How good have Wenger's Transfer Dealings Been? Audit Part 4

 It is often claimed that Wenger is a very shrewd operator on the transfer market, that he has purchased many great bargains, we can all remember Henry and Vieira, but has his acumen remained as good over the last few years? After all for every Cazorla there is a Squillaci.Part four of the audit carefully analyses Wenger’s successes’,  and failures, in the transfer market in the recent past. 

[Part 4]

Wenger’s recruits how good have they proved to be? Audit Part 4

Delivery:  Players

2011 – 2012 season

Of the Club’s new signings for the 2011 – 2012 season; whilst lacking the star quality of Messrs Fabregas and Nasri, Senor Arteta’s consistent performances appeared to become completely indispensable and he was by a significant margin the greatest success.  Following the injury to Mr Wilshere, young Welsh prospect Aaron Ramsey was frequently pressed into service in the first half of the season and seemed to suffer in the latter half.  Gervinho’s early promise also faded very significantly.  Yossi Benayoun, conversely, was allowed few starting opportunities in the difficult first half the season, but went onto score 6 goals and became a useful, tactically aware and diligent presence, particularly once Arsenal had lost possession.  Young Oxlade-Chamberlain’s appearances were wisely carefully limited, but he demonstrated great promise and even started for England in the European Championships.   Apart from the League Cup, now, again, de-prioritised, Mr Park started one match. 

Unfortunately, the defence was beset by injuries to Messrs. Mertesecker (who appeared to find the transition to the pace of the Premier League a little challenging); Santos (who appeared more comfortable going forward than defending); Sagna and Vermaelen (established players in France and Netherlands when recruited and instant and sustained successes); Gibbs, a ready-replacement for predecessor Monsieur Clichy, but injury prone; and Jenkinson who struggled, having been thrown in at the deep end, then picked up a serious injury of his own. 

In terms of central defenders and full-backs Monsieur Wenger has appeared more risk averse in his signings - i.e. buying more established, and for their position relatively more expensive players, of well-known competence -  than in more advanced positions.  An exception was the previous season’s (£9.7m) signing, Laurent Koscielny, hitherto a relatively little known central defender and lacking top-level experience, who appeared to many to be a significant gamble.  However, he proved to be one of Monsieur Wenger’s most astute defensive signings.  After a promising, but occasionally flawed, first season in the Premier League, he became the bedrock of an ever-shifting rear-guard and had it not been for the Captain’s goal-scoring feats would have probably been most supporters’ player of the season.  He went on to start for France in the 2012 European Championships.   

Another big success was the former academy player, and now Polish international, Wojciech Szczesny who became the Club’s first choice goalkeeper at just 20.  Longstanding goalkeeping problems since the experienced German international Herr Lehman left the club appear to have finally been rectified by his development.   Despite the inevitable occasional misjudgements and a need to continue to work on his offensive distribution, he appears to have a good attitude and had an excellent first full season (especially when compared to Manchester United’s £18m young signing Senor De Gea who struggled with the physical rigors of the Premier League in his first season).   

For, despite a succession of very costly errors over the previous seasons, Monsieur Wenger defied critics and had patiently stood by his predecessor, Senor Almunia.  He finally froze him out last season and, after a loan period, he left the club at the end of the season out of contract - having failed to make an appearance for Arsenal during the season.  Unfortunately, the poor performances of his deputies, to-date, suggest that Mr Szczesny is the only competent goalkeeper at the club.  The lack of goalkeeping cover appears to present a continuing and unnecessary risk (Vito Mannone has made a relatively solid, but not entirely convincing, start to this season, at the time of writing, deputising for the injured Mr Szczesny).  

Tomas Rosicky was signed in 2006 for £6.8m but subsequently faded from the team and became a peripheral squad member for several seasons.  The somewhat chaotic season appeared to provide him with a last chance, one which he took with aplomb.  One of the highlights of his 25 starts and 13 appearances as substitute, was a well-taken goal and very good performance in the 5 -2 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur. 

Andre Arshavin  was signed for £15m in the January 2009 transfer window but having had a good initial impact, started just 13 matches last season to little effect or apparent fitness or effort.  Not long after a negative reaction from the then Captain, supporters and media analysts alike over his substitution for Mr Oxlade-Chamberlain against Manchester United in January; he was loaned out to Zenit St Petersberg.  He subsequently had a poor European Championship as captain of Russia and there was a Russian media outcry at his re-appointment.[41]  He returned to Arsenal, seemingly unneeded by the Club and unwanted elsewhere.[42]

In addition to the noted over-reliance upon Messrs Song and Szczesny, the club also found it very difficult to function effectively without the services of Senor Arteta – winning only one Premier League match (fortuitously) in his absence.  There was an even bigger over-reliance on the goal scoring of previously injury-prone, and now departed, Mr Van Persie.  Mr Walcott, who had a generally solid season, scored 11 goals and was the only other player to hit double figures.   

Second player recruitment policy – young signings case study 

The merits of the second period player recruitment policy can, perhaps, be best illustrated by three young players that were key signings in the early days of the project:   Messrs. Song, loaned August 2005, age 17 & signed June 2006 for £1m, a Cameroonian; Diaby, January 2006, 19, £2m, French; and Dennilson, August 2006, 18, £3.4m, Brazilian.  The expectation was that they would be nurtured into a triumvirate of (holding, box-to-box, and deeper-lying playmaker) midfielders that would become central to the success of the club.  Indeed, the mooted signing of suitable established Premier League players such as Spanish International and subsequent World Cup and European Championship winner Xabi Alonso were not proceeded with  for fear of damaging such player’s development – Monsieur Wenger explained that such competition for their places would ‘kill them’.  

Mr Song’s steady development largely repaid Monsieur Wenger’s faith in him.  In the absence (due to loan / injury) of the recent young but raw emerging academy talent Emmanuel Frimpong, 19, and any other competent cover for the position, Mr Song started more games than anyone last season, except the young goalkeeper.  In the absence of the departed Senor Fabregas, he added some welcome offensive competences to his role – regularly contributing assists for goals and starred in the home defeat of the eventual Champions [43].  Nevetheless, some evidence of positional failings remained – particularly when Senor Arteta was absent from midfield. 

Mr Song, however, was sold two days after the opening game of the 2012 - 2013 season for £15m - following Senor Fabregas to Barcelona  (Mr Song’s departure does not, however, at the time of writing, with the new tactical formation, appear to have been greatly missed).  Mr Song had found Arsenal unforthcoming in rewarding his efforts with a new contract and told Barca TV, "(I am) very happy to be here, this is the best team in the world, playing at a club like Barca is something I wanted when I was young. I hope the team will continue to win, this is a winning team. They win everything.”[44]

Rather than sign a top holding midfield player before the closure of the summer transfer window, Monsieur Wenger has placed enormous personal faith in the returning Mr Diaby to take up Mr Song’s baton, along with Senor Arteta.  For Mr Diaby’s longstanding injury problems continued last season and he made just 5 substitute appearances.  Indeed, he has, even when fit, never consistently demonstrated he has the necessary competences for any midfield role at this level.  At the time of writing, Mr Diaby has made a largely promising start to the new season, not least his performance in the 2 – 0 win at Liverpool, but is again injured (for, it is thought, the relative short term). 

Of the three, Mr Dennilson was the first to become a regularly regular team member – albeit without convincing many observers that he had the necessary competences to fulfil the faith invested in him.  Indeed, he now appears totally surplus to requirements at Arsenal and spent last season back home on loan to Sao Paulo, having criticised the club’s policies upon his departure - and has been loaned out to them again this season.  

They are far from alone in failing their development expectations and / or anticipated loyalty, and Messrs Almunia, Eboue, Traore, Diarra and Vela, amongst others, have now left the club.  Mr Bendtner has also appeared surplus to requirements, but no club appears prepared to pay him the high wages he has enjoyed at Arsenal, and believes his ability deserves, and / or Arsenal the required transfer fee and he has gone on season long loan again for the 2012 - 2013 season (to Juventus, previously to Sunderland). 

Whilst their development expectations and / or club commitment failed to materialise, vital opportunities to bolster the team’s chances of trophy success with battle-hardened players and leaders was lost.  Under pressure of the build-up of critical fixtures in the latter part of successive seasons, and lacking the necessary experience and mentality, season after season, as we will see, the team tended to capitulate before winning nothing. 

Second player recruitment policy – second period of Monsieur Wenger’s reign

Judgements over the competences and value of players signed in the recent season may be premature in some cases.  Foreign players, in particular, sometimes need a season to adjust to the rigors of the English game and judgements may be more likely to be weighed against the signings that have not fulfilled their development but go on to do so.  The following earlier signings offer a clearer picture of the overall success of the second period player recruitment policy – in terms of on the pitch outcomes, not revenue generation or loss. 

In previous seasons, the following signings were made during the second period player recruitment policy:  Messrs Marouane Chamakh, free, Laurent Koscielny, (£9.7m), Sebastien Squillaci, £4m, and Ryo Miyaichi, undisclosed (2010 - 2011 season); Vermalen, £10m, and Campbell, free (2009 - 2010 season); Silvestre, £250k, and Arshavin, £15m (2008 - 2009 season); Nasri, £15.8m, Ramsey, £5m, Diarra, £4m, and Sagna, £6m (2007 - 2008 season); Eduardo, £7.5m, Fabianski, £2m, Dennilson, (£3.4m), Gallas, swap, and Song (£1m) (2006 - 2007 season); Rosicky, £6.8m, Walcott, £9.1m,  Adebeyor, £7m, Diaby, (£2m), Hleb, £11.2m, Traore, £250k, Mannone, £350k, and Bendtner, £250k (2005 - 2006) season.  Other signings which have rarely appeared, such as Amaury Bischoff who made one Premier League substitute appearance (2008 - 2009) before being released, are excluded.  In terms of their consistent performance or otherwise during the entire duration of their contract(s) at the Club (making an allowance for young players’ developmental periods, but not the impact of players’ injuries), these could be grouped into: 

Unqualified successes:  Arteta, Vermaelen, Sagna and Szczesny.

Qualified successes:  Oxlade-Chamberlain, Koscielny, Campbell (re: short-term final contract only), Nasri, Song, Walcott, Adebeyor, Hhleb and Flamini.

Mixed:  Arshavin, Eduardo, Gallas and Rosicky.

Unproven:  Jenkinson, Gervinho, Chamakh, Miyaichi, Ramsey, Fabianski, Diaby and Mannone.

Unsuccessful:  Squillaci, Silvestre, Diarra, Dennilson, Traore, Bendtner, Eboue and Almunia.

This does not compare at all favourably with the first period recruitment policy, which produced the following unqualified great successes alone:  Messrs Van Persie, Lehmann, Fabregas, Gilberto, Toure, Campbell, Pires, Lauren, Henry, Llunberg, Overmars and Petit.  

Part 5 is here , parts 1-3 can be found by clicking on links at bottom of this web page.

References

[41]  http://www.standard.co.uk /sport/football/fury-as-capello-backs-arshavin-8049818.html

[42]  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ sport/football/teams/ arsenal/ 9521285/ Arsenal-prepared-to-give-Andrei-Arshavin-a-free-transfer-in-hope-of-securing-move-to-Dynamo-Moscow.html

[43]  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/ apr/08/alex-song-arsenal-manchester-city

[44]  http://www.standard. co.uk/pasportsfeeds/song-savouring-barcelona-chance-8068956.html