Arsenal: Isaac Hayden Summarizes Wenger’s Dark Side

Arsenal look set to offload Isaac Hayden to Newcastle on a long-term deal, which solidifies the defender as the token example of Wenger’s ‘dark side’.

Arsenal’s midfield is in a good place. There are an incredible number of talents between the ages of 16 and 25, more than I can even count. Not all of them are going to pan out. That’s to be expected. By that standard, it should not be too surprising that another casualty may be departing in the form of Isaac Hayden.

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The defensive midfielder looks to be headed to Newcastle United, where he’s looking at a massive five year deal, as the Magpies will become his new home. It’s a part of life, but at the same time, Hayden’s demise also exemplifies the dark side of Arsene Wenger.

The first half of Wenger’s managerial career was characterized by unbridled success. Wenger went toe to toe with Sir Alex Ferguson and it all culminated in the Invincible season. Everything went right that season, clearly, and it was all a product of Arsene Wenger’s vision.

Of all the pieces that fell into place for that glorious and historic season, one piece of the puzzle has to be emphasized – the midfield. With Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva patrolling the middle of the pitch, Arsenal were not going to lose any midfield wars. They possessed two workhorses that could do it all.

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But what made them so special, especially considering the dark years that followed, was their ability to defend and bruise attacks before they got to the defenders. It was such a boon and a huge key to their success.

When Gilberto left in 2006, that era came to a close and the new era began. It was an era of Wenger trying to make more with less and an era where he avoided physical midfielders like the plague.

You could argue that it was the lack of an enforcer that kept Arsenal barren for years following the beginning of construction on the Emirates. Undersized midfielders plied their trade, but no one was able to replicate what the Arsenal Invincibles had accomplished in the midfield.

It was also a time typified by Wenger’s failed attempts at developing youth talent. All of a sudden, the pipeline seemed stifled and the flow stopped. Talents like Jack Wilshere emerged, but so few of them ever really turned into anything.

Essentially, two of the token strong points of Wenger’s Arsenal were removed and it seemed as though Wenger was doing nothing to replenish either one of them.

Isaac Hayden is the cornerstone of this dark side because he embodies both failed endeavors by Wenger. He is that enforcer midfielder and a product of the developmental system, both of which failed. Subsequently, his Arsenal career failed.

Hayden was even moved to center back to try to diversify his talents, but that was deemed inadequate as well, and the Englishman will be on his way.

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There are many things that we have to praise Arsene Wenger for. He is a master of uncovering talent and a shrewd attacking tactician. But in terms of enforcing the law in the middle of the pitch, he fails. Mainly because he deviated from what made him so successful.

Even as I’m typing, all I can think of is Isaac Hayden. For awhile there, when Coquelin had not yet returned and a CDM was everyone’stop priority, all I kept telling myself was ‘just give it time, Hayden is coming’.

Hayden never came. Coquelin came (and, essentially, left) and still we don’t have that defensive midfielder that the Invincibles had.

Even further, we still don’t have any midfield solutions from the youth system. Granit Xhaka, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Mohamed Elneny figure to be the primary characters of this midfield and all of them were purchased, albeit Ramsey was purchased very young.

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Everything that Isaac Hayden is simply embodies the dark side of Arsene Wenger. Now, if he were to become a world class striker while at Newcastle, then we’d be dealing with the trifecta.