The 20/80 principle that Wenger and maybe Arteta never understood. by Joe_@**
Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson are two legendary football managers whose names are synonymous with success. While both have achieved great things in their respective careers, it is worth noting that Ferguson had the edge in terms of overall success. The secret behind this disparity probably lies in Ferguson’s ability to understand and apply the 20/80 principle, a concept that Wenger was less adept at implementing.
Wenger could have been more successful had he played to the team’s strengths 80% of the time, while adapting tactics to exploit opponents’ weaknesses the remaining 20% of the time. This was a cornerstone of Ferguson’s most successful Manchester United teams, which featured players like Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher. These unsung heroes were hardly superstars but they performed the necessary tasks when the tweaking to tactics was required without much fanfare. We actually suffered a lot when Ferguson suffocated our most creative players with likes of Butt, Neville and Fletcher.
Arteta should take note of this approach, as it demonstrates the importance of making the most of existing resources rather than relying solely on big-money signings. Wenger, who was vocal against parking the bus and physical tactics, thus making it impossible for himself to adopt such tactics when it was necessary – not even against Barca.
It is not difficult to understand how Ferguson and even Mourinho kept beating Wenger in matches and titles, although there were a number of seasons where we were actually the better team. The possession statistics were very evident. They just allowed us to have all the possession and simply adapted their tactics whenever they played us. The inflexibility that contributed to Wenger’s shortcomings has seemingly continued under Mikel Arteta.
On another note, the often-cited “bottling hypothesis” is not the main reason for Arsenal’s poor results towards the end of every season. During the final stretch of the season, other teams are more likely to have clearer objectives, such as chasing European spots or fighting relegation. These teams tend to abandon their usual playing style and adopt a more specific and objective-based approach against stronger teams, for example, playing a very patient game and exploiting weaknesses through dead-ball situations, long balls, and physical play.
Our vulnerability stems from our unwavering commitment to the preferred style of play, even when it is not the most effective approach. Mourinho famously highlighted this issue during the Wenger era, and it seems that Arteta may be falling into the same trap. The 80% brought us CL football consistently under Wenger and the missing 20% could have brought us titles, including the one that might have just slipped through our fingers this season.
Joe_@**
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