It could be that I'm completely wrong
about this, and that time and circumstances may prove that, but I'm
quite comfortable with the idea that Arsenal don't need to rush to
purchase a player in January that will “push them over the line”
where a league title is concerned.
Before I continue, I think I should
restate that the only trophy that matters for any football club is
the league. The league is not a knockout, one-off, happenstance
trophy that can be affected by the outcome of one match, one puff of
wind, one injury, one two-point deduction for a brawl, or really any
one factor. It's not to say that a combination of a dozen of those
type things won't make the difference between an open top bus parade
and abject failure, but to be fair if a dozen of those things happen
to your club in one season, you may want to revisit the idea that you
were championship material at all.
The league championship is the only one
that matters because it is the ultimate measure of a squad's ability to
be better than every other club. As much as I enjoy (and agonise)
over the other competitions, the long slog of a league season is the
one that defines every Arsenal season for me.
So now, Arsenal have passed more than
half a season's worth of matches and as of this moment find
themselves in the Champion's seat, amassing more points than any
other English or Welsh club (big ups, Wales!) in the top division.
“We can win it!” we say, with conviction, for the first time in a
decade. It's the ultimate honour, the only way to truly cover one's
club in glory, a 38-match contest that revealed character and
willingness more than any other traits.
There was a strength in desire among
Wenger's first decade of clubs. From “the legendary back five”
and Ian Wright and Manu Petit and Marc Overmars, to players like Big
Sol and Lauren and Bob and Freddie and Gilberto, there was never a
question that those players didn't want to win the league more than
anything. There was a commitment in every match, or so it seems, and
there was a joy in lifting that league trophy (mostly because it
meant that MUFC had been bested) that bore testament to just how
difficult and how precious a prize it was and is.
So why wouldn't I want Arsenal to
mortgage the future for that glory now that they sit in the most
advantageous position with less than half a season remaining?
Isn't it worth a gamble to reward a
player like Sagna, you say? “You heartless bastard, why deprive
him of the glory?” Or perhaps, “Isn't it worth it to blood
players like Wilshere who will now understand what it means to lift
the trophy in an Arsenal shirt?”
To those questions, which could be
phrased in many different ways and use so many different names, I can
only say that while I'm sure the Portsmouth supporters enjoyed their
day in the sun, do they really think that the gamble of a glorious FA
Cup run was worth the near extinction of their club? I suppose at my
core this my problem, that I'm far more post-war English than
post-modern Yank. What is my feeling about gambling the future on the
present? No. No thank you, sir. Consolidate. Retrench. Hold fast.
Prepare for rainy days, for shortages, for the worst that can happen.
If we say that Arsenal must go mental
over the next 3 weeks and spend a large sum on that special player
that will indeed drag them over the line, we're saying that we see
this as an opportunity that may not soon present itself again. I
simply do not believe that. I don't believe that Arsenal face a
future bereft of opportunities. I don't believe that 30 million quid
spent today means insurance against another 8 years of seasons devoid
of honours.
As I see it, as I've weighed all the
evidence, this season is not the culmination nor the fleeting
glimpse. This season is the beginning. Everything that has happened
up to this point since the Invincibles season was a separate chapter
in the club's history. This season is year one. You don't panic in
year one. You don't terrorise yourself with thoughts that if you
don't run wild and spend a massive amount of cash, you'll be forever
locked into a “negative spiral” that you can't escape.
Nacho Monreal brought absolutely no
glamour to the club last winter, but it can't be denied that his
long-term value will exceed the price that was paid for his services.
Cover? Perhaps. I see him more as a necessity to a club that now
refuses to field a side that can be embarrassed. You can't win
ANYTHING without players like Nacho in your side.
So what am I advocating if I'm not
saying that Arsenal should splurge on a bank-breaking forward that
can ignite a glorious goal-scoring binge which brings a trophy?
Spend 20 million pounds on 2 players
that can offer you a Nacho-esque contribution over more than one
season, if you must. A center back who wants to play for your club, a
forward or winger who would thrill at the prospect of 4 good years at
one of the best clubs in the world. Or don't—actually, I don't
care. I trust the squad as it is to be at or near the top of the
league in May.
You may question this with as much
speculation and probability as you can, but all I can do is answer
you with “I suppose that's possible.” Every club faces that sort
of tension (save Manchester City, one would guess). Someone may get
hurt, someone may lose interest, a referee may go all Mike Riley on
us, but those are simply the sort of things that happen during a long
season. (If you don't recall why I cite Mike Riley, go to the youtube
and search “Mike Riley Arsenal” and you'll see.)
The reality is that circumstances have
conspired against the “big January transfer window signing”
scenario that so many Arsenal supporters want. World Cup, foreign
league table positions, release clauses, agents...it goes on and on.
Arsenal would be better to seek depth and support than the big name
splash, for the simple reason that depth and support are more likely
and will be needed over the run in.
I'm NOT advocating that Arsenal “keep
the powder dry,” please. That should never be a consideration. I'm
only saying that Arsenal need to evaluate the current squad with
honesty and plan accordingly. There is money needed to resign some
players, to extend some players, and to ward off the poaching of
clubs with more financial muscle.
Don't worry. Don't panic. Don't feel
that if Arsenal fail to win the league this season, that it will
never happen again. That's how I would deal with this existential
moment.