You’d be hard-pressed to find a more divisive character in modern football than current Arsenal boss, Arséne Wenger. Despite being the club’s most successful manager, there are those that would rather see the back of him than endure another Top 4 finish and another year of Champions League football.
Wenger seems to have turned the club motto (Victory Through Harmony) on its head; his presence at the Club’s helm has split Gooners down the middle – some say irreparably…
dope
/dəʊp/ adjective
1. (slang) hip, cool; very good, awesome
The “Arséne Knows Best” crowd are quick to point out that Wenger has steered Arsenal to three League titles, six F.A. Cups and six Community Shields – making him arguably the Club’s most successful manager. The “Wenger Out Brigade” will remind you that the last time Arsenal won the league was thirteen years ago, and that scrapping for a top-four finish and exiting the Champions League in the early stages is not good enough for a club of Arsenal’s stature.
dope
/dəʊp/ noun
1. an idiot, a fool; a stupid person
Having achieved one of the highest win ratios in the Premier League era, one would expect Wenger to have considerable tactical nous, and the respect that goes with it. This is not the case, however; he is often ridiculed for his apparent refusal to adapt his style of play to the opposition he faces; and his predictable (and often questionable) substitutions have led to him being branded an idiot. Gone are the days when he was known as “Le Prof”; having a Masters Degree in Economics and being fluent in 6 languages apparently buys him no sympathy.
dope
/dəʊp/ noun
2. a drug, usually taken to induce a state of euphoria
Wenger’s early successes, and his sound stewardship of the club through a difficult period of expansion , have earned him unlimited credit with the owner and board. Arséne and Arsenal have become synonymous: with nothing to stand in his way, or spur him into new directions – the man who once titillated Gooners with his scintillating style and aggressive, clinical brand of football, now seems to have numbed them into complacency. The euphoria has turned to drowsiness. The drug has lost its effect.
One might argue that Arsenal is addicted to Arséne. It may take an intervention to help the Club kick the habit. From whence that intervention comes is anybody’s guess. As it stands – the drug is going to have to kick the junkie of its own accord.
That doesn’t happen often.
Tip of the hat to my mate Shepard Fairey for the inspiration:
Feel free to disseminate this image. Please give credit to @invinciblog where possible.
Peace!
#UTA #OneArséneWenger
I was eleven-and-a-half. My family had just emigrated from Rhodesia to South Africa. All the kids on my street supported United or Liverpool, because of their Southern African goalkeeper connections: Bailey for United and Grobbelaar for ‘Pool. Problem was: I didn’t like the colour red – so when FA Cup Final day came around in 1979, I supported the team in yellow, even though their name sounded like “Asshole”. At the final whistle, I had bragging rights and a team that had won my heart.
Then I discovered that the Gunners also wore red. Luckily, I remained loyal, and the Arsenal has kicked my heart around ever since… (apart from a few lost years in the ’90s and early ’00s, when I was busy doing grownup things as a composer in Hollywood).
Abandoned invinciblog.com to launch this site with 1 Nil Down 2 One Up blogfather Dave Seager – and we have used this platform to help launch the writing careers of a number of amazing Arsenal bloggers.
That will be 6 FA cups for Wenger, by the way. To topic, the modern day fan is spoilt with information and with the advent of social media and blogs, fans’ rivalry has taken new dimensions which involves keeping records of clubs’ failings and achievements or a lack of it. This trend has sharpened/raised the expectation of the fans as they take things “personal”, as if personal pride is hurt. The furore about how many years since Wenger (note how it isn’t “Arsenal”, but Wenger) last won a trophy turned to “when he last won the title as soon as the club won the FA cup in 2014. No one cares that some big clubs went for 26 years without a trophy, at some point….
Thanks for the correction. I find it difficult counting on more than one hand these days.
There is definitely an ‘agenda’ – it feeds the spin machine. People pick up on it and act out. There are teams that would die to be in our position. Entitled? Unreasonable? Deluded? Check all that apply, and more. Thanks for the comment.
I support Wenger.