Why I love Arsene Wenger

I am a Manchester United fan, they are the only team I have ever supported. But I have never been able to hate Arsenal. They have simply been too entertaining to hate. Irrespective of the team you support, you must accept that Arsenal play the most attacking and entertaining football in England. They might lose a game, but they sure as hell will make it fun. They are not as good as they were in 2004, they have sold Song and Van Persie. Yet, I believe that Arsenal will still give a strong performance this season simply because they have Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger was born on 22nd October 1949. He played for four teams in his playing career: Mutzig, Mulhouse AVSP Strasbourg and RC Strasbourg, playing 67 games and scoring 4 goals. He was not a great player, but even then he had that ability to motivate his team mates that later turned him into one of the greatest managers of all time. He obtained an economics degree in 1974, got his football coaching diploma in 1981 and joined Nancy in 1984. He coached Monaco for a couple of seasons, won them the league, and a cup competition before leaving. He then led a Japanese team to success. He had focused on the youth even in his previous clubs but that ability to spot a raw gem and then make him a true star first came to light when he started coaching Arsenal.

BBC sports describes him as a coach who “has spent his career building teams that combine the accumulation of silverware with a desire to entertain and attack”. The Daily Mail says “a purist, dedicated to individual and collective technical quality”. My opinion is similar to them, yet different. I adore Wenger just because whenever I watch his team play, it lifts my heart. All those slick touches, amazing passes and pretty goals make the world seem like a better place. Orgasmic at its best, I would rate Arsenal’s way of playing back in 2004 as good as today’s Barcelona. Some would say, that Arsenal waste chances when they look to score “pretty goals”. That is like saying RvP did not score any goals last season. Arsenal’s game is based on attack, which is helped by creative midfielders and a solid defense.

The second great thing about Wenger is that not only does he create great players, he stands by them when they need him the most. He stood by Tony Adams when he publicly admitted to alcoholism. He stood by RvP when he was plagued by injuries. He unearths unknown talent and then simply transforms them into great players. Viera, Fabregas, George Weah (when in Monaco), Alex Song are some examples. His scouting ability is unmatched. No manager has an eye for future stars the way Wenger does, which has led to some pretty funny trolls, but the fact that he scouts the best players is undeniable.

Some may argue that he lets go of his players too easily, but the thing is that he has always found suitable replacements. Arsenal sold Fabregas but that did not stop them from playing some extraordinary football in the later part of the season. He may have sold RvP but believe me when I say that Podolski and Giroud are great replacements because I wouldn’t really bet against the judgement of someone like Wenger.

Tony Adams (Arsenal captain in the 90s) when Arsene was appointed said “At first, I thought: What does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher. He’s not going to be as good as George. Does he even speak English properly?” Two years later, Tony Adams confessed to being Arsene’s biggest fan. As they say these days, enough said.