Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger

A lot has been written about Arsene Wenger recently; much of which will now die down after the ‘plucky underdogs’ beat Man Utd.

But one swallow doesn’t make a summer. If there was a problem, it was there before the game, and it is there now. I for one don’t think there is.

Wenger has done an outstanding, nay incredible job at Arsenal. They were in 11th place when he took over, and he’s delivered not only success – three Premierships and five runners up spots, four FA cups and one runners up spot, and runners up once each in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and League Cup – but has completely revitalised the club’s status, popularity, stadium – but most staggeringly playing style. He has taken ‘boring boring Arsenal’ (do people actually remember how dull they were?) and made them into arguably the most attractive and aesthetically pleasing side in the world.

Yes, he is a flawed genius – too loyal to his football purism, too focussed on beautiful football, too loyal to his band of superbly talented youngsters. Too unwilling to spend the money his success has put into the Arsenal coffers.

But he is a visionary, he’s a dreamer, a romantic who wants to win things his way, the Wenger way, the Arsenal way, the beautiful way. He is a football inventor and innovator, poet, creationist; a superbly talented, frustratingly brilliant, king amongst managers. I hope he stays forever.