I have been debating this point with fellow Gunners fans as well as non-Gunners fans.
Is Arsene Wenger a manager or a leader?
It is just over 10 years since he arrived at Highbury (the old Arsenal home of football) and over this period he has overseen the transition of Arsenal from an average club to arguably the best footballing club in the world. (Yes! you better believe it is)
Interestingly, in the season just before he arrived -1994/95- Arsenal finished 12th in the league. But from that point to the present, the club has not finished outside the top 5, needless to say, two seasons after Wenger's arrival in 1997/98 Arsenal won the title.
But there is something about his management style that is not archetypal of other football managers. It cannot be denied that Wenger is a footballing man, he obviously knows the game. They do not call him the professor for nothing.
But I have never heard of a manager who actually tries to maximize the potential of his assets [players in this case] by employing them in the most efficient manner possible. No manager in the league at the moment has proved more successful in the buying and selling of players making the club a handsome return too. Wenger is the only manager who actually talks about the financial constraints beset upon him not in a whining manner but in a strategic view. He conducts his business in a shrewd manner and is well recognized and acknowledged in the footballing world for finding talented players at a fraction of the market price and turning them round for a profit. Only on the rare occasion do we hear of Wenger making a bad investment that will not provide a return on initial investment.
Arsene has the vision
It is rumored that he was consulted by the designers and builders of the new football stadium- Ashburton Grove - on various aspects including the showers and baths in the changing room showers. Most clubs exist in a tense environment of conflict between the Board, Chairman and the manager. The vision of most of this clubs come from the board via the manager and if the manager does not manifest this image then he is out. Case in point is Real Madrid , Chelsea fc and a few of the Italian clubs.
At Arsenal, the board seem very content to let Arsene set out the vision for the club and is empowered to speak on behalf of the club. Obviously a great paradox emerges here, because Wenger then becomes bigger than the board. To disagree with Wenger in the public domain will not go down favorably with the fan base.
I will not be surprised if it was claimed that Wenger has involvement in the advertising and sponsorship deals done at the club.
Only room for one
Another thing that is of interest is the fact that his number two, Pat Rice, does not seem to have the ability to challenge Wenger on any of his decisions.
A lot of the existing football managers tend to be man managers and are involved in their day to day management, but Wenger seems to be somewhat removed from this set up. By this I mean, not that he is not actively involved, no. It is more a case of he, Wenger, will prefer to lay out what sort of style of football he would like at the club and if a player does not suit this style then he is out the door.
To get rid of Wenger would create uncertainty within the club and almost certainly result in the departure of a number of players. The players play for the club, the shirt and the fans, and Wenger is the man who decides how the play.
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