A Letter to Arsene Wenger

Attn:Manager of Arsenal F.C

Subject: For Manager's Eyes only

cc: Refer to above 

Dear Monsieur Wenger,

As you know Monsieur, Christmas is coming. Yes, with all those bright, glittering lights and snow flakes accompanying it. But all these will mean nothing to me if my beloved Arsenal is not sitting pretty on top of the English Premier League. 

Monsieur Wenger, I know you are a busy man. 

But I am an anguished fan. 

Please take time to read this letter Monsieur. Knowing that you will be reading this letter will at least make me fell less disheartened. 

You see, I have been a supporter of Arsenal F.C for many, many years. I intend to make my son, and his son, and all my subsequent descendants follow my path as well.

I haven't been to your wonderfully constructed Emirates Stadium but I have squeezed in the packed terraces of Highbury to see you transform that "boring Arsenal" under George Graham into a beautiful, fast flowing red machine.

Monsieur, I take my hat off you for your ability. When I first heard that you were coming from Japan, the land of the rising sun, I never thought you had the ability to make Arsenal rise to where they are today.

When Sir Alex Ferguson said that you should keep your opinions to yourself and confined to the Japanese league, I must admit that I was actually nodding in agreement to that comment.

Sorry Monsieur. After what you have done, I eat my humble pie and apologise.

You have created a great team. You have won us so many titles and cups. You are the reason why Arsenal is now on the world football map. You are the person that has spoilt so many Arsenal fans in the years you have been in charge.

Now these fans hate you Monsieur. If I can correctly phrase this idiom, they are now biting the hand that fed them.

Monsieur, after you made this Arsenal team so silky smooth, so aesthetically pleasing to watch, these fans have learnt to expect. 

They now believe that it is their divine right to be winning title after title each year. They believe that Arsenal has no right to be below Manchester United, much less Chelsea. With you in charge, they believed that Arsenal are streets ahead of any team in London. They now cannot tolerate failure Monsieur. 

The Arsenal team that you have recently assembled Monsieur, is very poor in their opinion. No, let me rephrase that. The team is inadequate. Yes, we have a team of very bright and promising talent. We have Fabregas, Walcott, Bendtner, Clichy, Vela, Fabianski, Wilshere, etc, etc. 

Very impressive.

But Monsieur, in this world, everything is relative isn't it? Arsenal can be strong in their own right but relative to the other 19, no, make that three teams in the English Premier League, we are woeful.

How do I define woeful? Woeful is a word used to describe a team which cannot compete with these three other teams, namely; Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, to win the league every year.

Woeful is also used to describe a team that is hopelessly inconsistent. Brilliant one day against Manchester United but silly enough to give it all back against Aston Villa a week later.

Monsieur, Alan Hansen once said that, and I paraphrase, you cannot win anything with kids.

I wonder Monsieur, if you take his words with a pinch of salt. After all, that knighted man in black suit and chewing gum proved that Scotsman wrong. What does Hansen know about football anyway? You have seen a living and breathing team filled with kids win title after title.

No one is going to fault you now for copying that dream team. 

But Monsieur, you have to understand. Much as you have unearthed gems like Fabregas, Walcott, and Vela, other teams around us have spent millions and one, billions, on superstar players. 

Monsieur, the league is not as it used to be. When wily old Fergie had his kids, you didn't see a Russian billionaire buy up Chelsea. You also did not see American sports giants doing board takeovers at Liverpool. Neither did you see mid table clubs like Tottenham, West Ham, and Aston Villa spending big to bolster their squad. 

The world is now a very different place, Monsieur Wenger. 

You have to spend to survive.

Much as I trust your acumen in footballing matters, I cannot deny that this trust is ebbing away with each painful defeat. 

Monsieur, I write to you today in my bid to ask you to spend Monsieur and find that balance. Youngsters are good. 

Look at Manchester United over the weekend. Gibson, Welbeck, Evans and Manucho. But it was not these players that destroyed the spirit of Stoke, Monsieur. It was Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, and even 37-year-old Edwin Van Der Sar doing the job for United. 

Monsieur, I am no footballing expert. But I must still ask you to look. Look at that balance please.

My dream of seeing Arsenal at the top of the table come Christmas may be a distant dream now. But if you tell me that you you may be investing in a few experienced players over January to boost the squad, Monsieur I will be very, very pleased indeed. 

Thank you for taking time to read my letter, Monsieur Wenger. 

You have brought joy to countless Arsenal fans. The pain now is especially excruciating because Arsenal now cannot meet the high standards that you have set.

With that said, let me assure you Monsieur that I will be behind you always. 

Wenger Knows Best. 

Yours Truly,

Alden