A good housekeeper

News filtered in yesterday night that Forbes, the very respected, very influential money-monitoring publication has ranked our beloved Arsenal, the second-most-valuable football clubside in the world. Second only to Manchester United. Dizzy heights indeed.


This is a position we have found ourselves in, well and above the likes of Russian-Roubles-Chelsea, more-than-a-clubbing Barcelona, pretenders Manchester Sheikty, and even the King’s Real Madrid. Wuthering heights these are indeed for modest Arsenal.

Forbes valued Arsenal at GBP 860million – a whole GBP 90million more than the Galacticos of Real Madrid, who snucked in third behind us. Crucially, only Man Utd, Arsenal and Madrid made it into the top ten of the world’s richest sports clubs.

Interesting.

One man who must be sitting with a smug smile on his wrinkled face at this news would be none other than Monsieur Arsene Wenger. It is his incredible vision, tenacity and stubbornness which has led a club that shares the first five letters of its name with him, to this vaunted position. It was him who seized the club by the neck, dragging it from its mundane, laidback past into the heady present and straight onto the 21st century.

No one could have scripted it better 14years ago when he ghosted in from the backwaters of the J-League to assume the mantle at Highbury. No one, probably, except the man himself.

Perennial under-achievers that we were, Le Professor has moulded Arsenal into a global brand and a money-spewing machine that proves his Economics degree was actually well-earned. All along, his teams have kept producing a unique playing style year-in, year-out.

The man has been around the club for so long he’s become part of the wallpaper. He’s become such a legend at Arsenal that some of his ex-players have gone on to become coaches and even tasted sackings, while he is still here. Cue Tony Adams.

He has inspired a decade-and-half of unbelievable changes at modest Arsenal. Taking it from a club happy to remain in the top-flight, to title-winners, Champions League ever-presents and now, the 2nd richest club in the world.

It has not all been plain-sailing however.

The Holy Grail of Champions League success still eludes him.

Myles Palmer reckons also that the man, who is the subject of a well-publicised autobiography by Myles himself, is fundamentally flawed, stubborn, obstinate and unbending to a fault. He doesn’t trust English players; he can’t teach defence.; he is on a secret mission to groom and build the French national side; he manipulates the media; he overpampers players; he rewards under-achievement.

The criticisms of him are a legion. So it is with anyone who has attempted to re-write history.

Of course, the man Wenger is not perfect. He has made mistakes like everyone else and will make some more before his time is up. In that sense, he is only human.

But on account of Forbes’ listing, give the man a break. And a pat on the shoulders as well.

To put his achievements in better perspective, the global recession ravaging much of European clubs has seen ‘more-than-a-clubbing, all-conquering Barcelona, the mighty three-time European champions that they are go aborrowing last month just to pay their players. On the same day Forbes released its rankings, another Spanish club, Real Mallorca was excluded from UEFA competitions this year for being indebted to the tune of GBP78 million.

It is the same scenario in almost all leagues across Europe as clubs continue to cringe and wince under the weight of ballooning debt. The effect of excessive player-wages and splurging on average talent. More especially in Skytv-fuelled English Premier League.

Wenger, for all his flaws and stubbornness, remains a good housekeeper. The sort most clubs would kill to have on their books. He may not be able to teach defence. I sometimes even get frustrated with his blind loyalty to some underachieving players. But he’s proved time and time again, that ‘Arsene knows’.

Take a bow Mr Wenger. Long may you live!