Arsenal: Objective streak seems a little odd

Arsene Wenger has stated that the Arsenal departures of Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott were an objective decision. For a club steeped in loyalty and heart, it seems a little odd.

When Patrick Vieira was asked what Arsene Wenger’s best attribute as a manager is, he proposed, without hesitation, his trust. Specifically, Vieira was referring to Wenger’s trust in his players.

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He trusts them to work on their own games and their own weaknesses. He trusts them to solve their on-pitch problems. He gives them the freedom to think for themselves and to act on the decisions that they make. That trust leads loyalty. Often times, it is a loyalty that belies logical, rational thought, that defies objectivity.

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So, Wenger’s comments on the January departures of Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are somewhat surprising, from both the perspective of player and club. When asked about how their exits came to be and the decisions that were made by the players, Wenger uses the word ‘objective’. It is a little odd. Here is his answer:

"“Olivier is an Arsenal man as well. He left for similar reasons to Theo Walcott, by being sad to leave but also objective enough to analyse his situation. His professional career demanded that he moved, but his heart wanted him to stay. Both Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud are similar cases on that front.”"

Clearly, Arsenal made an objective decision also to sell the pair. Walcott was deemed short of the necessary quality to provide a true supporting depth option while Giroud had to be sold to fund and facilitate the club-record £56 million move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Both were requisite, if a little harsh.

That ruthless streak in the transfer window has rarely been displayed by this club in the past. Now, some may argue that this, in fact, was not ruthless. Walcott should have been sold years prior to this point and Giroud had proven himself incapable of leading the line and perhaps needed to be improved upon before when he actually was. To some extent, that is true. Nevertheless, it would have been very Arsenal to hang onto both players for another six months.

But they didn’t. They saw an opportunity to sign a truly world-class striker in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. They saw an opportunity to cull the squad a little and receive excellent returns while doing so. And they took it. That is unquestionably nice to see. A refreshing change to stagnating loyalty that has riddled the assembly of this squad for far too long.

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As the Gunners steam towards a summer of anticipated change and evolution, it is important that they remain objective, rational, and ruthless. It will only help them progress.