The procession of depatures that painted Arsenal’s misfortune- Part One

Arsenal’s 2003/04 ‘Invincible’ season is heralded as one of the greatest achievements in sporting history. The squad of that iconic side are now considered as footballing legends, however some of these players are not seen in the same pleasant light by the Arsenal faithful.

This is due to a pattern of decline at the club as they saw rival teams lure their beloved players, a frustration of Arsenal fans. These transfers were often the result of Arsenal’s costly stadium move to the Emirates Stadium that Arsene Wenger had to manage them through.

Arsene Wenger was the talisman for the 2003/04 success at Arsenal with expansive football and a rapid transformation of Arsenal from ‘The Tuesday Club’ to strong physically-fit title winners. He adapted total football and slapped his own brand onto it known by fans as ‘Wengerball’.

Wenger’s departure at Arsenal was the result of pressure from the board and fans after poor transfer windows and slumping to the lows of the Europa League- seemingly ironic now.

Wenger pulled the club’s expenses through a stadium move and kept the club in the Champions League during the period leading many to feel criticism is harsh. With that came some transfers he had to make to keep the club afloat. It began before the stadium move, however, with Arsenal’s glue in midfield leaving in 2005.

This piece will document these departures and how they have shaped the club to what it is today.

Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira is a man Arsenal have never been able to replace. His mentality that led the Gunners to an Invincible season combined with brute force in midfield and an attitude that gave Arsenal a personality in their team was irreplaceable.

The way he could turn on his man and produce a killer pass seamlessly made him one of the world’s greatest midfielders and his rivalry with Roy Keane pictured the intimidating edge he brought to Arsenal . His departure to Juventus in 2005 acts as a precedent for future departures seeking success.

Many believe that with Vieira as an asset, Arsenal could have won the 2006 Champions League final. His £13.7 million transfer has left a gaping hole in the Arsenal midfield to this day as the club have failed to find a midfielder to fill the massive boots of the Frenchmen in both a world class holding midfield and a natural leader.

 

Ashley Cole

Many would argue that the selling of Vieira is the moment the equilibrium flipped for Arsenal, however there is a second candidate in that of Ashley Cole’s transfer to Chelsea. Cole was Arsenal born and bred and is arguably one of the academy’s greatest ever product. The reason for the bitterness of his transfer is the destination.

Chelsea were basking off of their first Premier League win and their second top flight. At the helm of the success at Chelsea were two men who changed football arguably more than any man before them.

One of them is a Russian oligarch with a full wallet, contrasting to Arsenal’s empty pockets, and a ruthless edge. The other is a man who was the future of football management or his ego certainly placed himself there. He is to quote himself, “the Special One”.

These men were new owner Roman Abramovich and Portugese manager Jose Mourinho. A perfect statement to depict Mourinho’s character on and off the field was spluttered out in a team talk shown in Amazon Prime’s fly-on-the-wall documentary on Tottenham’s tremulous campaign last season, “You have to be intelligent c***s”.

 

His football can be viewed as a tactical masterclass proved by thrilling counter attacks ripping apart sides who have committed men forward. Although it can be see as long ball boredom as shown by Dele Alli’s spout in the dressing room in said documentary series.

Mourinho held a ruthless edge over opponents and Wenger could never foil the Portugese manager’s plans. His introduction to the Premier League had a serious effect on Arsenal as title challengers, with ten defeats and two wins in the Frenchmen’s meetings with Mourinho in his career.

When Cole joined Chelsea it was a landmark moment for the Gunners as one of their home-bred “future captains” left with the prospect of a money fuelled winning club. Whilst Chelsea had Abramovich who would pump money into the club, Arsenal did not have a billionaire owner and instead Wenger was given little money to guide the gunners as they moved to the Emirates.

 

Thierry Henry

The next big loss for Arsenal was the nail in the coffin. The club’s greatest ever player Thierry Henry joined Barcelona in the 2007 summer transfer window. Henry was the last remaining world class talent from the Invincibles squad left at the club.

Henry’s presence in the Arsenal front line went beyond his pace and power as a striker but also as a captain. The illusive Champions League trophy evaded him in London so he decided to move to Barcelona where he lifted the trophy in 2009.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Arsenal’s prized possession had left the club but the bloodshed was not ceased. The next significant departure was the selling of an attacking outlet for the gunners. Emmanuel Adebayor is a 6 foot 2 Togolese attacker who had sixty-two goals for the reds, his presence in the box created an annoyance for many defenders in England.

His game was particularly improved in derby games in which he thrived .It is worth noting that some Arsenal fans thought of him as “lazy” and said that”performances slipped when he wanted to leave”.

The transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor came in the 2009-10 season. He travelled the country to the North-West to join new force, Manchester City, beginning a trend of gifted Arsenal players seeking the city for it’s footballing riches.

The transfer of Adebayor is sour for fans as the move witnessed an iconic knee slide in front of the Arsenal full away end followed by a transfer to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. This has earned Adebayor a reputation in Arsenal folklore as a ‘Judas’ and one of the most hated at that.

Cesc Fabregas

Spain won the World Cup for the first time in the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The tournament is famous for Holland, a Frank Lampard ghost goal and the bliss of never having to be tortured by the shriek of a vuvuzela again. A team built in Spain by the Barcelona and Real Madrid youth set-ups lifted the World Cup.

It’s centrepiece was it’s legendary midfield with Xavi and Iniesta acting as the spine. Del Bosque usually reverted to four central midfielders in that of Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets and rotated a plethora of talented midfielders into games off of the bench.

In four of Spain’s seven games of the tournament a tricky Arsenal midfielder came on. He was also manufactured in the Barcelona school of creative midfielders and was incredibly gifted. He assisted Iniesta’s goal that secured the trophy for the Spanish in extra time.

Despite all the ghost goals, great teams and blood-curdling ‘instruments’, Arsenal fans may best remember their captain being displayed in a Barcelona kit amid celebrations in Madrid. This came in the midst of reports that the captain was eager for a return to the Camp Nou. That man was Cesc Fabregas.

The Cesc Fabregas situation at Arsenal was a migraine for the board and fans. He was worshipped at Arsenal and loved the club. His goal against Tottenham to go two up in the derby in 2009 saw him pick up the ball and keep stitching in and out as if painting the most picturesque of pieces until slotting it past the keeper with ease, it was a masterful moment of brilliance.

Another iconic moment of his is seen in his scoring of a penalty whilst having a broken leg against Barcelona. His dream of an Arsenal career lacked in one key aspect- trophies. He joined Barca in the summer of 2011 and spent three years at the club before rubbing further salt into the Arsenal wounds by joining London rivals, Chelsea.

His transfer to Chelsea is not heralded in the bitterness as that as the Ashley Cole and Emmanuel Adebayor’s ‘betrayals’ because his admiration for the club is evident in interviews since his departure. Also, it is a fact that Fabregas wanted to return to Arsenal after his time in Barcelona but manager Arsene Wenger denied his request and therefore moved to Stamford Bridge

 

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