How Arsenal Show That Managers Need Time to Succeed
In 1996, Arsenal Football Club appointed Arsene Wenger as their new manager. To many, this was not a superstar manager name. Although he had enjoyed some success at his previous club of seven years, Monaco, he was not what you would call a storied manager with a history of European glory or a cabinet full of trophies to his name. For many, it was a curious decision by the top brass at the club, and one that could have gone either way. Thankfully, it went well for all concerned and involved with the Gunners.
Much like the appointment of the then lesser-known Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, with Aberdeen being his only other major appointment, the installation of Arsene Wenger raised a few eyebrows, as well as questions from dedicated Arsenal supporters. When it came to soccer betting tips, many ran to the bookies to place a wager on Arsene not surviving a couple of seasons, that is how pessimistic some fans really were. As it turned out, the man who became affectionately known to fans “Le Professeur” for his studious approach to the game, became Arsenal’s longest-standing and most successful manager ever.
Beyond showcasing his talent as a sporting great and managerial maestro, the way in which Arsene Wenger built both this sporting success story and his own legacy served to bring to the fore an oft-debated question among football fans: should new managers be given time to succeed? Of course, in a league such as the EPL, this can be a decision driven by finance as much as trophy collection. For fans, however, it really does boil down to tangible success, especially for the established, historic team of England that is the gloriously successful Arsenal Football Club.
Post Wenger Ponderance: New Managers, Same Expectations?
It is, of course, a question that is not unique to Arsenal football club. The question of how much time to give a new manager to deliver success continues to dominate the powers that be, and supporters alike at clubs all over the world. From Manchester City to Liverpool, Manchester United to Chelsea, PSG to Barcelona, Real Madrid to Juventus, and so on, everyone is wondering how much added on time and how much patience should fans and owners have when it comes to managerial success.
At Arsenal, a club so used to success, this question may have been answered with positive results from Arsene Wenger, but it still resides today as something that is hotly debated in the stands, pubs, homes, and anywhere else you will find the loyal Gooner fanbase. One glance at any Arsenal-centric news website shows you how fans want managers to invest in big name players and, ultimately, deliver footballing success. Sometimes, the patience can wear thin quickly, as fans come to go beyond wanting success and actually start to demand it, especially after a trophy-replete era such as that overseen by Wenger.
Post Wenger, the appointment of Unai Emery was met with cautious optimism. Even so, much like anyone who was to succeed Ferguson at Manchester United, the expectation of replicated success was, perhaps, unrealistic. As it transpired, the oft-called “poisoned chalice” that is taking up the leadership after the departure of a long-term and highly successful manager was realised again. Indeed, Emery lasted only 18 months before his ill-fated reign came to an end. With this, of course, the central question that defines this article was once again voiced, asking how long a manager should be given to achieve success.
Arteta Proving That Time Is Needed and Success Is Not Instant…Even for the Mighty Arsenal
For Emery, a year and a half was enough grace, and fans could no longer stand the lack of winning. So what next, and was this to be a tale of failed manager after failed manager, something that has, arguably, been the downfall at London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham over the past few years? Well, after a brief stop-gap period under Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal appointed someone who was a legend of the club during his playing days, two years of which were under the guidance and tutelage of Arsene Wenger.
Much like Wenger back in 1996, Mikel Arteta did not come to the club as a trophy-laden manager. He did, however, have the distinct advantage of being already revered due to his playing days at Arsenal, perhaps meaning a greater likelihood of him being given time to succeed. Before Wenger, of course, only George Graham was given time, with a slew of shorter-term managers occurring between his departure and the appointment of Wenger. But as one of the most highly valued clubs in the league, the need for success is paramount. Even so, it was never a certainty that the owners would allow time, even if they did sign Mikel up for the long term. As Arsenal goes up against rivals like Tottenham, all fans are eagerly waiting to see how his managerial skills will fare.
Thankfully for Arteta, he is being given the time to succeed that was afforded to Wenger, and even for a club with demanding fans, Arsenal Football Club seem ready, once again, to create a plinth on which to build the pillar of long-term success, rather than expecting immediate returns in their trophy cabinet. It would seem that, as Arsenal competes for the Premier League title 20 years after they last won it, that time to succeed is something Arteta has, at least for now. As with any big club, of course, trophies are the only real measure of supremacy and success, and without them, even the most patient fan will eventually get tired. The clock is ticking for Arteta, and the question is for how long? We shall see, Arsenal fans, we shall see.
Tell that to Unai. Ooops! Too late…Jus sayin
Utd seems to have gotten the message. Otherwise Ten Hag would have been long gone by now
Ten Hogs is a dead man walking
Somehow they are still keeping him around. Hoping to make a MA out of him or just procrastinating? I don’t know
Am in agreement with you, maybe Arteta is why he is still around.
I strongly believe Arteta was the only reason why Chelsea had Graham Potter at the club that long, a very ambitious project mirrored off Arsenal, put together by Toddy Boehly.
In the end the once promising Englishman left with a piss pot load of money, with his tail firmly between his legs, clearly had bitten off a little too much
It’s a Matchday, yes it is!!! COYG!
There’s things to agree with and things to disagree with here.
1. I certainly agree that managers need time and need to build a squad that suits the way they play.
2. MA has also been given a lot of money, whereas Wenger was starved of money due to the stadium build and clubs like Chelsea spending tons before FFP was even a thing.
3. It’s true that Man U was on the verge of sacking Ferguson, but it’s not quite fair to say “Aberdeen being his only other major appointment” because what he did with Aberdeen was incredible, winning trophies that no-one outside the Old Firm was winning.
4. A large part of Wenger’s success was being the first in football to bring nutrition and fitness front and centre. Merson said he used to eat a Mars bar before a game “for energy” but Wenger soon changed that. trouble is, other clubs soon followed suit so the advantage was only a few years.
5. Man U didn’t really learn from all this. They sacked Moyes too fast imho and it then became obvious that he had inherited an ageing squad that was on its last legs. Ferguson had once again worked miracles with the resources he had. Manu still hasn’t recovered and may be trying to give Ten Hag time as a result.
6. It’s not fair to compare Wenger to MA. We live in a different world now, where money rules. City and Chelsea are still benefitting from the pre-FFP spending and other clubs such as Newcastle will spend more in time.
One thing we have seen is that Arsenal is pretty good at choosing managers.
7. I think Emery was hard done by. Getting to a UEFA Cup final and finishing 5th in the PL, with all the problems in the camp… wasn’t bad at all. A lot of Arsenal fans seem to think the club has a God-given right to win trophies. It doesn’t.
Imho they need to get over that and just support their club through thick and thin. All this talk about “How long will MA be given without winning a trophy” annoys me. For some clubs, the thin times are just about 100% of the time, challenging for the PL and qualifying for the CL 2 seasons in a row is beyond their wildest dreams..
So get rid of MA at your peril – and be careful what you wish for. There’s lots of clubs with famous history scattered throughout all the leagues, all below where Arsenal is now.
Uh sry did I write all that? 👀
Also helps when you rip up contracts and pay players to leave, and spend 150 – 200 million every Summer or around 800 million total.
Arteta has done very well, but goalposts were moved, standards like top 4 dropped, and expectations removed, how else to survive his first turbulent 1 1/2 years.
If Emery would have received this amount of support and backing I’m sure he would have been successful as well.
I firmly believe Emery was never viewed as the next manager but instead a transition to Wenger’s real replacement.
Coach rather than manager, couldn’t bring in his players, and no support from ownership against the player cliques.
Is this how you treat a manager brought in to turn things around or improve the club?
In the end things worked out for all involved, but a very winding road getting here.
I dont think Emery was seen that way. I think he was seen as the next manager (and his success at Villa shows why) but he was prob a bit unlucky that he went on a long losing run.
Fan pressure makes it hard for clubs to stick with managers when that happens esp since he went on a long unbeaten run before the losing streak, which creates expectation in some fans.
This is where I get so frustrated with fans who judge managers and players on trophies alone.
No real mention of what occurred from 2005 onwards, with Abramovitch and the Saudis coming in just at the time of the Emirates build.
Thank goodness MA hasn’t got the above to cope with, just the proven guilt of chelsea breaking the rules and city putting off those 100 plus charges, which leads me to this observation :
If city win the PL title and are then found guilty, would the fact that we finished second to them mean that MA was unsuccessful, as he hadn’t won any trophies?
Good question at the end. Finishing 2nd to some cheats is really finishing first, even if the powers that be dont disqualify the cheats and re-award the positions.
btw I think Abramovic was spending whatever he wanted since 2003ish. City started a bit later, cant remember exactly. FFP wasnt actually implemented until the 2011-12 season (and the top clubs were given extra time). That’s a long head start they had while Arsenal was building the stadium and no rich owner.