Should Arsenal fans appreciate Wenger more? His legacy….

Is Arsene Wenger the most underappreciated manager in the world?‏ by JH

May 15th, 2004.

After a surprisingly edgy afternoon, Arsene Wenger had in his hands a the Premier League title, It was the single greatest and dominant season in English Football history, Arsenal had won 26, drawn 12, lost precisely Zero.

I believe Arsene Wenger described it as “immortality”, how right he was, every season since then a team that has started well has been asked if they could be the next Invincibles. Having gone a full season unbeaten, being undeniably the best team in the country for a whole year, you could forgive everyone for perhaps believing that this was the start of Arsenals Premier League dominance.

How was Arsene Wenger to know that he would not touch this trophy again for over a decade. At the same time, not far down the road, work was beginning on the Emirates stadium; Arsene Wengers True legacy.

Arsene Wenger was instrumental in the move to our new home, he recognised the need for superior finances in football as money became more and more of a factor. He also agreed to stay at Arsenal through the repayment process, knowing full well that he would need to sell our greatest players to generate income to pay off the stadium quicker than expected, all the while he knew that despite selling our star players each and every year, he had to keep Arsenal in the top four.

Arsene showed his loyalty to Arsenal and his vision for the club, he turned down Real Madrid and his home nation France on more than one occasion along with rumoured rejections of PSG and Juventus.

“This club gave me a chance. But I think as well at important periods I have shown loyalty and turned many things down and have accepted to work with restricted potential,” Wenger said.

“And that was knowing that I had to stay at the top. I did that with full commitment.

“Today we can fight with the top clubs financially again. I believe the club is in a very strong position today”.

Don’t get me wrong, we all know he has been well paid for these services, but I can’t say that is why he stayed, Would Mourinho have stayed to see his name dragged through the dirt, be ridiculed? For 8m a year? Even further, could Mourinho have maintained our to p4 place despite selling his top player every year? I doubt it…

Arsene has stayed with this club through the tough times, he has stayed through the criticism from the fans (some of it simply abhorrent) even though he didn’t have to, he could have left for Real Madrid numerous times, bought who he liked, won what he wanted.

But he had a vision.

Don’t for one second believe Arsene Wenger didn’t know things were going to be hard, he knew. Arsene Wenger was asked last week that in previous years had he gone into the season knowing Arsenal would not mount a serious title challenge. His response: “Of course. Why? Because when you lose your best players it is impossible.

“And you see opponents strengthen their squad, and they are already stronger than you”.

Some say that these last 10 years have destroyed his Arsenal legacy, I couldn’t disagree more, He has revolutionised what it means to be Arsenal Football Club. One-nil to the Arsenal no longer holds any water, Arsenal are renowned for playing the best football in England, one of the best in Europe. He arrived with Arsenal playing at Highbury with an average attendance of 37000, in the season previous to Wenger joining, we finished 12th in 1994/95, then 5th in 95/96, scoring just 52 and 49 goals in those seasons. We had the reputation of a dull brand of football. Since the season Wenger took over we have averaged 71 goals a season. Now Arsenal play with style and technique. Now we play arguably the best football in the country, in front of an average of 59000 fans.

Arsene Wenger has taken us on a journey from mediocrity, to greatness, through poverty, and finally we are at the other side, Arsene Wengers financial handcuffs have been removed for 2 seasons, during which time we have won 2 trophies and bought our 2 most expensive players ever, Mesut Ozil, and Alexis Sanchez, £42million and £35million. True superstars of the game, at Arsenal. All of a sudden the queue at the exit has vanished.

And Arsene can relax and search for the next superstar he wants to bring in, this year Petr Cech became available, a huge upgrade in our GK department, and a born winner. All noting AW as the key reason they joined Arsenal.

Our recent recruitment drive of the likes of Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Yassin Fortune, Donyell Malen, Vlad Dragomir, shows Arsene has not forgotten about the future, the implementation of Andries Jonker shows that preparation for the future is happening, and AW is overseeing said developments.

This is Arsene Wengers project, and I believe he deserves a couple of years to use the money he has made our club.

What Arsenal have is a Manager who runs a club with the club’s best interests in mind, no care for his own legacy, no ego that dictates he must win everything no matter who with or how, but a pure and simple desire that he leaves this club better than he left it.

One day in the future, Arsenal will line up for their first game of the season, and Arsene Wenger will not be there. It will be difficult, and also very strange. But Arsene Wenger is working to make sure that his successor has the best stadium, the best finances, the best staff, the best prospects, the best squad and the best chance possible.

What do you think, do we appreciate Arsene Wenger for what he has done for us? Or should the Board give up on Wenger and turn to someone new??

By JonnHirons.

Predict The Score and win an Arsenal Home Shirt

Tags Emirates jonkers Wenger

40 Comments

  1. 1. He helped us win FA Cups and PL
    2. The invincibles
    3. The double
    4. CL Final
    5. Top 4 every year and CL spot every year (especially the 9 years we were in the wilderness with limited funds to pay off a stadium) even United haven’t done that.

    He does have a good legacy. If he wants it to continue he needs to get A Top striker and DM

    1. Yes CL top 4 is not a trophy, but never just say agh just a top 4 club.
      Look at what Man U, Pool and Spurs have been doing to just try and make top 4.

      Yes it not winning, but if it means nothing than why the f*c* do they care so much about it.

      Wenger will get the biggest statue at the Emirates, and he deserves it.

      1. Totally agree a gold statue as well at that and when the sun shines it will shine over Spuds ground.

    2. Wenger needs to spend, its for his own good. If he wants to fire us to the title we are going to need a proper backup for lecoq and competition for giroud in form of a WC striker. This is a big season for us fans and for Wenger. We can’t be thinking that yes we will win the bpl in a few years time, we need to win it now. Everything is ready for us to win. We are just two signings away from glory.

    3. He does not need to get a top class striker to continue his legacy, In the last 2 years has won 2 FA cups with Giroud…….. I am sure being the most successful manager in this competition is part of his legacy

      1. Yes its a wonderful record for him in the fa cup, but there are more important titles that we haven’t won for more than a decade. Like the bpl…and a UCL title would be nice. A manager with legacy needs to win the UCL .trust me this season we are so close to doing so, only if we add two more players. We are this close. He could take his legacy into a new level by building one of the best arsenal sides ever.just like the invisibles.

        1. I agree with how close we are to something special, but wengers legacy is not champions league depending.
          Arsenal football club is his legacy.
          Like it or not, he made this club what it is today.

    4. Let’s call a spade what it is: Wenger has done. So much for Arsenal, but we can’t live in the past.

      1. Exactly… We need to look into future. This season we have a chance to do something special only if we add a few WC players.

  2. A top top top striker would’ve got him and Arsenal more trophies guaranteed in recent seasons.

    1. I don’t understand why your getting thumbs down??!!!a WC striker would have been very handy for us. That’s the truth. Giroud is a good striker and seriously I’m a big fan, but he’s not enough to win us the bpl. If van pusssy didn’t celebrate his goal against us the way he did he would have been a great signing. He would have returned home and helped us win the title.

    2. I really liked your article and how it showed proper due respect. I wasn’t going to log in because of more than a few toddlers talking bollox but I said I better let the author know it was a top read.

      Also I’ll add that in my opinion we have one of the top five managers in the world. In no particular order – Pep Guardiola – Diego Simone – Arsene Wenger – Jose Mourinho – Antonio Conte –

      1. No hes not.An im afraid you’ve forgotten Carlo Ancelotti,Jurgen Klopp and Joaqim Lowe amongst others

      2. Thank you for the compliment, I knew this article would get mixed reactions, but I knew there where people like yourself who would appreciate it. This is my 2nd article so i hope i can impove my writing.

  3. In the Arsene wenger Era arsenal fans got used to being in the top 4 and in the champions League every year.
    Of course there’s history before wenger but he got the club used to big scenes.
    Thumb down all you want. Truth hurts hahaha

    1. Wenger helped us when we had no money and trying to build a new stadium. We lost all our top players season after season. But now Wenger has the sources to compete with the big spenders, he should take this opportunity with both hands.he has done sooo much for this club but he needs to finish what he started. Winning the bpl would be the best gift for him, so he needs to start spending big since we have the cash in bank. Time to bring in a couple of WC players and finish off our competitors.

  4. Yes he did but he could have won much more if he only had more ambition and wasn’t a specialist in failure, that’s shitty tactics and realizing the deficiencies in our squad and addressing them. Not by buying star players but what we need example, this transfer Window and the previous ten. The season when we only needed help for giroud after we lost the goals of ramsey and Walcott, the declining form of ozil, but what did our manager do, he signed an injured kallstrom, who only played 1 game because he was injured the whole time.

    1. I’ve lost all faith in wenger and don’t expect any signings because we’ve been closer to the title and got kallstrom who was only signed to fool the more idiotic fans on this site. The wenger toilet paper patrol who only likes to eat his shit and wipe his ass

      1. Calm down bro!!!I thought I was anti wenger. You have just taken it to a new level.the only problem Wenger has is being stubborn, he never learns from mistakes. If we had signed Suarez everything would have been different, and the only reason why we didn’t sign him was the bid Wenger made. He’s a stingy old man.

        1. @seancali
          You are full of crap ,
          No matter how much we bid for Suarez Liverpool would never sell him to us or any Bpl team , as that was there only season they could win the league. Also Suarez wanted to move to Real or Barca.

  5. there’s something bout mertesacker that often pisses me off sometimes……..Last i saw of him was in the Lyon game…. Won’t ignore the fact he was almost skinned alive by a mediocre “cLinton”…….. Hope Gabriel/chambers automatically puts that guy off the pitch next season……. Seriously, i find it distasteful accomodating players like him, flamini, arteta etc……plus they are the most vocal of the Lot

  6. Wow. True Arsenal fan. I totally agree with you. Know one actually appreciates what Arsene Wenger does for the club. It has been frustrating over the past years not winning anything. But still name another club that has built a stadium as beatiful as ours and still stay top 4 each year while we grow in disappointment that our best players go. If we look at Mourinho success, not saying his a good manager but he always had good finances at each club, like Porto he players like Hulk, Adrinao he could and would never do what Arsene Wenger has done. Ferguson a very good manager but his top players would always fall out with him, not a good man manager and Man Utd has always been a massive club even in the 60s so money was never a problem and Fergie always bought top quality players. But Arsene Wenger biggest trophy is the Stadium. We has been through so much pressure through us Arsenal fans but he is stubborn and he has proved us wrong. He has developed Arsenal as one of the most attractive football teams in Europe, he develops players like Anelka, Toure, Henry, Fabregas, Overmans, Ox, Walcott, Bellerin. I am glad I am an Arsenal fan yes with a lot of heart attacks but I am proud that Wenger is our manager.

  7. I think Wenger’s time is up!!!time for a new coach. A young hungry manager who would jump up and down the touchline and motivate the team.a manager who would not be scared to spend the money that is available!!! A manager which would know more about tactics! Seriously guys you must agree that it’s time for a change. This is Wenger’s last season and if he doesn’t bring us the title he should be replaced.

  8. Giroud had 3 assists and he scored 18 goals in 1867 minutes. Walcott scored 7 goals in 442 minutes. I still choose goals over hold up play and I think given the same number of games Walcott scores more goals

    1. Giroud does not only offer hold up play, he offers great defensive work, great headers, great passing,great build up play and great team work contribution. He’s different from any other striker. He offers something different which other strikers don’t. If we were to get a WC striker I would guarantee he won’t walk straight into the starting eleven, he will face tuff competition from OG12

        1. Whatever you say at the end of the day giroud is the best we got. Hope we get a WC striker To compete with him.

            1. He’s above average… 20 goals doesn’t make you average and doesn’t make you world class.somewhere in between

  9. Despite him getting it wrong sometimes, over the years i am one gooner who is thankful for all that he has done for arsenal fc!

  10. If you compare Wenger to the weak, his legacy is quit good. If you compare him to the best managers in the world he is quit poor.

    We won the titles in a time where we had no other competition besides manure with a team which was talent overload. With competition and money it was Goodbye for Wenger.

    Uefa leuage finale and the Cl ones are his biggest failuares. With them on the pockets he would be remembered as one of the grestest, but not having won them, he will be only remember by some die hard fans.

  11. BILD: Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender has a €15m (£10.6m) release clause that can be activated at any time wenger should go after him he is better than flamini & arteta

    1. Bender would be great back up and competition for lecoq. He comes at a super cheap price! Hope we at least nail him down. Hope Wenger will activate his clause

  12. Bayern want Otamendi & they could sell javi Martinez
    Other Leverkusen release clauses from BILD:
    Son Heung-Min – €22.5m
    Karim Bellarabi – €22m
    Bernd Leno – €18m leno would love to see leno as backup to cech he is miles better than scz/ospina

  13. BILD release clauses
    Julian Draxler – €45m
    Johannes Geis – €30m
    Luiz Gustavo – €25m
    Donis Avdijaj – €49m

  14. A lot of people on here keep saying that all we need is a WC striker and a backup DM and we will definitely win the league. So let’s say we buy Lewandowski and Samper. Our lineup:

    Lewandowski
    Alexis. Ozil. Walcott
    Cazorla. Coquelin
    Monreal. Koscielny. Mertesacker. Debuchy
    Cech

    To me this team is good enough to win the league but going all out and saying that this team WILL win the league is nonsense. You see teams like loserpool, man shitty, and manure all upgrading their squads and none of us should think that it will be easy to win the league just because a top striker came to improve our amount of goals by 8-10. This is going to be a tough year.

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