Arsenal: 4 Reasons Why Arsene Wenger Is Still the Right Man for the Gunners

Thomas HallettCorrespondent IISeptember 20, 2011

Arsenal: 4 Reasons Why Arsene Wenger Is Still the Right Man for the Gunners

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    Arsene Wenger has never known a darker period in all his time at Arsenal, receiving unprecedented questions as to his ability to deliver results for the club. His past successes, however, will stand him in good stead as he battles to prove why he is still the right man to lead Arsenal to title glory once more.

    Wenger has built an incredible infrastructure at the club, one which is envied by the majority of Europe, and because of this he has become the club’s greatest custodian during his 15-year spell in North London.

    He is not without criticism, but there are a number of reasons why Arsenal should hang on to Wenger—a manager whom many will say is still the right man for the job.

Past Trophy Successes

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    Arsene Wenger has become Arsenal’s greatest manager, and in the 15 years at the club he's steered them toward unbelievable and sometimes unexpected achievements.

    His double-winning sides of 1998 and 2002 and The Invincibles of 2004 are testament to Wenger’s managerial ability.

    As Ivan Gazidis suggested today: “He didn't suddenly become a bad manager.” For this, Wenger should be afforded the time to right any wrongs in the Arsenal setup.

    He has successfully created three title-winning squads with his fourth squad, comprising of players brought together under the new “Youth Project” banner, only missing out on title glory due to a series of misfortune and horrific injuries.

    He has done it before, he has experience of winning a title, and he is still comfortably one of the best and most sought-after managers in Europe.

Financial Stability

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    Arsene Wenger has helped the club through one its most stressed transitions, with the move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium no doubt going to affect the club’s movements in the transfer market.

    Wenger, however, has thus far been able to keep the team competitive, adding one or two bodies every season for minimal fees and turning huge profits on want-away players.

    The commercial side to Arsenal has always come into question with the board seeming to make a number of bad choices during the move to the Emirates. The long-term effects were that the club could not compete with the well-thought-out business deals that Manchester United and, more recently Liverpool, have signed.

    But Wenger has been able to keep the club’s spending to a minimum while looking to invest in youth and maintaining the consistent revenue that comes with Champions League qualification.

Ability to Unearth Unknown Talent

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    The Arsenal manager always seems to pride himself on his ability and the club’s worldwide network of scouts to unearth hidden gems and turn potential into superstars.

    The title-winning sides of the early 2000s and his youthful sides of the late 2000s have been built on a foundation of previously unfulfilled talent and ability.

    Freddie Ljungberg, a Swedish international who was still plying his trade in his homeland, tore apart England during an international in 1998 and was subsequently signed by Arsenal on the back of that performance. His fee of £3 million would prove to be one of the best pieces of business Wenger would do as the Swede became an instant success at Arsenal and became integral to the club’s title aspirations.

    Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie all hold similar stories of being picked up when nobody else seemed interested or their talents had not become worldwide knowledge.

    Wenger has been able to bring in stars who are equal to those bought by the heavy spending Real Madrid or Manchester United and allowed them to aid his rise as one of the greatest modern-day managers.

His Reputation to Bring out the Best in Young Players

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    Many young players, especially from those from Wenger’s homeland, have expressed a desire to join the Frenchman’s revolution at Arsenal since the club’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium. Wenger has shown a keen eye for young players who might not have been given the necessary tools to fulfil their potential, and his facilities and training methods are welcoming to those looking to take the next step in their careers.

    It should come as no surprise that some of the world’s leading clubs are placing their future success in the hands of youth. Real Madrid, Manchester United and the current Bundesliga champions, Borussia Dortmund, are centred around incredibly youthful squads.

    But it seems as though Wenger has kick-started the trend, putting faith in a young Cesc Fabregas to lead his post-Henry squad, an until-recently unknown goalkeeper in Wojciech Szczesny to take hold of a persistently problematic position and England sensation Jack Wilshere to be the poster boy for this new phase in Arsenal’s history.

    Young players are drawn to his teaching and they look to him to be given opportunities that may not be afforded them with other managers.

    In a period when UEFA is implementing Financial Fair Play rulings, it’s imperative that the club hold on to Wenger’s reputation as a manager able to bring the best out of its youth.

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