So Gaspar Edu is gone, on to a project encompassing many teams and possibly new ones in the future. He is ambitious, he is young enough, and I am certain his network, which is so crucial to such a role, encompasses the entire planet. Bizarrely to me, many fans are shouting good riddance already, I suspect because recent results have been below what we were expecting. Arsenal’s fans are incredibly entitled and I have written about this many times. We now expect to win every game and certainly Newcastle and Liverpool fans should have cried all the way home because we are so much better than them .
Edu - a potentially great legacy destroyed
Some fans seem happy Edu is gone and they are calling for Arteta out as well. Some Arsenal fans live in a parallel universe where reality is that Arsenal must win every game and the manager must go if that doesn’t happen. I live in a different reality. I have seen us spend many seasons midtable or worse. In the ‘60’s when I started we had no trophies. In the ‘70’s we had 4. In the ‘80’s 2. In the 90’s we had 6. In the 2000’s we had 5 and finally in the 2010’s we had 3. We have 1 since but we have many years to go yet before the decade is out.
Does Evangelos Marinakis have a huge club up his sleeve?
My point is simple. We are not Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid or Barcelona, or PSG, or Juventus, or even Celtic or Rangers. These teams have dominated their countries at various times. Their fans are the true entitled ones. There are four major trophies to aim at every year. The PL, FA Cup, League Cup and a European one if we qualify. That makes 40 in a decade. Our best is 6 since I have been a fan. That works out at 15% for our best decade and 0% our worst. It means that most seasons we have got nothing quite often. We are not entitled to success, and we need top people in charge to get it.
Money, money, money?
I feel Edu was top and that’s why he was headhunted. Was it money or ambition? I would reckon ambition but against that is Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave? Really? Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek owner is reputed to be looking to buy a top European team but who? One of the elite mentioned in the previous chapter? It would have to be, surely, but buying a big club generally takes years of maneuverings and increasing your shareholding. Have they got one lined up? I cannot believe that any of the above three are going to eclipse Arsenal no matter how long Edu lives.
Edu Robin Hood, robbing from the rich Greeks to give to the poor - himself
Since Marinakis took over Forest in 2017 he has had 10 managers. Arsenal, in it’s entire history has had 20 managers. So that is a clue to why Edu has gone. Logically, money, and a huge amount of it is the attraction. Even if he gets fired he pockets lots of money and nobody really blames the football director. He will get another top job for sure. But also logically, he must have been offered a crazy amount of money, money that Arsenal weren’t willing to pay. More than Arteta, for example? Meaning that Arteta, and probably all coaching staff would have to get a raise. The Kroenke’s must have figured that Edu was not worth the salary that Marinakis was willing to pay so did not get involved in a bidding war.
A wide series of talents needed
For sure, he had to go straight away. Such a person could not have a foot in two camps. It is such a specialized job, you need eyes in every country for emerging talent, you need to keep abreast of all tactical elements that are evolving, you need the trust of agents worldwide, you need a gravitas so that when Edu comes calling, even top players listen, and you need a global network to run the football empire that is a modern top team. This, undoubtedly, Edu has. And probably there are few with his specialized knowledge of these areas, particularly when it comes to the greatest exporter of footballers worldwide, Brazil.
Will Edu drown in the Trent beside Notts Forest City Ground?
My conclusion is that unless there is a truly big club on Edu and Marinakis’s horizon, then talk of ambition being the driver is facetious. And you will never see any of the three current clubs among the elite of world football in my estimation. Forest’s capacity is around 30,000 and regarding investment, the current top clubs in England are awash with money, and neither Olympiacos nor Rio Ave can possibly become true top dogs. It really only leaves money as the driver and that surprises me. Edu seemed to be a real Gooner, and he has been totally involved in the move upwards.
Bring the Maestro back
Arsene Wenger didn’t want such a position to be created but Arteta warmly embraced the notion of as much help as possible. The Kroenke’s have a record of bringing in specialists to support in every department. They work on margins and even a 0.2% margin in our favour is to be welcomed.
Arsene would be the greatest football director ever
We will need then, a man who knows football inside out, a man respected everywhere he goes, a man who has a huge network of football people, who knows about even obscure players in obscure countries. Step forward the aforementioned Arsene Wenger! There could be no-one better. He has a great record of bringing in players and making them great. He hasn’t had too many disasters in transfers and he knows Arsenal better than any person alive. Arteta adores the man, and if Arsene Wenger is on the phone to any putative player, then they will listen. He even did a deal one time on an airport tarmac.
Mikel, this is your task, bring him back!
Bring him back. He will not leave us for money. I am sure the Arabs have offered him zillions but he is committed to helping Fifa evolve football worldwide. I believe he would love to come back to his true love, work with Arteta to MAGA(Make Arsenal Great Again) or even MATGEFT (Make Arsenal The Greatest Ever Football Team). BRING HIM BACK!
Ps. Despite everything I wish Edu all the best. I hope he becomes a big success and he has made the right choice. He served Arsenal well and I am sure he will serve his new masters well.
