Would you believe it, it’s one thousand games,
A range of signings, he remembers the name.
49 unbeaten and plaudits galore,
Plenty of criticism, yet always top four.
18 years and the team are in form,
Arsène Wenger, Arsenal, a footballing norm…
Stepping out onto the fresh Highbury grass, an anonymous Frenchman looked out of place. ‘Arsène Who?’ reported the media; a manager drafted in from Japan looking more a stopgap than a plug to all of Arsenal’s problems. It was October 1996, a time that retrospectively has changed the outlook on the North London football club’s history and future forever.
Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal journey has been full of ups, downs, controversies, outbursts, dismay and jubilation. While at my age I have only seen nine years of struggles as the club has endured a trophy barren run, the manager’s contribution to the side can never and will never be forgotten.
1000 games on and a man who looked down and out has, time and time again, resurrected himself and his flailing squad. However, Arsène Wenger’s entire story has been one of proving a point to the media and the fans that he is the real deal.
CHANGE
Entering the club with no Premier League experience would be daunting for anyone, but Wenger rose to the challenge, making his mark on the structural routine of English football instantly.
Player diets had been scrutinised by the Frenchman, the boss claiming himself that his side demanded Mars bars before games. This tradition was swiftly eradicated, while drinking habits were heavily monitored, especially due to off-field problems from certain individuals. His influence even stretched towards specific room temperature water in the pre-match meal, every detail proving important to ensure peak performance during games. The manager claims himself that “food is like kerosene. If you put the wrong one in your car, it’s not as quick as it should be.”
This was not the only part of the club in which Wenger altered. Training sessions were given more precision and intensity, former players highlighting Wenger’s continuous use of a stopwatch throughout their regimes. The introduction of plyometric muscle-strengthening exercises was also important in keeping players fitness to full capacity. This was extremely important as an Arsenal team competing at home and abroad would need all players in the squad to be fighting fit all season.
SIGNINGS
While the infrastructure of the club was slowly changing, the on field performances started to follow suit. This was enhanced with Wenger’s carefully selected signings who, while bought for low sums of money, went on to have illustrious and impactful careers at the club. Bruce Rioch had previously signed Dennis Bergkamp and Wenger had already recommended Patrick Viera to the Arsenal board. This gave him a steady core to build upon, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell all putting pen to paper in the subsequent years.
SUCCESS
It only took Wenger two seasons to take an Arsenal side with an aging but motivated and reformed back four, to get back to the heights of English football, winning the League and Cup double in 1997/1998. Despite the following years providing a taster of the recent nine years, the club won the double yet again in 2001/2002, their FA Cup form extending yet again as they achieved success in the 2003 final as well.
But it is 2003/2004 that will go down as Wenger’s greatest ever Arsenal achievement. The Gunners went the entire league campaign unbeaten, the first side to have replicated the feat from 115 years previous. A team of talent, stability, flair and grit played out 26 wins, 12 draws, ‘The Invincibles’ going 49 unbeaten in the league over a two-year period.
TRANSITION
What will haunt Wenger’s past nine years however is the barren run which started after the scrappy FA Cup penalty shootout win to Manchester United in 2005. Wenger has also never won the Champions League, the 2006 final loss to Barcelona in Paris a visible dent in his impressive CV.
But what Arsenal fans undermine is that the period from 2005-2014 has not been a waste of time. The impressive manager, fluent in five different languages and with a degree in Economics, was involved from start to finish with the construction of the Emirates Stadium. The 60,000 capacity arena, situated on Holloway Road, acts as a symbol of the manager’s hard work over the years, giving the club a basis to work on for the foreseeable future.
There have been many near misses since the move to the new stadium. World class players have been born, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Jack Wilshere only a few in a long list. There have been two-cup finals, many semi-finals and stunning goals and signings galore. The point that needs to be emphasised is that while trophies may be absent, the potential is there to be fulfilled.
FUTURE
Year after year, Le Professeur manages to keep Arsenal in the Champions League, while the new Puma kit deal will allow him to utilise his transfer market experience to sign players to improve the team. While Mesut Ozil signed in the summer, the club can only build on this improved line-up.
There are two months to go, a league title challenge fully in motion, while an FA Cup semi-final looms for a Wembley shy Arsenal side. Arsène Wenger will walk out onto the Stamford Bridge dugout this Saturday looking out at his team of warriors fighting for him. A team willing to die for their manager.
"He is someone who knows exactly what he wants. He had a vision at the beginning, he's moved to Arsenal and he still has the same one.” – Mathieu Flamini
“He has been very supportive of me and has treated my like a son. I am part of his family” – Cesc Fabregas
“I’ll never forget the club or him… I don’t see Arsenal without Arsène Wenger” – Thierry Henry
“Arsène made Arsenal what they are today, and the fans understand it perfectly” – Robert Pires
He will have great delight in knowing that he has not had to buy success at the club, helping young players to flourish and now building a strong English core that can lead the national side in years to come. Wenger will look out towards the distance, his eyes glaring with delight as he prepares for the next battle in his career.
1000 games and still counting, for a man they said was done,
It’s all fitting into place, so trust me, there’s still so much more to be won…
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