Arsenal Football Club is regarded as one of the most successful clubs in the history of the Premier League. The club is known for its global appeal, success on and off the pitch and their beautiful style of play. These characteristics have endeared them to many while they remain a force to reckon with in the world of football. Arsenal Football Club was founded in the year 1886, winning 13 League titles and a record 12 FA Cups to show for their efforts so far. They hold the record for going unbeaten throughout a league season, having a 49-match no-loss sequence, and being the first London club to reach the final of Europe’s elite club competition. Their global acceptance has made Arsenal one of the highest income earners and given them a wide fan base. Recently, they were named as the seventh most valuable association football club in the world as at May 6, 2015, with a reported value of over £1.3 billion in the year 2015.
Arsenal play their home games at the Emirates Stadium, after moving from Highbury, and they are currently kitted by manufacturers Puma with the name of their sponsors ‘Emirates’ boldly written on their shirts. They have remained consistent despite financial restraints due to their move to the new stadium. And though they have had to endure trophy-less campaigns, Arsenal as a football club still maintained value and appeal, attracting sponsorships and endorsements along the way. ‘The Gunners’ have a manager who not only shares their philosophy but has helped shape and build them to what they are today. This legendary manager is Arsene Wenger.
Despite the plethora of achievements, history and views about Arsenal, they have a unique attitude and that is their patience or what can be seen as their benevolent treatment of (injured or under-performing) players. Arsenal have had an unenviable history of having injured players and at a point in time have had more first-team players on the treatment table than on the playing field. In addition to this awkward situation, their system allows them to believe in young players and nurture them to maturity. It has been argued that this is not because they wish to do so, but that they are forced to due to the financial handcuffs they got themselves into following the building of a new stadium. It can be counter-argued, however, that despite the much-proclaimed financial problems, they still remained one of the most valuable clubs in the world.
Coming down to footballing matters alone and not the financial aspect, it is a growing concern that Arsenal have been repaid with scorn by the players they have done so much for in recent times. Top of the list in this regard include Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, and Alexander Hleb to mention a few. Before we discuss about these ‘prodigal sons’, we should briefly mention other players that Arsenal gave time and chance as well such as the recently-released Abou Diaby (the Frenchman is injury-prone, never played a full season for Arsenal and the club have had to endure with his injury woes since 2006) and Thomas Rosicky as examples of injuries. Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, and Hector Bellerin are examples of players who were given time to show their potentials. On goes the list of patience testimonials.
Let us now talk about the Prodigal Sons. Who else to begin with other than the Dutchman, Robin van Persie. The forward was signed from Feyenoord in 2004 and was seen as the man to complement club legend Thierry Henry. But injuries and a noxious disciplinary record blighted much of Van Persie’s career, though he kept showing class whenever he was available, until the winter of 2011 when he was finally free from injuries and played well into the summer of 2012. It was after this first injury-free season of his that the Dutchman decided to leave the club that had persevered and supported through his injury problems. Not only did he leave them when they needed him the most, he left them for their league rival, Manchester United. That is ‘Prodigal son’ number 1.
Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor moved to Arsenal from Monaco, and despite a good deal of uninspiring performances in an Arsenal shirt, the ever-patient Wenger stuck with him until Adebayor became an important player. In the 2008-2009 season, he had a prolific year and became a top-scorer for Arsenal. On the 18th of July that same year, Adebayor signed a five-year contract with league rivals, Manchester City. When the Gunners visited his new home, the Togolese scored against them (understandably because that is what he was being paid to do) and ran the full length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans. In the same game, he was charged with violent conduct for kicking Van Persie in the face and got a three-match ban for his troubles. Yeah, in the same game again, former team-mates Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas accused him of violent reactions towards them. So much for a club Adebayor once pledged love and loyalty for, considering the patience and belief of the club and manager. That is ‘Prodigal son’ number 2.
The next prodigal son is the gifted but troublesome French midfielder Samir Nasri. The former Marseille man arrived at Arsenal in 2008 and spent the following two seasons adjusting to the rigors of the Premier League and battling with a broken leg. Upon his return after almost four months out, he took time before he clicked again and showed flashes of the reason Arsenal signed him. Nasri had his breakthrough season in 2010-2011, he scored 13 goals and was subsequently nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. He truly had a wonderful season and my guess is as good as yours, he would leave Arsenal. Nasri joined Manchester City the following season and has ever since been in verbal war with Arsenal as a club, the manager Arsene Wenger and the fans. His penchant for trouble extends to his national team and retired from international football at the age of 27. Nasri is number 3.
Before we continue the discussion on the remaining prodigal sons, one thing that distinguishes these players from the rest is their attitude towards the club even after they had left. Next up is Cesc Fabregas, the little Spaniard that arrived at Arsenal at the tender age of 16 from Barcelona where the future was looking bleak. Wenger took him under his wings and decided to nurture the player. He became Arsenal’s youngest ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days and the youngest goal scorer in Arsenal’s history, made possible by the faith Wenger placed in him. We should not forget that the team had Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva as at that time, yet Wenger found a way for the youngster. He soon became a regular and was made captain afterwards. Then, Fabregas remembered he was home-sick and needed to return home to Barcelona who shipped him out as a teenager and desert the club that nurtured him to maturity. Such was Fabregas’ desire to move that he offered to even pay his way out of the club that showed him love, eventually agreeing to pay Arsenal a million Euros per year from his five-year salary, a pittance for care, patience, opportunity and love. Fabregas eventually moved to Barcelona, abandoning his duties as captain of the club and overlooking the affection of the fans. That is ‘Prodigal son’ 4.
The list continues with Alexander Hleb and Alexander Song, who left the club when it was in fact the club that gave them the platform to excel. They moved to Barcelona at different times and would have wished they did not.
This is the point: Arsenal have been treated unfairly by some players they have done so much for. It has been argued that Arsenal no longer matched their ambitions and they had to look for that elsewhere. This is understandable, yes it is. But these players would not have had ambitions to win trophies if they were not given the platform to blossom and for some, the time to overcome obstacles and excel. In another case, some people would argue that football is business and well, that is equally true only if you take away the fact that humans are involved. What happened to virtues such as loyalty and gratitude? What happened to reciprocation and respect?
And then attention would be shifted to the financial gain for Arsenal in the deals involving these players but what would you have them do. They can only take advantage of the situation by capitalizing on the fix in which those ungrateful lads have put them. Arsenal made profits from the sale of these players, that is money bought and money sold but if you are a follower of football and remember incidents well, you will definitely agree with the fact that these players forced their way out and not because Arsenal were willing sellers. Is it Adebayor? Or Van Persie? Or Nasri? Or Fabregas who even paid his way out?
In my opinion, the good-will and caring treatment of Arsenal towards certain players have been repaid with disrespect and ingratitude, even outright scorn. The outcome of this unique attitude of the club has not been encouraging for other clubs to follow. This is perhaps one of the reasons other clubs will only see players as mercenaries and treat them as such; those who have treated them as sons have been disappointed countless times. Should we encourage other clubs to adopt this unique and endearing virtue of Arsenal with the hope that gratitude and respect will be virtues players understand, or let ruthlessness be the theme of the game where everybody and everything is treated as dispensable and like mercenaries?
