Peter Hill-Wood is reported in this morning’s papers as being ‘positive’ or ‘begging’ Arsene to sign a new Contract, depending on which version of events you choose to believe. Whichever way the Club play this negotiation is going to be influenced by the particular hacks viewpoint; if they have made their bed in the ‘Arsenal in crisis’ viewpoint, they will be reporting this as almost an ‘Alamo’ type action by the Board, scared into action by their reports of interest from Spain. The broadsheets are giving the quotes from PHW the positive spin that is evident from his own optimism that the contract will be signed in the near future. That he was so chipper cannot be of any surprise as it is a rare occasion indeed when the story that he is speaking about is a positive one rather than one in which rats are abandoning a sinking ship or so we are told.
In an interview on Arsenal.com the Chairman divulged that they had been in discussion which will hopefully lead to ’something positive’ in the ‘not too distant future‘. You would not expect him to say anything else really; if the talks had gone badly, I doubt he would have spoken out right now, especially with Arsene and the squad in Austria, allowing a media that is determined to present us as a club in crisis in some quarters with all too many ready to believe it, as PHW notes.
Which is an expected response but not too far from the truth, after all, you would not expect the Chairman to come out and say, ‘Chaps, we’re screwed‘. The important thing though is that Wenger signs his new contract. In terms of the media coverage, obviously the sooner the better to cut off their panic-stricken drivel at the knees. For Arsenal though, it is just important that he signs. It is not for the obvious reason of players futures linked to his own; it is important that this is done to allow proper succession planning so that at all levels, the Club staff see that the ‘Wenger Project’ is not going to be allowed to peter out with his eventual departure / retirement / move upstairs, whichever eventuality happens. The whole set-up from youth to senior levels is such that it must continue, unless proven to have failed. The worst thing that could happen for the Club is that the system that is in place now is ripped apart because of a differing footballing philosophy. Too much time, effort and money has been invested in the infrastructure to allow flux to pervade whilst it is dismantled and rebuilt. Those who complain about a lack of trophies now would do well to bear that in mind; a new start, a new structure takes time to evolve and unless the new incumbent is extremely lucky, will not bear immediate fruit.
The headline grabbing stuff in the papers is about Wenger but the ‘interesting’ points reveal a different persona to that which is widely perceived amongst some of the fanbase. Ridiculed as a ‘duffer’ with ties to the establishment, a throwback, he is surprisingly clear cut about Highbury. Not at all nostalgic for it is the gist of his words, a place consigned to history because it had outlived its’ usefulness. Not, I am sure, a dismissal of the Stadium, for he as much as anyone else would have very close ties to the place. Yet he is surprisingly brutal in his words, not allowing any misty-eyed looks any longer as he is ferried past where it once stood. Provided that is carried over into other areas, and a viewpoint shared by other Board members. there is room for optimism about the Club’s future in building a solid base upon which to build in the new Stadium. That is not rule out a change of ownership, that part is inevitable although to whom is not so certain at this moment in time, the end of the 2007-08 season will make Kroenke’s position clear on that front.
He was remarkably optimistic, even by my standards, about the playing staff. Whilst we are not in as good as position as we’ve ever been - the 2003/04 squad will see off allcomers on that front - the squad is more than capable of being amongst the top two this season, provided we are afforded the ‘luck’ that all title challenging sides require. That will need a step-up when visiting places like Goodison, St James’ Park, Craven Cottage, etc., but I always believe in Gary Player’s adage, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get‘. If the players pull that to front of their mind on the afternoons and evenings ahead, anything is possible.
’til Tomorrow.
