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The Arsenal-Chelsea comparison
On the contrary, Arsene Wenger’s case at Arsenal is unique. Unlike other clubs, the board of directors at Arsenal have always placed their utmost faith in the Frenchman for the last 19 years. Ever since the 2005/06 season, Arsenal have managed to win only one trophy. They went trophyless for seven seasons and failed to pose any real threat in the league title race in any of those seasons.
However, Arsenal did undergo a transitional phase during that time period where they developed a new stadium and had to let go off a number of ageing stars such as Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, etc. Also, as highlighted by Wenger in a recent press conference, private ownership in football such as Abramovich at Chelsea and the Sheikhs at Manchester City has led to inflation in wages and transfer prices which made it very difficult for a club like Arsenal to compete at a financial level.
Despite all this, Wenger has always ensured that the club consistently finished in the top 4 of the Premier League and earned enough revenue to recover from the costs incurred in the development of the Emirates stadium. Indeed, there was a severe backlash from the fans and the media as the lack of silverware had led to ever increasing frustration.
In the meanwhile, Chelsea managed to win multiple trophies including the coveted Champions League despite having changed numerous managers. Yet, the board and the players always backed Wenger dedicatedly and believed that he was always the right man to lead them to future successes. What Wenger has brought to Arsenal FC is stability, something that a club like Chelsea FC severely lacked except for the times Jose Mourinho has been in charge.
At Chelsea, it is more like a roller-coaster ride and if their track gets derailed, they are bound to face accidents. If due to some unforeseen circumstance Roman Abramovich were to sell Chelsea, he will have left the club in tatters in the face of a serious crisis. Wenger has ensured at Arsenal, a smooth functioning of activities and has prepared them for any kind of crisis on and off the field. This can be attributed to the number of years he has spent at Arsenal.
It is true that ‘Le Professeur’ may have stayed at Arsenal for far too long and the club’s ambitions may have lowered as they seem to be content with a top 4 spot and an FA Cup again and again, which is simply not good enough for a club of Arsenal’s stature.
It could be possible that the Frenchman has enjoyed way too much in his comfort zone and needs be made to step aside for a younger manager with fresher ideas and who is hungrier for success. However, at Arsenal FC, the kind of faith that the players and the coaching staff have on the manager is seldom seen in other clubs today. In the last two seasons, the quality of football of the Gunners has increased as compared to previous seasons and there is a possibility of winning their second FA Cup in consecutive seasons.
Per Mertesacker, the skipper of Arsenal, has stated how Wenger has evolved with the changing times and has changed his coaching systems and video analyses. Shad Forsythe, a new fitness coach from Germany was appointed and the club’s fitness regimen has undergone a drastic change. At the moment, they look well balanced and ready to mount a charge on all fronts next season.
When this kind of trust is shared, the manager himself will step aside if he feels that he is not useful enough to the club. This was evident when Jurgen Klopp decided to part ways with Borussia Dortmund on amicable terms. Although, these are isolated incidents when one looks at the general picture.
The desire to constantly achieve the same level of success every season is driving owners to sack managers relentlessly. Teams such as Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid have garnered a notorious reputation of sacking multiple managers.
Football is a sport after all and it is important to realize that failure is as much a part of the game as is success. Managers are as human as the players and the fans and they can err once in a while. This does not mean that there won’t be cases where the manager’s personality is just not compatible with the club’s values (read Rafa Benitez at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, Tata Martino at FC Barcelona and more), and sacking may be necessary at times.
But before making such decisions, must weigh the pros and cons and take actions with a realistic point of view. It is necessary to place trust in managers and be patient with them in order to foresee sustained periods of dominance.
