As Arsenal stare down the barrel of another potential trophy-less season, a few people seem to be losing faith in Arsène Wenger. Would it really be a step forward if he was to leave? With Jose Mourinho recently declaring he will return to the Premiership sooner rather than later, would he fit the bill?
History
Both managers have fantastic list of achievements to their name. Wenger has led Arsenal to 13 trophies during his 15-year spell at the helm. On top of this, he’s won the Premiership Manager of the Year award on three occasions. However, it’s now approaching six years since Arsenal last won a trophy, which is completely unacceptable given their history and competitive nature.
The Special One has collected 17 trophies since he first took over Porto in 2002. His achievements include the treble with Porto in 02-03, where he led the side to glory in the league, cup and Uefa Cup. There was also, of course, the treble with Inter Milan in the 09-10 season where they finished top of Serie A as well as winning the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. It’s the general consensus that wherever Jose goes, he will bring trophies. We are yet to see whether that view will continue as his current Real Madrid side trail in the shadows of Barcelona in La Liga.
Managerial Style
The two have undeniably different approaches to football. Wenger prefers to fulfil the idea of the ‘beautiful game’; he approaches every match with an attacking outlook. He looks to get his team playing the ball quickly and along the ground, in a very entertaining manner. If you aren’t 100% focused against Arsène’s Arsenal, the outcome is often humiliating.
Mourinho on the other hand has a different approach to his tactics. As we all saw in Inter Milan’s treble-winning season, Jose is a firm believer of ‘if you don’t concede, you can’t lose.’ Every team he has managed has developed the ability to grind out results, regardless of whether they deserve them or not. It’s definitely not easy on the eye, but it’s very effective.
Expenditure
This is generally the main talking point when the subject of Arsène Wenger arises. His main style is buying players whilst they are very young (and as a consequence, very cheap) and developing them into effective players for the future. He prefers letting youngsters develop over-time to going out and splashing £30m on an ageing superstar. Sometimes it works, as we’ve all seen with Jack Wilshere & Aaron Ramsey, but as we now approach their sixth season without a trophy, isn’t it time Arsene put his hand in his pocket and brings in some real, established quality?
Once again, Mourinho has a very different approach in this area. He is well known for going out and spending a fortune on players who have already proven they can do the business, so to speak. Whilst he is often criticised for buying ageing players for immediate success and then leaving clubs in the lurch, it is undoubtedly what Arsenal need. Arsenal supporters adore Arsène Wenger and the way he has got their club performing over the last decade or so, but time is running out. It’s been so long since they last won a trophy, I’m not sure they’d mind if the Special One took over and waved his magic wand around the Emirates for two or three seasons.
Verdict
After exploring the positives and negatives of both managers, it’s hard to come to a conclusion. They are both two of the best managers in the world. I have a lot of respect for Arsène Wenger and the way he approaches football, but I can’t help but get the feeling the club need a fresh outlook. If I was Peter Hill-Wood I’d be looking at giving Arsène another season at the helm, and if the situation still hasn’t changed, draft in Jose Mourinho.
Aaron Bains