BOOK REVIEW: Arsene Wenger

Man who gave ‘boring Arsenal’ the big boot

Arsene Wenger
John Cross
(Simon & Schuster)

The book is by no means a biography, but delves into the personality of Arsene Wenger, his tenure as Arsenal manager and the changes he has brought about in the challenging environment of British football.

Wenger entered the realm of English football at a time when English teams viewed appointing foreign managers as an anomaly.

At the time, Arsenal was a club in desperate need of change; from their playing style to the players’ off-field behaviour.

And Frenchman Wenger, hailing as he did from a country whose founding was characterised by revolution, fitted the description of the renaissance man the Gunners needed.

He’s a serious man on the sidelines, but behind the dark suit lies a charming character who is able to court women but is also a bit of a klutz behind the scenes.

Wenger, who cut his teeth as a manager in his homeland and Japan before his arrival in England, is described as a gentleman, a manager who has a fine eye for detail and is a meticulous planner.

It was for these traits that then-Gunners vice-chairman David Dein, who has had a long-standing relationship with Wenger since the end of the ’80s, sought out the Frenchman.

So when Dein finally got his man during the 1996/97 season, it began the French revolution at Arsenal, ushering in a period of unmitigated success for the club. The Wenger era brought in an exciting brand of football.

French flair was meshed with the tough and rugged style of English football, and the end result was two league-and-cup doubles and the era of the Invincibles.

But, as with every golden era, there comes a lean spell, and the book touches on how Wenger grew a thick skin during the barren, trophyless years while defending his recruitment policy of choosing player development over breaking the bank for high-priced stars.

And then there was the move from the hallowed Highbury to the Emirates Stadium which almost crippled the club financially. In-between, Wenger had to deal with the frustration of star players such as Thierry Henry who found the lack of success, and the inferior quality of his team-mates, too much to bear before going on to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

During his early years in English football, Wenger also learnt how to navigate his way around the harsh and intrusive English media who can destroy the reputations of faint-hearted personalities, but he handled this with style and dignity.

Wenger’s early success also made a certain Sir Alex Ferguson (manager of Manchester United) take note, and the book details one of football’s great managerial rivalries as both men have in the past traded verbal jibes – and have even come close to trading blows.

Thrown in for good measure are his numerous run-ins with brash and abrasive Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.