Arsene the Great tactician? No. Arsene the great motivator? You bet.
A lot of debate still rages about how good Arsene Wenger is as a manager and as a tactician. After all he has accomplished at Arsenal there are those who dismiss his early success as a result of holdovers from the George Graham teams and those who decry who inability to possess even a modicum of tactical nous.
While I fervently disagree with the assumption that Arsenal’s success early under Wenger was by chance and the fact he had a defense that was made of Graham’s leftovers, I am more aligned with the process that Wenger is not some sort of master tactician.
And you know what? That’s okay.
In every day life we have people that succeed in leadership roles that are good in one area and not good in another. They still succeed. And Arsenal has succeeded and continues to succeed (to a certain level) under Arsene Wenger.
What infuriates most about Wenger and his perceived tactical weakness is the lack of a “plan B” when it all goes wrong. We discussed previously here, the thought that Wenger should consider use of 4-1-3-2 in certain matches considering that talent he has currently. It was a system that provided Arsenal with a lot of success in the early 2000’s and could use the strengths of both Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud up top.
But alas Arsene doesn’t read our blog and didn’t employ it. Maybe another day eh.
The point is that he is as many of us our, stubborn in our ideas. We all want to show we are right. Wenger has shown on more than one occasion that he is right and his rigidity and devotion to one system works. Now some will argue that this is the sign of gifted tactician.
Er, no. It’s not really. It’s clearly a sign of a type A personality who is in control and won’t openly admit they are wrong. I know this type of person well, I am one of them.
I read an interesting piece last week on the Gunnertown Blog that lauded Wenger’s successes this past season as a tactician. It presented clearly their case that there games and points in the season where because of our success on the pitch, it disproved the point that Wenger is a leading tactician.
I love the Gunnertown Blog and for those that read it and write for it this isn’t an attempt to say they’ve got it wrong. But I do think in some way they have.
First, they clearly left out criticism of the moments in the season that tactical nous would’ve likely changed things up when it all went wrong. In those games when a team is determined to set up shop and deny Arsenal space in the final third, Arsenal stick to their prime formation, now a modified 4-3-3 that morphed into the 4-2-3-1. It never changes.
For me when you have a team that is clearly shown itself to play defensively and look for the one man up top 4 at the back just doesn’t make sense. This is where switching to a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 would work. It provides more attacking power up front and with a system that forces the wing backs to hug the touchline automatically stretches out the field rather than shink it in the middle as our current formations tend to do in this type of match.
Additionally, given that our opponent is going to cede possession to us, both the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 play right into that as these are formations that are better suited to teams comfortable on the ball.
This isn’t meant to be a dissertation on the merits of these formations but to show that when the game time situation shows you something you didn’t expect or anticipate then you have to be astute enough to make a change on the fly, something Wenger doesn’t do – typically.
Again, I want to state that in some way Wenger doesn’t need to be a master tactician. He needs to be a capable one and I don’t think he would’ve ever gotten this far had he not. I know its frustrating when his substitutions are based on some idea that a player he has targeted for subbing out is tired. He rarely if ever makes tactical substitutions unless absolutely warranted. And even then it’s a rarity.
Before everyone gets all upset that this is some sort of attack on Wenger, it’s not. Tactics is a weakness of his. Where his true strength lies and why I think he is a great manager is getting the best out of players.
Ask yourselves this question, when things as things have been barren these years and only the last months of the season are when Arsenal truly seem to be in their element – what’s the one constant (outside of the supporters love of the club) – it’s Arsene Wenger.
I do not think it is coincidence that regardless of the players when the chips are truly down that this team pulls it together. They pull it together because one man is able to coax the performances out of them. His belief in them as individuals and as a cohesive unit and an ability to get them to perform is what is what makes him great.
Sure, there are times when even a players best, isn’t good enough for Arsenal. Wenger has recently shown that he has learned from his mistakes and those players as soon as they can be shifted are shifted. He no longer depends on underperforming players.
Many of the players who have left talk of their love, respect and adulation of Arsene Wenger. The credit he gets for shaping the players and turning them into the stars borders on a cult-mentality at times but it’s sincere. It’s genuine and it speaks volumes about Wenger’s true strengths as a manager.
Sure the cynic will now rant about how most of those players have left. True. And some have had success. Most haven’t. And regardless of their success their praise of Wenger is unwavered.
Every one of the players from the inherited back 4 that Graham left behind all credit Wenger with pro-longing their careers and making them better players. Adams, Winterburn, Parlor, Dixon and Keown give him high praise.
Even today as pundits these players steadfastly defend him and to a letter say if anyone can coax the best out a player it’s Arsene Wenger.
Yesterday when I ranted about our making Luis Suarez a target, one of the most common replies from supporters and even a few journalists was that Arsene Wenger was probably the one man that could “change him.” (as an aside I think there is too much of a backlog of evidence to suggest that anyone even Wenger could change Suarez’s behavior.) It seems a little naïve but it’s probably true on a certain level.
Arsenal were able to overcome their obstacles this season, like the away win to Bayern or the near snatch of a rare CL double over Barca because of Wenger. Because he believed in his players and he worked to get the best out of them
Sometimes, as Cesc’s errant back heel, Koscielny’s wrap around on Aguerro, or Vermaelen and Sagna’s back pass to Robin Van Persie (playing for United) show that individual error can affect that.
It’s maddening when Wenger sticks to his guns and keeps playing a certain way or a certain player. But he has belief in his system and his players. It’s that above all else that carries Arsenal forward. It’s why Arsenal succeed year over year when the odds, the pundits and statisticians all say they should be mid-table. More than any player or any tactic, it is one man Arsene Wenger who delivers faith and continuity in his players, gets them to perform and ultimately be a success.
Tactics are overrated anyway aren’t they?
