Is Arsene staying or going?

Prior to kick off on Saturday the internet and press were abuzz with an interview that was published in L’Equipe.  Based on the contents of that interview many of the press began speculating that Arsene Wenger would be leaving the club after this summer. After a careful review of the full translation however, it is clearly evident that certain outlets only published the more, shall we say salacious bits. Those that would certainly get a rise out of any Arsenal fan.

What the press picked up on and ran was the following exchange:

L’Equipe: Will you still be here in 15 years?

Wenger: No.

L’Equipe: And next season?

Wenger: We’ll look at things at the end of this one.

Now, I’ve purposely printed only the one statement – the second one that they ran with. Then most outlets followed it up with this:

L’Equipe: Did it not feel like things were suddenly slipping away from you, especially during the summer, during the transfer window?

Wenger: The hard thing is the feeling that something is ending. You had a project with guys that you took on at the age of 18 and they leave at the age of 23. That’s not what you dream about

Then most outlets ran with this to close:

Wenger: For the first time since I have been here, I lost young players who were reaching maturity. I suffered. Because it is painful to separate with key players who you have invested a lot in, it’s painful when the results are not good enough

Wenger:  But whether it is with me or someone else, that changes nothing. The person that comes in after me will need foundations on which he can obtain success.

Now, I’ve published in this blog the tidbits that many press outlets cherry picked from the L’Equipe piece. I like L’Equipe. I find them responsible in their reporting and many of their “rumours” wind up being fact. That is why when I started reading the English articles I was slightly surprised. On the surface it certainly looked like the ravages of the end of last season, the departures of Nasri and Fabregas, and the start of this season had made Wenger question it all.

Which is why I started looking for a full translation of the article. Thank goodness for the folks over at Arseblog. They have the full article here. What comes through is not the self pitying portrayal that came across in the English press but the resolute, stubborn and strong manager many of us know.

There were acknowledgments of errors and missteps:

L’Equipe: From the outside, it looks like a case of patching up…

Wenger: I acknowledge that not everything was planned. Above all, what wasn’t planned was Wilshere’s long injury and Vermaelen having to undergo surgery. Losing 8-2 at Manchester United wasn’t planned either, nor was Gibbs’ injury. When that happens you are obliged to act quickly, to adapt. I bought five players in three days at the end of August, and am happy about it.

L’Equipe: You can’t ignore the fact that the results haven’t been there. That might have worn down certain players and contributed to the exodus…

Wenger: Of course that played a part. In this respect, last season broke the squad. They could have been extraordinary. I often call it ‘the season of the last minute’. We lost the League Cup final in the last minute, we lost to Liverpool in the last minute (in fact Arsenal drew in April, Kuyt equalising in 12th minute of added time), we lost the chance of qualifying, with only ten players, against Barcelona with Bendtner’s opportunity. At Tottenham, we were 3-1 up and got pegged back. When that happens your backs are against the wall. When you no longer have anything to get your teeth into, one and a half months is a long time to spend together. We felt like the winds wouldn’t stop blowing against us and yet we were so close to exploding (winning) everything.

But never in the piece did you get the sense that this was a guy who was planning on stepping away from the club at the end of the season. As a matter of fact you get an entirely different picture. When you add in the parts the press did not run then it is clear that Arsene, unless given the sack (an unlikely possibility), will see out his current contract.

L’Equipe: Will you still be here in 15 years?

Wenger: No.

L’Equipe: And next season?

Wenger: We’ll look at things at the end of this one. I still have two years to run on my contract.

L’Equipe: Did it not feel like things were suddenly slipping away from you, especially during the summer, during the transfer window?

Wenger: The hard thing is the feeling that something is ending. You had a project with guys that you took on at the age of 18 and they leave at the age of 23. That’s not what you dream about. What’s more, on top of the players that left, there were injuries. It’s simple: last season, our midfield was built around Wilshere, Nasri, Diaby and Fabregas. Then we find ourselves without Diaby and Wilshere who are injured for a long time, and without Nasri and Fabregas who have gone to Manchester City and Barça.

L’Equipe: Still, there was a lot of commotion and it seems to be the end of the hopes you placed in a generation of players. Do you not see that as a personal failure?

Wenger: For the first time since I have been here, I lost young players who were reaching maturity. I suffered. Because it is painful to separate with key players who you have invested a lot in, it’s painful when the results are not good enough. We are fighting with clubs that have far superior means to us. We cannot account for the difference in the financial potential of clubs like Manchester City and ourselves.

L’Equipe: But it looks like you are obliged to rebuild once more. Just like at the start…

Wenger: It’s true, a new cycle is starting. When we left Highbury, I set my sights on a long-term project with a young team. It didn’t produce the results I’d hoped for. Yes, we have to rebuild.

L’Equipe: With you? Will you embark on another long spell?

Wenger: No, as far as I am concerned, we are now talking pretty short term, that’s obvious. But whether it is with me or someone else, that changes nothing. The person that comes in after me will need foundations on which he can obtain success.

So now you see when you have the full quotes that the press were selectively running with, you get a different perspective of the man. One who seems to acknowledge the error of his ways (to an extent) but is intent on seeing things out.

The worst thing about this is now Wenger has had to come out and post-game come out and once again stress his commitment to the club.

“I will stay and that’s it.”

Wenger said: “I have a few more years to go. I will stay and that’s it. It was a little sentence if you read well.

“I can only speak for me. The club can decide to get rid of me tomorrow morning and I cannot interfere with that decision, but I am totally committed here and I will show you that at the end of the season.”

I’ve always maintained that Wenger has to bear some of the responsibility for the failures of the last 6 years. For a club with the ambitions of Arsenal, just competing isn’t and shouldn’t be enough. Still, the club has been in the thick of it on occasion in those 6 years and on two occasions (last season and 07/08) looked good enough to win it.

But I also have to acknowledge that it is Arsene Wenger who should get some of the kudos for arresting the collapse that was engulfing the club. If I acknowledge player failure and successes than the manager’s successes and failures should also be equally recognized.  It was Arsene Wenger who has kept the faith in Theo Walcott, when many of us fans and pundits were calling for his head. Theo Walcott is coming good if he nails that final ball aspect he will be better than Ashley Young, a player I remember many Gooners saying we should’ve gotten.  And for those counting assits – Theo has 7.

It is also the same Arsene Wenger who in spite of the financial doping of the giants around us has managed to field a team that as I mentioned earlier was able to compete on multiple fronts, beat the best team in the world and was a Nicklas Bendtner shoelace from advancing past said  best club in the world. It is the same Wenger who has developed the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and the current best striker in England if not Europe, Robin Van Persie.

It is because of this and his past successes that Arsene Wenger will given the ability to leave of his own volition. Arsenal are once again in the hunt with the big boys. I am still cautious over this season because of everything that happened early on. Still, Wenger should get some credit for turning things around.

And finally this – Wenger will leave. Probably after this contract runs out. For those of us who have known other managers, it is not so much a frightening proposition and just another time of yet another change. For the kiddos who have only known one manager, one Arsene Wenger they are the ones with the most fear of change. But mark my words it will happen. We will look back and memorialize the greatest manager this club has ever had but it will be a time for change. We shouldn’t be afraid of it when it happens because even though Wenger is a legend to this club, the club is bigger than he and will go on long after Wenger has left the building.

Until next time – Stay Goonerish!!

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