Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (photo credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe-Zimbio)
Soccer in the United States during the 1990s was a wasteland compared to what it is now. I don’t even remember seeing a match on TV until 1994. Growing up in a rural community also meant no cable, barely any TV reception. Chimacum had just added a soccer program when I started high school, buying equipment meant a trip to Silverdale for the mall or Schmetzer Sporthaus in Pousbo. Ordering from Eurosport catalog, or just perusing it, was about all the soccer news we got back then. My coach used to listen to matches on shortwave.
I remember passing around video tapes of English Premier League matches several years after college. Central Washington University had cable and matches on TV every once in a while, but I don’t recall seeing a lot of soccer in college. CWU cut their Men’s Soccer program after my freshman year in 1996. It would probably be unthinkable today given the popularity of the sport in the region and particularly among college age Americans.
Soccer has come a long way in this country and it continues to take big steps forward. It was like the blind leading the blind back then. Now MLS is on TV more often than not and young players see professional soccer on TV or the Internet regularly.
When the United States was re-pioneering professional soccer, England was creating a new Premier League. Things were changing and TV shifted revenue to big clubs.
What Wenger brought to Arsenal in 1996 was a brand new approach. Arsenal hadn’t been known for winning or things like changing the diet, getting rid of fried foods and alcohol. Not to mention, this activity was associated and lead by team leaders like Ray Parlour and Captain Tony Adams. It seems pretty obvious now but Wenger was criticized for it at the time. Banning Mars Bars? It happened.
Signing Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera, and Robert Pires didn’t just change the culture at Arsenal, it helped to changed English socccer and the world game. Henry, Viera, and Pires all won the World Cup with France in 1998 while at Arsenal and would again reach the next World Cup Final in 2006 only to to Italy after Zidane famously responded to abusive taunts from Matterazzi and then failed in the shootout.
The end of an era for France coincided with an end for Arsenal at Highbury and moving to Emirates. A move calculated to allow Arsenal to better compete in the UEFA Champions League, a competition which ironically currently eludes the Gunners for the second season in a row, also lead to the club having to sell much of its top talent. Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure, Nasri, Adebayor, and a list of others have all departed the club. When all the rumors began to circulate last summer about Alexis Sanchez wanting out, I took it as a good sign for this season that Wenger held firm and didn’t sell Sanchez, Ozil, or Ox. Didn’t have to, kept everyone and signed Lacazette to boot. Arsene wasn’t going to spend another year outside of the top four. And even Alexis was sold and probably at a loss compared to what they could have got in the summer if they had been willing to entertain a few more offers.
So what happened? Inconsistent results this year did not help matters. The Gunners were drubbed against Liverpool and then got a win against Liverpool. This is not a young side, it’s full of veteran players who should know they have to compete every match if they want to make it back to the Champions League. Arsenal play down to their competition a lot it seems. How many times have Arsenal dropped points against Stoke City? It feels like every time. Add Watford to the list this season.
Arsenal have had their share of defensive woes. It’s not hard to score against this Arsenal lineup. Mustafi and Xhaka are not going to put fear into EPL strikers, not to mention the UEFA Champions League. Mustafi against City is all the proof we need of that. Per Metesacker is still on the roster. He had good moments, but he should not still be here as a player.
Wenger may have helped lead Arsenal out of the footballing wilderness, but there is no wilderness left any more. The Premier League has moved past no drinking, signing foreign players, and Highbury has been turned into condos. Wenger turned in results that are quite impressive, but let’s be honest: English football was be stuck if foreign players and a healthy diet were considered innovations. They really are no-brainers looking at it now. If there is a no-brainer question about what the EPL is missing out on, we should be asking Pep, not Arsene. City may have lost two matches but they have won three more matches and scored 20 more goals with five matches in hand. It’s a very impressive season.
Wenger may have laid the foundation for Arsenal’s future success but he hasn’t shown that he can put up the walls, roof, and a floor. The floor is supposed to be top four and the Champions League. The hitting roof might be finally winning it. Maybe Arsenal need more money in general to compete with Chelsea and City, but there is enough talent on the team to make the top four. Just add up the dropped points. Fourth place is going to be tough. Winning the Europa League is going to be the best shot at getting into the Champion’s League. And that is far from certain, most favor Athletico Madrid of the teams remaining.
The replacement is the biggest issue. Arsenal missed out on Pep and Klopp and need someone who can actually make an improvement at the club. It’s a tall order, Arsene Wenger will always loom large over Arsenal and Emirates and the record of accomplishment that was left behind. Maybe this is the motivation his team needs to finally win a European trophy and retire with Arsenal back in the Champions League and Thierry Henry taking over.
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