Arsene Wenger- Le Proffeseur(The Professor)

             Arsene Wenger recalls me of a wily professor. Super-intelligent at his work. Ability to recognize raw talent from a pool. Performs his task with extreme nonchalance. Protects his pupils from the outside world. Sometimes like a personal tutor, who for a fear of his job chooses to blame the examiner rather than find faults in his methodology of teaching or simply the ability(or rather the lack of it!)of the pupil. That is AW for me in a nutshell.

             Arsene Wenger an attack minded coach(or indeed lays more emphasis on attack), was surprisingly a defender, a Right-Back to be precise. He was picked by David Dein(the inspirational CEO of Arsenal)from a Japanese club supposedly named ‘NAGOYA GRAMPUS EIGHT’. Since then he has come a very long way and is considered to be(and actually is!)one of the best managers in the world.

             Hats Off to him for stablizing Arsenal’s on-field performaces in a financially tight and turbulent phase(I personally am not satisfied by ‘just stability’ in the last year). He has prevented a Chelsea or Liverpoolesque collapse. He has managed to take Arsenal to 15 consecutive Champs Lges. And that too with minimal resources. But the ‘minimalization’ is surely his decision(I don't think the board is tying his hands).

             Arsene Wenger is a kind of an Indian engineer who has ventured into Financial Consultancy. He is a perfect amalgamation of a technically sound engineer and an immensely experienced Financial consultant. He knows Tiki-Taka, but knows how to do ‘Number- crunching’ as well.

             Like how a Company/Firm goes to a Financial Consultancy firm saying that it wants to optmize its resources. Simple Motto- Maximizing profits by limited usage of resources ensuring a sustainable model!

             I percieve the situation like this. Arsenal FC is a company/firm. It has appointed Arsene Wenger becuase he is a lethal combo of consultant in technical as well as financial field(‘Single salary 2 employees’ kind of expert). And hasn’t Arsene Wenger played that role to ultra- perfection! He’s made Arsenal FC truck- loads of money and hasn’t compromised on ‘Style’ as well as ‘Achievement’(to a certain extent). That is exactly his USP. Classy! Isn’t he..

             Arsene Wenger is also like a Mining Expert. He has unearthed ‘GEMS’ from raw Ore. He has polished the ‘GEMS’ too finally bringing the gems to their expensive value becuase without the poishing of the gems, they are worthless. Also if he hadn’t unearthed the ‘GEMS’ at the first place, the world woudn’t have known that such a ‘GEM’ even existed. But he does exactly what a Mining Expert does. He doesn’t keep the ‘GEMS’ to himself, but goes and sells it in the market. Controversial statement the above. But all I would like to say is that there was a reason behind every sale. And I would respect the reason behind a majority of the sales and simply say, “ARSENE KNOWS!”

             Now to the hefty calculation or ‘HISAAB’ as you would call it in Gujarati of the truck loads of money Arsene has made for Arsenal, not only through tranfer fees, but also due to the growth in reputation which AW has been an integral part of!A closer look at the Galaxy of Stars Wenger has unearthed and usually sold at the right time(I mean they haven’t lived up to their billings post the sale away from Arsenal).(All figures in UK Pound Sterling)

1)KOLO TOURE- Solid CB

In- 150k                Out- 16m

2)EMMANUEL PETIT- The Defensive Wall

In- 2.5m               Out- 5m

3)SOL CAMPBELL- Defensive Stalwart

In- Free                                Out- Free(But the value he brought to the squad was immense)

4)NICHOLAS ANELKA- Fox in the Box(Nobody knew him before he came to Arsenal)

In- 500k                Out- 22.5m

5)MARC OVERMARS- Flying Winger, Fan-Favourite

In- 7m                   Out- 25m

6)CESC FABREGAS- Midfield Dynamo, Next Xavi(Nobody knew him before he came to Arsenal)

In- 500k                Out- 35m(ish)

7)ROBERT PIRES- Probably the best Winger EPL has ever seen

In- 6m                   Out- Free(But the quality he brought onto the table was scinthillating)

8)ROBIN van PERSIE- His quality is there for everyone to witness

In- 2.5m               Out- Hopefully not!(But you can safely evaluate him at above 30m)

9)THIERRY HENRY- King Henry, Magician with the ball at his feet

In- 11m                 Out- 16m

10)DENNIS BERGKAMP- A Menace for opposition defences.

In- 7.5m               Out- Retired as an Arsenal Legend

11)SAMIR NASRI- The C*NT

In- 12m                 Out- 24m

So as we would do the ‘HISAAB’

Total Money Spent = 49.65m

Total Money Received = 143.5m

Net Monetary Profit = 93.85m(180% Profit)

             I emphasized on ‘Monetary’ becuase the above players have not only brought money to the club, but have contributed immensely to the growing stature of the club!                         

             Away from the finances. Now towards the sporting achievements, which Wenger has ‘Engineered’-

FA Premier League Titles- 3.. 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04(Invincibles!)

FA Cup- 4.. 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05

Champions League Finalists- 1.. 2005-06

The above list of accolades is one which a person would crave for. The only negative side of the above list is that Arsenal have been trophyless for the past 7 years!

             Aaron Ramsey(I still have a lot of faith in his abilities)was wanted by Arsenal and Manchester United at the same time. But he chose Arsenal, despite knowing that he had a higher chance of winning silverware if he would have chosen Man Utd! The above story bears testimony to AW’s reputation of carefully nurturing hand-picked  youngsters. And this is 1^st Hand info boss, which just cannot be neglected.

             Arsene Wenger once said, "At a young age winning is not the most important thing.. The impotant thing is to develop creative and skilled players with good confidence.” I kind of disagree with the above statement. According to me a winning mentality has to be instilled in the players from the very beginning.

             Okay so what did we see. Arsene Wenger is a thorough All-Rounder. He is one of the best Coaches in the world. He is a ‘Manager’ in the true sense.(An IIM Prof.) So anyone wanting to optimize resources and ensure sustainable deveoplment-

CALL- Mr. Arsene Wenger.

AVAILABILITY- Only after he leaves the Managerial post of Arsenal Football Club.

KEEP FAITH. ARSENE KNOWS!

(P.S.- Are Manchester City and Chelsea listening?)

                                                                

3rd Place + Champs Lge. Football = Reason to be Happy??

            What a week it has been in the Barclays Premier League! I am not competent enough to comment on it the magnificence of the drama.

            This article may seem pessimistic from a Gooner’s perspective. And people may question the timing of this article. People may be happy and satisfied at a 3rd place finish and automatic Champions League qualification, but I am not! Period.

             Agreed that it has been a tumultuous season for Arsenal(to say the least). If you would have asked me about 3rd place finish and Champions League football in November, 2011 I would have been very happy with it(because it was a distant dream then). But what about the answer if I would have asked you the same question in August, 2011? I am sure the Emirates faithful would not have been satisfied with it!
             I don’t care what AW says about Arsenal being a stable club(it may be financially stable). It's more stagnant rather than stable. Okay we have qualified for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive year(and that is genuinely an outstanding achievement).
            In Wenger's own words,"And to be fourth is playing a qualifier, which every year is more difficult. Therefore just to be in the group stage straight away is fantastic." And that’s where the problem lies. I think AW has lost his hunger for titles, desire to win a trophy. Otherwise he wouldn't be satisfied by just Champions League qualification!

Where has the desire of 1996 disappeared?

                 http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-i-can-sleep-better-at-night-now

             Taking a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book- Finishing 2nd and enduring a trophy-less 2012 is like a FAIL season in MUFC terms! Look at his burning desire even after 25 years at the club. HATS OFF to SAF! That’s the kind of desire Arsenal must re-inculcate and not be satisfied at finishing above the Spurs(because we are a way better team than the bloody Sp*rs).
            According to the noted cricket analyst H. Bhogle, “Manchester United and Tendulkar and Federer they are condemned to be weighed in different scales. A second place for Valencia or Arsenal would be a moment to celebrate; for Barcelona or United, something to grieve over.” Why this?
            Let me be very frank. Our Arsenal squad has way too many SQUAD players. Not many World- Class players having the ‘X-Factor’! Okay they are World- Class players in the making(I completely agree that some of our young talent is awesome). Others like Denilson, Bendtner, Vela, Diaby don’t seem to be deserving the Arsenal shirt once worn by the likes of Vieira, Pires and Bergkamp!

The Difference in class and talent is there for everyone to see

           First of all AW says that Arsenal is financially very stable, and then we cash-in on a Samir Nasri(agreed he is a C*NT).
           Also AW is seen to be very over- protective of his players. This is good as well as bad. Good for the confidence of the player and bad because he is not demanding of his players
           AW must use Sachin Tendulkar’s exemplary hunger for success and spell- bounding desire to improve every time. Improvement in the sense skill- wise and also not committing the same mistakes again and again! His thirst for success has never been quenched. Tendulkar has this knack of “I want more!” The main culprit here is Ivan Gazidis(CEO of Arsenal FC)who once said that inability to qualify in the Champions League will NOT be considered a FAILURE! WTF is that bald guy talking man!
          Taking a closer look at the EPL table..

           Just take a look at the large Gulf between Arsenal(3rd) and Man Utd(2nd). It’s a massive 19 points. Have we ever been so adrift of the top of the table? And 1 more thing worth noting about our poor(to say the least!)defense is that we have conceded the max no. of goals among the top 8 clubs! And also this tally of 49 goals conceded is the maximum Arsenal have ever conceded in a Premier League season!(This I just cannot tolerate.)

           Now away from the gloom. The ‘Gates of Dawn’(my favourite song from Advaita)seem to have finally re-opened in AW’s mind. He is a fantastic manager to say the least, but has grown to be too stubborn over the past few years. Okay. He has committed a few mistakes but he deserves a reprieve for the fantastic(not in the last 7 years) work done by him at Arsenal.
           I do think that we have a decent squad(better than Chelsea, L’Pool and Spurs)which needs to be complemented with WORLD- BEATERS which requires a splurge in the transfer market!(Is AW listening?) And AW needs to get his transfers done at an early stage to allow the player to settle and blend well with the squad(I think a full pre-season is required for a new signing to settle in).

LUKAS PODOLSKI = PERFECT EARLY SIGNING + WORLD CLASS 

           ‘Prince Poldi’s’ arrival means a player has been added to the WORLD- CLASS category. M’Vila 99% wrapped up is also massive news. Finally AW seems to have learnt his lesson and is planning to spend money(not just spend but spend lavishly) on quality recruits!
           And credit to AW for preventing an L’Pool or Chelsea like debacle. He has managed to give us 15 consecutive seasons in Champs Lge in a financially tight period(Emirates Stadium construction).

            I think the aim for the next season should simply be the be highly competitive in the Barclays Premier League and at least 1 trophy. Is that too much to ask for from a highly talented bunch?
           Okay that brings us to the end of a magnificent Barclays PREMIER LEAGUE(Isn’t it by far the best league? Much better than the ‘2 horsed’ La LIGA!). I can proudly say that I witnessed the best ever EPL season.
            Common you GOONERS.. Confident of success in the next season. And we need to gain control of the ‘C- word’. Not the one describing Cashley Cole and Samir Nasri, but the one describing Man Utd.. “CONSISTENCY”.. Lets hope for it next season, and surely the next season may be ours! Am I being over- optimistic? If the answer is ‘NO’, then you have no right to be satisfied by this season(and hence approve of this piece). If the answer is ‘YES’, then you have no right to be a GOONER!

I am confident the Gunners can again start firing!

                                                                     Keep the faith!

Does a Defensive Midfielder Anchor-Man exist in Arsenal's armory?

       Some say that Arsene Wenger's current formation and tactics are a copy of the total football tactics invented by Johan Cryuff, and practiced earlier by Ajax.. Some call it as Arsene Wenger's copy of FC Barcelona's tactics. But I say that AW has earned that right to call it his own. It may be an adaptation of the Ajax idea, but certainly not a copy!

     
       Some experts(and I too agree with them)that Arsene Wenger is too rigid with his tactics. He is too stubborn to tweak his tactics. I have noticed(and it is solely my observation)that Arsenal are not able to implement their game against teams which are good at closing down oponents. And also I have observed that while Arsenal are very good at keeping possession, we as a team don't work hard enough to gain back the possession once lost. If we are able to do that more often, Arsenal can have loads of possession and hence obviously will be able to create more chances.

        Also to regain possession we need to have a high defensive line.. But too much pressing and closing down higher up the pitch requires protection provided by a good DM especially if the oponent is quick, nimble and has good dribbling skills.To become a better team we need to have a high defensive line capable of winning the ball higher up the pitch.

         If we have a good holding player which the team can rely on defensively, the CM can also afford to become more attacking and also possess more Creative Freedom... Hence we dont need to rely on the assists of a defensively unreliable DM. I would (any day) prefer a DM who can defend well rather than provide assists..

        We should have a strong defensive lynch-pin or anchor-man which Song is not. Song is more assist oriented(his main job is to defend well and protect the back 4, which he is not competent). He does not seem secure like a Patrick Vieira or a Michael Essien. Hence I do think we need to step-up our chase for Yann M'Vila or train Francis Coquelin in that mould(and also need to get rid of some our dead-wood like Diaby, Denilson, Vela, Squilacci, Bendtner, Park). Also we need to unleash 'The-Ox' on the wings(somehow).

Thats the defensive peerless-ness which M'Vila provides and Song does not(Important Stats in BOLD)

Too early to say. But my ideal staring XI with the formation for next season would be-

My Idea of the tactics Arsenal should deploy..

                                                             

          The main position of discusion. The DM or the anchor-man. I think the ideal man suited for this role is M'Vila(I hope he does come). He is very good defensively and performs it with nonchalance. He is strong in the air too. He does not need to do much creatively( I don't know how creative this guy is?). He just needs to pass the ball to a more creative player(Wilshere, etc.) He just needs to sit back and protect the back 4 and also perform the 'Dirty-Player' role. Defend, defend and defend even more!

                                                              M'Vila is France's lynch-pin

          The above may seem similar to the current AW formation, but a more rigid approach to the current one. I think the above is ideal for the idea of possession retrieving. Wilshere will be the engine room in the center of the park. Main role is quick distribution of the ball, spreading the play, making it expansive for wing-play and sudden burst of pace with the ball.

          The wingers know their bit. Both are very pacy and both know how to cross the ball pretty well. 'Prince-Poldi' & Walcott have the special skill to finish very well. Both can cut-inside and allow the overlap of the full-backs(this overlapping requires protection which can be provided by a defensive-minded DM(M'Vila)).

           'Mikel Arteta' will provide the very important 'link-up' play between the midfield and RVP(the same role made him a Legend at Everton). He also has damn good vision and tendency to provide defence splitting through-balls(we are not going to get another Fabregas. Hence will have to be happy with Fabregas-lite). His ability on the wings and his crossing can add to the fluidity of Arsenal's attacking movement.(I would prefer Podolski to play here as he will take the goalscoring burden off RVP).

          RVP should be left to do what he does best. He knows his role as a 'Trequartista' and performs it to perfection.

          Hence a bit of rigidity is required in the midfield(this may reduce the Tiki-Taka but will surely bring in better results). The clear-cut roles must be specified for each player except Arteta and RVP. I think(this is what I observe)there are many players for a single role. Arsene Wenger has always been a Attack-minded manager. But I think he is overly so. He does not have a specified Anchor-Man in defence. He has sacrificed his defensive principles for Tiki-Taka football. I have noticed that a good attacking team has a steady, strongman in midfield for protection. Attacking football requires protection and Song(uptil now)has not provided it!

          So investing in M'Vila is not a bad option in my eyes as a DM : Football team = Protein : Human Body... A good defensive minded DM is a building block of an attack minded team..

So its for you to decide.. 'TIKI-TAKA' or 'TROPHIES'?

OR

(Disclaimer- I dont think I am a better tactician than AW. I am just suggesting roles which would make AW's delightful football more result-oriented)...