Opinion: Here’s why Arsenal fans should stop with all the Wenger-bashing right now

I am starting to get a little tired of this Arsenal and Arsène Wenger-bashing following every deadline day. Would I like the club to sign exciting, world-class players? Of course. Would I want them to sign expensive players out of panic and for the sake of ‘appearing’ competitive in terms of the spending spree of other big clubs? Certainly not.

You hear phrases like ‘Chelsea spent this much, City spent this much,’ and so on.’ Hey, if you love their money so much, why support Arsenal in the first place?

First of all, we are only a few weeks into the new season. Sure, Arsenal haven’t been at their best. But they haven’t had their best XI on the pitch either. Without their two first-choice central defenders, any top team would look wobbly at the back. Just look at what happened to Chelsea when they were without John Terry. Would Manchester City be performing so well if Vincent Kompany wasn’t in this kind of form? (Remember, City conceded 2 more goals than Arsenal last season, largely because their inspirational captain was either injured or out of touch.)

Anyone who’s watched this league for the last few seasons can tell you that good starts don’t necessarily translate into solid finishes. Besides, with the exception of City, pretty much every other top club has struggled to get off to a flying start this season. And interestingly, most of the players who have helped City to the impressive start have been with the club for quite some time now. Sterling is new, of course, but established players like David Silva, Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany still run the show.

But I don’t want to go into comparisons at this point. I’m more concerned about the dying belief of some fans into the idea and the unique identity of Arsenal Football Club, conceived and developed by Wenger through nearly two decades of hard work.

It all comes down to the club and the manager’s ambition. Do you aspire to become a club that spends 50 million on a new player in every transfer window or a club that boasts of a quality youth system with a steady supply of promising and passionate young players?

Of course I would be pleased to see a world-class player like Karim Benzema or Edison Cavani don an Arsenal jersey. But frankly, the prospect of watching a Héctor Bellerín or a Francis Coquelin being groomed to become a world class player seems more appealing to me. It’s something worth beating your chest over. ‘We made a world-class player’ is something I look forward to saying rather than ‘We bought a world-class player.’

I know the game has changed. I know about the oil money. I know about the record-breaking sponsorship deals. And I do want Arsenal to compete with Europe’s elite – which is making it to the last four of Champions League year after year rather than just finishing in the top four in the EPL.

Every once in a while, I do enjoy the prospect of notable new signings. But I still believe that the foundation of the club lies in a good academy. Amidst the cruel money game and growing competition, Arsène Wenger has worked very hard to preserve this club’s identity and to keep it in the top four at the same time.

Maintaining the club’s profitability has come at the cost of selling good players at times, but Arsenal aren’t the first club to sell a world-class player. Just look at the number of big signings Liverpool and United have made over the last few years and the number of big names that have left them during that period. Arsenal’s list doesn’t seem so shocking compared to that.

Money can buy you a lot of things to be sure. But it’s not worth thrashing what we have at Arsenal at the moment. Wenger has built something special. A lot of the work that goes on behind the scenes doesn’t always have a trophy to show for it. But more often than not, it’s more rewarding in the long run than a panic buy.

It’s too early to say that this Arsenal team is destined for greatness. But considering how things have gone over the past three-four seasons, I am confident that they’re on the right path. None of our big players have been linked with a move away. The current crop of players seem cohesive, enjoying life at the club and well aware of their roles.

Despite the rise of Francis Coquelin and the presence of Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Jack Wilshere on the bench, the need to find a solid defensive midfielder remains unaddressed. However, I would much rather see Arsenal make a sensible, well-thought out and well-scouted signing than spend a fortune on the first name that comes to mind. Finding a player that fits the club is more important than finding one that fits your budget.

Having said that, let’s not forget that this Arsenal team scored 71 goals last season, 2 fewer than champions Chelsea. They conceded 36 goals in all, only four more than Chelsea and 1 less than Manchester United, who spent loads on new defenders last season. The pieces are slowly coming together. Petr Čech’s addition has certainly added a touch of assurance to the team’s defence.

I don’t know what kind of plans Stan Kroenke has in mind, or how his rivalry with Alisher Usmanov is going to affect the club. But there’s a reason they’ve shown faith in Wenger through all these years. There’s got to be at least some common ground. Which is why I feel it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing results. I know there’s someone or the other saying this every single year, but as a die-hard Arsenal fan, I urge all other Gooners to remain patient.

COYG!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Folomojo.com.

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