Mark Halfpenny
In Issue 222 of The Gooner Magazine (January 2012) I wrote the following about Arsène Wenger. “It might be some slick media type from Sky or the BBC holding the microphone but the questions are being asked on our behalf and in return for the thousands of pounds it costs to watch my team nowadays, I'd like some honest and straightforward answers”.
My article was in response to his refusal to answer a fair and extremely valid question from a Sky reporter, after we lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage in January. Arsène Wenger has long been evasive and somewhat deceitful towards the media but he plumbed new depths on Saturday, during his post-match press conference at Villa Park. He was asked numerous times to explain why he made certain substitutions, and what he thought of the travelling Arsenal fans singing “You don’t know what you’re doing”.
Rather than explain his thoughts / reasons, he chose instead to tell journalists that, as he had managed football teams for 30 years and they hadn’t, they have no right to ask him such questions. He became increasingly evasive, sarcastic and at points, downright rude. Moreover, as I said above, it may be journalists physically asking the questions but it is supporters that want to hear the answers, so any disrespect towards them is disrespect towards us. (Ed’s note – a video of the press conference is available here – it’s the second one down)
There are probably very few people that relish being interrogated about their decision making but then again, there are very few people that earn vast sums for managing a Premier League club. Arsène – it goes with the territory! Tens of thousands of people pay significant amounts of money to follow Arsenal and we have a right to receive answers to areas of concern. Football clubs are no longer cosy little private ventures; they are now large corporations. As such, the same rules (honesty, transparency, communication) that apply to other large corporations, should apply to large Clubs.
The men within professional football may think themselves above questioning or inspection but they are not. Maybe a couple of decades ago, when following a club was far less expensive, but not now. Not now that ticket prices have risen and risen, to fund their wonderful lifestyles. If football folk are going to receive such high rewards, they simply have to accept our right to question them when things don’t materialise in the way they said it would.
Arsène Wenger’s performance on Saturday evening was painful to watch. He seemed completely at odds with the witty, urbane, sophisticated Frenchman that we saw a few years ago. He appeared angry, tired, stressed and he looked like a man that just doesn’t have any solutions to the problems around him. Events are now controlling him rather than before, when he controlled events.
There is also a golden rule in public life; “Don’t bite the hand that feeds!” Over the years, the media (printed and broadcast) have been very kind to Arsène Wenger. There are numerous journalists that virtually deify him (Barclay / Lawton / Collins / Holt). He has been given credit where credit is due but they have also gone very easy on him for things such as our frequent collapses since 2006; fighting with other managers or trotting out “I did not see it” over and over again.
His open hostility on Saturday, to the media directly and supporters indirectly, could cost him a far higher price than he realised. History shows us that when a high profile manager has departed a club or country, this usually follows the manager losing the majority support of these 3 groups:-
1. The players
2. The supporters
3. The Media
In respect of 1) - Most of our best players have already voted with their feet, leaving behind the ones that wouldn’t get paid as much anywhere else. In respect of 2) – Supporter discontent is growing by the day. In respect of 3) – Arsène Wenger’s petulance on Saturday was ill advised for many reasons but the unforeseen consequence may be a media backlash. They haven’t turned yet but, if and when they do, this will make life very uncomfortable for him. Several hacks are vengeful buggers; remember the treatment given to fine men like Sir Bobby Robson, Brian Clough or Claudio Ranieri? Anyone with a high profile job that isn’t going too well should be fearful of the media because they have the power and the will to make your life very uncomfortable.
And I hope they do make his life uncomfortable because I honestly cannot remember any other manager being so disrespectful to his own supporters. He is a man that has gone unchallenged for far too long. He has become way too powerful, yet that power brings no success, just profits for a group of greedy old men. He should have resigned with dignity some time ago but he clings on, forcing us to watch a slow and painful decline that is a discredit to him, to us and to our Club.
Lastly, for any supporters posting a reply to this article in support of Arsène Wenger, could you please tell us a) How much you personally spend following The Arsenal and b) Why you are happy to spend that money, when we are being treated with open contempt?
