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There could have been more symbolic ways of marking the end of Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign at Arsenal. Burning the coat with the faulty zipper, for instance, or banning broccoli from the Emirates Stadium.
Maybe signing Andy Carroll or inviting Tony Pulis to become their next manager. But in the absence of such extreme measures, Wenger’s successor, Unai Emery – along with head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat, and head of football relations, Raul Sanllehi – nevertheless managed to signal a definitive break with the past.
Arsenal’s summer business is notable for the addition of four major defensive-minded players, plus the young French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, but nobody notable in attack.
The club of George Graham’s famous back four can be defined by quartets. Now Emery has a new four, a group to sum up the new Arsenal: goalkeeper Bernd Leno, right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos and defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira.
Lichtsteiner will probably understudy Hector Bellerin. There is a possibility Leno will begin on the bench, too, though there is little doubt he is recruited to replace Petr Cech. Papastathopoulos is an unashamedly pragmatic signing, a stopper bought at 30 years old rather than a futuristic punt like Rob Holding or Calum Chambers.
Most symbolically, Torreira is the first proper defensive midfielder to arrive as an immediate first-team option since Mathieu Flamini rejoined the club in 2013, and the first to command a fee since Lassana Diarra in 2007. (Granit Xhaka, who described himself as a “fake 10,” and the deep-lying playmaker, Mikel Arteta, represented more constructive players than the destructive Uruguay international.)
If the immediate intent was to remedy weaknesses, it also highlighted a radical shift in policy. Over those 22 years, Wenger never made four major defensive signings in a single summer. On the few occasions there were three they tended to include a youngster, such as Carl Jenkinson in 2011 or Chambers three years later. Sometimes there was the sense that Wenger rewarded himself for the dull duties of acquiring defenders by bringing in someone more exciting: Alexis Sanchez came along with Chambers in 2014 and Gervinho with Jenkinson three years earlier.
Emery’s approach has been altogether more austere. Arsenal have indulged themselves to get attackers in recent windows but this year’s shift in tack has both reflected the shortcomings in the side and an unsentimental rationalism. If there were times Wenger could seem obstinately illogical when refusing to sign a goalkeeper, centre-back or defensive midfielder, Emery has acquired all before playing a single competitive game.
The prices are altogether lower but the policy may have been borrowed from Sunday’s opponents. Pep Guardiola’s influence could be rubbing off. Manchester City bought a goalkeeper and three full-backs last summer followed by a centre-back, Aymeric Laporte, in January. Defence proved the best way of attacking a season.—ESPNFC.
Online Reporter