Arsenal: How Arsene Wenger Failed in His Barcelona Philosophy

So Spain have succeeded once again and cemented themselves in the history books of football as arguably the greatest side ever. Along with Barcelona, the past four years have been a time of dominance for Spanish football both in club and international football. 

Arsene Wenger envisioned this period of dominance in the early 2000s and saw that Spain were the future of football, and so he set out to revolutionize his club in that image.  Yet in his attempts to replicate the Spanish model, he failed and thus his legacy at Arsenal will be based a decision that has ruined Arsenal as a force in both England and Europe.

When Wenger arrived at Arsenal he was very fortunate; he inherited one of the best defences in England and was given the talents of Bergkamp to aid his attack. He developed his side on these strong foundations and in the period between 1997-2001 he brought in the French connection of Vieira, Petit, Henry, Anelka and Wiltord.

The French had won both the World Cup in 1998 and the Euro championships in 2000 and were without doubt the best side in international football at that time, and Wenger used his connections and knowledge of the French side to build this foreign force in English football.

Arsenal’s strengths came from the quality and important mentality of this group of players. The side recaptured the Premier League in 2002 along with the FA Cup again, yet it was the 2003-04 season that would show the greatness of the work Wenger had done at Arsenal, the team would go unbeaten all year long and would play some of the best football seen in the Premier League. 

In Arsenal’s centenary year, the “Special One,” Jose Mourinho, took Chelsea to the top and Arsenal finished 12 points behind the winners. An FA Cup success would be the final trophy won by Arsenal since.

Lack of finances or something more?

The barren period of trophies since coincides with the development of the new stadium at the Emirates and has led to the "austerity" measures that Arsenal have used in order to build and finance the stadium. The splendour of the Emirates has put Arsenal into the elite levels of world football in a business sense.

Yet it has affected the team’s performances and success. The investment into the stadium has been the excuse bounded out from the club and many in the pro-Wenger media. However in my opinion the truth for me is much more damning on Arsene Wenger; it concerns his vision and his qualities as a coach.

A change of philosophy

After the "Invincibles" season Wenger appeared to change his mentality. He saw a change in the way football was going; perhaps it was the 2002 World Cup in which France were nothing short of awful that alerted him to the fact that the French period of dominance was at an end.

Wenger must have seen travelled to Barcelona and seen the impressive work which was going on, youth players like Messi, Pique and Fabregas were coming through and players like Xavi and Iniesta were becoming established players. Wenger must have looked at this set of players and thought this was the future of football. And he was right.

Thus Arsenal embarked on a Spanish revolution that saw the arrival of players like Jose Reyes and Cesc Fabregas. The new mentality pointed to a new type of player, smaller and technical, like the players we see for Spain now.

Players like Fran Merida and Ignasi Miguel have been brought in with varying success, and the arrival of Arteta seems like a desperate attempt to replace and retain the Spanish creativity in midfield.

If this was his belief, that the Spanish model was the future, then he was both right and wrong. The Spanish model of development, notably being put in place by Barcelona more so than others, was already a decade in, being set up around 1990. For Arsenal to overhaul their previous French style and philosophy was both risky, dangerous and ultimately flawed.

A flawed vision

The problem was and has been since that Wenger neglected the biggest asset he had—the thing which won him the league three times and which made Arsenal such a force: the defence. 

I have alluded already to what Wenger inherited when he arrived at Highbury. Importantly, he inherited a world-class defence, which was organised, unified and solid. Under George Graham many called Arsenal “boring;” that is interestingly similar to the noises heard regarding Spain now. 

The reason they were called boring is simply because they did not concede goals. For a side wishing to be successful, the most important factor is winning trophies, a feat which Spain right now are showing.

Graham had laid the foundation for Wenger to take the side forward; that is something often said, yet is not regarded highly enough. Wenger was able to add pieces to this solid foundation and provide attacking prowess to complement the defence, which not surprisingly brought success and accolades. 

He evolved the Graham defence of Adams and co. with Lehmann, Campbell, Kolo Toure, Cole and Lauren. At this time the defence continued to be strong, fast and organised. In 2003-04 the presence of Keown along with Vieira and Silva gave Arsenal and Wenger leaders who offered organisation, stability and structure to make the side defensively solid.

In the unbeaten season Arsenal conceded only 26 goals. They possessed quality and, importantly, intimidation; remember Van Nistelrooy’s penalty for United and the intensity and dominance of the Arsenal players around him. This was a team that was feared. And for some reason—call it ideology or misguided vision—Wenger threw it all away. 

Size matters?

There is no doubt for me that the change in the size of the players has had a major impact on Arsenal’s success.

Wenger rid his the side of winners, strong mentalities and intimidation. Arsenal went from possessing World Cup-winning players in his midfield and a squad who knew what it took to win the Premier League to a group of predominantly young, technical and small players. Arsenal went from one of the best senior sides in Europe to a youth team over the course of a matter of seasons. 

The Spanish ideal is confusing to me because the “French era” did not possess just brutes. Arsenal played better football then than they do now—football that led to titles and success played with a style and flair that captivated many hearts and minds. Importantly, it was an era built on excellent defending.

Defensive shambles

The present-day Arsenal is a shadow of its former self. I do not buy into the argument about finance, which although the net spending of Arsenal is excellent. As a business Arsenal have been run fantastically, but do not tell me they have not spent money. The problem has been the type and quality of the players bought, especially in defence.

Are players like Senderos, Djourou, Eboue, Traore, Squillaci, Santos and Mertesacker good enough for Arsenal, whether as first-team players or backups, I would argue not, and the lack of success has come from this poor transfer policy. Wenger seeks ball-playing centre-backs, yet neglects to work with the defence sufficiently.

Players like Szczęsny, Sagna, Koscielny and Vermaelan are all good players, yet they are not a great defence.

A great defence is a complete unit and Wenger has destroyed the foundations of what made Arsenal so great by neglecting the key factor of being a successful side. If Pat Rice was the man who was in charge of the defence, then he failed, yet so has Wenger by allowing this side to go so far backward.

It is not about money; Arsenal have spent a lot of money in recent years. What this is about is the neglect of developing a strong foundation, of which Arsenal were previously built on.  

Midfield of mediocrity

The evolution or rather revolution of the midfield has seen the might and power along with skill and quality of Vieira, Petit and Silva replaced with the abject, average quality of Song, Ramsay and Diaby. The fact that Flamini was so essential shows how far Arsenal have gone backward.

Arteta was OK this past season, yet the present midfield lacks direction, cohesion and, importantly, tactical knowledge. 

Alex Song is a liability, yet the fact he he continues to play as the holding midfielder shows the failings of Wenger.

Not replacing Silva or Vieira has been as tragic as the degradation of the defence, which has meant Arsenal have gone from a fearsome, strong and organised defensive unit to a shambles of mentally weak, unorganised individuals who simply don’t strike fear into any side anymore and are too prone to errors.

In Wenger’s quest to emulate Barcelona, he forgot the biggest factor as to what makes Barcelona so great. When I watch Barcelona and Spain I see a world-class defensive side.

Their ability on the ball is excellent and their movement and timing is mesmerising, yet they never lose their shape or their tactical role and understanding. The whole side understands where to be and what to do in and out of possession, and this is what has put Spanish football on the top of the pile. It is an issue that Wenger overlooked in his Spanish quest and it is the reason have become an average side. 

These past few seasons Arsenal lacked shape and organisation in the midfield and it cost them goals and points. Fabregas summed it up when he spoke of the "freedom" Wenger afforded him, of which the tactically astute and successful Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, was furious with.

The Spanish are tactically as good as they are technically—something constantly overlooked by many. 

Wenger’s failings was that he saw only the passing and ability on the ball, yet neglected or was ignorant to what these players and sides do defensively. Without a defensive foundation, a side will not win anything.

This is true for all successful sides; Mourinho’s sides are famous for what? Being organised and defensive. When did United start winning again? When they had a great goalkeeper and organised defence. Italy won the World Cup on the back of what?

A misguided vision

Although Wenger saw a new style of football coming into being, one which we are witnessing presently, he forgot some key and crucial things.

Firstly, his French style side was perfect for the Premier League; they were tall, strong and powerful. Look at what Mourinho put together at Chelsea; Essien and Drogba were Arsenal-type players before they switched the to the Spanish way. It was a major difference and one that catapulted Chelsea to the top of the league and that put Arsenal into the league of teams just below.  

As cliché as it is, Arsenal became timid, small and vulnerable where they once were strong and fearsome, and with the change came a lack of success.

I understand that finances played a part for Chelsea and that Essien and Drogba were very highly priced. I understand also that even sides like United could not compete financially with Chelsea and now presently there is Man City who, with players like Yaya Toure, have fitted a side together that is now a title-winning one.

Yet players like Kompany cost only £6 million; surely he would have been excellent for Arsenal? Unfortunately Arsenal spent a lot of money on many average players, instead of spending big on one or two.

The Spanish are not just great technicians; they are one of the most tactically efficient and defensively strong sides in the world. Spain’s strengths come from their collective mentality, belief and cohesion. All factors which in my opinion Arsenal lack.

It is easy to say "we will replicate the Spanish style," yet Spain and Barcelona are more than just style. They have a collective spirit and understanding that allows them to play this way.

A failed philosophy

Quite simply Wenger’s Spanish revolution has been an embarrassment, and the loyal Arsenal fans who believe in Wenger are deluded.

He has taken Arsenal from expecting to challenge for the title to a period of contentment with a top-four finish. He has made them believe that Arsenal don’t spend money when in fact the money spent has brought poor quality, and his biggest achievement is convincing them that he is the only one who can take this side forward.

Last season Arsenal conceded 49 goals and games like those at United and Chelsea were simply embarrassing performances of defensive play. Wenger has single-handedly taken Arsenal from one of the best defensive sides in Europe to a shambles. 

Will the arrival of Steve Bould as the new assistant manager improve the defence? He has much work to do, because the problems Arsenal has is that their first-choice defence lacks understanding and the team as a whole does not understand how to defend as a collective unit.

Added to this that many of the players are just too injury prone and the backups are simply not good enough makes for a worrying future. 

Arsene Wenger made a grave mistake in trying to revolutionise Arsenal. Quite simply he failed; he misunderstood what made his side so strong in the late 90s and early 2000s and believed that he saw a change in how the game would be played. He was right about the Spanish, yet forgot that the Spanish football is based on more than just their technical skills and possession.

Above all, Wenger forgot the importance of a solid defensive foundation, which was neglected for "beautiful football." It has led to a period of mediocrity and worrying for Arsenal fans, as well as a very empty trophy cabinet. 

What are your thoughts on this article? Your feedback and comments are always welcomed. 

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