Today a guest post from Muppet. written on New Years day
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We are top and I must admit I didn’t expect to be top. Whenever I consider Arsenal and Wenger, it’s difficult to do so whilst being as objective and impartial as possible. The fear is that one will upset people who feel they have been badly let down in the past. If the manager is over praised, a reminder of previous failures will come your way. The failure to win the title in 2013-2014 after being top at Xmas. The brilliant team of 2007-2008, ultimately falling short for the title. The present incumbents, labelled “bottlers” after a 4-0 hammering at Southampton.
But we are top, and top despite some clubs spending obscene money. Ok, so Leceister are with us too, but our points tally of 81 points in the calendar year shows consistency over a longer period. The test is to sustain that consistency now through to May. The media have predictably shifted the narrative for this. If we do not finish top, then it will be labelled as a Wenger failure. Never mind that some teams will have woefully underperformed by then, spending hundreds of millions on players who may ultimately prove to be a case of diminishing returns. The media spin is now of a title arriving in 2016 being our only chance because another chance won’t arrive for 10 years (Carragher).
For those who have accepted the progress in the last few years, this year is confirmation that solid foundations and the policies of Wenger and the club are the way forward. Yes, there is a massive correlation between spending and trophies in recent years, but there is an argument that the spending now is not focussed in the hands of 3 of 4 clubs, but is spread in a league where the middle of the row club is able to bring in quality (Stoke, Shaqiri) for a price, or even to unearth quality on a shoestring (,Mahrez Leciester). If this is the case, then the league is now even more about maximising the resources at ones disposal, providing added value. If you agree with that, then who better than Wenger at the helm ?
I have always argued that Wenger with money would be a frightening prospect for all the other teams to content with. This is despite some setbacks in some of the earlier acquisitions from 2011/2012, when we started to bring in more commercial revenue, and started spending comparatively more on transfers than in recent years. Here the transfers of Santos, Eisfeld, Park Chu-Young and Gervinho attracted a lot of criticism. During that season though we did bring in Ox, Per, Joel Campbell and Arteta. The following season saw Monreal, Cazorla, Giroud and Podolski arrive. Podolski of course, a fine finisher, was eventually pushed out of the club because he didn’t do enough for the team. 2013/14 saw Ozil come in, and the following year Sanchez, Gabriel, Chambers, Debuchy and Welbeck. Regarding the earlier acquisitions, although Wenger has bought in some players that did not work out, he still has a massive success rate and does so at a price that is sustainable. My argument has always been – watch what he does with even more money at his disposal. He can spot a player, and knows quality when he sees it. He also knows how a player should fit into the squad. Carragher’s comment that other clubs will catch up is something that is understandable, given their resources, but unless they have a manager like Wenger, they will have to spend huge sums of money, as City have been doing in recent years, to secure the title.
The anti-Wenger narrative (yes still with us, having heard in a podcast 2 weeks ago) is that the recent success of the 2 FA Cups and wins against the big clubs is down to Wenger “Change”. My riposte to this is to point out the demise of Manchester United and Chelsea in the league this year and last 2 (in the case of Man U), and even the failure of City to go beyond the quarter finals of the Champions League year on year, despite having a squad worth 500 million euros. During the period of 2005 to 2014 – the so called failure, we finished 3rd 4 times and 4th 6 times. But in the champions league, reached the final once, semi final once, quarter finals twice, and R16 6 times. When we reached the last 16, on four occassions we have faced Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Of course, we also have won back to back FA Cups, but I can’t help think that it isn’t a massive coincidence that this success correlates very highly with our transfer spend (not net) in recent years (£53m 2011/2012, £52m 2012/2013, £42m 2013/2014, £95m 2014/2015). The depicition of this period, 2005-2014, as a failure, and the labelling of Wenger as the stubborn one who is now embracing change, brings me to a fury. To me, the results over this period, demonstrate some of the finest management ever seen in english football. Why ? Because we never finished below a team who had lesser resources than us, finished every year above our north london rivals and mainly above Liverpool, qualified for the champions league, and reached the last 16 (and beyond) in every season. We had diabolical, perpetual and consistent injuries (Rosicky, Diaby, Van Persie), refused to play dirty and at times still played scintillating football on a net transfer spend budget.
But now we look forward to the current title run in. If we get injured players back, it will surely strengthen us. The impending arrival of El-Nenny is good news. Word is that we are after at least one other. Hopefully Coquelin, Welbeck and Wilshere will come back in February, and Cazorla in late February.. Can we win the league ? There are tough fixtures to come, Liverpool, Man U, Man City and Stoke away. Wenger has said that we are in need of players, and will be “busy”, which is unprecedented I think, in January. What is he up to ? Is it an acknowledgement that the physical demands of the run-in in turn demands reinforcements because of injuries, or is he shopping early because Flamini and Rosicky won’t be extended, and possibly Arteta ? It is intriguing and calls for speculation as, unfortunately, we are not in possession of the facts.
Still, exciting times. Happy new year to all.
Positively Arsenal 
Excellent article, Muppet.
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Great stuff, muppet. Really good read. “Marquez” at Leicester is in fact Mahrez, but I see it was written on New Year’s Day – still a bit hungover maybe?
I particularly liked that you excluded Spurs away in your list of “tough fixtures to come”.
And yes, I too am glued to my screen looking for news, but not expecting anything other than the one that has already been widely forecast.
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That you very much Muppet.
Yes we have lot’s of difficult away fixtures, and I would always include the visit to the shadow dwellers as ‘difficult’.
However so do our rivals – and in particular Man City’s away form is unbelievably shabby for such a highly praised squad. Aren’t they supposed to have a much better first XI than Arsenal?
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*thank.
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A CL final, 2 league cup finals, an Fa Cup semi final, a CL semi final, at least two, maybe 3 league title challenges, constant cl qualification including in qualifiers against celtic, fenerbahce and udinese, all achieved while building a stadium, losing key players, dealing with injuries, facing a hostile press and takeover bid, clearly biased referees, never losing dignity and belief, virtually no money while our rivals, oil fueled or not, went on a spending spree, and still playing some fantastic football. All to place Arsenal among the true European elite.
If that period and that manager is deemed a faiure, then you just know that the people doing the talking are idiots of the highest order. Wenger has his failings, just like
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Brilliant Muppet, this is the one question that defines the major difference between the wobs and the rest. While most can see the minimum of the achievement, wobs only look at this period as abject and content failure. It is then they drift into a parrellel universe where ARSENAL won trophies every single year, I have checked the history books but only find us coming close in the thirties.
I still can’t see us winning the league however the chance is there and we are showing improvement year on year
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A CL final, 2 league cup finals, an Fa Cup semi final, a CL semi final, at least two, maybe 3 league title challenges, constant cl qualification including in qualifiers against celtic, fenerbahce and udinese, all achieved while building a stadium, losing key players, dealing with injuries, facing a hostile press and takeover bid, clearly biased referees, never losing dignity and belief, virtually no money while our rivals, oil fueled or not, went on a spending spree, and still playing some fantastic football. All to place Arsenal among the true European elite.
If that period and that manager is deemed a failure, then you just know that the people doing the talking are idiots of the highest order. Wenger has his failings, just like any other manager. But his strengths and his character are probably unique. We are so lucky to have him. Those that can’t appreciate him or our journey to the top are missing out on what being an Arsenal fan is about. Their loss. I had no ties to Arsenal, but I chose them precisely because they weren’t basing their identity all around winning. They had more to offer than that, and I am so glad I made that choice. Proud iconoclasts who still manage to be one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the country, and now the world.
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Arsenal U21’s have taken the lead after six minutes v Blackburn Rovers U21’s, Reine-Adelaide with the goal
Arteta is in the starting 11
Arsenal U-21 starting XI: Huddart, Sheaf, Pleguezuelo, Bielik, Robinson, Iwobi, Arteta, Crowley, Reine-Adelaide, Willock, Malen
substitutes: Keto, Mavididi, Bennacer, Moore, M.Bola
Blackburn Rovers U-21 starting XI: Crump, Nyambe, Carson, Tomlinson, Lavelle, Wharton, Green, Rankin-Costello, Mansell, Thomson, Rittenberg
substitutes: Doyle, Fisher, Tanner, Cham, Joel
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Also really happy to see that those of you in the UK are celebrating Fat Cat Tuesday.
A truly glorious institution.
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Josh Benson @joshbenson1310 5h5 hours ago
Can’t wait to see the fans who claim the FA Cup doesn’t matter anymore, now we’ve won it twice, lose their shit when 1st XI rested Saturday?
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Interesting article Muppet, many thanks. I also think that Poldi was under great pressure from Löw to play first team club football so that Polid would still be eligible (in Löws mind)for the DNM( which is a big, big, big, deal for German players) and it was reported here that Wenger did try to get Poldi to stay.Who knows how much his agent was involved.involved. Poldi is noticeably absent from the papers since leave the Arsenal.
Thanks again.
Cheers!
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 4m4 minutes ago
HALF-TIME: @Arsenal Under-21s 1-0 Blackburn Rovers Under-21s #AFCU21
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Thank you Muppet, you have covered all the important points.
A minor quibble I have, and it is a point that has come up o here before, is the suggestion that top quality players have never been signed by the middle ranking clubs in the PL before and what is happening at Stoke, with Bojan, Shaqiri etc is a one off triggered by the recent bump in TV money.
It is debatable. Compared to other Euro leagues the PL has always been awash with cash and there certainly have been clubs who signed headline international players who were middle tier. Juninho and Ravanelli at Boro, JJ Okocha, Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo at Bolton (of all Places !!!) were not only great footballers but exotic beyond words to the local pie-eaters. Talking of mid table mediocrity didn’t Spuds sign Klinnsman ?
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Arteta off at HT in the Academy game – we lead 3-1 wit 20 to go
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Excellent stuff Muppet. Critics may well point out the odd mistake, or mishap, but Wenger has never failed Arsenal.
“finished every year above our north london rivals and mainly above Liverpool,” – that sentence encapsulates one of many reasons the media have it in for Arsene Wenger.
The media love-in for those two teams continues unabated to this day.
Take Klopp…..yes , he needs time, but not much better than Brenton for the moment…perhaps doing worse.
As for Spurs, judging by some MSM articles this week, we had just witnessed a coming together of Brazil 1970, Ajax 72, the best of Bayern, Barca, Real , Utd and the Invincibles….. not a team who dominated the first half, but run out of gas, and perhaps ultimately were lucky to get a draw against an out of form team that were around 11th in the league.
But as a wise man from America once said….. “Dont believe the hype”
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the U21’s took a 3-0 lead, Reine-Adelaide(2) and Malen, but with 10 minutes to go, its 3-2
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 52s53 seconds ago
FULL TIME: @Arsenal Under-21s 3-2 Blackburn Rovers Under-21s #AFCU21
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FC Basel statement: “Not with us during training was Mohamed Elneny, for who there could be a transfer in the coming days.”
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Did they really say that eddy?
For WHOM, for God’s sake, for whom.
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yes dkg, it does seem that they did indeed say it, and many reliable sources are saying Arsenal are in the final stages of completing the Elneny transfer, just dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s.
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As long as they don’t dot the t’s and cross the i’s.
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I guess those 45 minutes for Mikel will either get him ready for the FA Cup game or set him back two months.
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from the official Basel twitter account
FC Basel 1893 EN @FC_Basel_en 20m20 minutes ago
We can confirm that #Elneny is currently not in training to sort out a potential transfer. That’s all we can say at the moment. #FCBasel
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@standardsport reporting, Arsenal will let Debuchy leave on loan this month for £1m loan fee & with a recall option.
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Nice one Muppet. I cant find a word I don’t agree with.
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Thanks Mandy @2:42pm
Nothing is more delightful than seeing the 54 years and counting gang get a giddy nosebleed every season around this time.
http://www.haveyoueverseentottenhamwintheleague.com/
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Superb stuff Moopay – thank you for a shot in the arm for those of us who fear we are surrounded by dismally small minded, intellectually wanting, football illiterates.
The only bit I don’t like is any mention of transfers. Can’t we all just ignore transfers unless and until they happen? Please?
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While the pitch and the daylight might be better for the youngsters, I do not aprove. Playing BCD and at 1300 means I can’t watch them most ungentlemanly.
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As our good friend Frank* often said “Moopay is a star.” I hope to post a more substantial response later.
*Frank is a co-founder of this blog with George and an unrelenting enemy of anti-Arsenal-Arsenal and WOBs going back to those of us who first met at the ACLF blog.
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You want to get on to Tim Peyton and AST Ian – you cant have Ivan ad Stan taking liberties like that and your support for granted !!
WE SHALL MARCH
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Excellent, Muppet.
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with it looking like AFC are set to sign Elnenny, I took a look at some youtube videos of him, and I would say he reminds me a lot of Alex Song, with a little more pace.
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How to shut up those annoying transfer window ITKs, BVB style!
https://mobile.twitter.com/indykaila/status/684388948232278018
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afcstuff @afcstuff 44m44 minutes ago
Mohamed Elneny’s FC Basel teammate Albian Ajeti on Facebook: #afc
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The one difference with stars like Klinsman or Okocha is that those players only came when they were close to thirty, and today players like those at Everton or Stoke are arriving at a much younger age.
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Kelly Wood @kmwood02 6h6 hours ago
I stand by my previous assertion that Guardiola is Mourinho-light. Disgraceful behavior towards Bayern. Egotistical jerk, is my view.
I would agree with those sentiments, I have said it on here before, Pep is one of those modern managers who will jump ship every three to four years regardless success, much sooner if any tough times come his way. He will blame everyone else for failure too. I would add too that so far he has taken BM from CL and League winners, to being League winners, he won the CL with Barcelona, and for me he only managed that cos he had Messi. He has an over inflated reputation, that disregards the actual quality of the clubs/teams/players he has in his sides, and the nature of the Spanish and German league, being a two horse and one horse league.
Will Man City be anymore of a threat with him as manager, than they already are. Pep jumped ship on the club of his career, now he is jumping ship on BM, no matter who he joins, he will jump ship. I don’t really want that at AFC.
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Fins there might be an age difference profile, but the reason remains the same, BPL wages, and with the new TV deal next season, it could see many more teams in the BPL able to afford to buy and pay the big wages to a higher caliber of player.
the one thing that remains to be seen, is will the new deal finally see BPL clubs actually bring the very best players in, and for the best years of their careers. Messi and Ronaldo are the top two, and they are in Spain. And despite all the money, Bale could not be kept in the league.
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Coutinho has reportedly done his hamstring at Stoke. Good timing Philippe. See you next season.
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Now Lovren has gone off, maybe with a hamstring. Looks like Kolo will get a game next week.
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if only LFC had a modern manager with up to date training methods, these sort of injuries would never happen,
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Now Liverpool take the lead. This is confusing. I thought Stoke were supposed to be Barcelona-under-Lyme.
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I’ve just be following it on the Grauniad, but I think I might watch the second half – our next two PL opponents after all.
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…just been …
Must proofread.
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Eds the difference in age makes a significant difference. For a start, a big start, it allows players an adaptation period. Özil. We’re not talking about Suker coming over in order to pick up his pension in the present era.
Conversely patently pathetic mules like Mangala could be very damaging for the league.
The top top top players will always be tempted by the big three (PSG do not count). fortunately or perhaps presciently our two stars have already ticked that one off from their checklist. Arsene Vulture is one crafty old bird.
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There’s no difference in the model or strategy behind the double swoop over Malaga’s carcass (Cazorla and Monreal), and the subsequent raids on the bloated big two from Spain.
Swoop, snip and then scarper.
The regurgitated giblet picked up from under Madrid’s vomiting nose has proven to be especially tasty.
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Fins – You are on the fire today. I loved that metaphoric reference to Arsene Vulture. Remember last summer he let all the big spenders gorge themselves, overpaying for talent from Southampton, bided his time waiting till mid summer to pick up Chambers who of all of them has the greatest potential. Imagine, Chambers had no agent and it was reported he was willing to play for nothing to.
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Arsenal Twitter is all a-tizzy as it looks like Liverpool have picked up several critical injuries tonight. I suspect that many are a lot lighter than they appeared tonight.
Interesting though, what kind of team does Klopp put out against Exeter?
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dc – as I reported above, Coutinho went off with a hamstring problem, as did Lovren. I only watched the second half and Klopp can’t complain about his players not giving 100%. They looked shattered at the end, especially Kolo Touré who looked sprightly enough until the last 10 minutes or so when he began to struggle and then it looked like he had also done his hamstring. If they are injuries which take more than a week to heal, that means that Skrtel, Lovren and Touré will be out from their defence – i.e. only CB left is Sakho, apart from youngsters – and Coutinho out of their attack. Emre Can has been one of Liverpool’s better players when I’ve watched them recently but tonight there was little spring in his step in the second half. Klopp will basically have to put out a reserve side against Exeter and hope they are good enough or play some of the first team and fuck them up for next Wednesday.
But they got the win, which speaks volumes about Stoke. This much lauded “new” Stoke who on tonight’s showing are crap and/or exhausted too. This is what the Christmas programme does. We looked really leggy against the Barcodes too.
I had a funny thought, watching this evening – when I saw Arnautovic’s little pony tail and the bum fluff on his chin, it looked like he was trying to convince everyone he was Zlatan.
It will be very interesting to see what team Arsène puts out on Saturday.
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