Arsene Wenger's Revelations Not a Surprise

Arsene Wenger is a man of many secrets, but he opened up to a French magazine this week.

In perhaps one of his most candid interviews to L'Equipe this week, the Arsenal manager reflected upon the end of the last season, the unsettling preseason and how this season has been for the young team of Arsenal.

However candid he was, it wasn't something that was such a huge mystery.

Many Arsenal fans seem to have felt vindicated by what Wenger said. All said and done though, Arsenal still remain in an unacceptable league position. To watch the team in November could have killed an Arsenal fan the way Wenger suggested that bringing Xabi Alonso or Gareth Barry would have killed his young midfield trio of Denilson, Abou Diaby and Alex Song.

It was a catch-22 situation. To ensure that the youngsters gain experience, they had to get more games under the belt. But did that mean that they play against the likes of Fulham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Wigan on a daily basis? The reason for Fulham and Wigan's addition is that there needs to be a certain amount of mental strength for a team to go to places such as Craven Cottage and the JJB to get results. 

In November, this team looked like they were going to fall apart, and fast.

It was only the Chelsea game, as Wenger stated in the interview, that restored some belief among the players that they could compete with the big boys. Even if you would analyze that game, Arsenal drew level with an offside goal—so Wenger would be wrong to bemoan a lack of luck during this season at key times.

Interestingly enough, Wenger brought the treatment that Theo Walcott suffered at the hands of Manchester City a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for protection of players, but sometimes Wenger takes protection to a level where people think that Arsenal have a "persecution complex"—some Gunners fans even feel as if they're punished for the smallest of things.

Perhaps what irked me most about Wenger's interview was the part where he said he was a "prisoner" of his policies. It is difficult to understand how one can be a "prisoner" of their own decisions. Being a prisoner is something negative—so when Wenger suggests that he's one of his own policies, it means that he's not in that position by his own volition. This then means that he was not given the kind of cash that people thought he had been given.

Consequently, one cannot help but question what kind of support the board has been giving their manager, considering that they've claimed to have given him "substantial" amounts to spend.

Also, it was a well documented fact that Arsenal narrowly missed out on Xabi Alonso on the transfer deadline day in August. In fact, many sources stated that there was a two million pound valuation gap between Arsenal and Liverpool which lead to the collapse of the transfer. Wenger, in the interview said that he didn't want to "kill" his young midfielders by buying the Spaniard—but the fact is that he was about to get Xabi Alonso in because he didn't really trust them in the first place. 

The team has shown a remarkable amount of mental strength in this 18 game unbeaten run without a doubt. But Arsenal have had to pay a price by dropping out of the Premier League race as early as November which is unacceptable. 

Wenger said that this run, "left him with regrets"—perhaps the real regret he had was not being able to bring in a holding midfielder to solidify the midfield and propel Arsenal into a title challenge. 

At the end of the day, you judge a team at the end of the season and this is something that Wenger has said time and again. If Arsenal do win some silverware, all will be forgotten—but if they don't, it will be four seasons without a trophy for the Gunners.

This set of players can certainly achieve something, but Arsene Wenger certainly faces yet another summer of transfer sagas and speculation, which he could avoid. If any of these youngsters leave Arsenal, rest assured, we'll be in for yet another "season of transition."