It was reported yesterday that Arsenal have recorded a rise in profits (up to £49.5 million) following the sales of Francesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, last summer. This news is unlikely to comfort the clubs supporters, who have endured a thoroughly uninspiring season, in the same way it would chief executive Ivan Gazidis, who spoke later in the day of a need for 'unity' if the club are to qualify for next season's Champions League. The comments made by Gazidis, though not definitive, suggests that beleagured manager Arsene Wenger is not at risk of losing his job any time soon, with comments such as 'victory through harmony' and, more significantly, talk of a summer rebuild indicating that the calls of the more vociferous elements of Arsenal's support will not be answered anytime sooner. Rather, it seems as if Wenger will be given another opportunity to prove that he is the still the man to deliver success to the club. Whether this proves to be a wise choise by the Arsenal board remains to be seen, but it is certainly a welcome one in an age where manager overturn is worringly high.
There is no doubt that this season has been one of the most difficult of the Frenchman's tenure, with his frequent refusal to strengthen his defence and his inability to replace the two aforementioned departees proving costly. Were it not for Robin Van Persie's remarkable exploits in front of goal, Arsenal would be struggling to qualify for the Europa Leage, yet alone Europe's premier competition. The recent defeat to AC Milan (4-0 in the San Siro) was as galling to watch as a neutral, so inept were Arsenal in the face of ruthless, experienced European campaigners. Even the mercurial duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho managed to get on the score sheet, the latter twice.
But this season, regardless of what some may say, will not define Wenger's near sixteen years in charge. The failings of the current crop of Arsenal players will not erase the memories of that great Invincibles team, nor of the journey to the 2006 Champions League final. Wenger will always be regarded by those of a reasonable disposition as an outstanding coach, one who has done as much for the English game as any other coach that springs to mind. However, football is a ruthless enterprise and neither sentiment or admiration can mask the failings of Arsenal's manager and his team this year. The recent 2-0 defeat to Sunderland in the FA Cup, coupled with the massacre in Milan, meant that Arsenal are almost certain to finish the season without a trophy, an outcome endured by fans for seven consecutive years. Many coaches would be removed from their position for such shortcomings, but the case of Wenger is a unique one.
With profits being made by the club as a result of player sales, the clubs supposed weakness on the field (though hard to identify during Sunday's 5-2 drubbing of arch rivals Spurs) is being balanced out by a good health financially. As noted before, this is of no immediate comfort to followers of the club, but the application of hindsight may provide more comfort to those currently disillusioned with the direction the club is taking. Arsenal need not fear the impending UEFA Financial Fair Play sanctions, meaning their route to European football will be a smooth one for the forseeable future, providing they can continually occupy the Premier League's top four. The current ailments of Chelsea and the inconsistency of Liverpool means that the Gunners should be able to rise to challenge this year and, if Gazidis's comments are to be believed, a refurbished team should find the task even more straightforward next year.
Manchester United and their city counterparts may be currently duelling for the Premier League title, but it would be overly presumptious to claim that this will be the case for years to come. United in particular are a cause for concern due to the burgeoning of debt upon the club as a result of the Glazers arrival in 2005, which they have still yet to pay off. The club have thus far not suffered on the pitch as a result of their financial state, but this may not be the case in years to come. Many of United's key players are in their thirties and a limited budget has resulted in a recruiment drive that has, at times, been underwhelming. United's squad will shortly be in need of replenishing, and it is unclear that there will be money to do that. This may ultimately dictate the future of their manager Sir Alex Ferguson and also the calibre of his replacement.
Wenger meanwhile, should he be allowed to continue his never-ending project, will be in a good place to launch a serious assault on the league, providing that the clubs young players live up to their potential and substantial reinforcements are required. Much will hinder on the clubs ability to keep captain Robin Van Persie but it is by no means a foregone conclusion that the Dutchman will depart the Emirates stadium this summer, with there thus far being no clear suitors for his signature.
The short term is unlikely to be any more pleasant for Arsenal fans than the present, but it would be wise of them to look beyond the teams current failings when assessing the suitability of their manager. There may be one great team left in Wenger yet.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Wolves in Need of Perspective
After the most turbulent week in the club's recent history, Wolves departed Newcastle with an unlikely point in Terry Connor's first outing as manager. It's hard to distinguish which reality would have seemed most unlikely to supporters at the beginning of the week; avoiding defeat at a team occupying one of six European places or the fact that the new man in the dugout would be such a familiar face.
Connor's appointment has been met with widespread derision by both Wolves fans and those outside the club. It seems, on paper at least, completely illogical to dispense with the services of Mick McCarthy only to replace him with the man who has assisted him throughout a campaign which has seen the club win just five times in 26 league fixtures. Indeed, my immediate reaction to the decision by the Molineux board was as follows; if Mick McCarthy was deserving of the sack, then surely his coaching staff are part of the problem, and not the solution?
However, with time comes perspective and when this is applied to these latest goings-on the decision to appoint the former Brighton and Leeds striker does not seem so perplexing. Connor has been a part of the backroom staff at Wolves for 13 years, which is impressive in an age where coachs are chopped and changed frequently (just ask Ray Wilkins). According to Manchester City centre half Joleon Lescott, one of the finest players to ever don gold and black, Connor is the best coach he has ever worked with, which apparently makes him superior to both David Moyes and Roberto Mancini. Whilst we would perhaps be wise to take this last comment with a pinch of salt, it is a glowing testament to the capabilities of the latest incumbent in the Molineux hot seat. Nobody was ever this kind about Steve Kean.
The time-honoured argument against internal promotion such as this is that a good coach does not necessarily make a good manager. Brian Kidd, so highly regarded as an assistant manager but largely deried during his spell in charge of Blackburn, is an example of the perils that may await any coach planning to leave the comfort of the training ground for the intensity of the dugout. But thus far, Connor has navigated this most difficult of routes relatively smoothly; he spoke with clarity in his first press conference and then orchestrated a daring comeback from two goals down on Saturday. The key to any managerial appointment is how the players react on the field, and the Wolves players certainly did that against Newcastle. Granted, 'TC' has only been in charge for a grand total of four days, but such positives such be clung to by those disillusioned by his appointment.
It would seem that throughout this whole saga, from McCarthy's dismissal to Connor's appointment, it is chairman Steve Morgan and chief executive Jex Moxey who have come out with the least credibility. Indeed, at times Morgan's comments have been cringe-worthy; his talking up of Alan Curbishley just hours after the job became vacant, only to be turned down twice by the former Charlton and West Ham manager, was particularly galling. And Moxey's insistence that the job was 'not one for a novice' only to then plump for a man with no managerial experience was, quite frankly, ridiculous. But it would be naive to believe every report made during the ten days that the job was vacant. Journalists have an agenda (to sell newspapers) that is just as strong as that of Moxey and Morgan, theirs seemingly being to try and keep the fans on side as much as possible, hence their odd statement on Friday afternoon which suggested that Connor had always been a candidate for the job from day one. We will never know exactly what went on during that period of uncertainty, but it would be rash to firmly side with either party.
The reality facing Wolves fan is that their only chance of impacting on the remainder of Wolves season is to lend their support to their new manager and his team, whether they approve of his appointment or not. They must resist the urge to lambast those running the club, as they did so willingly during the more troubling periods of McCarthy's final season in charge, and instead apply perspective and patience, as hard as some may find it. They did so on Saturday and were rewarded with a spirited comeback against one of the division's better sides. A televised trip to Fulham awaits on Sunday; an away following in good voice will doubtless be more helpful to the players than home crowds of recent weeks.
Connor's appointment has been met with widespread derision by both Wolves fans and those outside the club. It seems, on paper at least, completely illogical to dispense with the services of Mick McCarthy only to replace him with the man who has assisted him throughout a campaign which has seen the club win just five times in 26 league fixtures. Indeed, my immediate reaction to the decision by the Molineux board was as follows; if Mick McCarthy was deserving of the sack, then surely his coaching staff are part of the problem, and not the solution?
However, with time comes perspective and when this is applied to these latest goings-on the decision to appoint the former Brighton and Leeds striker does not seem so perplexing. Connor has been a part of the backroom staff at Wolves for 13 years, which is impressive in an age where coachs are chopped and changed frequently (just ask Ray Wilkins). According to Manchester City centre half Joleon Lescott, one of the finest players to ever don gold and black, Connor is the best coach he has ever worked with, which apparently makes him superior to both David Moyes and Roberto Mancini. Whilst we would perhaps be wise to take this last comment with a pinch of salt, it is a glowing testament to the capabilities of the latest incumbent in the Molineux hot seat. Nobody was ever this kind about Steve Kean.
The time-honoured argument against internal promotion such as this is that a good coach does not necessarily make a good manager. Brian Kidd, so highly regarded as an assistant manager but largely deried during his spell in charge of Blackburn, is an example of the perils that may await any coach planning to leave the comfort of the training ground for the intensity of the dugout. But thus far, Connor has navigated this most difficult of routes relatively smoothly; he spoke with clarity in his first press conference and then orchestrated a daring comeback from two goals down on Saturday. The key to any managerial appointment is how the players react on the field, and the Wolves players certainly did that against Newcastle. Granted, 'TC' has only been in charge for a grand total of four days, but such positives such be clung to by those disillusioned by his appointment.
It would seem that throughout this whole saga, from McCarthy's dismissal to Connor's appointment, it is chairman Steve Morgan and chief executive Jex Moxey who have come out with the least credibility. Indeed, at times Morgan's comments have been cringe-worthy; his talking up of Alan Curbishley just hours after the job became vacant, only to be turned down twice by the former Charlton and West Ham manager, was particularly galling. And Moxey's insistence that the job was 'not one for a novice' only to then plump for a man with no managerial experience was, quite frankly, ridiculous. But it would be naive to believe every report made during the ten days that the job was vacant. Journalists have an agenda (to sell newspapers) that is just as strong as that of Moxey and Morgan, theirs seemingly being to try and keep the fans on side as much as possible, hence their odd statement on Friday afternoon which suggested that Connor had always been a candidate for the job from day one. We will never know exactly what went on during that period of uncertainty, but it would be rash to firmly side with either party.
The reality facing Wolves fan is that their only chance of impacting on the remainder of Wolves season is to lend their support to their new manager and his team, whether they approve of his appointment or not. They must resist the urge to lambast those running the club, as they did so willingly during the more troubling periods of McCarthy's final season in charge, and instead apply perspective and patience, as hard as some may find it. They did so on Saturday and were rewarded with a spirited comeback against one of the division's better sides. A televised trip to Fulham awaits on Sunday; an away following in good voice will doubtless be more helpful to the players than home crowds of recent weeks.
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