Arsene Wenger returned to Arsenal for the first time since he left the club yesterday as they defeated West Ham 3-1 at the Emirates.
He was Arsenal’s boss for two decades before leaving the club in 2018 and did not like how he was forced to leave the team he had spent much of his managerial career with.
The Frenchman has been busy working for FIFA since he left Arsenal and had rejected offers to return to the club previously.
He claimed to have been hurt by his exit and wasn’t thinking about returning to the Emirates before now.
However, he was in attendance as the Gunners came from behind to beat the Hammers and Mikel Arteta said he chose the right day to return.
The Spaniard said via Goal:
“He picked the right moment, a really special day because Boxing Day is a beautiful day to play football and I thought today the levels were what he deserved and hopefully he’ll like. The players didn’t know [about it]. We wanted to keep it quiet and allow that space for Arsene. Stan and Josh [Kroenke] are here as well and it was a really special day.
“Thank you so much to him for coming. Hopefully walking through the building he’s going to feel everything that everybody thinks of him, the legacy he left here. As well his presence has to be very, very attached to this football club.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Wenger is one of the most important figures in our history, and he is one man we need to see back at the club now we are making progress.
His return will delight most fans, and hopefully, it will not be the last time we will see him at the club.
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Indeed a timely and emotional return of the legendary Frenchman to his old stomping ground.
The gaffer must consider his self extremely fortunate to be under the tutelage one time or another of both the Arsenal legend and and maybe the greatest Spaniard ever coaches the game.
Have seen traits in the gaffer that came from both elder distinguished gentlemen.
Odegaard for example, is an Arsne Wenger type signing, Pepe in my opinion don’t sign such players, they have to be a proven campaigner.
Pep Guardiola for example would have rid Ozil from Arsenal team long before he starts sulking.
One is ruthless, brutally honest and take no prisoners and will win at all cost the other is a gentleman well spoken, compassionate and is as patient and humble as they get.
Like many Gooners, even one such as I who wanted him gone long before he finallly went, I retain a huge admiration for AW as a man and I also have affection for him too. But try as I might, I cannot see any real actual role for him, now aged 73, at AFC.
HE is already a world wide admired football man, forever known for his Arsenal time.
He is also widely acknowleged as an ambassador for the club, even without an official title as such.
I would love him to stay close to MA AND THOSE RUNNING THE CLUB AND OFFER HIS WISDOM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BUT SADLY I DO NOT SEE IT HAPPENING NOW. The most we can expect, in reality, is that he attends now and again and is a sort of favourite Uncle to AFC.
But no proper role now, as there is no real role left to play. If there were one he MIGHT consider it, after the passing of all this time. But there is not. We have to be realistic!
He would never manage another English club and I DON’T SEE HIM ANYWHERE ELSE MANAGING EITHER. NOT NOW. Besides he is at FIFA now, God help him!
You make a couple of interesting comments, Jon and they can apply to any former manager (with longevity and success). SAF has stayed close to ManU but it depends on how much influence is put on the incumbent manager.
There were lots of posts about AW going upstairs and on the face of it, that seemed like a good idea. All his experience helping the new coach along.
I’m conflicted on that front. He’d had his day and however good it had been, the end wasn’t glorious. Would his presence have negatively affected the short lived UE and then Arteta? I think both would consider themselves to be ‘their own men’. In Arteta’s case he had both PG and AW to learn from – Moyes too. He could cherry pick ideas from them all. What MA had to learn for himself was the actual art of management and I think we all agree that at times there were some bumpy bits ‘en route’. My only doubt about Arteta was whether he could become an elite manager rather than a very competent one. This season has been a revelation as was the Amazon documentary. Let’s see if he can emulate both AW and PG with CL football and fingers crossed- a league title.