Wenger declares end of project youth and admits to rushed summer signings as Arsenal enter a new era

November 21, 2011

Amidst all the hype surrounding Arsene Wenger’s supposed claim that he would reconsider his future at the end of the season, the rest of his interview with L’Equipe from Saturday went somewhat unnoticed but there was a section that should have had certain members of the blogosphere buzzing. Because in amongst the madness, Le Boss appeared to admit that his youth project following the move to the Emirates had been a failure and that we were now moving into a new cycle:

 It’s true that it’s a new cycle.

When we left Highbury I thought long term with a very young team. It didn’t work. We have to rebuild again.

It’s a frank admission. The sort of thing he tends to reserve for his native press, happy to deflect and spin his way through his weekly press commitments in this country. It was clear on leaving Highbury that money would be tight for a few years as debts were paid down and property deals rubber stamped. Wenger took the decision to put his faith in a young squad, saving millions of pounds in the transfer market in the hope that this golden crop would deliver. His declaration that ‘it didn’t work’ seems a little harsh on himself. As he’s usually keen to remind us, it worked to an extent. 14 consecutive years in the Champions League is not to be sniffed at. But one look at the trophy cabinet will tell you that it hasn’t worked as well as he’d hoped.

It’s a touch sad to see Arsene being so self-critical. Of course it’s preferable in many ways to being told ‘how close’ we were last season. Or to ‘judge me in May’. But sad all the same. What’s exciting though is the suggestion that this period is over. It feels like we’re moving to the end of an era where we’ve been so financially constrained. We haven’t rewritten the transfer record books by any means but the signings in the summer of older, more experienced players such as Mertesacker and Arteta certainly seemed to hint at a new direction. In the last 12 games that feels like it’s starting to pay off.

What will be interesting is how we act in the next two transfer windows. We’ve already seen a certain amount of dead wood cleared out in the summer. Will that continue? Will we be able to strengthen the squad without selling one of our key players at the same time? Will we accept that the rigours of our season demand quality back up in all positions despite the possibility of having expensive signings sitting on the bench occasionally? We shall see.

The other major admission in the interview is that some of the signings we made in the summer, while not necessarily ‘panic buys’ were at least, I don’t know, fright purchases?

I feel personally and honestly I’m very happy with the players we bought.

We have had our backs to the wall. Until now we were always planning. At the start of this season, for the first time, we were in the urgency because we had to make quick, not long-planned, decisions.

It worked but it could as well not have worked. I feel we have come back in a stronger position and the team is growing from game to game.

10 wins in 12 games could make anyone happy with the decisions they’ve made but it’s pleasing to see that the change in policy has proved positive from the boss’ point of view. Over the next couple of seasons as FFP hopefully starts to have an effect and we see the bounty of the property deals minus their debt, followed by an opportunity to renegotiate those punishing commercial deals it will be interesting to see how this new era takes shape, particularly regarding our new approach to the transfer market.

One of the summer signings who’s yet to convince everybody is Per Mertesacker whose mistake gave us some problems on Saturday. Personally I’ve been impressed with him but there’s no doubting that was a howler. Arsene reckons there were extenuating circumstances though:

He had not completely recovered [from the internationals]. It is a different game in England, a very demanding game for the defender.

In every second of the game you are really tested with full commitment, and it takes some time to adapt. We have seen that with Koscielny, who played at right-back and was exceptional.

Last year he would not have delivered this kind of performance because you learn that from fighting in every game. That is why it is so difficult to buy defenders from abroad.

I’m sure even in Germany when you have the ball on the edge of your own box with a forward closing in the rule is still to stand strong and get rid but overall I take the point. He’ll learn from that mistake I’m sure and hopefully not do it again.

One man who’s putting a run of form together is Theo Walcott. He was dangerous against Norwich and laid on the first for Van Persie. Last week Robin credited Theo with helping him to find form. Theo has returned the favour:

We just love playing together. Over the past few years I have had my injuries and he has had his so we have not been able to sustain a run of games together.  But this year you can see signs that we just know where each other is going to be on the pitch. To be honest it makes it is easier for both of us. Robin is one of the best strikers in the world right now and a great leader too.

Great to see them getting along so well. But I do feel bad for Gervinho. Rumour has it he’s started hanging out by the bike sheds with Manuel Almunia, bad mouthing ‘them two bum-lickers’ and listening to ‘alternative music’ that nobody else understands ’cause they’re all into X-Factor and shit’.

But I do stress that’s just a rumour.

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