A lot of the criticism levelled at Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board over recent times has been for their lack of ambition or skill in taking the club into its next era. From the outside looking in it seems Wenger has always controlled most things, if not them all, as manager of the club and whether this is right or wrong, everybody needs to delegate now and again and it’s a sign of a good manager too.
There have been calls for quite a while for the club to appoint a director of football or a sporting director to work with Wenger to relieve some of the pressure and to help move the club forward. One name linked previously has now been mentioned once again; but this time it’s rumoured that a deal is in place for him to join the club at the start of next season, I say join, it’s probably more accurate to say return. The man in question is former Gunners winger Marc Overmars.
The 44 year old has been director of football at another one of his former clubs, Ajax, for the last five years and it’s been said he will head to the Emirates to assist Arsene Wenger in the day to day running of the club as a sort of right hand man. According to a Sportingbet spokesman, Wenger previously worked closely with David Dein the former Arsenal vice-chairman and Overmars is set to operate in a similar way. The fact that the Dutchman has plenty of experience in the role will be crucial and he already has an affinity with the club and knows Wenger after playing under him for three years.
It’s also been said that Wenger will leave the club at the end of his current deal and having Overmars in place from next season would allow him the chance to oversee the change, assisting with finding a suitable replacement and then going on to help him get settled in. For many it’s seen as a necessity as they feel Arsenal just aren’t prepared to take the next step with Wenger seemingly having a firm grip on most areas of the club but with Overmars looking likely to be joining The Gunners, it provides a whole new outlook, one that has been lacking for a number of years.
Wenger has always dismissed ideas of a director of football being appointed, insisting that he had full control of the happenings on the technical front but surely he will know that next season is likely to be his last at the club and that he can’t micromanage everything in terms of overseeing on the pitch matters and helping the club find a suitable replacement for him as manager. It’s going to be a huge transitional period for Arsenal and we saw what happened at Manchester United so it’s important that they get the right men involved ready to move the club into the post Wenger era.
I doubt Overmars will do us any good. Why I hear you asking, Because Wenger is an impediment. Bringing these former players is tricks to fool fans the same way Jens Lehmann is as good as absent.
We notice the anti brigades don’t comment here on articles like this.
Arsene has a life history of forward planning. Yet the anties claim that he and the club don’t plan ahead!
I think it was Caxton back in the year dot who translated from the Latin Bible and gave the language ”the light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeh it not’ (For comprehendeth read understand). And so it is.
As you so rightly point out Arsene is not going to leave Arsenal in the same disarray that Macrednose left his ”beloved manure” in.
With reference to yet more international matches.
No one mentioned the fact that by demanding club players for yet longer periods of time Fifa and uafa run the risk that the fat the fact football clubs of the champions league Madrid (not a typo) and alike will decided to break from uafa and refuse to send players to national matches. Then what will happen to all these international games?
I don’t know who the author of this article is but I have a few questions who ever you are.
Firstly though I must say, from reading what you say, I cant actually tell if you agree with what you are saying, or you are just citing what you think others are saying.
Anyway, until you say otherwise I will assume that when you say ‘there have been calls…..’ etc. that that includes from you.
Therefore, for now I will assume you say:
“There have been calls for quite a while for the club to appoint a director of football or a sporting director”
Has there? From who exactly? The WOB? As I asked, from you? I certainly haven’t got that impression from this blog before.
“……and to help move the club forward”
“For many it’s seen as a necessity as they feel Arsenal just aren’t prepared to take the next step with Wenger seemingly having a firm grip on most areas of the club”
What exactly do you mean by those 2 statements?
“…take the Club forward”. “….the next step” ??
I’m guessing you mean pump 100’s of Millions of pounds in to the Club, because as far as I can see the only thing between Wenger and winning more trophies, including Championships, has been the amount of cash he’s had available for transfers, compared to the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City.
As far as I know it’s hardly Wengers ‘grip on the Club’ that resulted in that but rather a decision made by the Club some 15 years ago, that we should be self sustaining.
A position this blog seemed to me to heartedly agreed with until very recently, where some seem to of changed there opinion. I have not.
“it’s important that they get the right men involved ready to move the club into the post Wenger era.”
Now that I do agree with.
But is that a ‘director of football’ ? I don’t think it is, is it?
All it takes is for Wenger and the board to talk about suitable replacements, approach them through the proper channels, and appoint them at the appropriate time.
Very odd article if you ask me, or maybe I’ve missed something.
Given that Arsenal have stated there is no truth in the Overmars rumours this article would appear to be a complete waste of time for whoever wrote it and for those of us who read it.
Total Bullshit and of course anonymous…..sounds like a LeGrovel afficianado wrote this shite article.
As I have stated before , how very quaint . The pupil comes back to educate the master . No disrespect to Overmars , but I don’t think its his time now.
If there is truly someone of such a higher stature, more experienced and of unblemished profile in football than AW himself , then I would probably ,just probably and very reluctantly say, ” Go for it .”
But is there truly such a person in football ? I don’t see one myself. Anyone?
That being said , our next managerial appointment/s could have such a pairing and a division of duties from the start .
And that does not worry me as I see AW still being around for another 10 years or so !
With the position being vacated by Dick Law, DOF (or whatever they care to call it) is a requirement, and with nobody else in the frame (Marwood, Veiera, Wenger himself) Overmars is being touted. Personally I think he would be OK, but not in tandem with Wenger, who’s leaving soon anyway.
If this is a valid story, then it’s Arsenal looking beyond the next season or two.
Who wrote this entry ?
And where are the facts ?
Is the author a mind reader ? “but surely he will know that next season is likely to be his last at the club”
I would be surprised to see this given wengers aversion to that role, but we shall see.
When Wenger has gone, or going, we will probably need someone in that role, Wenger does so much and won’t be easily replaced, but I would be very surprised if it happened this summer, i suspect there is a fair bit more life in Wenger yet.
But, they may need someone to replace Dick Law on transfers and contracts, let’s face it, there is work to be done in the short and medium term on this from what I have read the new guy is in a more junior role.