Arsene Wenger

[LEE]

The £ was worth about 50% more in the early 2000s against the Euro, which had the effect of pulling in a generation of talented French players.

It was actually Arsene Wenger's knowledge of the French players that brought in a high percentage of French players to the Arsenal team instead of, say, German, Spanish or Italian players.

It was a market almost entirely ignored by other scouts from other clubs.  Wenger hand-picked the cream of French football, many of whom went on to form the backbone of the French team that won both the European Championships and World cup.

[citoyen]

It was actually Arsene Wenger's knowledge of the French players that brought in a high percentage of French players to the Arsenal team instead of, say, German, Spanish or Italian players.

He actually bought quite a few notable non-French players - Bergkamp, Overmars, Van Persie, Campbell (English!), Touré, Fabregas...

Some of the French players he signed turned out to be duffers too - Cygan, Chamakh...

It was a market almost entirely ignored by other scouts from other clubs.  Wenger hand-picked the cream of French football, many of whom went on to form the backbone of the French team that won both the European Championships and World cup.

Arsenal had two players in the 1998 World Cup winning squad. Pires didn't join Arsenal until afterwards.

And Chelsea under Ranieri had the same number of players as Arsenal (three) in the 2000 Euro winning squad. Anelka had already left Arsenal for Madrid by then.

Houllier also had an eye for the French market, due to his links with the French FA, but he was never quite as successful... Anyone remember Florent Sinama Pongolle, or Bruno "the new Zidane" Cheyrou?

Wenger's real skill was buying unfancied players cheaply, turning them into world-class superstars and selling them on for massive profit.

[DuncanM]

Bergkamp was bought when Arsenal were manged by Bruce Rioch. Though he (like many of the players Arsene bought) was (ridiculously) viewed as a flop at Inter and came to Arsenal under a bit of a cloud.

Did Petit not make the WC squad?  I thought Petit, Viera, Henri and Anelka all made it...

[citoyen]

Bergkamp was bought when Arsenal were manged by Bruce Rioch.

Righto!

Did Petit not make the WC squad?  I thought Petit, Viera, Henri and Anelka all made it...

Petit and Vieira were the two Arsenal players. Pires and Henry were both in the squad but not yet at Arsenal, and neither played in the final anyway. Petit played in the final but Vieira only came on as a late sub; Juventus, by contrast, had three players who played the full 90 minutes - Zidane, Deschamps and Thuram.

Anelka wasn't in the 98 World Cup squad - Jacquet thought he was still too young. Although he's actually a few months older than Michael Owen, who had a pretty memorable tournament.

(I was at home on paternity leave for the early stages of the tournament so watched the England-Argentina game with my two-week-old son on my knee - and when Owen scored that goal, I nearly dropped him through leaping up and cheering. For which my wife still hasn't forgiven me.)

[LEE]

I'll certainly miss his humility and grace in defeat.

[R_nger]

I'll certainly miss his humility and grace in defeat.

I didn't see that

[LEE]

I'll certainly miss his humility and grace in defeat.

I didn't see that

Don't be so impatient, he's bound to show some eventually.  It's only been 22 years for god's sake.

[citoyen]

When my son mentioned the other day that Zeljko Buvac had fallen out with Jurgen Klopp, I was only half-joking when I said it's probably because he's after the Arsenal job.

Now everyone is saying it!

He'd be an interesting replacement for Wenger. He's spent most of his post-playing career as Klopp's number two, but he's supposedly the brains behind Liverpool's current high-speed attacking style of play, which would suit Arsenal fans.

[citoyen]

Don't be so impatient, he's bound to show some eventually.  It's only been 22 years for god's sake.

Wouldn't be so sure - Ferguson managed to go a whole 27 years at Man United without showing any humility.

[LEE]

Don't be so impatient, he's bound to show some eventually.  It's only been 22 years for god's sake.

Wouldn't be so sure - Ferguson managed to go a whole 27 years at Man United without showing any humility.

Ferguson was famously antagonistic before and during the game, but generally gentlemanly afterwards, with a decent Red in his office for the opposing manager. 

It's a petty thing but it was generally Wenger who refused the handshakes with the opposing managers. 
He even described Giggs' wonder goal against Arsenal as, "a few lucky bounces", he couldn't ever find it in himself praise the beauty of it.
He's a terrible loser, which is fine when you're the "Invincibles", but slightly awkward considering how many times he started losing thereafter. 

I'm sorry he's going as I'll miss watching that tiny miserable tortoise head's pained expression as Arsenal capitulate at the vital moments.

Best of all though:
                                    Ferguson              Wenger
Premier Champions            13                       3                 
FA Cup                               5                       7
Champions League              2                       0
League Cup                        4                       0
Cup Winners Cup                1                       0       
Other Sundry trophies        12                      7   

He has a chance of the Europa Cup as a parting gift to the fans but, overall, I'd say most football fans would be shocked to see that he only won 3 Premiership titles, and none for 14 years.

10 major trophies in 22 years.  I'd say the FA Cup may have saved him on at least 2 occasions, possibly the last 3.


Edit.  As a final post-script to his time at Arsenal he gets beaten his old rivals at Old Trafford in a "damp squib" of a game, is beaten in the semi-final of the Europa League (meaning he never won a European trophy) and will most likely finish 6th in the Premiership table and miss out in Europe.

It's precisely how the graph of his Arsenal career predicted it would end.

His successor, unhindered by travels to unpronounceable places in Ukraine in January, will be able to concentrate on the Premiership and do very nicely in my opinion.  Perfect time to step in.


       

[Wowbagger]

Bloody hell... is this Wenger thread still going? Come on mods!   Surely there is a limit to the quantity of bollocks one can spout about a single over-the-hill fupboll manager... ?

[Jaded]

I think the mods should look at who keeps it going.

[LEE]

Bloody hell... is this Wenger thread still going? Come on mods!   Surely there is a limit to the quantity of bollocks one can spout about a single over-the-hill fupboll manager... ?

"Surely there is a limit to the quantity of bollocks one can spout about ........."


Are you new to YACF Wowbagger?

[Riggers]

I believe Wenger was a Grand Master at Chess, Wowers. Would you still like this thread continued?