It’s been another rough couple of weeks for Arsenal. Away defeats against a pretty poor Blackburn side, and also against North London rivals Sp*rs have left obvious pain for us Gooners. New squad injuries (this time to Bacary Sagna) have added further woe. Even our most recent win, in the Champions League against Olympiacos received more criticism than praise.
I love watching Arsenal play, but at this moment in time having a weekend off from the drama we are now so used to seeing week in week out, has been relaxing, and enabled us all to have a sit back and think about where Arsenal are currently at.
Having recently completed a marketing degree at University, one of the things I came across (as I guess anyone else who has done something business related at school/Uni will have) is a SWOT Analysis. I won’t bore you with the details, but effectively it’s a way of analyzing internal and external factors of a business, and is seen as one of the primary steps when it comes to strategic planning. I have no interest in writing a piece on strategic planning, but I thought it would be a nice idea to write just a basic blog on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Arsenal at this very moment. Enjoy!
Strengths
Emirates Stadium
This isn’t about prices. Isn’t about whether the ground is full or not. And this point isn’t even about the football being played on it. It’s a fantastic, beautiful stadium. One of the best sporting stadia in the world. Designed by the world renowned HOK Sport (now called Populous I believe), it truly is regarded as one of the best stadiums around. And we should be grateful that we are lucky enough to have access to it every other week. Imagine how depressing it would be having to travel to Shite Hart Lane to watch your team play 25 times a season?
Finances
Arsenal’s financial position splits a large number of supporters, but the fact that no one can deny is that as a whole we are in a very healthy financial state. Our 2011 profit fell compared to the 2010 figures, but this was mainly due to the decrease in player sales (which accounts for such a big aspect of our financial figures). In Deloitte’s Money League, we are 5th in the world for revenue. Not too shabby. Yes, our wage structure isn’t great, and commercially we are behind (see Weaknesses), but generally we are in a very strong position. And with money in the bank, I’m expecting some new signings in January that we not only desperately need, but can also afford. If you want to look at a really good article on Arsenal’s finances, check this out by The Swiss Ramble: http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/10/arsenals-finances-21-questions.html
We’re The Arsenal
It always brings a smile to my face, even when it’s used in a negative context. But no other team is referred to as “The…”. It’s not “The Chelsea”, or “The Manchester United”. But we’re The Arsenal. OK, this isn’t exactly the biggest deal in the world. But it’s something that we have that no one else does. And that’s a strength of the club in my eyes.
Weaknesses
Commercial Revenue
Despite our overall finances being strong, commercially we are miles behind. At the time, the Emirates sponsorship deal was a great idea. It was long-term, secure and guaranteed us £90m over 15 years. But whereas we supposedly make £5.5m a year in shirt sponsorship, the likes of Liverpool, Man United and City all make up to four times that amount. Even Sp*rs make double of what we do, and we’re tied into these deals till 2014. It’ll be a struggle till then, but Kroenke has promised to grow our global brand and believes we’ll be able to compete with United on this level. A big ask, but can’t fault his ambition.
Form
The obvious one. 15th in the league. Worst ever start under Wenger. Worst start for over 50 years. Already 12 points behind the leaders, and the earliest that Wenger has admitted defeat in the title race. And we’ve lost to both our main rivals in the chase for fourth. I don’t want to talk too much about this, as it’s depressing just thinking about it. But our form is shocking, and it obviously needs to change. Right now our defense is all over the place, with players like Jenkinson thrown into the deep end when he clearly isn’t ready, and judging by the Sp*rs game our midfield need a few lessons in basic passing. I still believe that with a few wins and a peak in confidence, we can recover and finish fourth. But it’s got to happen soon. Really soon.
Injuries
I don’t like using this as an excuse, but we have been incredibly unlucky this season with injuries. 2/3 of the spine of our team is out long term (although hoping TV will return quicker than anticipated), and the Sagna news is a further blow to an already seriously depleted squad. I have no doubt that at full strength we have the third or fourth best squad in the league and are capable of seriously challenging for the major honours available in May. But I can’t honestly remember the last time we had a full squad to pick from. Certainly wasn’t any time recently. And it won’t be any time soon.
Opportunities
January Transfer Window
Wenger has never been shy to spend in January. Think Arshavin and Adebayor. And there is definitely money in the bank to do it again. I don’t believe in spending for the sake of it, but there is a serious need to spend in January, particularly to cater for the loss of Sagna and Wilshere to injury (TV will be back by then). We were linked with some big names over the summer, Hazard and Gotze to name a couple. There is still an appeal for players like them to join Arsenal, and a signing like one of them (plus some more cover for the defense) could be the boost that the fans and squad need. Hopefully, it won't be too late.
Youth
One thing we’re known for across the globe is our unequalled ability to spot and develop youth talent. We’ve seen it in the past, with players such as Anelka, Vieira, Fabregas and many more being bought young and cheap, developed into great players and sold for a hefty profit. We have current players in similar potential mold to these names. I honestly believe we have the best young GK in the world right now, a future regular England international LB, and a whole host of talent in midfield with the likes of Coquelin and Frimpong already breaking into the first team, and players like Ozyakup, Afobe and Miyaichi excelling in the reserves. Reason to get excited? Yes, but these players need experience around them. Signings like Arteta and Meresacker are a good sign that Wenger is willing to bring that experience in. So the talent is there, and it seems the opportunities are starting to come their way too, which is a very exciting prospect. My only hope is that they want to stick around and win trophies, and not do a big money runner as soon as they get the chance.
Threats
Fan Divisions
One of the most worrying aspects of where we currently are is the constant bickering, arguing and sometimes rudeness between Arsenal fans. All the time on twitter I see Gooners fighting amongst each other, almost unwilling to accept that someone else’s opinion might be valid. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but during this time of need we all need to get behind the team together. If we want to fight with someone, let’s fight with those slagging us off and writing us off. Not amongst ourselves. We’re family remember.
Fan Groups
This isn’t me being hypocritical after the previous point. Everyone IS entitled to an opinion, but there is a line as to how that opinion is enforced on others, and the impact it might have on the team. There are at least two (probably more) groups set up to protest against different aspects of Arsenal. Black Scarf Group, Arsenal FC not PLC the ones that immediately spring to mind. Some of their points are very valid, some are not (in my opinion). The one thing I don’t get about them (Arsenal FC not PLC more specifically), is how they think having a banner at a game expressing their desire for Wenger to be sacked will solve anything at the club? I’ve read through some of the Arsenal FC not PLC tweets over the weekend, and one of their points is that their banner is just as acceptable as the “In Arsene We Trust” banner because both banners have people who agree and disagree with the message. Very true, but the one deciding difference is that the IAWT banner is actually in support of the manager and is inspiration for Gooners. A banner effectively saying “Wenger Out” isn’t. It’s not what we need at the ground. We need unanimous support. I don’t mind these groups trying to get their point across with balanced and coherent points, but when it’s at the expense of Arsenal harmony and spirit (which whether you agree or not, the “Wenger Out” banner is) then we have a problem.
Missing out on the Champions League next year
This is a big threat, and fairly realistic too at the moment. Should this occur, it will leave a huge dent in our finances, and also lesser our appeal to sign quality players from Europe. Yes, you can argue that Sp*rs signed Modric, and Liverpool signed Suarez without the immediate guarantee of Champions League football. But the fact remains the same. We’ve been there the last 14 years. Not making it for the 15th would be a real disappointment. Not a disaster, as clubs have recovered from worse scenarios. But we need to be playing amongst the European elites. Gazidis’ comments that we can survive financially without a CL place gave a terrible message. Almost like it doesn’t matter, when it really does. How can we justify paying over £100m a year on wages if we aren't playing at the very top level of European football? We want to be there, and we should be there. But at this rate, it’s not too far-fetched to suggest that we won’t be.
So...
As you can see, the negatives (Weaknesses and Threats) out way the positives. This is kind of where we are at right now. But there are strengths and opportunities there, and definite scope for improvement. I’ve said many times that our current poor form is largely a confidence thing. We’ve never totally recovered from the Carling Cup defeat last season. Not having a full squad obviously doesn’t help, but a few good wins and consistent performances from the key players in the squad could be all we need. Three or four wins in a row and we’d be back up to around the top four.
The Arsenal badge state’s “Forward” as the motto this season. Let’s embrace that and support the team towards this goal. Because let’s be honest, we can’t really go much further backwards. Right….?
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