Wenger and Arsenal Football Club
Reviewing the 2007-2008 Season and Previewing the 2008-2009 Season
Following the sale of talismanic striker and captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona, many expected Arsenal’s time in the ‘Big Four’ of English football to end. Henry had been Arsenal’s main scoring hope for much of the time he had been there, and many in football were unsure of Arsenal's ability to compensate for his loss. Emmanuel Adebayor was not reckoned capable of replacing the French star and the signing of Croatian Eduardo assuaged few worries, as concerns over his ability to fit into a different league were aired. Arsenal’s young team had demonstrated their potential in last year’s Carling Cup campaign; would they be able to cope with a full Premiership season? Wenger is renowned for his managerial ability but many thought that he had approached the 2007-2008 season with too inexperienced a squad.
2007-2008 Season
Despite these fears, Arsenal surprised the negative pundits by quickly demonstrating how effective a team they could be without Henry. Rising to the top of the table in spectacular form, Wenger’s team played attractive, attacking, football which earned them the respect of the neutral. Although overly enthusiastic fans claimed that players such as Fabregas and Adebayor would lead the Gunners to the League title, Arsenal were unable to continue their good form. Throughout the season Arsenal’s strength in depth was cruelly exposed on several occasions; they were unable to cope with severe injuries to key players. Despite the great start to the season, Arsenal were unable to maintain their success and slowly but surely dropped ground to United and Chelsea. The February match against Birmingham was seen by many as the beginning of the end, as striker Eduardo was injured and they dropped points to a last minute penalty equaliser. Wenger’s failure to adequately strengthen his team in January is also seen as a factor in Arsenal’s dropping off the pace.
Cesc Fabregas
Of all the players who grew into their potential that season, Fabregas was the greatest. The 20 year-old Spaniard formed a major part of the side’s success in the 2007-2008 season with his passing range creating much of the team’s play. Fabregas proved himself to be a vital cog in the team, even covering some of Henry’s responsibilities by scoring 11 goals in his first 16 games this season. Although the length of the season may have proved too hard for Fabregas, along with the pressure of being a key player at such a young age, he is seen as one of the brightest talents in Europe and the heartbeat of Arsenal’s young team.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Having previously been mocked by opposing fans for his erratic finishing ability, Adebayor was not believed by many to be able to fill Henry’s boots. However, in the past season Adebayor scored 30 goals in all competitions, enough for him to come joint second with Torres in the Premiership Golden Boot. Whilst still not seen as equally skilled as Henry, Adebayor is the greater team player, often playing the lone striker role for others to feed off his knockdowns.
2008-2009 Preview
Wenger has never been a manager willing to spend massive amounts in the transfer window, a fact that may arguably have held Arsenal back over the years. Having only signed three players so far makes the team appear weaker than a year ago due to the departures of Hleb, Flamini, Lehman and Gilberto Silva. The incoming Ramsey and Nasri, although both are talented, will not add the needed experience to Arsenal’s young team. The potential is there, the youngsters from last year are older and wiser, but Arsenal are still lacking in depth. Wenger is the master of developing young talent at a low cost, however he is becoming less and less able to achieve success like this. Whilst his team’s added maturity will make them stronger next year, will it be enough to counter out other clubs’ big money signings? Fabregas and Adebayor are two highlights of his young team and Wenger will need more of them to step up to the mark.
This series continues with Aston Villa
