Arsene Wenger's New Clothes

Off The Post gets very up for an Arsenal vs. Chelsea clash, especially one at Wembley, even if it is just the Community Shield. After all, here we have two London clubs that thoroughly despise eachother, two managers that probably despise each other even more, and to boot, OTP’s favorite brother-in-law just happens to be a Gunners fan — all of which adds up to an occasion not to bemissed, even if, again, we’re talking about contest that is just a (small) notch above a friendly. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great game. In fact, OTP, who had spent theentire night crossing into Canada on a boat, threatened to fall asleep several times, especially after it became clear that Arsene Wenger’s men were content to hold on for the 1-0win.

The fact that the Gunners went into a defensive shell for basically the rest of the game after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal was an odd spectacle to behold. Indeed,normally, the stubborn Wenger tries to impose his beautiful passing game and attacking-style on any opponent his team faces—a philosophy that often plays right into the hands of the much moredefensive-minded Jose Mourinho, whose teams are always well-organized, comfortable without the ball, and extremely deadly on the counter-attack. The fact that Wenger, who had never beforebeaten the Portuguese in 13 tries, out-Mourinho-ed Mourinho was oddly satisfying, even if the game itself wasn’t.

After the game, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey confirmed the tactics change, noting that the club’smore cautious approach could be the key to beating the likes of Chelsea, the Manchester clubs, and Liverpool. “I think we’ve learnt over the years how to play against the bigger teams now,” theWelshman said. “Sometimes you have to sit in and invite them on and get them on the counter-attack. Chelsea have done that against us ever so well in the past so we sort of used differenttactics to get the result.” 

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Indeed, Wenger’s coming around is great news for neutrals, because it’s about time Arsenalunderstood that defending and reading the flow of a game can be just as important as attacking and imposing a style of play.

It follows, then, that this could be a troubling turn of events forMourinho and Chelsea — not because Chelsea only knows one way to play under the Portuguese (Mourinho actually has a couple of tricks up his sleeve) but rather, the Blues’ favorite and mosteffective way of approaching a big game is nullified when the other team plays the same way. As we’ve noted before, Mourinho loves to get an early goal so the other team has to take theinitiative. Well, this time Arsenal did that and it was his team that had to break through the parked bus.

As usual, after the game therewere plenty of mind games between the two managers, who go together like oil and vinegar, but Mourinho was begrudgingly forced to acknowledge that Wenger’s change in tactics are what won histeam the game. Of course, he couldn’t resistthe urge to take a few digs at the Frenchman and Arsenal, anyhow:

“It depends on the perspective, because normally you [the media] like to say that the team who defends very welldoesn’t deserve to win, and I have to go in your direction and say the best team lost and the defensive team won,” Mourinho said. “But I also have my opinion. My opinion is that theteam that defends very well and the team that leaves their philosophy in the changing room and changes their philosophy and leaves 10 players behind the ball and play the whole second half with nineplayers in front of the box … This is football. This is very good tactical organization. In that perspective, they scored one goal, they deserved to win.”

Indeed, Arsenal deserved to win. And Wenger showed an ability to change his colors. It only took him 14 tries.

Now, if the otherPremier League coaches watched Sunday’s Community Shield, you can bet they’ll try to emulate Arsenal’s success. In other words, this could be a very good thing for neutrals, and abad thing for OTP and other Chelsea fans. 

In any event, your move, Jose.