SO WHY AREN’T ARSENAL TAPPING INTO INVINCIBLES?
Spirit of ’99 has United firing again
IF OLE is at the wheel for Manchester United, why isn’t Patrick navigating Arsenal through the postArsene Wenger era? Or Thierry, for that matter?
It is the dream scenario for any chief executive — a former player returns to lead the club to glory.
It means more, certainly to supporters, when one of your own is in charge.
Sometimes, of course, it goes horribly wrong. But sometimes — as Manchester United are proving — it can go spectacularly right.
No one gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a hope of landing the Old Trafford job on a full-time basis when he was appointed interim manager following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal in December.
Fast forward three months and the Norwegian is on the verge of being handed the reins permanently.
Why? Because he gets it. He gets Manchester United.
With 10 major medals — including that unforgettable Treble in 1999 — Solskjaer risked his legendary status for a crack at the biggest job of all. The gamble has paid off massively.
So, as Arsenal and United prepare to meet at the Emirates tomorrow in a seismic clash that will go a long way to deciding which of the clubs will finish in the top four, it begs the question — why do Arsenal appear so reluctant to integrate members of their famous Invincibles squad into the current footballing operation? Players who get Arsenal. Players who have tasted success at the club. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had a spell as first-team coach under Arsene Wenger but he lasted just 12 months, leaving with the Frenchman at the end of last season. And Freddie Ljungberg is Under 23’s coach but has no direct involvement within the senior set-up. Surely the likes of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry or Dennis Bergkamp would add priceless value to a club that has been struggling with mediocrity in recent years. These former players know how to win trophies with Arsenal. They know the standards required because they set the standard. For tomorrow’s game, Solskjaer knows exactly what the fixture represents. Arsenal manager Unai Emery is not quite as well versed. Arsenal’s Invincibles propelled the club to new heights — higher than Wenger could have imagined when he took over in 1996.
Yet there was always a hesitancy from Wenger to recall his players to Arsenal in a coaching capacity.
He had ample opportunity to do so. At the end of his playing career Vieira, now manager at Nice, was refused coaching opportunities at the club. ‘Arsene has a right to think you don’t deserve it, that you’re not ready,’ said Vieira in 2016.
Henry did return in 2016 as an academy coach before leaving because Wenger was not happy with him combining his role with that of Sky Sports pundit.
But even when Henry did return, Wenger is said to have been reluctant to give it the green light.
How Emery could do with tapping into the Invincibles ahead of tomorrow’s clash, where defeat would damage their hopes of Champions League qualification.
So why the scepticism in bringing the old boys back?
Wenger never fully recognised the benefit of refreshing his coaching staff. He was so fiercely loyal to Pat Rice and Boro Primovac that he believed he did not need to change.
When Rice eventually retired in 2012 due to chronic knee problems, Wenger promoted from the academy — adding Steve Bould and Neil Banfield to his coaching team. Even then, Wenger blocked a possible return to the club for Tony Adams — who captained Wenger’s first two title winning sides in 1998 and 2002 — to join his coaching team.
Sources claim Wenger, particularly during his final years in charge, saw those players who had performed so brilliantly for him during that unforgettable 2003-04 season as a threat.
As the pressure grew on Wenger, the Frenchman was concerned that having an Invincible alongside him — being primed to eventually take his job — would only push him closer to the exit.
But Wenger should not shoulder the full blame. Arsenal’s board should have taken greater steps in re-integrating their fabled stars at
the club. Chelsea have made no secret of their desire to bring members of their Champions Leaguewinning side back to the club.
For Arsenal, last summer appeared to be the perfect moment to make such a move.
Vieira and Henry were both touted for the manager’s job, while Mikel Arteta — who made 149 appearances for the Gunners — made the final shortlist.
But Arsenal gave their former stars a wide berth once more by appointing Emery.
Despite another European horror show against Rennes on Thursday, Emery deserves time to prove Arsenal have made the right decision with his appointment. He has already taken positive steps to move on from the malaise that engulfed the club during Wenger’s final years in charge.
Emery’s plan to take his players on a warm-weather training trip to Dubai later this month represents another move away from the previous regime.
Wenger was always wary of midseason breaks, feeling his squad’s time was better spent training at their London Colney home.
Maybe Arsenal now need to look closer to home if they are to rekindle former glories.