Arsene Wenger, in a long-ranging interview across various media outlets today, has spoken about how he won’t turn his back on the club’s tradition of developing first-team talent from within.
The Gunners have a long history of bringing through players from the the youth system, and despite the fact there’s more money at his disposal than ever, he’ll continue to try and do that.
However, the Arsenal manager says that won’t stop him spending money on ‘exceptional’ players to boost the squad, as well as reaping the benefits of increased stability as the club are no longer forced to sell their best players due to lack of competitiveness.
“We want to continue to combine stronger financial resources with faith in our philosophy and policy,” he said.
“That means giving chances to young players and building from inside our club with our culture. After, if we can buy the exceptional players, we can compete today. But that will not be the basis of our policy.
“Most of the clubs who have been successful are clubs who have done that well. You can take Barcelona or Manchester United, who had a generation and built their success on players who came from within.
“These are our values and it is our DNA and it’s important we keep that.”
And on the shifting sands of the transfer market, and the way the club operates in it, he said, “We have reduced the gap and I believe we are ready to go further.
“We now have the stability that gives us strength. Before I was more exposed to ‘Who will go?’ and now the question I get more is ‘Who will come?’
“The transfer market is not over. We can still buy but I don’t think we will sell. Our potential on the market has changed.”
It remains to be seen what further moves the Gunners will make in this transfer window, with Petr Cech the only purchase so far. However, Wenger is on record saying they’re open to doing more, so let’s see what happens.
When he goes I’ll cry buckets
One Arsene Wenger
#1AW
#AWsome
Interesting that he also pointed out that Man U are buying and buying at the moment, so not bringing players up through the ranks much (they got rid of Cleverley for example).
In effect Man U are the new Spurs or Liverpool – buy lots of players, have problems integrating them and then sell them off as failures, losing money. And with CL football (plus qualifying matches) this season things will be harder still for Man U.
Much prefer our way of doing things.
Absolutely. But I think the ManU that he refers to ‘was’ Sir Alex’s Man U. It is a bit sad to see such a club spiralling down from the top.
It’s the exact opposite. I can’t stop giggling.
And long may it continue.
Leaving Chelsea as our only realistic rivals this season and they’re not going to be as incentivised as they were last year. While the opposite is true for us.
Man City is still strong. Chelsea will still be strong, saying that they will be less ‘incentivized’ is largely going to be unlikely with that colossal prick riding them with his ridiculous persona. Everton is probably going to be more of a contender for the top four as their team matures and grows accustomed to Roberto Martinez. Man U are on a buying spree, but their signings are not like the useless lumps that Spurs finds in shitholes – you can expect them to probably finish in top four if they manage to gel by Boxing Day, a very possible… Read more »
Cleverley isn’t really an example.
Welbeck.
Much better 🙂
If you want a laugh head to http://www.retrounited.com/the-truth-that-exposes-wengers-hypocritical-dna-rant/
If you think some posters on here are illogical then have a look at what this Man U poster is saying. Plus the comments pointing out the logical flaws.
Apart from scoring against them in the FA cup, Welbeck hasn’t really done anything to make manure regret selling him.
So far, he has proved that van gaal and most united fans were right about him – he doesn’t score enough.
I agree he doesn’t score enough but I wouldn’t write him off just yet. He’s been constantly injured, so his stop-start time with us can’t have been easy. The problem, however, is that he wants to play centrally, like everyone else, and I can’t see him getting the run of games in that position that he’d need to make it his own. (At least I hope I can’t because, if he were to, it would mean we haven’t bought Benzema and have returned to our pre-Shad injury days.) I see there’s a rumour in the Turkish media that one of… Read more »
He was playing well before the injury, which seems to be slow to heal. I like his pace and willingness to press up top.
I’m certain they are working on his finishing. Judge him more off of year two, versus first year.
I like Welbeck and I think he has potential, but how much playing time will he get in the central position if we buy a new central striker? He needs to play regularly if he’s to improve and not suffer a loss of confidence. That was my point.
Welbeck certainly has potential, without a doubt. I’ve always said he’s the closest we have to a “complete striker”, he just lacks the most important aspect.
We can’t rely on him and giroud to win us the league. its the truth.
Wonder if Bayern are open to selling Javi Martinez now that they’ve got Vidal
Pep likes to use him as a cb in the same way he played mascherano there
I really want him too but I doubt it due to price.
Also, signing Vidal (a CM/AM) does not increase the probability of Martinez (DC/DM) leaving.
Been thinking the same. If only we got him when he was at bilbao.
I’d be very surprised if DM doesn’t come in by the end of the window. Strikers we’ve got covered (Giroud, Danny and Walcott). It’s (*warning: terrible pun follows) Coq cover we need.
If it happens, it happens.
Is sanchez back???
Old kit. I had my hopes up too 🙁
This makes much more sense. The other side of this new philosophy is getting rid of sub par players (dead wood) and players with questionable personality like szcz.
Onwards and upwards!
Things would have been so much easier on FIFA. Let’s just say I have won 10 consecutive titles. 6 if them invincibles
Though if you didn’t have many FIFA coins to purchase players but several teams had more, with some having lots more? Would you have won so many titles?
Arsenal with the stadium, that is…
No need to get so serious
Lol.
“I don’t have any horses”
Fuckin Classic Arsene Wenger!
Arsene is a dark horse,that’s for sure.
That has to be the modus operandi of a well run football club.
Now more than ever before the lads need to up their concentration and focus on the next game. Let them deliver the best result in every game we play then at the end of the season we can look at the league standings.
The latest rumor although it seems impossible is linking us to robert lewandowski. we can dream right. If some how wenger manages to pull a deal like this off I am pretty sure we would win the league. He is the most complete striker who has every thing from hold up play, link up play, running in behind defences and to top it off clinical in front of goal. he is probably one of the top four strikers around who are above every one else. ibra, aguero, suarez and him.
If Arsene did have a horse I rekon it would be “Champion the Wonder Horse” – (once he’d built him new stables that is) 🙂
Sorry I hit the thumbs down instead of thumbs up…fat thumbs
Thank God for that, it was one of my best! 🙂
Am just happy at the direction d club is heading….. There is certainly a trophy waiting for us at the end of the season….that is not the case few years ago…… exciting moments to be a gunner. may it last forever.
#thereisonlyonewenger
I think having a balance of young developed players coming through the ranks and spending big on quality players is the key success and I think we are one big signing away from having the perfect balance of the two.
“You have to have a good assessment of who you are and you are not influenced too much by what people say about you. One side is sometimes too positive and the other is sometimes too negative”
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150722/wenger-i-m-more-committed-than-ever#gHtGoqLV2tQUrVAO.99
So true
Bipolar emotions from fans
Certainly there is a trophy for us this season. This is for sure.1AW
Barclays Asia Trophy, Emirates Cup, Community Shield, League Cup, League Championship, FA Cup, Champions League … our first of many septuples.
Actually, following the first year, they’ll be octuples, because we’ll win the World Club Championship every December.
one day everyone will be in AWE of AW………
Most people already are.
Wenger has the right idea to continue to develop from within and give youth a chance and reap the rewards like with Bellerin and Coquelin last year, but he seems to realize that his youth policy needs to be coupled with those top level purchases in key areas (like he did with Ozil and Sanchez along with Cech this year). If he can go with a top level striker and a quality, but maybe younger DM such as the guy from Barcelona this window he will be a master. You look at the money thrown at players by other clubs… Read more »
Not completely true. Allready in 2011 we had reportedly 120€ million in cash reserves just sitting there. and our finances have been more than solid enough to compete since 2009. The clubs 5 year plan to fund the stadium was for Wenger to qualify for the Champions League 3 out of those 5 seasons but he has qualified every single season since plus we have sold our best players on top of that. And we knew new sponsorship deals was right around the bend and that we would come into alot of money through that. So if the club wanted… Read more »
Since Wenger, we have never been a club that spends top money for top players. We have always developed our own. Early on during Wenger’s early successes, Wenger brought in Viera, Henry, Pires Llungberg etc. Most of them were either unknown, had something to prove or had thus far flattered to deceive. All of them (until Arsharvin) were below 15m. Consider how much our arch rivals in 2003 spent on Rio Ferdinand. 20m quid. Wenger has bought his fair share of duds but he has minimised impact to the club bc he generally spends low (an sells high). This help… Read more »