Arsene Wenger's 20th Anniversary

October the 1st was Arsene Wenger's 20th anniversary of managing Arsenal Football Club. Here is an ardent Arsenal fan's tribute to a person who has helped shape modern football.

I started following Arsenal in 2007 when they were having a rough patch. Maybe rough patch is an understatement. 2007-08 was the first season I watched most of Arsenal's games regularly. I am still furious about that Birmingham defender's horrendous challenge on Eduardo, that delivered a hammer blow to Arsenal's title challenge. From then on, up to the summer of 2014 Arsenal would go on to have multiple failed title challenges, ending trophy less each time. Even then, Arsenal produced some scintillating football, which kept fans like us captivated.

Arsene Wenger came to England in 1996, virtually unknown. He had led AS Monaco to the French League title, and brought about players like George Weah, Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry. He was quite successful at Monaco, and he was on the radar of a few top European clubs. But he went to the footballing wilderness that is Japan, to gain an experience of that culture. Quite a drop in standards from French top division to the J-League. His knowledge grew by leaps and bounds. He did win two cups whilst at Nagoya.

David Dein, the then Vice-Chairman of Arsenal, met Arsene Wenger while watching a football game. He was immediately charmed by Arsene's love for the game and wanted to sign him on as the manager, but he knew the board would be against it. He also knew that Arsene would not break his contract. Somehow he did convince the Arsenal board that Arsene was the right guy to take the club forward. When Arsene's Nagoya contract ended in September 1996, Arsenal Football Club unveiled him as the manager, and the rest is, as they say, history.

In 1996, Arsene was only the 3rd or 4th foreign coach in the league. He was greeted with headlines of "Arsene who?" by the press. Not many players had any clue about him. The club itself was suffering from an identity crisis, and the most sung chant at the terraces of Highbury were "One nil to the Arsenal". The players were old, the playing style was dour, the fans were getting bored. Arsene had to change all these. He set about making changes in training, introducing diet restrictions and new exercise routines. He immediately stopped all the booze consumption and the half time Mars bars. This was unknown to English football at the time. Players were confused at first, but on seeing the results of these innovative methods, they accepted it. He prolonged the careers of the Arsenal back 4, chiefly Tony Adams and Nigel Winterburn. He sanctioned moves for unknown French players, who would go on the set the Premier League alight. It was a revolution in English football, and Arsene was at the heart of it.

Success followed. A league and cup double in the first full season in charge. For the seasons between 1997 to 2004, it was either Arsenal or Manchester United for the title. Bringing through young players was one of his specialty. Henry, Vieira, Cole, Anelka, Toure, the list goes on. On field success was being complemented by a new training complex, a youth academy and significant backroom improvements. He was preparing the team for long term success.

One of the greatest achievements of modern football was completed when Arsenal under Wenger went an entire league campaign undefeated. Such an feat was unprecedented to say the least. The last time a team went unbeaten in the English top flight was in 1889, when Preston North End managed to go unbeaten in a 12 team league. Arsene thought his squad was good enough to go unbeaten for a season, and he publicly mentioned so. This put enormous pressure on the team and many dismissed his claim. But in the 2003-04 season, Arsenal won the league and the FA cup, unbeaten. Their record was: won 26, drew 12, lost 0. This is such an incredible feat, and I don’t think it has ever been replicated by any team in the top European leagues. Their trophy was golden, and they remain the only team in history to have a golden league trophy. This was one of Wenger's finest moments, and things were looking great for Arsenal Football Club.

In the same year, Arsenal announced the plan to build a new stadium. Highbury was good, but it was quite small for a major European club. Its capacity was limited at 40000, and no further expansion was possible. To compete with the top clubs, a newer, larger and a swankier stadium was needed. Arsene foresaw this and helped begin a new chapter in the illustrious history of the club.

Arsenal had to take a huge loan to finance the stadium. The banks demanded that Arsene stay on for 5 years(I am unable to find a concrete source for this, but this is mentioned in multiple places.) Thus began a period of financial austerity. No longer could Arsenal spend top dollar for star players and pay handsome wages. Unfortunately, this period also saw the rise of clubs owned by billionaires who weren't reluctant to invest money in their teams. Prices of players skyrocketed and they seemed to offer wages few clubs could match. Arsenal, due to their purse strings being tied, were not one of them. Sugar daddies, as I like to call them, were aware of Arsenal's situation and started plucking the best talent the Gunners produced. Over the years, Arsenal had to sell many superstars.

Each season losing a key player to a rival. Arsene Wenger was then left to build the team season after season, while on a shoestring budget. The fact that he kept us in the top 4 all those years, is a testament to that man's skill and perseverance.

This period could be described as a dark era in Arsenal's recent history. 8 trophy less seasons. Players thinking the club lacks ambitions. Fans want the manager to "spend some f*****g money". "4th place trophy" being Arsenal's annual silverware. Media taking full advantage of the situation and fueling public sentiment. Venom being spewed on social media by "fans". The amount of vitriol he had to endure was incredible at times. In all these years, he did have chances to leave and move on to bigger clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern. PSG were looking for a manager for their "project", and Arsene fit their bill. But Arsene refused them all, and stayed. All because of his love for Arsenal, and his love for the game. Players and fans let him down, but he never gave up on the club, guiding the club out of the precarious position with flying colors. Indeed, the plan was to keep Arsenal in the top 4 for 3 of the 5 seasons post the move. But Arsene exceeded all expectations and kept the Gunners in the Champions League for all 5. His only disappointed would probably be that his "Project Youth" failed.

Arsene finally got the go ahead for "splashing the cash" in 2014, and spent 42.5 million pounds on deadline day to land Mesut Ozil. Next summer he cleared the deadwood for the arrivals of proven talents like Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech. Silverware followed, with back to back FA cups in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, Arsenal finished second, their highest finish since 2004. This summer he has added Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez. This feels the strongest Arsenal squad in a decade. And this is Arsene's last year of his contract. Will this season end in success? Will we finally lift the league title? Or the UEFA Champions League? Will this be finally Arsene's year?

What happens at the end of this season is anybody's guess. My opinion is that if Arsenal are successful, Arsene will renew his contract. At a time when revenues are at an all time high and clubs are posting record profits, it seems counterintuitive for him to leave. He has built a fantastic team, and things are beginning to click. The squad is so deep that even the new signing Perez has been unable to get into the team(Although I think Wenger has been easing him into English football). The puzzle is nearly complete. Would Wenger want to leave now? And what if Wenger does go? Where does that leave the club? Who will be the next manager? Arsene Wenger is an impossible act to follow, and this thought must be occurring on every Arsenal board members' mind. Who takes over? What would be resulting structure? Who is in charge of transfers, youth teams, and coaching staff? What about the players? What if they want to leave?(I shudder to think of this possibility!) What will the next manager's demands be? Will he play attractive football? Are we going to become clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea who hire and fire managers or "first team coaches"? I certainly hope we don’t. Stability has been a constant throughout Wenger's reign, and I would like it to continue.

Whatever happens, Arsene Wenger has been a huge blessing to this club. He is Arsenal's most successful manager ever, and long may he continue. It won't surprise me if he got a statue outside the stadium. One day, when I do go to the Emirates to watch The Arsenal play, I hope I get to see Le Professeur on the sidelines, still managing his beloved club, winning scores of trophies. I do not want this love story to end. Ever!

One Arsene Wenger! Victoria Concordia Crescit.

On a lighter note: