Arsenal’s next manager must preserve Arsene Wenger’s values

Arsene Wenger’s replacement must preserve the values he brought to Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger chose 104 words to announce the end of his 22-year tenure as manager of Arsenal, but one stood out more than the rest.

It came in the penultimate line of Wenger’s exit statement: “To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the club.”

The bold emphasis is mine, but it’s easy to believe Wenger gives the word similar oomph every time he speaks it out loud. It makes sense he would, since Wenger has left a particular set of values ingrained in the fabric of the club he will walk away from, willingly or not, once this season ends.

Those values are easy to name, but tough to replicate and maintain.

The essentially Wenger-ish values the Frenchman who took over Arsenal in 1996 leaves behind are a how-to guide for how every top club should operate on and off the pitch.

On the pitch, the Wenger code of conduct demands soccer played with a staunch commitment to artistry. There is a bold flair to Wengerball at its intricate and expansive best.

Since Wenger announced he’s calling time on his days as chief Gunner, another word has been thrown around a lot: “revolutionary.”

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The rose-tinted nostalgia which often rewards those brave enough to defy time and achieve longevity has turned appraisals of Wenger into a virtual love-in.

It’s true he changed the way many English teams approached dietary well-being and physical fitness. Wenger rid Arsenal of a barely-concealed drinking culture, but his true revolutionary impact told in the way he changed the perception of the Gunners’ style.

A club historically known for pragmatism and dour defensiveness became defined by skill and a creative flourish, almost overnight.

Out went the “Boring, Boring Arsenal chant” and the cynical use of the offside trap. They were replaced by imaginative daring and an insatiable appetite for passing perfection and goals.

The style earned Wenger’s Gunners respect from even their biggest rivals. Gary Neville, who competed against Arsenal’s artisans for years at Manchester United, paid homage to the quality of his fiercest foes:

Arsenal’s stylistic metamorphosis under Wenger was so complete and enduring, the attractive soccer eventually became another stick to beat the club with during the lean years.

Once regarded as slick cavaliers during the glory years from 1998-2006, Wenger’s players were accused of being stubborn idealists obsessed with pretty passing, but not streetwise enough to win consistently.

No matter how much this particular critique may stick, Wenger’s successor must continue the adherence to attractive play. It’s a positive brand of identification the club should wear like a badge of honor.

Barcelona do the same, as do Ajax. Both clubs are brave enough to keep the demand to win and the obligation to entertain intertwined.

It works more often for Barca, because the Camp Nou club has the money to give their idealism teeth. Things are different at Ajax, but the Eredivisie side keep faith in a model based on recruiting talented youngsters with the zest to honor the beautiful game.

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Giving youth a chance has been a cornerstone of Wenger’s time at Arsenal from the moment he gave 20-year-old Patrick Vieira a chance in ’96. A 17-year-old Nicolas Anelka soon followed as building around young talent became as much a hallmark of the club as the style of play.

Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere were all handed a breakthrough as teenagers. In more recent years it’s been Hector Bellerin, Alex Iwobi and Rob Holding.

Wenger will leave Arsenal knowing his commitment to youth remains intact. His final season has seen Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah elevated from the academy to the first-team level.

This youthful quartet forms the core of an academy group ready to take on bigger roles sooner rather than later. The club’s performance at reserve level this season proves as much, per Squawka Football:

Building a nucleus of fledgling talent is something Wenger passionately put into practice. It’s one of the few ways a club lacking the commercial revenue of Manchester United or the independent financial muscle of Manchester City and Chelsea can stay competitive.

Giving young players the time, freedom and patience to develop is essential to the values Wenger made central to Arsenal’s identity. To abandon this would be to wreck the self-sustaining model of spending Wenger has defended for years.

He’s often sounded like a hopeless dreamer railing against the wind in era of oil money and lavish private investment, not realizing his crusade died long ago.

Fans don’t want to hear about balanced books and fiscal responsibility when other clubs can shatter transfer records twice over during the same window and not break a sweat.

Yet the cold, hard facts are Arsenal don’t have the resources to do the same when success and its rewards are still far from guaranteed. Wenger knew and respected this inconvenient truth and protected his club with a shrewder, more cautious approach to the market.

His successor has to do the same, no matter if it still means struggling to keep up with the Joneses.

The next man in charge must be brave enough to make sure Arsenal’s affinity for the beautiful game isn’t merely a phase looked upon with smug derision.

For all the talk of what is owed Wenger — respect, a dignified sendoff and so forth — what Arsenal owe their greatest manager more is to preserve the values he leaves behind.