Bei Mir Bist Du Schön Arsenal
This past Friday we were all given a treat of a performance by Arsenal in their 4-0 win over Coventry City. And while the visitors gave a good show of themselves for 10 or 15 minutes in the second half, the match itself was put out of doubt in the first half by a Germanic master class. In truth it could’ve been more than the brace of Podolski in the first half. It could’ve been Poldi with a hat trick and possibly a Gnabry score.
When the lineup was announced it was 4 Germans, 4 Englishman a Frenchman, a Pole and Dane who made up the team sheet. I don’t have any statistics but just from general knowledge, I think you’d be hard pressed to identify a time when there were so few Spanish or Frenchman involved in an Arsenal squad under Wenger.
When Arsene took control he raided the country of his origins to find promising talent and make them into stars. The likes of Petit, Henry and Vieira would be stars of Arsenal and as well as stars of their National teams. A plethora of Frenchman would and continue to grace Arsenal’s training ground but they are no longer the core of the Arsenal make up.
Soon after, it was clear that Wenger changed his focus to Spain. While he wouldn’t raid them in quite the way he did France, a good crop of players were brought in who would be schooled in the Spanish tiki taka game that Wenger has loved so well. However, as in all things focus can change and whole Monreal and Santi have been great Spanish additions, Spain doesn’t seem to be the fertile ground Wenger once thought it was.
Outside of locking down Arsenal’s young British core, Wenger seems to have sites firmly attached to the fertile grounds of Germany. As all things are cyclical, it is now Germany who is being touted as the recognized leader of talent these days.
That was on full display for Arsenal this past Friday.
The German response to their fallings in the late 90s and finishing last in their Euro 2000 group was to heavily invest in youth development. With a deep introspective look Germany set about to create a factory of talent and make sure that it’s league were chock full of national talent that would help restore the league and its national team to glory.
In addition to building local training centers, the DFB also mandated that teams in Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 all create youth academies.
At the time of Germany’s fall from grace the Bundesliga was chock full of foreign talent. But as a national TV deal dried up, the leagues were forced to accept the changes and look towards inward development to find talent.
VFB Stuttgart of 2003-2004 would be the first to show the promise of the German youth development realized. In the Champion’s league that season a Stuttgart side made predominantly of home-grown talent would beat Manchester United. German football would be seen as one the rise once again.
On the national side it wouldn’t be until both Jurgen Klinsmann and Jogi Low took over that the German youth project would really get its viewing. From 2010 onwards all eyes started to gaze admiringly to Germany as the likes of Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Muller emerged onto the world stage.
With heavy investment in youth development to the tune of around 200 million pounds across all teams in the Bundesliga annually, we are seeing more and more of Europe and the World’s brightest talents come out of the Bundesliga. The current crop of Marco Reus, Mario Goetze and Julian Draxler are showing how good and how consistent the talent factory is.
In a recent interview the head of the DFB’s youth development opined that the German national team now has more talent at it’s disposal in 10 years than at any other time.
Can it be a wonder then this is where Wenger seems to be doing most of his hunting for players? If all stories are to believed then Arsenal are set to land Schalke’s promising talent Julian Draxler. Draxler if the signing is completed is a midfielder that Wenger reportedly wants to transition into a Henry style role. As talents go, Draxler is regarded as one of the best and his price tag is showing that.
Draxler if he signs with Arsenal would join a growing list of Germans who make up a good portion of the senior and reserve squad. Per Mertsacker, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski, Serge Gnabry, Gideon Zelalem (dual German/US passport) , and Thomas Eisfeld are the currently plying their trades on the pitches at London Colney and the Emirates every week.
Wenger knows how to sniff out talent. With the resources he has at his disposal he could effectively go after any player in the Bundesliga and if he wanted to – sign them. I view his pivot to Germany as recognition that they are indeed producing the best and brightest talent but also I think he sees Germans as more ready and adaptable to the rigours of the Premier League.
So you have players that are technically excellent, who can play the quick, short passing game Wenger likes combined with the ruggedness that the Premier League requires.
Now many may argue that Per Mertesacker was not such a case early on. I would disagree. What made Per hard to watch was he was learning the league. When you have to feel your way around on the pitch week in and week out you may suffer for it but, once you learn it, like Per has you will either sink or swim. In the case of Mertesacker he is swimming – hell he is downright floating.
The criticisms hurled at Mesut Ozil also have nothing to do with his transition into this league. With the space he is being afforded he will be just fine. The first goal against Coventry explicitly draws light to the beauty that is Ozil. Attacking on the box he takes a quick peak and sees the space and places the most sublimely perfect pass to his German teammate Podolski who beats the keeper and opens up the scoring. Ozil is never going to be a “take a match by the scruff of the neck” type. He is going to provide moments of pure technical delight that you realize how good he truly is. (but you already know he is.)
The point is our Germans are showing their quality and validating week in and week out why Wenger has looked to Germany to fill out this squad. Is it any wonder that as soon as our Germans came good (along with our Englishmen) we came good?
I jest about that but the ability for the Germans to seamlessly transition into the squad and league has paid huge dividends in this surprising run of ours.
Without a doubt adding the likes of Draxler will only continue to build on that trend.
About Lukas Podolski.
In the context of talking Germany I felt a need to praise the German I like the most. Lukas Podolski is not everyone’s cup of tea. He isn’t the best defensively and when he gets stuck up top we get stuck with a true target man – but that’s not his fault right?
No, Podolski gives this squad something that we don’t get a lot of in our natural tiki-taka game. He gives us directness in attack. When I was sitting behind the goal versus Fulham in the second half, it was noticeable how much his introduction changed the dynamic. You felt almost immediately that he would have an impact and if not for two quality Steklenberg saves – he would’ve. That’s the threat he gives you every time he steps on to the pitch.
Then there’s the shot. Oh. My. He is in my opinion our most clinical finisher. It is both his technique and power that makes it so. He just does everything right (most times) when he gets over the ball.
There are rumours out there that Podolski could be made part of any deal for Draxler. That would be a shame. I know he is grossly popular and I love his overall energy and appreciation of Arsenal and the game as a whole but it would be a shame to get rid of someone who offers so much whether he starts or comes off the bench.
Plus – watch this video. Anyone who has a video like this made about them – has to be kept in the squad!
