As well as being a vitally important home game for Arsenal in the quest for Champions League glory, the game against Galatasaray this evening marks the 18th anniversary of the managerial reign of Arsene Wenger. And the current players will be desperate to make it a day to remember this time.
The Frenchman has become the most successful manager in the club’s history in his time in charge, but if it was not for that dramatic FA cup final win over Hull City last season, his reputation would be under threat and the media would no doubt be on his back.
The last time Wenger hit a significant landmark with the Gunners was just last season, when we travelled to Chelsea for his 1000th game and it was not just a day to forget, it was an utter humiliation, as we collapsed and Chelsea ran riot, beating us by 6-0.
As an Arsenal.com report reveals, Kieran Gibbs spoke about the Prof in the pre-match press conference and as one of the young players that has benefited from the club’s youth system and from the mentoring of the Prof, he knows Wenger well and is determined to repay the loyalty shown to him over the last seven years.
Gibbs said, “I met him when I was just 16 and in that time obviously I’ve got to know him a lot better. It’s a credit to be part of what he’s doing with the club, and I feel proud.
“He’s always remained positive in the team, he’s believed in a lot of players and he’s given me my career. I have him to thank for that, and I have to work my hardest to repay him.
“Especially at home, we need to continue that [consistency in the Champions League] and get back on track.
“I think it is important to remember how hard we have worked to get to this level. We are not in this competition just to take part – the squad believes we can do something special and we need to get back on track.”
Gibbs is not the only member of the squad that feels they owe a debt to the boss, but the last time they tried to show it, it all went wrong. So maybe the players should not think too much about it being a landmark game, just an important home tie that we need to win. Will this special day be one that Wenger actually wants to remember?
Wenger owes Arsenal a European Cup!! and a deadly striker and a proper dm. and a salary cut too.
But what he owes us most is his resignation
but she is a Chelsea fan and hates arsenal…I hope she doesn’t blackmail me that I only do it with her if I stop supporting Arsenal 🙁 🙁 🙁
You can’t do smiley and frown faces that’s haywill’s thing
Well, Haywill is “Pythagoras” so…
Hahah really?
With yesterday’s results, Chelsea remain unbeaten in all competitions this season. A pretty top top top way to go into a six-point clash with Arsenal over the weekend 😉
that would be veeery confusing for me as I have patiently waited for over three years (ever since they moved to our neighbourhood) and in the process I have spent more than €50 on her, some of which I had to steal from my mom. I can’t let all that money and time go to waste
but considering Arsenal kept me waiting for 9years without a trophy and she is breaking the long wait after only three years, I guess I would have to go with her 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 at least she gives ‘trophies’ faster than arsenal does 😉
sorry pals if my personal troubles bore you, but thats what pals are for, bearing each others burdens, right? hope you all cool with me. Going to study now, love y’all pals
pi = pi r squewed 🙂
Yes I am expecting Arsenal
to beat Chelsea 2-0 .
Maybe we should start by just getting a win over an average team first – so far Wenger has struggled with that.
It is all up to Wenger at this point. So far he cannot seem to start the right players in the right positions. Nor can he do the basics like acquiring the defensive players needed to get through the season. (Do we even have a defensive sub for the bench??)
It is all up to Wenger – if he wakes and starts doing the basics of managing – the things he has not done so far this season – then maybe things will go well for Arsenal.
Well quite honestly I’m not feeling too positive about tonight or Sunday. Injuries have again crippled our squad and with the players we have left to field I really do not feel we have what it takes. Koscielny unlikely to play as well as Monreal, Debuchy and Arteta out leaves our defense really vulnerable. Hector Bellerin will have a massive task ahead of him and I really hope he will be able to handle the pressure, especially with his lack of experience. What concerns me the most is Mertesacker and Flamini. At least with Kossie at CB, we had some speed next to the slow BFG. But Chambers is not as quick as Koss, so that is a concern. Flamini too is far too reckless and is ok with someone like Ramsey next to him, but Ramsey too is injured.
We might have a chance tonight, but I don’t think we have a chance against Chelsea on Sunday. Wenger really needs to get in another CB and a proper DM come Jan.
He also needs to get a winger – a winger he will actually use on the LW. Instead he just overlooks all his wing players (Poldi, Campbell, Ox) and continually repeats his failed experiment of using one of his many CAMs on the LW.
Agree, that left flank is grossly underused. Just imagine we had someone like Di Maria or Reus there. Wenger should give Campbell a chance, and not just one game, he needs at least 4 or 5 successive games a full 90 mins.
DiMaria would have been perfect. I am certain that is why Wenger did not want him. Wenger hates the LW for some reason.
The last player to actually excel on the Arsenal LW was Arshavin when he first arrived – he was getting assists and scoring goals like mad (2007 maybe?). Not to worry – Wenger quickly turned an excellent Arshavin into the dead-wood Arshavin.
After Arshavin Wenger got Gervinho – a player who manages to excel in every club except for his time under Wenger on the LW – what a shock.
2 seasons back Poldi was scoring goals and was leading the entire league in assists from the LW. What was Wenger’s response to this great turn of events? He benched Poldi (so he could use a CAM on the wing instead).
I am telling you – Wenger HATES the LW.
When last have Ramsey and Walcott been fit at the same time? 😀
On the bright side, Bellerin is faster than Walcott. Finally we have some more speed at the back. Let’s hope he can defend too.
Just a little reality.
Arsenal have 2 wins out of 6 EPL games so far. And one of those wins required a last minute rally at home vs. Crystal Palace.
Arsenal struggled to get a draw against Everton which is now a 15th place club and Arsenal could not get a win against Spuds at home.
Arsenal got spanked by Dortmund – a club struggling with massive injury problems and sitting in the lower half of the Bundesliga table.
The only game Arsenal have dominated was the Villa game but only because Arsenal scored 3 goals in about 3 minutes after Villa had dominated the game up to that point.
To top it off, Arsenal now have injury problems in the areas they can least afford it. They have NO defensive backup, NO reliable DM, and Wenger refuses to allow any player who can actually play LW to get on the pitch.
I am sorry, this all adds up to something far less than inspirational. I have absolutely zero confidence in Wenger right now. I hope he changes that for me.
It’s been a difficult season we had too many injuries we were unlucky against x and y to concede last minute penalties the red cards against a and b were not warranted the timing of that game was unfair … Still we made it to the cl play off on the last game of the season and the spirit of the team is good and I have 400m to spend if the right players become available….
4th place junkies of the emirates unite you have nothing to lose but your tired excuses
Wenger, O Wenger, our troubles have come to bare for your numerous inadequacies brought about by wishful rather than factual thinking and execution. I like you but it doesn’t win trophies does it?
Roma have yet to concede a goal when Kostas Manolas has been on the pitch so far.There is a big difference between serie A & pl but his performance against city was good wish we had signed him Fabian schar’s contract ends at the end of this season hope we go 4 him in jan
Ugh he just got scored on
Think he means from open play
Manolas is one of those defenders who is not better than what we already have. How can he not be better than Mertesacker. He is offensibly slow, spends too much time dribbling three yard passes to already marked teamates, and when shuffling back he is being overtaken by the linesman. For set pieces he is rooted in no man’s land, he can’t head the ball and he can’t tackle. So , how did he get over 100 caps for Germany. Was he faster then, was he able to anticipate play and cover for his fellow defenders. Not according to German football fans he wasn’t. He was booed by Werder Brennan fans.No other club in Germany wanted him, so who bought him because he was cheap.Part of the now infamous panic shopping list.But unbelievably he has thrived. Someone on this site recently referred to him as World Class! Just a difference of opinion then…
meanwhile arteta has signed a new contract great…….wenger is a genius
or about 2 sign one we need a new cdm & arteta is not the answer
please admin get this idiot off this site its a arsenal football site and not for little kids who have nothing better to do and make stupid comments please start banning kids like this and many others if making these sort of comments!!
Every time I come onto this forum I waste a minute of my life reading comments from him, and I come onto this site often! This site is about Arsenal and more broadly football, but when people start spamming crap about their personal/make belief lives it brings the level of quality of this forum into the gutter.