Why Ivan Gazidis Is Arsenal’s Most Important Player
ByIn recent observations, I’ve suggested that the best signing Arsenal has made in the last 2 years was that of Ivan Gazidis as Chief Executive. It’s usually hard to notice progressive moves made by any new head honcho within the first year as different organizations adjust differently with change of leadership.
Gazidis however, has made tiny strides in securing some quick gains that have earned him some serious political capital both in and outside the club. Whether it’s the ’Arsenalisation’ program currently taking place, or the introduction of a high powered commercial team to focus on maximizing brand Arsenal around the world; Gazidis’s impact is slowly but surely setting in.
Arsenal Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis
Without diminishing any gains Gazidis may have made in different quarters around the club, my sense is that the Arsenal CEO has had two significant roles this far, and during this critical time in Arsenal’s development, I believe that he has the most crucial role to play as a facilitator and enabler.
Firstly, I believe he has acted well as a counter balance and check to the inevitable power that Arséne Wenger wields at Arsenal. It’s not a secret that very few, if any people find themselves courageous enough to challenge the influence Wenger holds over the technical side of the club’s affairs.
Wenger in a lot of respects has earned the authority and right to his leadership and his record and achievements speak for themselves. However, since the departure of David Dein, it’s been clear that Wenger has seriously missed a reliable aide and confidant to share the load with and to assist him in the very critical task of seeing the wood from the trees.
A question has been raised as to whether there’s anyone at Arsenal who can pull Wenger aside and provide an alternative opinion. Take Pat Rice for example, is he capable of saying to Wenger, ”Actually, I think you should revert Song to central defence, and let Denilson hold the fort with Diaby and Cesc in midfield because the opponent are ball players and we’ll have a better chance this way”.
Part of the problem for the Arsenal board is that the balancing act of keeping the club as strong as it is with a move to a new stadium, as well as keeping the squad competitive year in year out is a very precarious and even career threatening job (if the manager fails).
In Arséne Wenger, the board have possibly one of the few managers in the world who is able and willing to take on such an audacious job with a hand tied behind his back. They recognize this and they will bend over backwards and kiss Wenger’s ass to ensure that he is happy.
None of them wants to contemplate the alternative scenario of having another manager who is not capable of operating at this elite level without screaming for big money in order to survive, let alone challenge. The point is that even now, but more so in the last 5 years, very few managers of a world class calibre would have agreed to do Wenger’s job under the same conditions.
The key challenge is therefore one of continuing the arduous task of keeping Wenger happy, supporting and encouraging him, while walking around with a big stick just in case. The man with that unenviable job has been Ivan Gazidis, and let’s face it, it’s not an easy job by any means.
So far, Gazidis has shown that he’s a class act, but now more than ever, he needs to earn his corn by helping steer Arsenal through this last mile that is proving elusive and challenging for this squad.
He needs to throw his full weight (well – the weight of his office and the furniture in it) behind the manager, while being comfortable to pull Wenger aside and apply the right amount of pressure at the right time; all without rocking or sinking the boat and losing the significant gains made this far.
He needs to be able to bitch slap Wenger at the same time as holding an arm around the manager’s shoulder and smiling with him in encouragement at the realisation of Arsenal’s audacious vision. When difficult decisions have to be made or supported, Gazidis needs to be able to tell Wenger to go to hell in such a way that the Arsenal manager looks forward to the trip.
More importantly, Wenger needs to feel and believe that he has a friend who not only supports him through this challenging patch, but can be a trusted sounding board and critical voice that will help move the club to the next stage.
That is why in my view, Ivan Gazidis has the most important role at Arsenal during this precarious period that demands that Arsenal turns its massive potential and stability into championship results.
This responsibility is somewhat related to the second key task that I think the Arsenal CEO has. This is the task of acting as a referee to the various protagonists on the board and the power play that is going on.
More often than not, it’s hard to know which side of the bread the different Arsenal board members are buttering. Not that we can control the eventual ownership of the club if the shareholders involved choose to swap around their stakes.
The thing is that this sort of high stakes poker has an impact on the rest of the club and the fan base in general. Gazidis has a key role to play here in keeping all the parties talking and keeping them focussed on what the operational issues are and how they will be impacted by their shenanigans.
He has already done this in many ways like insisting that he will continue to talk to all parties and try and keep the harmony; but again, playing referee in such a scenario is an unenviable task.
As we go into a summer with much promise of investment in the squad, Gazidis must exert his influence to ensure that the club has the best chance of starting the season with a strong squad capable of challenging. He must steer the board to achieving the right balance between debt repayment and squad investment.
He must support Wenger in whatever the manager feels needs addressing, while applying pressure on him to make the difficult decisions. Most importantly, he must take responsibility for steering the club in a direction that serves our interests long term, and not bow down to the pressure of popular culture and emotion of the day.
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Tue 13th September 2011; 19:45, Dortmund
A good read Darius but somewhat presumptive, I feel.
The inner workings of AFC have always been kept a closely guarded secret. Very few people will know the truth in the professional relationships between AW & DD, Pat Rice, Primo or indeed Gazidis.
It may be that Gazidis may say that politically it may be wise to spend a decent amount of money, for some of the fan base’s esprit de corps, but I cannot see AW or any top line PL manager (as opposed to head coach) being told where to use it.
This thing about Pat Rice being a “yes man”, irritates me. It is based on nothing & the player was a strong, dedicated captain for many years. He played & coached under Don Howe. He was also a coach with GG so he knows about organizing a defence. I have no doubt that if we chose to play defensive football it could be done with a lot fewer goals being conceded but we are used to something different now.
It may well be that AW may feel a fresh face on the coaching staff would be a benefit but that would certainly be a decision for him.
Flint…great points you have there.
When questioned about his relationship with Wenger, Gazidis has always said it’s a supportive and cordial one, and both have alluded to the warm relationship they have and the shared vision.
That’s why I suggest that this needs to continue and in the same token, he needs to keep Wenger (or any other manager for that matter) on toes.
I would suggest that Gazidis is smart enough to know the danger and cost of trying to make decisions for Wenger, and that was not my point. I think it’s fair to say that his role in supporting Wenger is very critical, especially at such a precarious time when potential needs to be guided on the path to reality.
The sort of support I’m talking about is that of (for example) taking away the burden of processing and seeing through the decisions that Wenger has already made like which player to sign – so as to allow Wenger the freedom to do his thing. That’s markedly different from taking decisions for Wenger, and its partly the same role DD used to do on the contract side of things.
Equally, it would be wrong of Gazidis (whether this is known to the public or not), not to raise matters of concern with Wenger and seek to address them. In most companies, not raising any issues of this kind and seeking to address them in a productive way can be seen as deriliction of duty on the part of any CEO. Gazidis has publicly said that the Arsenal defence is an area that needs improvement, and it’s not unreasonable to suggest that he and Wenger have had a conversation about this.
As for Pat Rice, I do agree with you that he gets bad press even though the impact and influence he has is not in the public domain. I like Rice actually, he just seemed to have been part of the furniture for I don’t know how long.
You have to ask though – that during games, when Wenger has made tactical decisions that could have been questioned, e.g. bringing on impact players too late in the game, whether the nearest person to him on match day could have made a different decision or influenced Wenger’s decision.
“In Arséne Wenger, the board have possibly one of the few managers in the world who is able and willing to take on such an audacious job with a hand tied behind his back. They recognize this and they will bend over backwards and kiss Wenger’s ass to ensure that he is happy. ”
PERFECT!
What a read Darius.
Good thoughts on the Arsenal set up. And a much deserved pat on the back for Ivan.
“Gazidis has publicly said that the Arsenal defence is an area that needs improvement”
Yes but, as far as I have seen, only after AW has said the same. It is glaringly obvious anyway.
You are right that AW should not & would not be given a free ride by the board but I would suspect that he is his own biggest critic. The board, unlike many of the fans, know what the sensible & realistic level of success is for both on & off the pitch.
We would all love to know the real mechanics of a transfer. My imagination suspects that AW decides on the player he wants, finds out to some extent from football sources whether he may be available; tells the COE he wants him & his approx. value (fee & wages); leaves it to the COE to try to do the deal; then only again becomes involved to persuade a player to join in football terms. Maybe getting the deal done was DD’s speciality but who knows? I suspect we simply have not had enough money for the sort of top class players that may have been needed for the last few years, DD or not.
We are constantly seeing AW & Pat Rice in conversation during the game It may be that Boro is in touch from the stands. We just don’t know what influence there may or may not be. Substitutions for us are too often limited by fitness issues anyway.
Great read! To sum it up his job is very much like…erm parenting.
I don’t know Darius. Thats the point, as Flint has said, none of us actually do know the relationships inside the club.
I like what we have seen of Gazidis and I won’t disagree that he is our most important signing but the rest of what you posit? I think you are perhaps still in need of your ‘guru’.
Look, it’s been tough but I think much of what you suggest is pure speculation. Too much ‘Dark Side’. Ligthen up. Have a few beers too many. Gazidis will achieve a lot for our club and support Arsene accordingly. Wenger will deliver more with that support.
That’s good enough.