When the Arsenal management declared its desire to build a new state of the art stadium more than ten years back from now, everyone associated with the club was well aware that Arsenal football club was about to enter one of its most difficult periods.
However luckily in Arsene Wenger the North London club has an irreplaceable asset who has done a commendable job despite all the pressure he has been under. Building a new stadium inevitably meant that the club was put under a lot of financial stress as a result of which Arsenal’s participation in the transfer market remained relatively restricted for several years.
Wenger however is a visionary, the Frenchman had already foreseen problems the club might be facing in the recent future and to relieve the pressure had secured signature of some of the most promising young talents. This included the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Wojciech Szczesny, Abou Diaby Gael Clichy and many others who went on to make a name for themselves at the club. Many of these players were bought for almost nothing and sold for notable sums which were used to relieve much of the financial distress.
Arsenal chose to tackle the situation responsibly and Wenger respected the club’s policy despite a very strong inclination to spend big as the likes of Manchester United, Man City and Chelsea showed the world just how deep their cash vaults are.
With the passage of time the club started making decent level of profits and as things stand now the stadium debt is nearly wiped off and Arsenal no longer have any financial woes. Arsene Wenger who in the past had to wait till the final days of the transfer window to seek bargain signings will no longer have his activity in the transfer market hampered due to monetary reasons.
Club's decision to build a new stadium finally paying off
His farsightedness has ensured that the club makes a significant amount of money every season which it can spend on transfers, as a result Arsenal do not have to depend on an oil rich owner who can fund the club a practice which has been adopted by several other successful clubs in the country.
Ozil's arrival signaled an end to Arsenal's financial worries
Arsenal’s signature of Mesut Ozil for a club record fee last season was a real signal of intent that the Gunners are once again out to challenge for major honors and their aspirations to succeed will no longer be impeded by financial difficulties. They made their performances on the pitch do the talking as they challenged for the league title for a fairly long time but ultimately conceded defeat. Nonetheless last season was clearly a memorable one for the club as they finally ended their nine year trophy drought defeating Hull City to clinch the FA Cup title.
However despite ending the season on a strong note there were some disappointing events down the road which need to be addressed before the new season begins. Arsenal’s slump from first to the fourth place in the league table in particular was worrying. The Gunners remained at the league summit for the longest period but ultimately finished at fourth place and came very close to losing the final Champions League spot to Everton.
Even though the defence remained resilient for the majority of the campaign, the team had to endure several disappointing outings. Arsenal were outclassed during their visits to the Etihad, Stamford Bridge and Anfield as the top three sides in England gave them a good reason to re-analyze themselves. The Gunners were given a beating by the Citizens as they were at the receiving end of a 6-3 mauling. Arsene’s men also conceded five and six goals against Liverpool and Chelsea respectively in very embarrassing defeats.
These results really hurt the confidence among the players who found it very difficult to recover from such humiliating defeats. Injuries also played their part as Arsenal lost some of their most influential players for a significant portion of the season, thus squad depth is one issue which really needs attention.
Next season Arsene and Arsenal will have no excuses and need to ensure that the club once again returns to the pinnacle of English football. Arsene Wenger’s men were one of the most feared teams only a decade back. Their unbeaten run in the 2003/2004 season was reminiscent of their sheer domination on the pitch. With their financial woes all but ended Arsenal must ensure that they once again reach heights they have always been destined to achieve.
