Arsène Wenger: My Life and Lessons In Red & White

[Arsenal Small Talk]

Just my random unstructured thoughts and stuff that stuck out to me. Warning, spoilers and waffle on my part.

Spoiler: Notes

Reading the book it was interesting to see the very traditional upbringing he had which he holds very dear and carries through his life. Explains how he sees the world and why he holds everybody to the same standard.

The book is a bit misleading, as it is titled "My Life in Red & White" so you would assume its an Arsenal book, until you realise all the clubs he has managed had red and white kits/badges.

Interestingly enough he reveals the departures of the invincibles didn't hurt him as they had given their best for the club and they won stuff. Cesc, Nasri and some of the other younger talents absolutely killed him each time.

He also mentions Gazidis I think once?? I could be mistaken but the most he says about the guy is that they worked together.

He doesn't mention Kronkes much at all, just notes that English football had changed from English families passing the club down generations to being foreign owned. (a dig at some values getting lost? but that's me reading between the lines.)

One thing I did notice, to me I felt a lot of sadness when he reflected on Arsenal particularly towards the end. Throughout the book, he emphasises the sacrifices he made, the exhaustion, his unwavering commitment and dedication.

Notable sacrifices including not having time for friends, his wife, admitting he didn't really raise his daughter at all and turning down his boyhood club Real Madrid numerous times.

My main take away is I can't help but feel that he felt betrayed. He mentions hostility from the fans and "sections of the board" as factors behind his exit. He doesn't mention names or expand on it at all.

He doesn't address his shortcomings or his mistakes at all in case you're wondering. His biggest regrets are some of the players who had career ending injuries under him.
Credits most of Arsenal's decline to the enforced rigid salary structure due to stadium debts and financial doping before financial fair play kicked in.

He still hasn't watched the Champions League final till this day - yet he accurately recalls the exact minute of Jen's red card, the subs, Sol's goal and the exact minutes when we conceded. Just to give you an idea of how much it haunts him.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a follow up book, or sequel or something more Arsenal focused because he literally doesn't answer anything we wanted to know.

I know Wenger is beloved by some of you, so apologies for anything I misunderstood, plain got wrong, missed out or paraphrased incorrectly.

Oh no, was hoping he would finaly use this chance to reveal all the **** he needs to get off his chest

 

[Makavelii]

Read it. Good read and helps you understand him better. He really did give everything to Arsenal and I can feel his pain when he talks about certain losses and injuries.
The fans had no right to treat him how they did.

With the state of Arsenal since he left, can we all agree now that the “Arsène out” crew were objectively wrong about everything?

 

[Macho]

With the state of Arsenal since he left, can we all agree now that the “Arsène out” crew were objectively wrong about everything?

Not really. The problems that plagued the second half of Wenger's reign still exist today.

Poor recruitment and questionable board.

Admittedly and I have said this a few times now, had I seen Emery, Ljunberg and Arteta after Wenger, I would have never have been Wenger out.

We'd have basically had lost nothing if he remained. We'd lose and stuff but at least we'd be battered 5-2 instead and with kids on the pitch, which many prefer anyways.

 

[kash2]

started to read the book...and it starts with a quote from Spinoza's Ethics and another from Andre Malraux.

Cant help but chuckle to imagine this man entering the hooligan infested world of english football. No wonder so many hate his guts.

 

[Makingtrax]

Have to admit to being a bit bored. Nothing like Fergie’s feisty dressing room spats and tell all. Just a really nice bloke saying how fantastic everybody was that he came in contact with. The players, the coaches, other managers were all praised to the hilt. Enjoyed the stuff about his early years though, didn’t know all that.

 

[GDeep™]

Wenger not being a good coach has to be one of the biggest myths and lies peddled by his detractors no? Imagine thinking a man who got his teams, for 20 years, to play the best football in the clubs history, and best football ever seen in England, couldn’t coach.

 

[Kav]

Not really. The problems that plagued the second half of Wenger's reign still exist today.

Poor recruitment and questionable board.

Admittedly and I have said this a few times now, had I seen Emery, Ljunberg and Arteta after Wenger, I would have never have been Wenger out.

We'd have basically had lost nothing if he remained. We'd lose and stuff but at least we'd be battered 5-2 instead and with kids on the pitch, which many prefer anyways.

Seeing that you were a part of the Arsène out mob, how does it feel to realize you placed the blame on the wrong old man for all the ills of the club?

People be letting Gazidis and Kroenke slide away blame free while others spat and shouted abuse at Arsène Wenger. Shameful the whole lot of you.

 

[GDeep™]

Seeing that you were a part of the Arsène out mob, how does it feel to realize you placed the blame on the wrong old man for all the ills of the club?

People be letting Gazidis and Kroenke slide away blame free while others spat and shouted abuse at Arsène Wenger. Shameful the whole lot of you.

It was most of this forum, not only Macho Man.

 

[GDeep™]

Arsenal fans even started this narrative Wenger isn’t a good coach.

You can argue we’re suffering for it now, the football gods are making us pay.

In pain and in dark times you come to appreciate what we once had. We should thank the football gods for our suffering.

Sometimes you only live when you suffer.

 

[Makingtrax]

Wenger not being a good coach has to be one of the biggest myths and lies peddled by his detractors no? Imagine thinking a man who got his teams, for 20 years, to play the best football in the clubs history, and best football ever seen in England, couldn’t coach.

What? Thought everybody knew he just sent the players out to do what they wanted.

 

[Makingtrax]

Not really. The problems that plagued the second half of Wenger's reign still exist today.

Poor recruitment and questionable board.

Admittedly and I have said this a few times now, had I seen Emery, Ljunberg and Arteta after Wenger, I would have never have been Wenger out.

We'd have basically had lost nothing if he remained. We'd lose and stuff but at least we'd be battered 5-2 instead and with kids on the pitch, which many prefer anyways.

Only some of the problems that plagued the 2nd half of Wenger's reign are around today, such as still spending 5th in the league and poor recruitment. The rest have gone away such as unrealistic expectations, worst injuries in the league and a fan base as angry as a hornets nest.

I haven't seen a single post recently about being p!ssed that we're not challenging for the title, that fans were constantly smashing Wenger over the head with. Most seem to be saying 'hope we make top 4', which is the ultimate irony.

 

[Macho]

Seeing that you were a part of the Arsène out mob, how does it feel to realize you placed the blame on the wrong old man for all the ills of the club?

People be letting Gazidis and Kroenke slide away blame free while others spat and shouted abuse at Arsène Wenger. Shameful the whole lot of you.

Lol all too easy to say now pal. I’m def not leader of the Wenger out mob.

I wanted him to go but I never abused him or booed him just quietly waited for him to go. Also I’ve consistently been dubious of Kronke and I’ve even marched against him in 2012.

I’m just humble enough to admit that I wanted him out, like most of the fanbase.

 

[Kav]

Fair on you. To date I am still perplexed how gazidis has managed to destroy this club and exit without anyone holding him accountable.

he knew that wenger wasn’t going to be around to shield him from the inevitable so he jumped ship very quickly.

 

[Godwin1]

Admittedly and I have said this a few times now, had I seen Emery, Ljunberg and Arteta after Wenger, I would have never have been Wenger out.

We'd have basically had lost nothing if he remained. We'd lose and stuff but at least we'd be battered 5-2 instead and with kids on the pitch, which many prefer anyways.

Wenger hadn't won the league in 14 years, so say we win it within the next 10 years will once again be glad you were Wenger out?

We're in transition at the moment which the board haven't handled well, but perspective is in order. A lot of posters, who themselves agreed Wenger had to go, are comparing our current form against a condensed 20 year period of Wenger's.

 

[Macho]

Wenger hadn't won the league in 14 years, so say we win it within the next 10 years will once again be glad you were Wenger out?

We're in transition at the moment which the board haven't handled well, but perspective is in order. A lot of posters, who themselves agreed Wenger had to go, are comparing our current form against a condensed 20 year period of Wenger's.

I don’t see us winning the title whilst KSE is here. The club is too weird, every other week there is a PR disaster or an unexplained dismissal at executive level.

100% KSE ownership and the loss of AGM meetings were a massive blow, that was the one time you could ask them questions directly. They still fobbed us off, but it was something.

Also looking at our recent managers it’s clear to me Arsène over performed. I wanted him gone thinking we would challenge again, but if it’s just to get top 4 then he could have done that.

I think we will return to CL eventually anyways, but I never cared about it in the first place myself.

 

[14Henry]

The problem with Wenger was when the league got more competitive he needed to get more ruthless. Which he didnt do. Players were safe and comfortable and he over protected them meaning they could get away with errors. There was no fear factor.

Second thing was his decision to move away from what had brought him success. He mixed flair with pace and power and then completely moved away from that in his second 10 years. Rosicky, cazorla type players were more frequent. Our centre half buys were skinny build players like Koscielny, Per, Gabriel.

When he did spend big in the last 10 years he spent it poorly and then says he didnt have the money. And while he isnt scouting the players he is having the last say and seeing with his own eyes. Only signing Cech one summer. Xhaka, Mustafi, Laca, Auba, Özil. Auba has been good but apart from that the others have been huge failures. Sanchez was great business though. People will always argue he didnt have money like Chelsea and all. But did he ever demand it. We did have more than we were made out to have. And for me if I am a manager my job is to have the best tools to win. I would be demanding funds. Wenger was maybe too soft and thought well maybe i can get top 4 and that's enough.

Apart from the game against Man City we won 2 0 when Coq and Cazorla had a master class performance he didnt often try to beat a team another way. Was always the Arsenal way or no way even when the man on the street new the Arsenal way didnt work and hadnt worked for years.

One thing I would say is for being an economist and while not being able to see into the future and how football would change his refusal to deal with agents cost our club dearly over the years especially with young profitable talent. How true it was we could have had Mbappe who knows. But for sure there were other circumstances when opportunities were there if we overpaid a little or threw a few quid to an agent to make our team better and with some assets to sell in the future.

Wenger was great when the competition wasnt as strong. But the minute the competition got fierce we didnt ever truly look like challenging again. We made top 4 just to make top 4 and to make a few quid for the club. And while we would take top 4 today it is for a completely different reason. To then come 3rd/2nd and to 1 or 2 years later help us to win the league.

While we will probably have to burn through 10 managers before we get the right one it was definately a good thing for both parties to part company. It should have been done after the Hull final. And while he was loyal and did love Arsenal and had options other places he was paid one of the highest salaries in football to manage us. He did not do it for a modest salary.

 

[squallman]

Wenger was great when the competition wasnt as strong. But the minute the competition got fierce we didnt ever truly look like challenging again.

When the competition wasn't strong? Man Utd were at their best and would have won the league for a decade straight if it wasn't for Wenger.

The minute we were hampered by the stadium debt and two doped up clubs changed the market, we were hamstrung. Despite this we managed to challenge in 2007/08.

You cannot make a statement like that in isolation and beat the boss without looking at the prevailing circumstances.

It's a miracle we managed to win three league titles under him in the first place. United were a juggernaut and Ferguson had the entire league in his pocket in terms of favourable decisions.

Liverpool couldn't topple them, neither Newcastle or any other pretender. Wenger did and on a shoestring budget to boot.

 

[GoonerJay24]

The problem with Wenger was when the league got more competitive he needed to get more ruthless. Which he didnt do. Players were safe and comfortable and he over protected them meaning they could get away with errors. There was no fear factor.

Second thing was his decision to move away from what had brought him success. He mixed flair with pace and power and then completely moved away from that in his second 10 years. Rosicky, cazorla type players were more frequent. Our centre half buys were skinny build players like Koscielny, Per, Gabriel.

When he did spend big in the last 10 years he spent it poorly and then says he didnt have the money. And while he isnt scouting the players he is having the last say and seeing with his own eyes. Only signing Cech one summer. Xhaka, Mustafi, Laca, Auba, Özil. Auba has been good but apart from that the others have been huge failures. Sanchez was great business though. People will always argue he didnt have money like Chelsea and all. But did he ever demand it. We did have more than we were made out to have. And for me if I am a manager my job is to have the best tools to win. I would be demanding funds. Wenger was maybe too soft and thought well maybe i can get top 4 and that's enough.

Apart from the game against Man City we won 2 0 when Coq and Cazorla had a master class performance he didnt often try to beat a team another way. Was always the Arsenal way or no way even when the man on the street new the Arsenal way didnt work and hadnt worked for years.

One thing I would say is for being an economist and while not being able to see into the future and how football would change his refusal to deal with agents cost our club dearly over the years especially with young profitable talent. How true it was we could have had Mbappe who knows. But for sure there were other circumstances when opportunities were there if we overpaid a little or threw a few quid to an agent to make our team better and with some assets to sell in the future.

Wenger was great when the competition wasnt as strong. But the minute the competition got fierce we didnt ever truly look like challenging again. We made top 4 just to make top 4 and to make a few quid for the club. And while we would take top 4 today it is for a completely different reason. To then come 3rd/2nd and to 1 or 2 years later help us to win the league.

While we will probably have to burn through 10 managers before we get the right one it was definately a good thing for both parties to part company. It should have been done after the Hull final. And while he was loyal and did love Arsenal and had options other places he was paid one of the highest salaries in football to manage us. He did not do it for a modest salary.

I think this is nonsense tbh; Arsenal competed for the league in most seasons under Wenger, maybe apart from five or six seasons.

The only reason we never won the league in later years was due to injuries. Easily the best team in the country between 2013-2016 with all the players fit and inform.

 

[Penn_]

Sad how quickly fans forget that it was injuries that ended our seasons quite often. With the money we spend now, perhaps we could’ve bought some greater depth back then .

 

[Atlas]

I think if we had replaced Wenger with Klopp we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We certainly didn’t have less resources or a worse position than Pool did when Klopp came in. It’s all good and well finishing in the top 4 when you have Everton, Villa and pre Poch Sp**s as rivals but Wenger in his last 2 seasons showed that he couldn’t compete with 6-7 clubs challenging for the top 4. Sp**s overtook us under Wenger spending even less than we did which was the ultimate sign that he was done. Take nothing away from what Wenger did in the early post Emirates years and of course he was gold during the Highbury era but it is a mark against him that he oversaw us dropping out of the top 4 and left a mess behind. Should have gone out on a high after the first or second FA Cup in the Emirates era.