No one does superlative quite like Arsène Wenger. Once upon time, in a land far, far away, this could be applied to the manner in which his team played football. But, after defeating domestic opposition in 2004, it was time for a new challenge: language. And Wenger being Wenger, he refuses do things by halves, not only battling the entire dictionary, but the basis of his being. Accordingly, he began with that which defines him: the aforementioned football. No longer was it fastest, hardest, cleverest and directest, rather friendliest, softest, tippy-tappiest, and ineffectivest – and all accomplished as though it was nothing.
Then, with the sporting situation resolved, he got to work on himself. When first we met him, he was smartest: blazer, tie, shirt, slacks, side-parting. But soon, he was scruffiest: tracksuit, beanie, puffa, birds' nest. Aesthetics summarily defeated, he got to work on demeanour. No more urbanest, that was far too easy. Instead, who wouldn't embrace the furious pleasure of angriest? How not to consider it a triumph to extend Mr Tickle arms and Skeletor fingers in inconceivable rage every single Saturday! New contract for Theo Walcott? Done.
When Wenger arrived at Arsenal, he revolutionised the club. But one thing he knew to leave alone, though its ways contradicted every fibre of his philosophy, was George Graham's back-five. He saw that it was good, and he adapted. However, for new Wenger, this aggression could not stand, for adapting is for phonies. Both history and literature are replete with characters of incredible intransigence: Thatcher, Karenina, Blair and God, for example. And yet, despite it all, not one of them purchased Manuel Almunia, and then picked him repeatedly, against overwhelming evidence that he was no more goalkeeper than giraffe is toilet. Wenger is, without doubt, stubbornest.
And consider his transfer activity. In the past, £11m was spent on Thierry Henry, £7.2m on Lauren, £13m on Sylvain Wiltord, £6m on Richard Wright and £15m on Andrey Arshavin, haphazardly augmenting a squad already challenging for titles. Now, it's £2.7m on Park Chu-young and £0.0m on Yaya Sanogo; it is simply impossible to argue that he is not stingiest. So today, as Arsenal prepare to face Fenerbahce, in genuine danger of being eliminated from Big Cup before their traditional date of elimination from Big Cup, it's all too easy to snipe and vex and complain. But that would be to underestimate the measure of the man: Arsène Wenger has changed, and how many of us can say that?
Tweet Follow @punshcomempower
50% off Hosting for your Website at GoDaddy.com!
It's a BIG Deal! $5.99* .COM from GoDaddy.com!
It's a BIG Deal! $5.99* .COM from GoDaddy.com!
Host a site without stress on namecheap eApps|YOUR APP HOSTING PROVIDER
Submit your Website
Free webmaster resources including SEO Tools, Computer Glossary, Templates Sign up to BIGTIMEBUX today!
0 comments:
Post a Comment