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Wenger's Arsenal are closer to Sutton United than Bayern Munich

Roar Rookie
19th February, 2017
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Arsene Wenger has departed Arsenal. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Roar Rookie
19th February, 2017
1

If Arsene Wenger takes a moment to tear himself away from how to fix a shellshocked Arsenal side following their capitulation to Bayern Munich, the economist in him would find a lot to admire about his next opponents: non-leaguers Sutton United.

Gander Green Lane may be a world away from the Allianz Arena, but off the pitch the Us are a model of stability.

This historic club have been on an upward trajectory since they won the Isthmian League (the eighth tier of English football) in 2011.

One further promotion later and Sutton sit in the top tier of non-league. Should they pull off what would arguably be one of the greatest giant-killings even seen in the FA Cup, they will resume battle with fellow non-league side, National League leaders Lincoln City.

But that’s where the similarities end. Lincoln have a proud history with the Football League, sit in automatic places for promotion back to 1992, and are a fully professional.

Sutton, in contrast, are semi-professional, with players and backroom staff all holding down separate jobs, while manager Paul Doswell runs a successful property company.

And unlike Lincoln, they have no ambition to reach the Football League. As Doswell told The Daily Telegraph earlier this season, “if we did get to the playoffs, there would be panic here.”

The infrastructure of the club remains resolutely non-league in its setup and there is no wish to live beyond their means. You sense Wenger, with his distaste for big money deadline day deals, would approve.

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Not that Sutton could get promoted in their current form. Their club’s biggest expense has been their artificial 3G pitch, which is permitted at non-league level but not in the Football League.

It is another pragmatic purchase. The old Gander Green Lane playing surface often resembled what could have charitable been described as a pudding factory work surface, which had barely changed since they knocked out Coventry City in 1989 one of the FA Cup’s great shocks.

In short, it was frequently unplayable.

Doswell funded the £500,000 cost of the pitch, ostensibly because it was a necessary long-term investment, but also reasoning that if Sutton drew the likes Arsenal or Manchester United in the FA Cup in subsequent years, he would get his money back. It is perhaps more of a gamble than Wenger has taken of late.

But while it’s hard to see Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and company labouring on the Surrey-London border as they did in Munich, they will still as likely have to work for a victory.

The likes of Nicky Bailey, Kevin Amankwaah, Matt Tubbs and Roarie Deacon have amassed experience from the Championship downwards, and will be relishing facing the out-of-sorts Gunners.

While Sutton can’t lose given the prize money on offer and Arsenal, in a sense, can’t win (canter to victory and it will be taken as a given, struggle and it will be an extension of the crisis), there is still one bum note to contend with.

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The U’s financial pragmatism has extended to a one-off deal with The Sun newspaper as shirt sponsors for the game, a move that has upset those who view it as inappropriate for a community club such as Sutton.

The Sutton board won’t be the first club to prioritise fiscal stability over popularity. Plus ca change, as Wenger might say.

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