As this blog is mostly about Arsenal, this Season Review will be in much greater depth than the others. I have decided to split it into two parts. First I will evaluate the manager. In my next post I will evaluate the squad.
Bare with me, I ramble a bit below.
Arsene Wenger still divides opinion like no one else. Celebrated for nurturing a tight-knit group with great chemistry in the first half of the season, Wenger was unable to steer his ship back on course for the title after his team suffered injuries and humiliating defeats in the business end. Still, a 4th place finish is not shameful by any means. Wenger will manage the club in the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season next year. If nothing else, Wenger is remarkably consistent.
I'll address what I perceive to be the biggest strengths and weaknesses of Wenger in 4 parts below.
1. Belief/Man Management
Wenger's steadfast belief in his players has been tested through the years. Perhaps never more than with Aaron Ramsey. Two years ago, the Emirates crowd jeered Ramsey every time he touched the ball. He constantly lost possession, his passing was erratic, and he couldn't seem to control his shots as they flied wide of the goal. Wenger always believed in him. He was patient and calmly told the press that Ramsey was getting in the right positions and that his game would turn around. When many other managers might have offloaded a player the fans despised (see Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona) Wenger refused to do so. His patience was rewarded handsomely.
I've written in depth about Ramsey already this year. Simply I think he put together the best series of performances (on a per game basis) by a British midfielder in EPL history. Had he stayed fit all year, he might have put together the best season by an EPL midfielder ever. Only Yaya Toure is a better player at his position. Ramsey was stunning this year. He scored 15 goals (none from set pieces or penalties) and had 9 assists in 36 total appearances in all competitions. Recently voted the club's player of the season, Ramsey proved Wenger right in the most emphatic way possible.
Other key players, such as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscienly, were doubted when Wenger first brought them to the club. Mertesacker was too slow and Koscielny too unproven. But they are now the best central defensive pairing in the EPL. Theo Walcott didn't have a "football brain." He has become one of the club's most important players. Tomas Rosicky couldn't stay fit. Wenger never gave up on him. Lukas Fabianski was flappy-handed. Until he won us the FA Cup.
While some of the supporters may have serious doubts about the quality of the squad's more peripheral players (such as Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Yaya Sanogo, and even Abou Diaby) it's comforting to know that Wenger believes in them. If nothing else, they'll receive the patience and reinforcing belief that young players so often need to succeed. And we won't see them develop into superstars somewhere else (fingers crossed).
As always, there are two sides to every story. While Wenger's patience was rewarded this year, one doesn't have to look too far back to see where Wenger's unwavering belief in his players was costly. His faith in Manuel Almunia comes to mind. Sebastien Squillaci, Denilson and Mikael Silvestre as well. But in general, I think the belief Wenger holds in his players is his biggest strength as a manager. His patience is something that most managers, on tighter leashes, would never have the luxury to posses. He reinforces his players' confidence and allows them to develop knowing that a series of poor form won't run them out of the club. I can't imagine a more healthy environment for a young player to grow and eventually succeed.
2. Transfers
Wenger may not delve into the transfer market as often as the supporters would like, but when he does he manages the club's economic resources with maximum efficiency. This is due to his excellent understanding of economics and his mastery of markets. He doesn't overpay for players, and he rarely spends a large sum of money on a bad player.
Santi Cazorla is perhaps the best example. Cazorla is one of the team's most important players, and he was bought from Malaga when Malaga desperately needed to raise funds in order to pay taxes to the Spanish government. Malaga's lack of leverage meant we got the player for less than 15m. Compare that to other attacking midfielders who have signed for our rivals. The Erik Lamela fee could eventually rise to 30m. Juan Mata and Eden Hazard both cost more than 30m. Is Cazorla half the player? Hardly.
Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud were bought for around 10m each. Compare that to other forwards who have joined our rivals recently. Roberto Soldado cost 26m. Edin Dzeko 27m. I don't even need to mention the fees paid for Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll. Or their wages. Wenger identified two undervalued assets and brought them in, and they've been just as productive as their much more expensive competition.
Mesut Ozil was by all means the exception to the rule. But a major reason why Arsenal could afford to pay 42m for Ozil was because Wenger had been so responsible with the club's economic resources in the years prior.
Arsenal is financially healthy, perhaps the most financially healthy club in England (as United is buried in debt and they will not make any money from European play next season), precisely because Wenger so rarely gets burned on the transfer market. If FFP can lower the market value of players like it is intended to do (over the long run), Wenger might be able to find a lot more bargains in the future. That is an exciting proposition for any Arsenal supporter after so many years with so little transfer activity.
This leads to my theory as to why we haven't been very active in the transfer market in recent years. Wenger has publicly stated that the football market wouldn't be immune to the collapsing European economy. Therefore he expected more situations like Cazorla's to arise, where a club was forced to sell their top players to keep themselves economically viable. AC Milan's need to sell Mario Balotelli is a similar situation, and therefore I'm not surprised at all to read the rumors of our interest in him this summer.
Wenger understands leverage and expected many clubs to be forced to sell as the European economy suffered, but the market wasn't self-sustaining. It actually inflated due to an influx of money from outside sources. Oil tycoons bought clubs and invested enormous sums of money into their team with no intent to turn a profit. The above-market-value fees paid by suddenly-rich clubs for players "trickled down" to the lower selling clubs, and all of a sudden a club could sell one player to raise the 20m they needed to stay profitable instead of selling three.
FFP should, in theory, eliminate this inflation by forcing clubs to only spend within their means. In time, the market should deflate and push the cost for players down. If that happens, Wenger should be willing to buy more players because he will be able to find more bargains. One could be understandably skeptical that this deflation will occur, however. PSG's ludicrous fee for David Luiz certainly wasn't a great sign of things to come.
3. Tactics/Style of Play
I find Wenger's match management to be his clear weakness. His understanding of economics and psychology is fantastic for the long-term growth of the club and the long-term development of his team. But in my opinion, where he holds the club back is in the game-to-game predictability of his tactics and his unwillingness to adapt his style of play to counter the strengths of a particular opponent.
Arsenal sets up to beat an inferior opponent every match. Most of the lower clubs play the same way against Arsenal. They sit back, defend deep, and hope to counter. Arsenal has enough quality and patience to push the fullbacks forward and pass the ball around the 18 yard box until eventually finding an opening. And once they have the lead, Arsenal is usually fairly strong on the counter attack when the opponent pushes forward in an attempt to tie the score.
But when Arsenal played the better teams, especially away from home, they struggled. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, and Everton ruthlessly caught the defense out of position when both fullbacks roamed forward, leaving just Arteta and the two center backs to defend against three or more attackers. Arsenal conceded 41 EPL goals all year, and 20 of the goals conceded came in four away matches at Anfield, Stamford Bridge, the Etihad, and Goodison Park. A little more defensive caution against the bigger teams with more potent attacks could have brought better results. If Wenger had tweaked the tactics or the style of play to address his opponents' strengths, who knows what could've happened. Arsenal only finished 7 points off the champions, after all.
4. Fitness Management/Squad Depth
Wenger can't hold his hands up and say his players' injuries are bad luck anymore. They are too consistent. Look at this table of total injuries for EPL clubs from 2002 to 2013:
| Team | Total Injuries |
| Arsenal | 838 |
| Tottenham | 738 |
| Newcastle | 732 |
| Man United | 720 |
| Everton | 631 |
| Chelsea | 588 |
| Man City | 563 |
| Aston Villa | 532 |
| Liverpool | 520 |
| Fulham | 463 |
| Total | 6325 |
Arsenal suffered 100 more injuries than the next highest team (Tottenham) over an 11-year stretch. Obviously some of these injuries have been more serious than others, as Wenger famously names a player "injured" when in reality they've just been dropped. But no Arsenal supporter can deny every season the club is tested by a range of injuries to key players.
Wenger and Ivan Gazidis say they are trying to identify the problem, but various theories have circulated speculating why exactly Arsenal suffers so many injuries. The widely reported quotes by Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen claimed Wenger's training methods were "prehistoric" and costly over the course of an entire season. Others claimed Arsenal players are tackled more frequently due to high possession numbers. Wenger even suggested that medicines players take, such as hair growth medication, might play a role in the problem. Whatever the cause, something must be done to fix Arsenal's constant injury problem.
One thing is certain: more matches lead to more injuries. Arsenal is always involved in the Champions League and therefore plays more matches than most of their opponents. All the more reason for Wenger to look to build a deep squad and rotate his players in order to manage their fitness. But Wenger seems to prefer the opposite. Wenger intends to keep a small, tight-knit squad in order to keep his players playing and happy.
I can understand why Wenger would want a small squad. It is easier to manage a smaller group of players than a larger group. But he can't run from the injury numbers. While a larger squad may be more difficult for Wenger to manage, it is required to fulfill the club's ambitions. Therefore I think his stubborn insistence on keeping a small squad costs the club at least as many points each season as it gains from the tight-knit squad harmony Wenger is trying to foster.
And don't forget that there can be a benefit to having a bigger squad. Sometimes competition for places can be just as beneficial as team chemistry. It's just more difficult to manage.
In Summary
Wenger is the third highest paid manager in Europe, behind only Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Is Arsenal getting value for money? It's hard to tell. The long term growth of the club under Wenger's reign is undeniable. But the tactical drawbacks and fitness problems are difficult to ignore.
In my opinion, most of the fruits of Wenger's labor will be enjoyed by his eventual successor. Whoever replaces him will inherit a club with tremendous financial power and a squad of players who have developed well thanks to their manager's steadfast belief in them. But I do think there are managers out there who can improve Arsenal's tactics and better manage the players' fitness. And therefore, while I appreciate Wenger for his decades of excellent service at Arsenal, I do not fear his eventual departure. I look forward to it.
With that being said, Wenger's new 3-year contract means he will run the show until 2017. After finally ending a season on a positive note, Wenger will hope to take momentum into next year and build on this year's success. He may have to change some of his ways in order for Arsenal to win the league again, but one thing is certain: the long-term health of the club will always be in good hands as long as Wenger remains in charge.
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