Times They Are a Changin’ At Arsenal – and it’s a Good Thing Too.

Hi, my name is Michael and I am a social media addict. Why am I telling you this? Because I am warning you to stay away from Social Media – if you are an Arsenal supporter.

The advent and rise of social media has it’s ups and downs. It has been an excellent tool for the growth of the game globally. It has allowed Gooners from all quarters to reach out and connect. A fan base that was considered “global” a few years ago was just that in name only. Now with the inter-connectivity of the world, a truly global fanbase has been realized.

However, its not without its issues. We’re not oblivious to them. Every blog and journalist has gone on about them. Primarily, it has taken the supporter’s discontent which used to be confined to the stadium, the pubs, water coolers and living rooms and amplified it. Anyone who is anyone can now have a platform to be heard.

And they should. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Everyone is entitled to go on a rant or go on a positive supportive discertation. But, this whole set up isn’t what I want to talk about today. It is the genesis for today’s piece.

In the wake of Arsenal’s disheartening loss to Stoke the internet (i.e. social media) was rife with suggestions that it was “same old Arsenal.” It was Arsenal capitulating and likely not winning anything again. It was Arsenal sliding down away in March.

Except its very myopic and it’s in some ways wrong.

First let’s look at why it’s wrong. The common narrative is that down the stretch Arsenal fade and lose pace with the top of the table. It’s an absolute false statement. Bobby McMahon’s piece in Forbes illustrates this beautifully.  In “Why You Need to Treat Comments About Another Premier League Collapse By Arsenal Lightly,” Bobby looks at Arsenal’s position after 26 games and where the ultimately finished up.

His findings? In the 18 seasons he reviewed, Arsenal have bettered their position 9 times. 6 times they have stayed exactly where they were and only 3 times have they actually slid back. Yes, that’s right – that’s 3 times not 30. Not 300. Just 3.

It’s a narrative you don’t see anywhere. Bobby goes on to rightly balance it out and argue that that in the last few years you could make a case that Arsenal when compared to United, Chelsea and City (only recently) have failed to raise their game in the final third.

Arsenal aren’t without criticism in their seasons. Before this season when do you remember Arsenal having such a good start? Arsenal lose their chance at titles before they even got into mid-November. That wasn’t the case this year.

Social media and the normal media for the most part (not all of it) also fail to miss the fact that things are changing at Arsenal and while we would all love that change to happen instantly, it won’t.

Many people ignore the reality that every piece of evidence suggests that the previous eight years were a decided strategy of frugality. It meant overdependence on youth development and “bargain” talents.  It meant selling talent to fund that frugality.

Yes, in the last few years of it there was money to spend and there sure is some frustration in that it may not have all been spent wisely. But the tail end of that frugality gave some glimmer of hope as it brought in Mertesacker, Koscielny, Podolski and Cazorla.

For the most part no one was convinced with the first two. But if you pay attention you knew that those signings were different. Save for maybe Koscielny. The BFG, Podolski and Cazorla all represented talented players with national pedigrees and proven bona fides.  They weren’t some far off distant talent that no one had heard of.

As they settled in the club they have been center pieces in the changing dynamic at Arsenal.

Additional signs that things are changing are that Arsenal are working hard to lock down talent both young and old to extensions and long-term deals. The sale of Veiria, Henry and others were painful. They were the heartbeat of this club and the backbone of its success. But as the club made the decision to go on its frugality path it made the wrong decision in jettisoning leaders who were viewed as past their prime.

Fast forward to this year and the change that is all encompassing, and we are greeted with news that Arsenal have locked down Mertesacker through 2017 and Rosicky through 2016. Both players who would be considered on the older side but proven leaders in the squad right now. Additionally, Aaron Ramsey who is slowly coming back to health and was so integral to the first half of the season is rumoured to be getting a pay rise around the £90-£100 per week mark. That’s coming on the heels of the extension he signed only a year ago.

You can also look at the jettisoning of all the “dead wood” talent as a step towards change and it’s something that will be finished when Bendtner is off the books this summer. But the big sign that things are changing – outside of the new commercial deals – was the signing of Mesut Özil. For the cut rate price of £42.5 million, Arsenal got one of the best midfield talents in Europe and the world. He was Germany’s 2013 player of the year.  He is having an off year as he gets acclimated to the Premier League but is still one of the best creators in Europe. And he loves being here.

Change isn’t easy. Turning a club like this around will take time. There is still likely more change to come. The big elephant in the room is whether or not Wenger signs his new deal. The longer it goes on, the more I am beginning to think he won’t. This is not a statement of should he or shouldn’t he even be offered a new deal.

I think it’s fair to say that he is going to get one. I am neither pro- or anti-Wenger. I like the man and I believe he comes in for some unfair criticism. I do believe his marriage to his committed style of play is short-sighted and possibly dated. But when it does work, it works quite well.

I never have bought into the narrative that other supporters, some in the press and some of our supporters spout that he doesn’t care about winning. I am sorry you don’t get to the highest echelon of sport without caring about winning. While his sign line, hands in the air, bottle tossing antics seem comical, they are true signs of frustration and his desire to win. You may not agree with that – oh well.

Arsene may very well go this year. We could be faced with our biggest challenge yet, in light of that. It’s not easy – just ask David Moyes – to replace a club legend. No, I didn’t say he couldn’t be replaced, I am saying it’s not easy and it’s not always going to net a positive result. If he does decide to retire or leave, then the club has to manage that change with the same resolve and determination it did to be austere and competitive in the face of the changing winds of football.

But he could also stay. Wenger could stay and see this change through its next step which is building on this season’s positives. Wenger clearly wanted to bring in world class players last summer. Özil may not have been play A, B or Y. But he got him in. With John Henry confirming that Liverpool knew Suarez had a £40 million release clause and the club ignored it – it’s further clear that the club will really spend the money if it wants to. People made light of our £40,000,001 offer for the Uruguayan, but given the John Henry confession they actually did it right and activated his clause. How you like dem apples?

Change takes time. When asked about winning the title this year, I have stated they can. The question is will they? I don’t think so. I still think the FA Cup is their best bet and they need to pour everything into that competition and the forthcoming tie versus Everton.

The fact is if they win that cup, it further cements in my eye that we are in the midst of an upward cycle of change. One that is hopefully taking hold and one that can be built on towards a more promising (and hopefully) more immediate future.