How responsible is Arsenal Management for Poor Season? Part2
By Neil Fry
March 5 2013
PART TWO Mid Season management review and audit.This section of the mid-season review examines Arsenal’s delivery off-the pitch. Firstly, in respect of planning and the the strategies and policies of Monsieur Wenger and the Board and then the competence of crucial elements of supporting operations: coaching, contracts, player recruitment and scouting.
Planning
Ownership / Board
Beaten in the Club ownership race, Arsenal’s second largest shareholder, Mr Usmanov - reportedly Russia’s richest man - believes that Arsenal have effectively become a feeder club for the best teams in Europe but said that his money and know-how were readily available.
The greatest achievement of Arsène Wenger is to have created two teams: the one that now plays for our rivals, and the one that is trying to be among the best in the Premier League,” Usmanov told French sports paper L’Equipe. That’s why I say it’s not enough to merely flatter the coach, but to give him the possibility to buy the best players. It’s unthinkable that the shareholders get well paid while, for small clauses in contracts, we lose key players, symbols like Robin van Persie, Mathieu Flamini or Patrick Vieira. For me, he [Wenger] is one of the best coaches in the world, but it’s not easy for him. I think he deserves that players are brought in at Arsenal when they’re needed. The best players, and not being satisfied with selling our best players to our rivals.[7]
Arsenal supporters group the Black Scarf Movement campaign about the current direction of the club - ‘where has our Arsenal gone’ - and current campaigns include season ticket pricing and repayments. Most of their members are season-ticket holders or attend most games, or at least regularly attend matches at the Emirates. In a survey of their members, 96.5 per cent said the board is not running the club effectively and 86 per cent said chairman Peter Hill-Wood should go. Mr Raj Patel said:
We are not an anti-Wenger group … The overwhelming thing for us is that the percentage of fans who want a change of board is in the 90s and the same goes for those who want [share-holder] Alisher Usmanov to have a place on the board. Our members, from this survey, clearly feel that the current board is achieving financial stability without being able to compete on the pitch - football is all about what you do on the pitch.[8]
The Arsenal Supporters Trust promotes the interests of its many share-owning supporters and wider supporter involvement and mutual ownership in the club. In a recent policy statement, they noted Mr Kroenke’s very low profile as owner and that promises to meet with the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, or any other supporter group, have yet to be met. They are concerned at the lack of understanding amongst fans as to why he chose to purchase the club and what his long term ambitions for Arsenal are. They too want the Club to work with Mr Usmanov to make Arsenal stronger.[9]
After the Blackburn and Bayern defeats and ahead of the pre-scheduled Board meeting that followed them, BBC Sport reported that there would be no return for former chief executive David Dein, no inclusion of Mr Usmanov, and no announcements from Mr Kroenke. For the senior management and owner believed they are putting pieces in place to compete with Europe's biggest clubs in the near future.[10]
Player recruitment policy – transfer spend.
Despite his previous statement to the contrary by Mr Gazidis, Chief Executive, the second player recruitment policy appears to remain consigned to history. In addition to recent, older well-established, international signings Messrs Podolski, Giroud and Carzola; the 26 year old Spanish international Nacho Monreal, was added in January. Unfortunately, none of the signings have adequately replaced Mr van Persie.
Player recruitment policy – wage spend.
In June 2012, the Chief Executive stated that the Club’s flatter (socialist) wage structure needed to be adjusted. Speaking around the time of the opening of the 1 January 2013 transfer window, Monsieur Wenger re-affirmed his personal commitment to the “more socialist model” and stated that the Board deferred to his judgement over his pay bands once his budget is set. This unique arrangement contrasts to the meritocracy model orthodoxy universally employed elsewhere – not least at the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Wage structure and waste
At Arsenal the top earner Mr Podolski, the highly experienced German international, is reputed to earn around £100,000 per week and much valued regular starters such as the Spaniards Messrs Carzorla and Arteta £70,000 per week. Yet struggling fringe players such as Messrs Gervinho and Santos are paid little less - £60,000 a week. In addition, outcasts such as Messrs Squillaci, Djourou, Chamakh and Arshavin, who between them failed to start one single Premier League match are paid £50 - 75,000 per week. This explains how the average wage at Manchester United has been estimated at £64,000 a week, despite paying Wayne Rooney £200,000 per week, while at Arsenal it is claimed to be just £61,000 a week.[11]
Competence
Defensive coaching
New coaches Messrs Bould and Banfield, at the publication of the last report, appeared to have, largely, improved the defensive coaching and, with it, won many plaudits. However, familiar defensive frailties - often marked by calamitous individual and collective defending - returned and Arsenal were often unrecognisable defensively from the team that started the season. Following the defeat against Bradford City, Stewart Robson, the former 1980s Arsenal midfielder and now a TV analyst, questioned Monsieur Wenger’s relationship with Mr Bould since he promoted him. He claimed Monsieur Wenger played down his new assistant’s early impact and others have suggested that, on occasions, Monsieur Wenger seemed noticeably vexed that Mr Bould was receiving so much praise. With the fixture schedule mounting, and - at the time - Arsenal’s offensive play somewhat blunted, separate defensive sessions were said to have subsequently stopped and Mr Bould was left marginalised despite a string of poor defensive performances. The unsubstantiated claims of a rift were, however, strenuously denounced by Monsieur Wenger as “lies”.[12]
Players’ contracts
Following a series of disappointing performances, many supporters were surprised that Johan Djourou was immediately offered (and agreed) a lucrative new three year contract a year ago. He subsequently made just four Premier League appearances, all last season, before being sent out on an apparent discardment loan to Hannover 96 in January, within less than a year.[13] The rush to agree a new contract with Mr Djourou was not matched elsewhere. Indeed, significant and ongoing problems over the contract renewals of top players continued - most notably the enduring problems over Mr Walcott. The established England international, and Arsenal’s second top scorer last season, could - from 1 January 2013 - sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club. Or join a Premier League side for free in the summer and Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs were reported suitors. Having been surprisingly dropped from the team at the start of the season, it appears that the Club’s new contact negotiator Mr Dick, the American former consultant South and Central Americas scout, had apparently offered him a modest raise in salary from £60,000 a week to £75,000 a week (said to be the same wages as the outcast Mr Arshavin) and an ultimatum ‘to take it or leave it’. A further ultimatum was issued even closer to New Year’s Day.
Even before the debacle with Mr Walcott, the Club’s competence in their contract negotiations with existing players, since Mr Dein was removed from the Board, had been widely questioned. The signing of the five British core may have been, it has been suggested, a rather belated attempt to start to get to grips with the problem. Mr Walcott, despite his lack of appearances was still, easily, the club’s top goal scorer and, amidst much vocal support from fans urging the Club to resign him, stood firm. He finally signed a much improved contract on 18 January – for around £100,000 per week.[14]
Second player recruitment policy, version 2 – young signings, British
In February 2005 Arsenal became the first English club to field an all-foreign 16-man squad in a Premier League fixture which served to help cement Monsieur Wenger’s reputation for being reluctant to sign English players. However, in December 2012, Jack Wilshere (age 20, 74 appearnces), Kieran Gibbs (23, 87), Aaron Ramsey (21, 24), Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain (19, 42) and Carl Jenkinson (20, 28) signed long-term four to five year contracts in December and were soon joined by Walcott (three and a half years). For Monsieur Wenger is said to have genuinely felt in 2010-11 that Arsenal were in a position to regularly challenge Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs for the Premier League title but that hope was shattered by the departures of Messrs Fabregas, Nasri, Gael Clichy and Alex Song (such claims are not entirely convincing in respect of the latter two).
We couldn’t keep the good core of young foreign players but I hope we will be capable to build a team around all these young British players who can achieve something together … Somewhere the players must say ‘let’s do it together’. If you educate players, the faith is in their hands. They must want to do it together at some stage. If the quality is local, it is of course even better because it gives you more guarantee of stability. But we look first at quality. That is the most important.[15]
Monsieur Wengers’s key driver now, however, appears to be perception of enhanced indigenous loyalty, “I believe when you have a core of British players, it's always easier to keep them together”. After the final match of the transfer period, Monsieur Wenger stressed there is still much more to come from his current squad and the bunch of young, English players who have committed to the club for the next four or five years.[16]
This is not, however, Monsieur Wenger first attempt to utilise more British players. In 2008 Masters Wilshere and Gibbs thrived in the developmental Carling Cup run. Monsieur Wenger’s hopes for Hoyte, Simpson and Randal’s were not fulfilled and they are no longer at the Club.[17] Indeed, even at the very end of the 2000 – 2001 season Monsieur Wenger he told his compatriot Philippe Auclair that he needed to ‘re-anglicize’ his squad. The England international Mr Cambell thrived, signed on a free transfer from Tottenham, but his success was far from matched by the rather more expensive signings Messrs Wright and Jeffers.[18]
Whatever the future personal success of the British contingent there is very mixed evidence to substantiate Monsieur Wenger’s link between indigenous players and loyalty. Certainly Manchester United and Chelsea have often had strong British cores over the years. But they could also offer players both salaries and, for many years now, the likelihood of trophy success that Arsenal cannot match. Indeed, the England international Ashley Cole who came from the academy and was developed by the Club into being one of the world’s best left-backs displayed no such loyalty and famously made his displeasure at Arsenal’s salary policy clear. And Mr Van Persie left, not through any lack of loyalty or because of the prospective salary offer, but subsequently seemingly proven belief that he had to leave to stand any chance of winning a trophy, whilst he was still at his peak.
Ironically, Monsieur Wenger’s own faith in the very same players has not been entirely apparent this season. Mr Walcott was, desite his goalscoring record last-season, dropped at the start of the season for the struggling Mr Gervinho (echoing Monsieur Wenger’s previous preference for the now discarded full-back Mr Eboue as a right winger); Mr Jenkinson despite great form was dropped and Mr Sagna preferred as soon as he returned from injury, despite his loss of form; Mr Ramsey often wasn’t in the first choice eleven; and Mr Oxlade-Chamberlain featured even less – with Mr Ramsey sometimes having been preferred, despite struggling in such advanced positions.
Scouting
In the home defeat to Swansea, the resurgent Welsh club again gave Arsenal a lesson in technically skilled and effective passing and movement that benefitted from their great success in the continental transfer market and some spectacularly successful signings – not least the Spaniard Michu signed from Rayo Vallecano for just £2m and who scored both Swansea goals. Indeed, Monsieur Wenger has said that the focus of the club’s scouting system, headed by Steve Rowley, was switching away from his home country and former stronghold in France and more towards Germany and Spain.[19]
The country where we were really competitive was France, but the French produce fewer players at the top level than they did 10 years ago. The emerging countries now look to be Germany and Spain, they have taken over. When you look at the results of France against Germany at Under-16, Under-17 level, it shows that the trend in coming years will be more in favour of the Germans.
The signings of Messrs Mertesacker, Podolski, Cazorla and Monreal appear to be testimony to that, but they were all well-known and established international players, hardly the product, like Michu, of scouting brilliance. Perhaps the Club’s only signing last January, the young German Thomas Eisfeld, might one day fall into that category. Certainly Arsenal’s scouting in the French Ligue 1 has had limited success in recent years. Messrs Squillaci, Chamakh and Gervinho can hardly be claimed to be great successes; but, Messrs Koscielny and Giroud, despite some mixed fortunes, have been a little more successful.
Yet, Newcastle United have fared very well in France and attracted many good quality good value players. Indeed, the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, has described Ligue 1 as Newcastle’s “discount supermarket” and no English club has been so reliant on one foreign league for new players. There are 10 French players in Newcastle’s squad and another four who speak French as their first language. The January transfer window was matched with another successful influx of French players. Every Newcastle match is shown on national television. Lead by chief scout Graham Carr, extensive Newcastle’s recruitment drive is matched by charm offensives such as, prior to the January transfer window - knowing replacements were crucially needed - a Newcastle delegation travelling to Paris and set up shop in the exclusive hotel and invited all of France’s top clubs and all the country’s top agents and wined and dined them.[20]
Remarkably, other than Mr Arteta, Arsenal have signed just two players from Premier League club’s since 2001: Messrs Gallas and Sylvestre (and none British). Such an approach is unprecedented and major rivals have often benefited from signing players who have already demonstrated they have the necessary competences for the unique challenges of the Premier League and are less of a risk than players who may never adjust or take time to settle in.
References
[8] http://www.blackscarfafc.co.uk/#/campaigns/4570373752
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-blow-for-arsene-wenger-as-46-1530397
[9] http://arsenaltrust.org/news/latest-news/ast-policy-statement-for-2013
[10] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21521390
http://www.arsenalnews.co.uk/list-of-arsenal-players-wages-and-salaries/link/662192/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20727473
[14] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20732920
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20764767?print=true
http:/owww.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21078962
[16] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20788025
[18] Auclair. p.149
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:03:15:11:20:46 by Padre Pio.
How many managers can claim to have created two sides in one season?
One side is average and should maybe finish midtable.
The other is the one we sold Robber Van Pr*ck to that looks like winning the premiership title.
Well done Arsene Wenger.
Give the man a big contract extension for winning the Premiership title.
*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*
especially when anyone can see he isn't good enough for the premiership never mind our club.
the incompetence at this club is mind boggling.
you see dojo given a contract extension then he is allowed to walk away from the club for a year or three drawing millions of £s for doing nothing for arsenal football club.
you also have the bendty, denilson, vela fiasco.
can someone tell me why someone at this club hasn't been sacked for gross misconduct?
How do you change the marketplace value?
How can a boxer step into the ring and get paid 20m pounds to fight for 40 minutes, with breaks?
Why is RVP paid a million pounds a month for kicking in goals, sometimes, that are created by some one else?
Have you ever considered how to negate the issue? Or at least, bring it back a little, into perspective?
There has to be more balance, than there is, in the present system. Because high-end money is making the playing-fields lop-sided and not level.
I am just suggesting a theory behind Arsenals socialist wage structure.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
Quote:That surely does not automatically mean the club is bound to offer a new contract.eduardo
Djourou was not offered a new contract as such, he reached a specific number of games played that triggered a contract extension offer, many players everywhere have such extension clauses in their contracts, many more have pay increase clauses when certain amount of game time is reached too.
*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*
this sort of clause is a normal type of clause, just like pay rises, bonus payments etc
*Signing Ozil is a signing Bergkamp type moment for Arsenal. It changes things utterly.*