The last few years have seen rats fleeing Arsenal as if it was a sinking ship. Nasri, Song, Van Persie, Fabregas, Clichy, to name a few. It’s as if we can gauge the health and future prospects of a club based on the willingness of its current players to stay. Of course, the paradox is that their attempts to leave help the seal the club’s fate, undermining its future and further guaranteeing that other rats will leave. I keep using the term rats on purpose because that’s what these players are— they doubt the team’s prospects, leave and thereby bring about the very slump that they had forewarned, making them seem like geniuses in the process. It may not always feel like it, but we’re better off in the long run without ’em.
I had written previously of what it takes to play for Arsenal—more than just skill or talent, but a certain vision for the game and how to mesh with ten other players. Those who left, to varying degrees, lacked this vision and were consumed instead by more of a ‘me-first’ mentality, whether this is measured in dollars or short-cuts to trophies. Long story short? If a player leaves, we didn’t want him anyway. Sure, it’s self-satisfying, maybe even spiteful, but it’s true: why keep a player who doesn’t want to stay, who doesn’t belong, and who will stop playing at his best?
It is therefore gratifying to have ended the week with a raft of stories detailing how much various players want to stay and play for Arsenal. There was Wojciech Szczęsny, contradicting his own father to avow his loyalty to the club. Then, Per Mertesacker had to address rumors that he was headed back to Germany. He stated, “I can think of nothing else but to play for Arsenal” in order to rubbish rumors of a move back to the Bundesliga. Laurent Koscielny dressed down similar rumors by saying “I do not want to go elsewhere.” Thomas Vermaelen was admittedly more cagey in responding to rumors of a move to Barcelona, saying only “there is nothing I have heard [from Barcelona] so I can’t say anything about that.” I would have liked a more full-throated refusal from our current captain, but in his defense, Barcelona is just about the sexiest girl in town, and her attention is likely to cause a man to waver ever so slightly. We’ve discussed such a move in these pages before, admitting the compliment but suggesting that, while we wouldn’t refuse an offer, it’s a seller’s market considering that Barcelona’s defense folds faster than Superman on laundry day.
But I digress. What’s encouraging about these stories is the larger trend—instead of hearing non-stop chatter about who’s being targeted or who wants out, as we have at this time of year in years past, players are all but swearing that they want to stay. Sure, some of it is p.r.. Absolutely. However, it’s a refreshing change of pace from hearing players whingeing on about wanting to play for trophies and trying to bait teams into making offers.
As the season comes to a close, transfer-chatter will increase. This writer doesn’t pay much attention to that stuff, only enough to take the temperature of the team. With whom are we being linked? The likelihood of signing this or that player matters less to me than the quality of the player himself. If talk of signing Radamel Falcao arises, for example, don’t get me wrong—I’ll be excited at the prospect, but I’ll be gratified about what it implies about our ascendance.
In a season that has been topsy-turvy, then, we’ve seen the signings of not one but six young players in Gibbs, Walcott, Jenkinson, Wilshere, Ramsey, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the promises of four others that they want to stay. Not too shabby. That sinking ship that the rats had deserted earlier has righted itself just fine, thank you, perhaps by jettisoning the rats itself.
Sorry but I just cant agree with your thinking that any player that wants away from Arsenal are rats.It is a very black and white and dare I say a spiteful approach.Players have a relatively short time at the top and they want to be remembered for their achievements not what they almost achieved.Love Wenger or hate him it is obvious that Wengers tactics on and off the pitch have not been working and as a result players have been leaving, sad to see but no big crime.Let me put it this way; would you leave a company that you had served an apprenticeship with, that had trained you in your chosen profession if another more successful company head hunted you with an offer of higher wages or greater accolades/prospects for advancement?Of course you would and so would 99.99999% of the people reading this.The real shame is how many players want to play for Arsenal but know they are simply not going to win silverware or be remembered.Even sadder when some of them are as good or better as players on more successful teams with better managers and coaching staff.I guarantee that if you were in their position you would tire of the lack of success just as they did.A little empathy would go a long way…
You're spot-on. It is spiteful, which I admit to, but maybe too briefly. I agree that players have a very short window in which to achieve something and to earn money after which their prospects dim considerably. to get while the getting's good only makes sense.I guess I'm giving in to my own naivete–many of these players were virtual unknowns until they came through Arsenal and "became" who they now are. True, this may have happened on its own. But when I contrast the attitudes of players like Nasri or Van Persie against players still at the club (players who I admit might be too young to feel tired at a lack of success), players who talk of being brought on at 9 or 13 or whatever and "owing" the club, I do get bitter at those who leave.At a shallower level, I'm probably succumbing to some cheap writing in trying to bait readers in to read more. Thanks, as always, for your comments!
Sorry but I just cant agree with your thinking that any player that wants away from Arsenal are rats.It is a very black and white and dare I say a spiteful approach.Players have a relatively short time at the top and they want to be remembered for their achievements not what they almost achieved.Love Wenger or hate him it is obvious that Wengers tactics on and off the pitch have not been working and as a result players have been leaving, sad to see but no big crime.Let me put it this way; would you leave a company that you had served an apprenticeship with, that had trained you in your chosen profession if another more successful company head hunted you with an offer of higher wages or greater accolades/prospects for advancement?Of course you would and so would 99.99999% of the people reading this.The real shame is how many players want to play for Arsenal but know they are simply not going to win silverware or be remembered.Even sadder when some of them are as good or better as players on more successful teams with better managers and coaching staff.I guarantee that if you were in their position you would tire of the lack of success just as they did.A little empathy would go a long way…
You're spot-on. It is spiteful, which I admit to, but maybe too briefly. I agree that players have a very short window in which to achieve something and to earn money after which their prospects dim considerably. to get while the getting's good only makes sense.I guess I'm giving in to my own naivete–many of these players were virtual unknowns until they came through Arsenal and “became” who they now are. True, this may have happened on its own. But when I contrast the attitudes of players like Nasri or Van Persie against players still at the club (players who I admit might be too young to feel tired at a lack of success), players who talk of being brought on at 9 or 13 or whatever and “owing” the club, I do get bitter at those who leave.At a shallower level, I'm probably succumbing to some cheap writing in trying to bait readers in to read more. Thanks, as always, for your comments!