Just when about everybody was criticising Andrei Arshavin, Wenger had this to say in November:
“Recently Andrei was a little bit less sharp when he came back from Russia but he should be back now. He has worked hard, he has a good attitude. He has personality. He is not scared of anybody or anywhere. He is of course a player who can make a decision but also a player who gives personality to the team.”
In January, Wenger again gave his full backing to Arshavin:
“I am not concerned about Andrei’s form and if you look at the best passers in the Premier League, he’s still up there.Sometimes we forget how good we are and more times than we are conscious of it. Andrei at the moment is in that position, so we have to remind him how good he is.”
Patience is perhaps one of the greatest qualities of Arsene Wenger. Whereas many managers lose faith in their players very quickly (contrast it with Redknapp's public criticism of Darren Bent), Wenger is a manager who look at the long term and believes in his players.
Arshavin's goal was the reward for Wenger's faith in him. And once again, Wenger has proved what an excellent man-manager he is.
