There’s Only One Arsene Wenger

Arsenal v Blackpool 3:00pm

Is there any sport quite like football ? So full of opinion. It seems to me that there are two sides of football. The first, so prevalent in this country, is the murdoch media circus, the rumours, the transfers, the caught with their pants down outside a night club at 1am reportage, the lurid sensationalism, the unbelievable player valuations, the so called expertise and the glib punditry. The second, which seems to be almost mutually exclusive, is the actual football itself. The sweat and the tears behind the scenes. The athleticism, the tactics, the technique, the years of sacrifice, the training, the coaching and as Darius showed us yesterday, the preparation, both mental and physical,and the diet. It is in this 2nd domain that Arsene Wenger’s feet are so firmly placed; brilliantly placed.

The biggest joke in the media is the Arsene Wenger quote ‘I didn’t see it’. It’s the biggest joke for me, because it’s on the media, not Wenger. I suspect he has seen more than they ever saw. There are people that you hear about, perhaps know, who are meticulous about attention to detail and preparation. Wenger is one of those. I suspect he knows the height, weight, speed and attributes of all of his squad. He knows, when they play, what ground they can cover, what stamina they have, whether they are underperforming, more so than any “Player Cam” from half a dozen different angles. He backs this up by a raft of statistics. The Castrol Index, the Opta Index. It wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal employed their own statisticians.

Those of you in the UK will remember a great middle distance british triumvirate of runners. Coe, Ovett and Cram. What has this got to do with it you may ask ? Well, these guys broke world records for fun. They were humble, they were talented, and they competed with a relentless intensity that was matched only by their  training regimes, which I know, were groundbreaking in quality. Coe used innovative techniques in training, running very fast in short bouts and achieving maximum efficiency and quality. Cram used to train at altitude, to improve his stamina. These 3 got me  thinking – did they achieve what they wanted in sport by having a valuation placed on them ? Were they good at what they did because somebody said so and saw  them in you tube ? Were they highly rated because of opinion ? The answer to these questions is no, no and no. They were brilliant because they were talented – accepted,  they had the right mental attitude, because of their training and preparation, their hunger, their desire and their utter ruthlessness and willingness to win. Does anybody see any parallels here ?

To me the parallels are important for two reasons. First, that it is of crucial importance for a player to be hungry, and to be in a frame of mind for competition. Second that it underpins our philosophy on transfers. That is, what attributes should one assess when placing a valuation on a player ? In the case of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, the attributes are firmly rooted in those that we have discussed. And thank god for that. Not how much they appeared in Hello Magazine, what nightclubs were frequented and the size of the agent’s mouth.

This is why, when I look in the paper, and on twitter, and on the various arsenal forums, and read the various portents of doom, I don’t lose a single second of sleep when I turn in at night. The work at arsenal is being done as we speak. Not just for this season, but for future seasons. The planning has been meticulous, calculated and ruthless. The CEO has stamped his blueprint so carefully that we will see a conveyor belt of quality emerging from Hale End and Colney that will be written about for years to come, a crowning legacy. Wilshere, Gibbs, Eastmond, Frimpong, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Szezesny will be eventually succeeded by the next crop, and I can already see envious and covetous glances casted in our direction. Ahh… but the doubters say, where are the trophies ? Well – let’s wait and see. And let’s remind the doubters that this project is already a success; arsenal have climbed to the next level in the last 14 years. Of that there is no doubt. No statistician in the land will tell me that we are not now amongst the top 10 in europe, and top 4 domestically, and have been the last 5 years, if not longer. Let us celebrate that achievement alone.

Not much news on transfers. Fulham are still digging in their heels on Schwarzer. Holding out for more than 2m. The bid is still on the table for Sébastien Squillaci. Several media outlets were reporting that this is closer to completion, but this was denied by Wenger. The Ajax goalkeeper is rumoured to be the next option if Schwarzer fails to materialise. The last piece of speculation is a return for Matthew Upson.

To the game then. Newly promoted blackpool made a sensational start in  the premiership, winning 4-0 at Wigan. This is not a team to be taken likely. Many minnows have come to the emirates or highbury to frustrate, so there is no room for complacency. Given the absence of Nasri, the stand out player in pre season, other players will have to step in and provide attacking cohesion. Hopefully Cesc, Chamakh and Rosicky. A quick team prediction:

Almunia, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen,Clichy, Song, Cesc, Wilshere, Rosicky, Chamakh, VP

Subs: Fabianski, Gibbs, Eastmond, Eboue, Lansbury, Arshavin, Walcott

Match prediction : 3-1

Enjoy the game, wherever you are.