently said, then he would surely have been sacked. It was suggested that this meant that Wenger's position should be in doubt. In fact, Fabregas was more likely condoning the enlightened Arsenal way of sticking with Wenger and allowing him to bring on talent.
What was more revealing was the Fabregas statement that: "a decision has to be made - to go out to win or to develop players." In that could come a conflict between the new majority shareholder, the American Stan Kroenke, who may well see a need for new quality and qualities, and the manager, who will surely not be told how to recruit.
Significantly, Fabregas added that: "We are all so young and there is nobody you look at and say, 'Wow.' It echoes our manager's absence of fear of the current Arsenal.
In recent seasons, Wenger has accumulated a host of busy, clever footballers who are a self-evidently a delight to watch when on song. He has also recruited defenders who can play, but who lack a physical presence and determination to hold on to a lead, and attackers who are now struggling to find a winning goal in tight games, largely because opponents close down the tight avenues in which they want to play.
Despite his faith in his squad, Wenger must surely come to see that he does need now to buy reinforcements of commanding influence to give some help to his kids, who are crying out for it.
Fabregas's interview, indeed, was almost a plea for help, to point out that he and Robin van Persie cannot keep shouldering so much responsibility. If he is expected to, then he will surely be off to Barcelona.
A Tony Adams, a Patrick Vieira and a Thierry Henry will not come cheap but the time has come for Wenger to acknowledge that others might have a point. The need is to buy big players - in both senses of big - of experience.
The Frenchman has always been one to talk about prudence in the market and of not getting involved in ludicrous transfer deals. All very laudable. The prudent thing now, though, is to invest.
Recently, Arsenal announced 6.5 per cent increases in season tickets. That meant the 7,000 club level members being hit with a rise from £5,200 to £5,540. Putting prices go up at this time of recession means that will want to see their money being spent on the squad.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/04/22/arsenal-arsene-wenger-experience-transfers-football/
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