Arsene Wenger: 5 life lessons we can learn from the Arsenal manager
In all my years of schooling, I doubt there's been a teacher, or rather, a professor who has inspired me as much as Le Professeur. As we Arsenal faithful prep to see the boss for one last time on the touchline, here's a@%#&(+_***
Oops, pardon the keyboard frenzy, there were a few teardrops that fell in. Jokes aside, here's a little tribute to one of the most influential figures in the life of a millennial Gooner... Five life-lessons inspired by the ways of Arsene Wenger.
#5 Faith
"Wenger who?" - the words echoed across north London and with good reason. An unknown name whose CV mentioned fairly decent work in France and Japan. But arriving at one of England's biggest clubs was a thought as frightening then, as Brendan Rogers arriving is now.
In the famous words of Mr. Arsenal, Tony Adams: "At first, I thought, what does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher." And that was the consensus. A Premier League manager from outside the UK was far from the norm - there were just two foreign managers back when he arrived in September 1996. Ruud Gullit at Chelsea being the other.
But the Frenchman had a plan, coupled with strong faith to execute it. And today, the man Tony Adams once dubbed as a schoolteacher is better known as the Professor. No offence to school teachers, of course. Tony has never been very politically correct.
Coming from Japan, Wenger knew the value of nutrition and transformed the diet habits of his players. The lifestyle, fitness regimes, training styles, were all carried out in a new way, the Wenger way. He had a vision about how football must be played and brought in players to suit his style. The Wenger way wasn't just greatly entertaining, but rewarding as Arsenal won the double in his first full season in charge.
Not only did the man revolutionise Arsenal, but English football altogether. Don't take my word for it, simply note the nationality of managers from the Premier League's top six today. Ask me now, "Wenger who?". I dare you. I double dare you.