Arsene Wenger Is Our Best Signing This Summer
297 comments September 7th, 2007
Granted, this was a transfer window in which we didn’t bring in the established signings many felt we needed. But even if we had, the above cliché would still ring true.
Nothing is more important to this club than Arsene Wenger. Not Thierry Henry, not David Dein, not Danny Fiszman, and certainly not Ricardo Quaresma. Can anyone realistically name a manager they would rather have?
If you do have an alternative, it’s likely that it’s a cheque-book manager who would splash the cash and bring in big names. But that does not guarantee success. Look at the arrival and subsequent disappointment caused by the arrival of Ballack and Shevchenko at Chelsea. With Arsene Wenger, we have to accept that we are on a different, but ultimately more rewarding journey. Arsene has chosen to develop his own stars, for a multitude of reasons, one of which I outlined yesterday.
Arsene has stayed because he can not turn his back on what he is building. The next three years of Cesc Fabregas; the next three years of Denilson; the next three years of Gael Clichy. He cannot allow the chance to work with that kind of potential to slip between his fingers. Of course, as fans, watching the evolution of these players brings its own rewards. But football will always be judged by substance rather than style. To truly write your name into the history books, you must do so with silverware.
That is what the next four years must be about. Arsene won his first title in 1998 with George Graham’s defence. He re-built the side to create the Invincibles, who triumphed in 2002 and 2004. Remarkably, at that time, he was criticised for not blooding enough youngsters. Since then, he was revolutionised the entire structure of the club, and a clutch of hand-picked teenagers are now forming the basis of the club’s future success. Between 98 and 02, there was a four year period of rebuilding. We’re now almost four years on from The Unbeaten Season. It’s time for Arsene’s young charges to follow their predeccessors and bring home the silverware the fans crave.
Arsene wouldn’t have stayed if he didn’t know they could do it.
Full interview here, press release here. Enjoy it.
