Today Arsene Wenger becomes Arsenal’s longest serving manager ever. 13+ years in the job he has gone past George Allison who is, I suppose, his Cliff Bastin to Wenger’s Thierry Henry (I’m not forgetting Ian Wright, btw!).
He joined an Arsenal team which had been somewhat in the doldrums, although improving under Bruce Rioch, and essentially revolutionised the place. New training ideas which prolonged the careers of great players, a new style of play, top players, we all know what he’s done, what he’s won and what he’s brought to Arsenal Football Club.
We’re in a new stadium because of him, we’ve consistently competed in the Champions League because of him, we’ve attracted great players because of him, and while this is certainly his most important season yet, his contribution to the club has been immense. Any 13 year relationship has its ups and downs but in this modern era it’s becoming more and more rare that any football fan will know how that feels, especially in the top flight. Look at Chelsea’s 5 managers in the last couple of years, even success is not enough to guarantee your job these days.
It helps though. Arsene is under pressure like never before to deliver this season. He’s put his faith in a group of young players and they’re keen to repay that. Gael Clichy says:
In football you always want to be the best and win trophies. So when you don’t have the results everyone wants, people start to talk. In the last few years we haven’t won anything so people talk badly about him.
But I believe we have to think about what he has done for the club. I really hope this year will be a good one for him and the fans.
Captain Cesc Fabregas says:
He has been the most important influence in my short career. He took me here, made me train with the first-team when I was 16 years old – I was training alongside Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira so I was lucky to learn from the big players.
For me it was a very big step forward. The manager took the risk to put me in the team. I have to thank him for that and now I have to pay him back for what he has done for me.
I’m sure the same sentiments are true for many of the current crop of Arsenal players. I don’t think any manager has ever put such an amount of faith in a group of players, unwilling to spend money so as not to hinder their development, clearly his plan is to create a team that grows up together and can mature and win trophies. It’s a long term plan in a world in which you are judged on the very short term. One weekend you’re title contenders, the next you’re useless.
There was a telling quote last season when Arsene said something along the lines of:
I’ve never worked so hard and been criticised so much.
Yet his belief in what he’s doing appears unshakeable. He is convinced he can win things with this group of players. He’s done it with more experienced squads. Where we have Diaby, he had Vieira. Where he has Denilson he had Gilberto or Petit or Edu. Where we have Almunia, he had Seaman. Where there is now Bendtner, there was Bergkamp. He’s not blind to the differences, he can’t be, but as much as ever I’m sure he wants to win things with Arsenal and now it’s down the to players. He’s given some of them the chance of a footballing lifetime, they need to deliver.
I know some of those comparisons are unfair but I don’t mean it to highlight the weaknesses of the current squad, more to remind ourselves of how incredible that Invincibles squad was. We had some of the best players in the world at the very peak of their careers. Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp, Pires – right up there with some of the best players of all time, playing at Arsenal in the same team. It’s almost impossible to replicate something like that without spending Real Madrid style money and Arsene knows that. Everyone knows that, in fairness. He’s gone down a different route (and how interesting is it to compare the continued failure of that squad in the Champions League with the relative success the newer squad has had in the same competition?).
Whatever frustrations and reservations any of us might have about the boss though I have to say I still love the man. He provides an intelligence, wit and morality in the game that is rare. Sure, he doesn’t see the odd incident but he speaks with such erudition about our club, about the game of football, that it is always a pleasure to listen to him (except when he talks about money!).
Let’s face it, the world of football and football management is chock-a-block with spivs, chancers, spoofers, blackguards, muppets, barely formed single cell organisms, Sam Allardyce and far worse. I’m proud that we have Arsene Wenger representing Arsenal Football Club. I can’t say ‘Here’s to another 13 years’, because that’s far too long in football, but I can say ‘Thanks, Arsene, and here’s to more trophies’.
Because despite worries there’s nothing I’d like more than for Arsene to lead this team to the title again or to the Champions League for the first time. Or both. That might be greedy though.
Anyway, cheers Arsene. I’ll happily raise a glass to you.
In other news Stan Kroenke has increased his Arsenal shareholding by 80 shares bringing his overall stake to 28.7%. This has prompted many a story regarding an imminent takeover, but with the Uzbeki Jabba still holding tight to his chunk of the club I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.
And that’s about that. More, and an Arsecast, tomorrow.
