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Spanish Debate: Could Arsene Wenger Succeed At Real Madrid?
Subhankar Mondal asks whether or not Arsene Wenger would be regarded as a success or a failure should he arrive at the Bernabeu...
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Jan 6, 2009 2:04:07 PM
It's like the fancy bike you never had because your dad didn't approve of it, the classmate you could never ask out because she was always with someone else, the dance party you were never invited to because you didn't belong there.
But nothing deterred you from pondering what would it feel like to ride that bike across the city, to carry on conducting imaginary conversations in your head with your crush, to vainly wait for the postman to deliver the party invitation.
Arsene Wenger is not switching over to Real Madrid anytime soon and possibly never would. But that shouldn't really stop one from contemplating whether the French professor can be successful at what is arguably the biggest football club in the world.
Wenger The God
First off, Wenger is a God at Arsenal. He is the club's most successful manager in terms of trophies won and the longest serving too in regards to number of matches played. Wenger is perhaps the most significant factor for the Gunners in establishing themselves among the best team in the Premier League and in Europe in spite of not commanding the services of the world's best players.
When Wenger arrived in 1996, he was a sort of alien, having coached AS Nancy-Lorraine and AS Monaco in France and was drafted in directly after an 18-month stint in Japan.
Like Michelangelo painstakingly painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Arsene Wenger has meticulously constructed an Arsenal team that everyone enjoys so very much today. Gifted with a deep thinking professor-like demeanor, Wenger quickly managed to convince his detractors and started winning honours and titles.
In his second season in charge, Wenger led Arsenal to the domestic League and Cup double, winning the Premier League title with two matches to spare after overcoming a 12-point deficit. Of course, the Arsenal board helped him and sustained faith in him but it wouldn't be too wrong to say that most of the transformation that Arsenal have gone since Wenger's arrival at Highbury owes to his labour and vision.
Even when Arsenal have been erratic this season, shipping in goals they should never have and missing chances they should have taken, they have maintained that philosophy of playing entertainingly attacking football.
Sharp Contrast At Madrid
At Real Madrid things would be quite, rather immensely, different. Wenger at Arsenal is a 'manager'; at Real Madrid he would be a 'coach'. Wenger controls the transfer dealings at the Emirates and also oversees the excellent youth programme that the Gunners have. The Frenchman is in fact in charge of the whole club, diligently playing an instrumental role in the running of all operations.
In Spain, the concept of a 'club manager' doesn't exist. In the Spanish top flight, it is the clubs' sporting directors, presidents and directors of football who conduct transfer dealings.
At Real Madrid, things might still be slightly flexible in such matters but in any case, Wenger would not be given the licence to construct his own team as he does at Arsenal. He would actually be given the pieces and asked to solve the puzzle, even when a number of them would never fit.
Wenger epitomises the concept of playing pretty football, something los Blancos have aspired to do but failed to accomplish since the Galacticos era. Fantasy football is almost guaranteed under Wenger and would be hugely appreciated by the Bernabeu faithful, especially after Fabio Capello's 'hardman' approach and Bernd Schuster's dimly adventurous style.
The Pressure
But if Real Madrid supporters lack anything, then it is patience. Los Merengues are the most successful club in Europe with 31 Spanish league titles and nine European Cups - although the last of those European trophies arrived during Zinedine Zidane's first season with the club - and the Madridistas feel that it is their divine right to win everything every season.
Although he has not won anything for three years at Arsenal (but did take them to within 15 minutes of a European Cup triumph in 2006), Arsene Wenger is still trusted by the club and the supporters, something that would be near impossible at a club like Real Madrid, where coaches are sacked within 24 hours of winning the league.
Players - Young And Established
In recent years however, Real Madrid under president Ramon Caderon and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic have made it a policy to feature young players in their squad. Fernando Gago is 22, Gonzalo Huguain is 21, Marcelo is 20, Royston Drenthe is 21, Miguel Torres is 22 and so is Sergio Ramos. Even key men Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are both 24 years of age!
Which is quite a healthy prospect and something that would maintain the Arsenal touch at the Bernabeu for Wenger, who would have some young blood to work with.
Not that the Frenchman cannot work with 'established' world-class performers. True, Wenger has shown more promise in creating world-class players rather than in just buying them but he has previously worked with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry, all of whom reached their peak under him, although admittedly he, like Sir Alex Ferguson, has 'ego problem'.
When Wenger realised that things weren't working out well with Vieira, he decided to let him go and even dropped Henry when his form dipped to the south and attitude shot up to the north.
Favouritism
Here again, things work differently for Madrid and in Spain. In 2004, Mariano Garcia Ramon dared to drop Ronaldo and inside days he was sacked by Florentino Perez. In 2007-2008 Mijatovic complained that the dressing room smelt of booze because of Robinho and although Bernd Schuster supported him, in 2008 summer the Brazilian was shipped to Manchester City.
Just imagine what would occur if, Wenger, given that he fields committed and on-form players and likes to stay in control of the situation, drops Raul for a game or two! No coach in the last four or five years has dared to bench Madrid's angel Raul and if Wenger did, then you can rest assured that all the Raulistas would bang their hammers on Wenger's head and wave the white hankies over it.
Can He Or Can't He?
But Wenger is a great man manager and that is something that is of huge importance among big name personalities. The Frenchman is a unique reader of the mind and knows how to bring out the best in everyone.
Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in Europe and he certainly possesses the pedigree to coach a club of the esteem of Real Madrid. But if anything, then it is certainly going to be a whole lot tougher for Arsene Wenger to succeed at the Bernabeu.
Can Arsene Wenger coach Real Madrid, if he wants to that is? He certainly possesses the required track required and class - but does he have the flexibility?
Subhankar Mondal
But nothing deterred you from pondering what would it feel like to ride that bike across the city, to carry on conducting imaginary conversations in your head with your crush, to vainly wait for the postman to deliver the party invitation.
Arsene Wenger is not switching over to Real Madrid anytime soon and possibly never would. But that shouldn't really stop one from contemplating whether the French professor can be successful at what is arguably the biggest football club in the world.
Wenger The God
First off, Wenger is a God at Arsenal. He is the club's most successful manager in terms of trophies won and the longest serving too in regards to number of matches played. Wenger is perhaps the most significant factor for the Gunners in establishing themselves among the best team in the Premier League and in Europe in spite of not commanding the services of the world's best players.
When Wenger arrived in 1996, he was a sort of alien, having coached AS Nancy-Lorraine and AS Monaco in France and was drafted in directly after an 18-month stint in Japan.
Like Michelangelo painstakingly painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Arsene Wenger has meticulously constructed an Arsenal team that everyone enjoys so very much today. Gifted with a deep thinking professor-like demeanor, Wenger quickly managed to convince his detractors and started winning honours and titles.
In his second season in charge, Wenger led Arsenal to the domestic League and Cup double, winning the Premier League title with two matches to spare after overcoming a 12-point deficit. Of course, the Arsenal board helped him and sustained faith in him but it wouldn't be too wrong to say that most of the transformation that Arsenal have gone since Wenger's arrival at Highbury owes to his labour and vision.
Even when Arsenal have been erratic this season, shipping in goals they should never have and missing chances they should have taken, they have maintained that philosophy of playing entertainingly attacking football.
Sharp Contrast At Madrid
At Real Madrid things would be quite, rather immensely, different. Wenger at Arsenal is a 'manager'; at Real Madrid he would be a 'coach'. Wenger controls the transfer dealings at the Emirates and also oversees the excellent youth programme that the Gunners have. The Frenchman is in fact in charge of the whole club, diligently playing an instrumental role in the running of all operations.
In Spain, the concept of a 'club manager' doesn't exist. In the Spanish top flight, it is the clubs' sporting directors, presidents and directors of football who conduct transfer dealings.
At Real Madrid, things might still be slightly flexible in such matters but in any case, Wenger would not be given the licence to construct his own team as he does at Arsenal. He would actually be given the pieces and asked to solve the puzzle, even when a number of them would never fit.
Wenger epitomises the concept of playing pretty football, something los Blancos have aspired to do but failed to accomplish since the Galacticos era. Fantasy football is almost guaranteed under Wenger and would be hugely appreciated by the Bernabeu faithful, especially after Fabio Capello's 'hardman' approach and Bernd Schuster's dimly adventurous style.
The Pressure
But if Real Madrid supporters lack anything, then it is patience. Los Merengues are the most successful club in Europe with 31 Spanish league titles and nine European Cups - although the last of those European trophies arrived during Zinedine Zidane's first season with the club - and the Madridistas feel that it is their divine right to win everything every season.
Although he has not won anything for three years at Arsenal (but did take them to within 15 minutes of a European Cup triumph in 2006), Arsene Wenger is still trusted by the club and the supporters, something that would be near impossible at a club like Real Madrid, where coaches are sacked within 24 hours of winning the league.
Players - Young And Established
In recent years however, Real Madrid under president Ramon Caderon and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic have made it a policy to feature young players in their squad. Fernando Gago is 22, Gonzalo Huguain is 21, Marcelo is 20, Royston Drenthe is 21, Miguel Torres is 22 and so is Sergio Ramos. Even key men Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are both 24 years of age!
Which is quite a healthy prospect and something that would maintain the Arsenal touch at the Bernabeu for Wenger, who would have some young blood to work with.
Not that the Frenchman cannot work with 'established' world-class performers. True, Wenger has shown more promise in creating world-class players rather than in just buying them but he has previously worked with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry, all of whom reached their peak under him, although admittedly he, like Sir Alex Ferguson, has 'ego problem'.
When Wenger realised that things weren't working out well with Vieira, he decided to let him go and even dropped Henry when his form dipped to the south and attitude shot up to the north.
Favouritism
Here again, things work differently for Madrid and in Spain. In 2004, Mariano Garcia Ramon dared to drop Ronaldo and inside days he was sacked by Florentino Perez. In 2007-2008 Mijatovic complained that the dressing room smelt of booze because of Robinho and although Bernd Schuster supported him, in 2008 summer the Brazilian was shipped to Manchester City.
Just imagine what would occur if, Wenger, given that he fields committed and on-form players and likes to stay in control of the situation, drops Raul for a game or two! No coach in the last four or five years has dared to bench Madrid's angel Raul and if Wenger did, then you can rest assured that all the Raulistas would bang their hammers on Wenger's head and wave the white hankies over it.
Can He Or Can't He?
But Wenger is a great man manager and that is something that is of huge importance among big name personalities. The Frenchman is a unique reader of the mind and knows how to bring out the best in everyone.
Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in Europe and he certainly possesses the pedigree to coach a club of the esteem of Real Madrid. But if anything, then it is certainly going to be a whole lot tougher for Arsene Wenger to succeed at the Bernabeu.
Can Arsene Wenger coach Real Madrid, if he wants to that is? He certainly possesses the required track required and class - but does he have the flexibility?
Subhankar Mondal
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|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
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