Gooners,
here from the German Spiegel Online side, translated by Google
http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/to ... 78478.html
Arsenal welcomes Tottenham
For years, Arsenal was the powerhouse in North London. But now the conditions are turning: Tottenham Hotspur begins the elven team of Arsène Wenger to run out of rank. Now it comes to a duel.
The question was substantiated and tabulated, but sounded in the ears of Arsène Wenger as a mean insolence. Whether his Arsenal (sixth place) would go on Saturday as "outsider" in the derby home game against Tottenham Hotspur (second place, four points ahead), a reporter wanted to know on Thursday. "We do not see ourselves as underdogs at all," the Frenchman said irritably, "we are not afraid, know our strengths and will give the answer on the pitch."
In fact, it is still a bit early to speak of a change of power, but the micro-climate in the north of the British capital has changed noticeably since the past season, when the Spurs landed in front of the Gunners in the table after 21 years. Led by Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, Lilienweiss, bristling with English talents, rushed hot-bloodedly to second place, while Wenger's low-blooded technician squad failed to qualify for the Champions League and play penalties in the unpopular Europa League. In the current season, the opposing trends of the neighbors seem to confirm. Tottenham is a team on the go, Arsenal the Altmacht, who with a lot of effort keeps just as the level of previous years.
The unmistakable buoyancy of financially much worse off local rivals, who have been boosted by Pochettino with tactical finesse and South American heart-pain rhetoric ("Develop, dream your ideas, throw 'em out into the universe and believe in the stars") to a remarkable level Even the most confident Arsenal supporters have brutally demonstrated their own stagnation. Less and less trust 68-year-old Wenger that just after more than 20 years in office he should be the "catalyst of change", the CEO Ivan Gazidis had promised the increasingly impatient audience in the spring. Gazidis had asked non-binding for possible successors and contacted, inter alia, Leipzig Ralph Hasenhüttl, but after winning the FA Cup (2: 1 against champions Chelsea), the overdue upheaval was postponed for at least two years. Wenger decided to stay on the bench until 2019.
The obvious problems on the lawn and behind the scenes not only since the Spurs renaissance have not been seriously addressed. On good days Arsenal can shoot two-thirds of the league at any time with fine-hearted direct football from the stadium, in duels with top clubs but missing a coherent defensive concept. "The team has neither balance nor the necessary mentality," said former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon this week, who in his criticism of the players in truth means the coach. Like many ex-Gunners, he outlines his diagnoses only out of consideration for Wengers historical merits.
The Frenchman rules as a very gentle autocrat. He does not like confrontations and trusts that difficulties can resolve themselves. Important strategic decisions, for example on the whereabouts of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez, whose contracts expire in summer, are repeatedly postponed. Wenger has become the steward of the football inventor, who once taught the British the beauty of the flat pass. Stan Kroenke, who owns two thirds of the club, likes it that way. The American does not want to enter the arms race with Manchester clubs but wants the club to finance itself. Too great ambitions are in his view more damaging to the balance sheets.
At the grassroots level, one is deeply frustrated at this lack of institutional drive. At last month's general meeting, small shareholders denied Arsenal chairman, Sir Chips Keswick, the following. The rebellion was only symbolic - Keswick was confirmed by Kroenke and the second major shareholder Alisher Usmanov, who together have 97 percent of voting rights in office - but showed the extent of displeasure.
Wenger has at least recognized that the club must gradually set up for the time after him.
The aspired commitment of Borussia Dortmund's chief scout Sven Mislintat plays an important role, as well as the restructuring of the youth department, which will be responsible for Per Mertesacker in the coming season. In the present, however, there is a great danger of being overtaken by the long-riddled but far more dynamic neighbors. Wenger has been watching a lot since winning the last championship thirteen years ago. But a permanent second place in the North London miniliga would not forgive him even.
Cheers,
Thomas
![cheers :cheers:](./images/smilies/icon_cheers.gif)