Arsene Wenger gets a hell of a lot of criticism from Arsenal fans, especially on this website, but the fact remains that he has worked wonders for our club over his 21 years at the helm. He has led the Gunners to 3 League titles, 20 Champions League appearances and 7 FA Cups (we had won only 6 in the previous 110 years!) and without doubt has helped us immeasurably to make us into one of the richest clubs in the world.
The current crop of Arsenal fans (and keyboard warriors) always want more though and have no idea what Wenger has done for the club, but the fact is that the people who have worked with (or against) Wenger in his time in England, have nothing but respect for one of the greatest managers of all time. The latest manager to praise him is the ex-England boss Roy Hodgson, who is the only manager in the League that is older than Le Prof, so let’s listen to what this learned man has to say about the Arsenal boss. “I think there are managers like Arsene who deserve the utmost respect because of what he’s done in the game of football, not least here in England,” said Hodgson.
“He’s a record-breaker in almost every category and basically the only person in my era who could really hold his hand up and say ‘this guy and I are in the same category’ is Alex Ferguson.
“He’s been criticised many times in the past but he could lose the next 50 games he ever plays and it certainly wouldn’t change one bit my respect for him as a manager, my respect for him as a person and in particular my respect for the job he’s done at Arsenal, which is something quite outstanding.
“It’s easy for me to empathise or say good things about a guy like Arsene Wenger because I can’t really understand what there is to say that is not good about him.”
I find it amazing that it is mostly Arsenal fans who criticize him the most, despite the obviously great things he has done for our club. The people who matter in football have a much clearer view of his worth. What have Wenger’s detractors done in their lives to earn the right to dismiss one of the greatest managers in history?
Sam P