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Arsenal, arsene, board, coaching, fans, wenger

New Backroom Staff To Bring Fresh Winds of Change?

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There has been much change within our club recently. More change than ever, since Arsene Wenger began his era at Arsenal.

Hossam Fahmy working his legal and contract magic, in from TeamSky.

Darren Burgess and Shad Forsythe, leaders in the field of sports physiotherapy and recovery.

Sven Mislintat, renowned for his talents in player recruitment.

Jens Lehmann, former Gunner and outspoken coach.

Raul Sanllehi, a man with more connections than the London Underground system.

These men are in place and set to revolutionise the operations at Arsenal.

While Wenger is still at the helm though, Is it a case of changing the shoes on a tramp and expecting to change his appearance?

A large swathe of our fans see it this way. Wenger is the rust in our gears and until he has departed, then no matter of change can rouse us from our reverie.

The truth though, is that for once, our Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, has finally come good and acted on his words, rather than spouting clever rhetoric.

He mentioned this summer that change was coming, the winds of variety would sweep into our dusty halls and blow away the stale funk, and slowly but surely, he was right.

We now have the pieces in place to transition change in the right way, to drag ourselves to the front of the sport once again – just like we did when Wenger first joined.

Everyone is well versed about the Wenger revolution when the Frenchman signed from Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan. His dietary changes, his training methods and frameworks were well ahead of anything in the Premier League at the time, his football knowledge surpassed the majority so we also gained a jump in player recruitment.

Now, we have the tools to again make that massive leap to the front of the conga line of football, and lead the way.

Mislintat could have set up shop anywhere, such is his pedigree. Sanllehi was working his magic with Barcelona. Burgess and Forsythe were regarded as true leaders of their sector.

We truly have recruited the best in each field.

This is cause for optimism. We all know though, that change after an extended period of the same thing requires a transitory spell, one that needs velvet gloves. Manchester United replacing Sir Alex Ferguson spells out how cautionary we need to be to pick the right man – and have the perfect team to oversee the change.

We can all offer opinion on who should come in to replace Wenger when he finally calls time on his era. Some say a seasoned veteran to oversee the turbulent first couple of years. Others say a promising younger manager who has a firm grasp on modern tactics and hasn’t let time destroy his ideals.

It is very much up for discussion, but for now, we can rest assured that we now have the most solid of foundations in place to guarantee that if we do slip up, then it will only be down to the new man in the hotseat, not the network that is in place to help him.

We’ve been slipping for a while now, but these appointments mean we are moving in the right direction in the background. Good times are coming.

Arsenal, arsene, coaching, football, premiership, tactics, The Arsenal Review, wenger

​Arsenal Look to Change

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Published Originally on Arsenal Review – and adapted.

Towards the end of the underwhelming 2016-17 season, Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis moved to placate the growing unrest amongst supporters, with comments touching upon the need for change if Arsenal were to move forward.

Gazidis touched upon how disappointing the campaign had been, and how there was a real ‘catalyst for change’ amongst everyone at the club. So fans could have been forgiven for thinking that there would be a freshening up of the staff, a changing of the guard if you will. Something that may give Arsene Wenger a differing view.

Well, the recent news coming from Arsenal definitely has a whiff of the Tories during the General Election.





Strong and stable seems to be the order of the day rather than the winds of change, as Arsenal have announced that Gerry Peyton, Boro Primorac, Neil Banfield, Tony Colbert and Steve Bould will all be offered contract extensions. This means that along with Arsene Wenger staying for another two years – exactly nothing will have changed despite Gazidis’ promises to the contrary – or so we thought initially.


After last season’s fifth placed finish, it showed that Arsenal had fallen behind the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea – and even worse, Tottenham –  by quite some distance. From the months of January through till April, the Gunners were battered from pillar to post and slumped down the league table. The now customary Champions League exit was delivered with aplomb by Bayern Munich, and things were looking bleak at The Emirates.


Ivan Gazidis’s comments were meant to apply a salve of sorts, to soothe irate Gooners who could see quite painfully our rivals driving off into the distance. The regime needed to adapt or to be replaced. Arsenal’s Chief Executive could recognise the bubbling undercurrent of dissatisfaction was rising to higher levels than ever seen before. We all thought his comments were hollow at first, but brick by brick, we are seeing that behind the scenes, Arsenal may be taking a different tack.


Did Gazidis and the Board actually have intent to push through changes, and that if Wenger wanted to continue in the job, he would have to adapt?


We will surely never know, but winning the FA Cup will have reminded the Board that Wenger continues to be able to do the job. 


What is now clear is that our whilst our rivals will look to improve their squads with the mountains of cash provided by the TV rights deal, our own squad must also be boosted.


Wenger has started early in that respect, bringing in highly rated Schalke left-back Sead Kolasinac and record signing Alexandre Lacazette, but there is still much work to do. The news will continue to dole out rumours and speculation about targets, but Arsenal need something new if they are to claw themselves back into contention – after being so far away from the top in the last campaign.


Worries in previous seasons about the fitness regime at London Colney, reports about Gerry Peyton clashing with our goalkeepers. All of this may or may not be true, but after twenty one years of this regimen – we can say that this setup now needs to be reworked.


There was a reshuffle of sorts a few seasons ago with the appointment of fitness guru Shad Forsythe who had previously worked with the German international team, but Tony Colbert still resides in his position. Whether this correlates to Arsenal’s annual injury woes is inconclusive, but it is yet another stick on the bonfire.


Gerry Peyton has been goalkeeping coach since Wenger joined the club, and Boro Primorac was rumoured to be taking a Head Coach role somewhere in Europe, but both will be at the club next season.


Much has been made of Steve Bould’s role as Assistant Manager. The former Gunners defensive stalwart has been credited by some players as the reason for more defensive solidarity – but his muted appearances in the Arsenal dugout have left some wondering whether his role is limited. Is Bould simply a scarecrow, designed only to stave off suggestion that Wenger’s power at Arsenal is not open to defiance? Or does Bould have more input than his silent appearances on the Arsenal bench suggest?


With the appointment of Darren Burgess freshening up the fitness side of things, former Gunner Jens Lehmann coming in to the fold as First Team Coach and now Per Mertesacker being given the role of overseeing the future of the Academy, it appears as though the penny has finally dropped. Arsenal have gone for a transfusion of sorts in a bid to meld the old with the new. 


The 12th of August is nearly upon us, and Ivan Gazidis’s words now appear to have been made tangible. 

Arsenal, coaching, Exclusive, fans, Invincibles, Legends, tactics, wenger

Jens Lehmann Comes Back To Arsenal

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After such an unparalleled achievement as ‘The Invincible Season,’ the raft of documentaries, reading material and general content surrounding the exploits of the unbeaten Arsenal team of 2003/04, it means we have been treated to all angles of the gold-trophy winning campaign.

The majority of the men who made it possible have given their views and anecdotes on what occurred during that halcyon time, and watching them all speak about their teammates and the incidents which transpired on the pitch is still fascinating.

What gives these teams who achieve the impossible, an edge over their opponents? Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry et al have given their musings on the special blend of ingredients in the squad, and there was one common strand which was highlighted by many of these heroes.

It was the fiery, bubbling rapport which often erupted in vigorous, no-holds-barred training sessions. Every player gave their all and never held back, such was the winning mentality running deep within them all.

There was one man though, that perhaps was the embodiment of this competitive habit. 

Jens Lehmann was talked about with a wry smile by many of the players as one who would never back down, and often being the spark which would ignite some heated moments. 

Ray Parlour mentioned Lehmann’s disgust for any who attempted to lob him, and the many times in which players would attempt to do the very thing which would manifest Jen’s rage. It was Lehmann’s pride and his search for excellence which would not allow any such slights against his name. 

 The German  – aptly nicknamed ‘Mad’ by fans – already had a reputation for his exploits with opponents on the pitch, but these soundbites from his fellow Invincibles showed that no matter if it was a crunch game against Manchester United or 5 vs 5 on the pitches at London Colney – he would take every goal personally.

So, the news that Mad Jens is back at Arsenal in a First Team Coach capacity is something we should all be pleased with.

There have been many quarters who have talked of Arsene Wenger’s iron grip behind the scenes, and his need for absolute sway when decisions are made. With Lehmann being given such a prominent role in Wenger’s team, this could well mean that Wenger will have far more discussions about tactics and such than he has ever had before. 

Not only this, but with Wenger personally inviting him into the fold, does this mean that the Frenchman is finally acknowledging the need for a shakeup at ground level?

Lehmann on the training pitch will be exactly the same as Lehmann with his gloves on. He will not allow any quarter to be given by the players, nor will he expect anything other than the squad seeking to improve, rather than plateau.

The German is an excellent addition, and any former heroes should have an open invite to work with the club. Respect is earned, and the players will be aware of Lehmann’s achievements. This commands each and every man to listen that little bit more, to really soak in Lehmann’s advice. With Wenger recruiting Lehmann, it gives each training session that little bit more gravitas.

Not that any man should be taking any session lightly. If any of them were skating by, then that is surely a thing of the past. 

Who would want to cross Mad Jens Lehmann?