It would be wrong to say that Arsene Wenger's record 13-season tenure at Arsenal has been anything other than a massive, massive success story.
When he was appointed back in 1996 and David Dein announced Arsene's name, it's fair to say that my reaction - like that of most of the rest of the footballing world - was 'who?'
That's not to belittle his previous achievements because Arsene has admitted himself that the club took a huge gamble in picking him. That they did and that 13 years on he is still there, is a huge testament to Arsene 'the man' and 'the coach'.
Stature
He arrived at Highbury at a time when Arsenal had drifted a bit and weren't really going anywhere. After George Graham's hasty exit they struggled to find anyone capable of threatening to do what George did - that is win trophies.
Plenty to smile about: Wenger's numerous qualities have fostered success
When you take over as a coach you always want one of your first signings to be impressive and important - one that defines your coaching ability and your managerial skills and there's no doubt that the arrival of Patrick Vieira did that for Arsene.
It was another occasion when I thought 'I'm not quite sure, but I'll wait and see'.
Back then Arsene was a manager who was interested in buying players if they were talented and big of stature. He had a very large side with Emmanuel Petit alongside Vieira in midfield - powerful central midfielders, the total opposite of what he has today.
I don't think we've seen a better man for pulling young talent from obscurity and turn it into multi-million pound players.
Andy Gray
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That was exactly what was needed at that time. When you do sign someone like Vieira who is an instant success, it helps you to settle in. You don't want you first three or four buys to be failures because the fans then start to question your judgement.
Stability
Yes, Arsene wanted to change the mentality at Arsenal but what helped him enormously when he took over - and I'm sure he would accept this - was what was there already. I'm talking about a goalkeeper and four or five defenders who knew the art of playing together and keeping clean sheets.
He had that in Lee Dixon, Steve Bould, Martin Keown, Tony Adams and Nigel Winterburn and David Seamen in goal and used it well for a few years. That was the bedrock for him to go on and tinker with the rest of the side. Without that back five, I don't think they would have won the Premier League title and FA Cup in his second year.
Stability was crucial but of course that side was also awesome to watch. It was a team of great pace - Nicolas Anelka and Marc Overmars were lightning quick and troubled everyone.
And what hasn't been said about Dennis Bergkamp? I'm not sure I can add any more to the glowing tributes that have already been paid to the guy. He was quite simply one of the most talented and skilful footballers we've had in this league. Although it was Bruce Rioch who signed Bergkamp in 1995, it was Arsene who got the best out of the Dutchman.
Evolve
Just as Sir Alex has done at Manchester United, Arsene has proved himself adept at helping his sides evolve. He's done it subtly and so effectively that, for the most point, it has been tough to spot the joins.
Overmars and Anelka moved on and as Keown, Adams and Bould grew old at the same time Arsene realised that he had to change. Players like Ashley Cole started to get a game, he was coming through, and Sol Campbell arrived from Spurs.
He actually had some difficulty finding a suitable partner for Campbell and tried a couple of combinations before settling on one that worked.
His manipulation produced a team that was untouchable at times in the 2001/02 season. Arsene took a guy like Thierry Henry, someone who many knew little about, and turned him into one of the best and frightening frontmen around with his amazing pace and coolness in front of goal.
They weren't a machine - Arsene would never like one of his sides described like that because it would be an insult to the way they play - but they knew what was required to get results. He managed to move the side on by blending experience and fresh talent.
Capable
The same was true of the side that went through the 2003/04 season without defeat, putting together a 49-game unbeaten sequence that finally came to an end at Old Trafford.
Runs like that prove a team possesses many qualities because of the range of problems it can encounter along the way.
This was a team capable of winning five or six-nil, going head-to-head with a club and beating them 4-3 in an open and exciting game, or winning 1-0 if it needed to in a stuffy, horrible contest.
It was a special side that always came up with the goods, even if sometimes it left it late, and embodied Arsene's determination and resilience.
Those are just two of his numerous qualities. Arsene's personality suits Arsenal to a tee and he has a fantastic eye for young talent - no-one can doubt that. I don't think we've seen a better man for pulling young talent from obscurity and turn it into multi-million pound players.
He treats his players as people as well as footballers, which is first-class, and he seems a very calm man who always likes his players to think he's in control. Ok, he has lost it a couple of times in his career but that's no surprise having been in this league for 13 years!
Arsene has always had a belief in his own ability and a conviction that his own ideas are right. He's unswerving in that. Now that may be a weakness in the sense that once he's made his mind up about something, that's it.
It's almost as people call on him to spend money he goes the other way and doesn't. The more people tell him to do something, the more Arsene seems to go the other way! But he has a mind that is always thinking ahead, never thinking about yesterday too much, but always thinking about today and tomorrow because they are the most important times for Arsenal and that's why he keeps moving the team on.
Praise
The one thing that will trouble him is that his team hasn't won a piece of silverware in four years. For all the talent and ambition he has at his disposal, he hasn't been able to turn all of that into silverware. They've come close on many occasions but this will still annoy Arsene. He knows that they have to put some silverware back on the table sooner rather than later.
In the cold light of day you are remembered for what you win. I do think Arsene's current side is good enough to win trophies again but IF he didn't I don't think Arsenal fans would let that overshadow what he has achieved in the last 13 seasons.
A handful of Arsenal fans may look around, see other teams spending vast sums of money and question Arsene's belief and almost bloody mindedness that his way is the best way and that he won't be swayed from it. But that is the way he is.
If he went another couple of years without winning a trophy and ended up with nothing to show for six years, there will of course be dissenting voices. But they will still be lost amid the praise that should rightly come Arsene's way.
Comments (110)
Vik Deen (Manchester United fan) says...
to all those talking about arsenes lack of spending..its a lie. although arsenal hav spent less than say chelsea/man utd they have definetly spent. arsene does a lot of private deals and often the majority of the fees are paid in installments or after a certain period of time making the transfer look cheaper. arshavin 16m hleb 11m henry 11m reyes ~ 20m walcott 12m (and rising) eduardo upro 14m i wud hardly say he hasn't spent. i bet if u look at how much net difference (ins and outs) between utd and arsenal it wudn't be that much considering the difference in the number of trophies. tho they spent less i think its shown in the fact that they won less. its no more impressive then say a team like everton. moyes has worked on a show string compared to arsenal and without the funding of champions league football. full respect to wenger but lets admire his coaching abilties rather than this phalicy of his non existent spending
Posted 03:24 8th October 2009
Matt Huffman (Manchester United fan) says...
Wenger is a fantastic coach. He plays the beautiful game but he is also too stubborn for his own good. Arsenal have money - he chooses not to spend it, even though anyone with eyes can see Arsenal lack leaders on the pitch. You have to rough it at times in this league and year after year they fail in this aspect....the link? Viera's premature departure.....bringing him back would be helpful but slamming the stable door after the horse has bolted springs to mind.
Posted 19:31 7th October 2009
Stuart Stirton (Arsenal fan) says...
arsenal are reapping in the benifits of wenger still because in the last year he has built a brand new stadium and traning ground and he has set up a world class youngsters section to help the team even after he is gone and there is youngster classes in over ten diffrent countries in the world .
Posted 14:28 7th October 2009
Amit Shah (Manchester United fan) says...
I have to say kudos to the great man - him and SAF are what made the Premier League so great in the 1990s and the early years of this decade. He has suffered as a result of not spending at a time when all the clubs around him and below him have spent extortionate amounts of money. However, don't forget United's riches were built on their phenomenal success of the 90s and the fact we're a global brand - that's what gives us the spending power we have, unlike Liverpool, Chelsea and City I might add! I sincerely hope Arsenal have that in a few years time when Wenger's caution reaps rewards. Arsenal were a run of the mill club when he joined and now along with United, Spurs City and Villa light up the PL week in, week out when firing on all cylinders. He deserves all the credit and recognition he gets. For those of you who think he's a sore loser - it's what makes him a winner, just like the great Fergie! For those of you who don't, you're in denial! They understand that any criticisms of their team / players performances must be done behind closed doors even if it makes you look stupid in front of the cameras! To those 'Pool fans who say he's overrated - don't be ridiculous! If anyone's overrated it's Benitez! Spent millions on average players (Torres and Masch aside) and the only return has been a CL and FA Cup - which were not won by his tactics, but by one Steven Gerrard! All true football fans will stand up and respect everything Mr Wenger has achieved and he is an asset to our beloved Premier League! Hopefully United and Arsenal will stand face to face in battle for the League in the near future - it's no less than the two great managers deserve!
Posted 14:16 7th October 2009
Shamel Mundeth (Arsenal fan) says...
Wonderful feature!!!
Posted 11:28 7th October 2009
Tom Hibberd (Arsenal fan) says...
Arsene wenger is an idol to me. he has class intelligence and a great understanding of the wonderful game. He's not the best in the world but who is these days. sir alex ferguson claims he has the best team in the world and they play the best football. you just have to watch the champions league final last season to see that isn't true.yeah man u have there ups and downs with their manager, but you don't know that because it isn't commented. it is though when you use the words arsenal or Arsene wenger. he has had to put up with take overs , people on the board leaving, players leaving, the eduardo scam but that was not him. look how many fa cups his won compared to sir alex then look at their time in the job. its not all about what you won in the last five years, its what have you acheived. IN ARSENE WE TRUST
Posted 08:18 7th October 2009
Subhrendu Sarkar (Arsenal fan) says...
@Larry and all those who go back to highlight how Arsene hasnt won anything in the last 5 years and start comparing him to Fergie qand show how Fergie is better. Well for the record let me state Ferguson is a great coach and Arsene is a great coach too (to me he is greater but thats a personal opinion) however I do find it hard to accept that Fergie is better than Wenger just bcoz Arsene failed to win anything in the last 5 years. Inspite of not being able to spend millions, Wenger always finished in the top-4, made the champs; league final, semis and quarters in those years. Now Fergie assumed the manager's cap in 1986. For all those ppl who harp on tropies, let me ask how many trophies did Fergie win between 1986-1992. Thats a period of 7 years and I guess there was just one FA cup win and league finishes as low as 11th and 6th. Under Wenger, Arsenal has never dropped below the 4th - that speaks a lot. Also how much did Alex spend over the years compared to Wenger. Lets see, in the trophy drought years of Alex and Wenger, Alex still spent hugely for Neil Webb and Paul Ince, as well as defender Gary Pallister (a national record £2.3million signing from Middlesbrough) alongwith for Mark Hughes. Doesnt all these prove by themselves who is the greatest manager in England now.
Posted 21:27 6th October 2009
Tafadzwa Murefu (Arsenal fan) says...
i think Wenger deserves every praise his getting cause he has done alot for the club and made us a major player in europe ,but although his first name rhymes with that of the club i thing over the past 4 years he has lost the plot ,firstly he sells Viera whom has never replaced then Henry whom who was more than just a player at ARSENAL but the life blood of the club again he was never replaced but wenger thought he could get away with selling him cause he had Adebayor ,2 seasons later he sells him again no replacements and to add insult to injury he also sold Toure who had been a hard working loyay gunner ,i think he should have sold Ebuoe and Song brought Yaya Toure, Varmalean and played Kolo at right back.that i think would have made us solid and yet still dangerous ,i also feel he could have done more to keep a hold of Flamini and i arent even gonna mention Hleb ,so am gonna end it at Wenger is not ARSENAL the club was there and will continue to be there long after Wenger so lets all wake up and smell the coffee ,that you Wenger for everything ,but i think you behind the times just like Fergie who sold Ronnie and replaced him with Valencia now no one is scared of Man-u
Posted 20:59 6th October 2009
Anthony Reilly (Arsenal fan) says...
As an Arsenal fan I'm glad there are so many fans from other clubs that have nothing but praise for the man. For the people with negative views. Jealous? you have to be don't you. Imagine what the premier league would of been like without Wenger? all the players he has found and continue to play for other cluns now. Would Chelsea have Anelka up front? Would they have Cole in defense? Some bitter Liverpool fans on here... had Anelka and wished they had kept him. Didn't Bolton avoind relegation because of Anelka? Would Man city have Toure and 'yuk' Adebayor. don't like talking about him. I could go on and on. Player after Player. Look at the entertainment he has brought to the league. Yet people complain. We've won nothing for 4 years yet in that time came close to the league, the league cup, the FA cup and champions league. Hes wonderful. He'll win a major trophy soon. Then some people will eat there words.
Posted 12:50 6th October 2009
Anne Taylor (Newcastle United fan) says...
Having read most of the comments I must applaud the Manchester United fans who commend Wenger, lets face it they know a good manager when they see one. Reading the comments from "some" Liverpool fans (not all of them) and Tottenham fans all I can say is "sour grapes". I bet you wish he had been your manager for the last 13 years, I know as a Newcastle United Fan I do.
Posted 08:05 6th October 2009
Anon N (Arsenal fan) says...
The man is not a great, and very close to not even being a good, manager All his success was achieved with top players such as the defence inherited from Graham, and the likes of Bergkamp/Wright/Campbell/Pires/Overmars/Ljungberg Now that they are long gone, he is struggling in a major way It is time the media stopped living in the past and judged him on his current doings, not his previous reputation
Posted 21:31 5th October 2009
Michael G (Arsenal fan) says...
mainly at vinnie jones leicester fan fergie has managed to win titles buying big name players for obscene ammounts of cash using manchester uniteds huge wad of cash wenger has managed to pull no bodys out of nowhere getting the best years out of them and selling them on for obscene ammounts of cash he battled united for the title during years when no one else could get close while also setting up an ifastructure that will see arsenal challenging at the top level of the top league in the world for many years to come that is why you cant say fergie is better than wenger while equally you cant say wenger is better than fergie.
Posted 19:21 5th October 2009
Rue Rue (Arsenal fan) says...
If Arsene left who would come in to take up the reigns really? Is there a manager out there other then Sir Alex who could come in and do the same job or anything better? The true answer is No. Arsenal are the team for the future, Chelsea with there no signings, Liverpool with their squad rotational addicted gaffer, and manchester city with there money are only interim teams. Manchester United win because Sir Alex has the support and respect of his players and the people upstairs. Wenger has the same thing at the Emirates, and mark my words you will see the results.
Posted 17:24 5th October 2009
Vinnie Jones (Leicester City fan) says...
One Name, Fergie. Wenger has won nout in the past 5 years, how is he the best manager of our time? If he wins nothing this season, it'll be time for a change at Arsenal! Arsenal should appoint Chris 'Kammi' Kamara as their manager, he is a football legend!
Posted 13:47 5th October 2009
Nick Mckay (Arsenal fan) says...
One Word "Legend"!
Posted 13:26 5th October 2009
Jason Smith (Arsenal fan) says...
Mick the Tottenham Supporter: What exactly did you hope he would bring to the English game. Apart from attracting some of the greatest players to play in the EPL, and playing some of the best european football. Granted this doesn't do much for the England team, but thats not his job. What has spurs done for England, reminded Europe that if your not in the top 4 in EPL, your probably pretty rubbish at european football!
Posted 13:24 5th October 2009
Jools Zauscinski (Arsenal fan) says...
Not just a manager, but a shrewd judge of character, learned and articulate. Speaks AFTER putting his brain in gear, Arsenal through and through and also has revolutionised the way players are coached in the UK. I still remember the headlines all those years ago when he arrived from Japan.."Arsene Who?" well now everyone knows him. A gentleman in everything he does.
Posted 13:11 5th October 2009
Kingsley Roberts (Liverpool fan) says...
Arsene Wenger is simply a great manager and an even greater man. In a game that's so awash with money it's drowning in it, his refusal to spend millions is testament that he sticks to what he believes in. If he can get Vieria on loan in January, he may have filled the holding role spot that Arsenal have been looking for. For the record, I'm a Liverpool fan of 30 years and counting!
Posted 12:10 5th October 2009
Andy Robertson (Everton fan) says...
I think he has done a good job getting players like fabregas for free, toure for cheap and so on, his gamles on players like walcott have worked. I must admit i am not his biggest fan but what he has done for arsenal i think the fans cant thank him enough, european final, league cups and fa cups, the invincibles are all his work and as much as i hate to admit it he is a good manager.
Posted 11:13 5th October 2009
Dave Parnel (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
So much talk about trophies, but for a spectator `looking in` as such, the team that wins almost every weekend of Premier league football is Arsenal. Watching Arsene`s team of young confident well trained style-meisters against Blackburn yesterday makes one want to grab everyone who has problems watching the game, and use this sort of football to win them over. Football is a technical game that might not appeal to those who prefer wrestling or rugby, but once an understanding of the basics has been taken in, the Premier league supplies the more cerebral and satisfying entertainment, and Arsenal repeatedly collects the trophy for raising football to an unequalled spectator sport.
Posted 09:14 5th October 2009
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