Arsenal As Also-Rans Figment Of Paul Merson’s Imagination

Paul Merson has stated that Arsenal are in danger of becoming an also-ran club. His argument, though, misses the foundations that Arsene Wenger has laid.

There has been a purpose to Arsene Wenger’s reign. While many will make comparisons to the struggles that Manchester United have had in attempting to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, Wenger does not manage in the same way as the great Scot. Arsenal will benefit from that fact.

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Despite his shortcomings, Wenger excels at one particular aspect of managing an organisation as large and influential as a modern day football club. The future. There are few managers that have the same long-term focus that drives many of the decisions that Wenger has made throughout his managerial career.

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It is his unwillingness to chase instant gratification; the pursuit of long-term gain at the expense of short-term pain, that leaves Arsenal in a far better situation than where United were Ferguson departed. That is why Paul Merson’s comments are so difficult to agree with.

Speaking in his role as a pundit for Sky Sports, Merson stated that the Gunners will become ‘also-rans’ if they fail to finish in the top four:

"“If they don’t finish in the top four this season, they will just be an also-ran club for a few years. Sanchez will go, I don’t see Ozil staying there and they have a lot of players who have been there a long time. If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll get the same results. This is not a one-off, we’ve been talking about it for four or five years. If they don’t finish in the top four I don’t see a world-class player going to play for Arsenal next season.”"

Although that is a possibility – it would be stupid to ever rule out anything in football – Wenger has spent his life’s work ensuring that, when the time does come for him to leave, that the club is in the best situation possible for a new manager to come in and enjoy success.

There are few clubs who are as well run as Arsenal. Few clubs have the same spending power, the same youth development system, the same calibre stadium, the same training facilities, the same branding. While his economic principles are frustrating, Wenger has built a club that will last long beyond his reign.

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That is where Merson is wrong. Criticise Wenger for his poor transfer policy. Criticise him for his poor mentality. Even criticise him for his poor winning record. But do not underestimate the position that Arsenal are in, thanks to him, to compete in the future.