The recent form of Arsenal coupled with the signing of Mesut Ozil, has seen a new wave of optimism sweep over a club, which, at the start of the season looked destined for a meltdown.

Now even silent Stan Kroenke has professed his support for Wenger, who in recent months has been closer to the edge of leaving the club whose identity is deeply ingrained within him. Kroenke has waited until now to declare his support, whilst Arsenal are riding the crest of a wave, but will it break and, if it does,  who will fall?

Intensifying pressure

There have been periods in the past year where Wenger has endured the staunchest of pressure from all angles which has, at times, seemed like he was being hounded out. On the touchline, Wenger has looked like a shadow of the man who has brought such success to the club during his reign.

Arsene’s increasingly irritable attitude towards the media, and the lack of success that the club has endured for the past eight years, make him an easy target for the media and fans alike. This was clear after the defeat to Villa, which for many encapsulated another summer where much was promised, but little delivered. Few retained their faith in the manager.

The fans and the media went into overdrive about the crisis at the club. Reports stated that Wenger would have left by September, and hinted at major conflicts on the board, whilst fans were baying for heads to roll. In the eight seasons without a trophy, the pressure had never been so intense upon the manager.

Wenger’s Resilience

It is a measure of the man Wenger is that the team are playing confident football, when the skills of the manager and the squad have been questioned at every level. Where many would have cracked over the years, Wenger has continually stood up to the critics who wished to tarnish his record for sticking to what he believes in, a victim of his own principles.

If anybody can take the ups and downs entailed in the Premiership, it is the most experienced manager left in the league. That he continues to instil so much belief in his squad, a squad that for more than a year has been deemed not good enough to compete is impressive.

The Gunners have lost only 2 of the past 23 games and accomplished a record 11 straight away wins, driven forward by the revitalised Ramsey. Giroud is getting the praise he deserves whilst Mertesacker has been a rock at the back, a mark of a team that is playing with confidence.

Arsene is a stubborn man, this can no doubt frustrate all fans at times, and his lack of investment in players epitomises this. He is stubborn because there is no other way of seeing his grand vision come through. In the fickle world in which we live it is easy to falter when times get hard, but Wenger drives on through, and now has the public backing of the owner, which must make him feel vindicated.

The Past and the Present

In the week that Kroenke has publicly declared his wish to keep Wenger at the club, David Dein has also offered praise for the manager for defying early season critics.

“It has been pretty volatile over the past six months” said Dein. “A lot of fans turned against Wenger in the middle of last season after a spate of inconsistency,” Dein added, “Never underestimate Arsene Wenger.”

Kroenke’s comments appear all the more interesting in light of Dein’s, as it clearly shows what confidence within the club can do. Considering that, at the start of the season, there were calls for Dein to return to the club, which although unrealistic, highlighted the discontent.

Stan’s comments have done much to endear him with the fans who could be forgiven for feeling estranged from the American owner. It has helped everybody understand how the club is managed a little bit more, how he likes to take a back seat and, ultimately, his unwavering support for Wenger.

One question that springs to mind is why has he waited until now to declare his support for Wenger? There have been times in that last year where Arsene has appeared a lonely figure, looking like he could have done with a few more words of support. Dein’s comments highlight a more important issue surrounding the club, the fickle views that can at times fuel coverage in football, of which Arsene has endured the brunt.

How long will the support last?

Arsenal are currently flying high, so it is easy for the owner, whose views have been a mystery to the fans until now, to appear more optimistic. Arsenal’s response to the opening defeat of the season and the Ozil effect are still being felt by Arsenal fans around the globe, but, will it last and where does it go from here?

Is Ozil just the first step in building a truly world class squad as Kroenke suggests? Will we sign a top class striker, will we even challenge for a trophy this year? It is early days and only time will tell, but in the game of football it is easy to get over-excited and we know how quickly things can fall apart.

If fans’ support and media scrutiny continues to be as fickle as it has been, it only makes the crunch time of the season more important. The two or three games three-quarters of the way into the season that turn out to be defining, could create the darkest clouds surrounding the Emirates yet. Buy yes, let’s enjoy it whilst the sun is shining.

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