Ranking the 5 greatest defenders to play under Arsene Wenger
Could a return to Arsenal be on the cards for Arsene Wenger? Former Arsenal player and current manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his desire for the same. In recent interviews, he has spoken about having the former boss involved with the club in some capacity. Since leaving Arsenal in 2018, Arsene Wenger has completely detached himself from any activities concerning the Gunners.
Many seem perplexed by Arteta's wish to welcome the legend back to the club. Arsene Wenger is considered a controlling and dominating presence by many and having him back at the club could intervene with Arteta's authority.
However, it cannot be argued that the French manager has a plethora of experience at recruiting players and taking after their development. Arsenal are going through a transition phase. The young team is developing and learning how to compete at the highest level.
Arsene Wenger's presence could well strengthen the way these players look at the game and themselves. Recently, Arsenal also seem to have fixed their persistent problem of a leaky defense with a new rearguard.
In his time, the Frenchman himself worked with some of the great defenders at Arsenal. Here is a look at five of the greatest defenders Arsene Wenger has coached in his career:
#5 Lauren
They say no one in football wishes to be a full-back. It's always a striker or a winger who can't make the cut in their desired position and turn full-back. Well, to those of you who are unknown to Lauren, think of his situation as that of Ainsley Maitland Niles.
You like to contest as a midfielder, but to get game-time you have to go and play as a right-back. Sure, fans praise you for your versatality, but can you make it work if your heart's not in it? Lauren made it work out and how. He replaced Lee Dixon, arguably Arsenal's best right-back of all time, even though he was signed by Arsene Wenger as a midfielder.
#OTD 2000🗓️ It's a debut goal for Lauren, but that goal and Arsenal's first win over #LFC since March 1994, is overshadowed for all the wrong reasons as three players, including Patrick Vieira for the second successive game are given their marching orders. https://t.co/0ppVKApGgM
Lauren was an excellent tackler and never rushed in with bad decisions. A midfielder by nature, his technical ability helped him immensely as a full-back. During his time at Arsenal, the Cameronian won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He left Wenger's team in 2007 after making 241 appearances.
#4 Ashley Cole
With his name maligned due to his own actions, Ashley Cole has never found redemption amongst the Arsenal faithful. Truth be told, he stopped trying after a time to convince those that still had bitter feelings for him. Cole was disdained by Gunners fans when he left them for Chelsea in 2006.
He was infamously nicknamed 'Cashley'. But if you are the best left-back in the world, you deserve to move to a team that offers you the best shot at winning trophies. The English defender did nothing wrong. For everything he has showcased on the field, Cole is definitely one of the best defenders to play under Arsene Wenger.
"I just felt it was falling apart a bit."
Ashley Cole explains why he left Arsenal for Chelsea. https://t.co/5UCBYwgKlP
The left-back moved through the ranks at Arsenal and made his debut in 1999. His playmaking abilities from out wide were unparalleled. For the better part of the decade he was the best in his position in the world. The left-back made 228 appearances for Arsenal and won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups before joining the Blues.
Cole in many ways represents why Arsene Wenger failed to make the winning team after a point. His inability to bring ready-made stars to the club and stick with the policy of buying lesser known faces wasn't yielding trophies.