Chris Red
Member
Player:Ødegaard
I'm French so Arsenal was not my first choice, actually, there are a few foreign teams that I'd like but no I could follow and watch every game. The only other foreign team I followed bit was the Real Madrid when Zidane played there, but I watched their games to see Zidane, not really for that big club.
In France, I was fan of Marseille. It is a bit of a paradox because Wenger is not appreciated by OM fans, though I was very young when Wenger coached Monaco, so I don't remember what happened between Wenger and Marseille, it was a different time, different owners, different players, different in everything...
Actually, I remember having seen Arsenal before Wenger's arrival, at the time, on French TV there were more European games which were broadcasted freely than today. So, in 1994 I think (maybe 1993) Arsenal went in final against Saragosse. The times of Ian Wright, Tony Adams, David Seaman if my memory is good. First memories, I liked the team, the name, it's a bit the same of what I felt for Marseille, there is an atmosphere around each club. Marseille and Arsenal are quite different but I liked both. I started to see more games of Arsenal when Wenger signed, as he recruited a lot of French players (Petit, Vieira, Anelka, etc), Arsenal was quite famous in France, and as I could watch Premier League games on TV, I quickly took the habit to follow Arsenal, not because there were French players, even if I particularly liked the players Wenger recruited (Wiltord, Pirès, Vieira, Henry, then Nasri, Sagna, etc), but I just liked the style. Ljungberg, Hleb and most of all Bergkamp, Kanu too.
I really like english football, the way English people live football, I'm not so interested by spanish or italian leagues for example. I have been impressed by Man United when I was very young, because they were trully amazing in European games. And when watching Premier League, Arsenal was just the team that fitted me well. I respect Man United or Liverpool, but it's not the same. I had the chance to see Arsenal once in real, it was in Newcastle, in Saint James Park in 2010, victory 4-0, I was with Arsenal fans that day, I could see Arshavin (one of my favourite players, Rosicky too, Walcott), it is a very good memory.
But yeah, let's be honest, it's a lot because I see the football like Wenger, he always recruited football players I liked the most (Pirès, Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin...), to me, when Emery was appointed coach, it was a very sad day. I saw him in France with Paris, I was not understanding that choice because they are so different. Though, I like what Arteta is doing, he's not like Wenger, a bit more shy, but he has the spirit of Arsenal.
And as I'm writing, I'm missing the game xD
In France, I was fan of Marseille. It is a bit of a paradox because Wenger is not appreciated by OM fans, though I was very young when Wenger coached Monaco, so I don't remember what happened between Wenger and Marseille, it was a different time, different owners, different players, different in everything...
Actually, I remember having seen Arsenal before Wenger's arrival, at the time, on French TV there were more European games which were broadcasted freely than today. So, in 1994 I think (maybe 1993) Arsenal went in final against Saragosse. The times of Ian Wright, Tony Adams, David Seaman if my memory is good. First memories, I liked the team, the name, it's a bit the same of what I felt for Marseille, there is an atmosphere around each club. Marseille and Arsenal are quite different but I liked both. I started to see more games of Arsenal when Wenger signed, as he recruited a lot of French players (Petit, Vieira, Anelka, etc), Arsenal was quite famous in France, and as I could watch Premier League games on TV, I quickly took the habit to follow Arsenal, not because there were French players, even if I particularly liked the players Wenger recruited (Wiltord, Pirès, Vieira, Henry, then Nasri, Sagna, etc), but I just liked the style. Ljungberg, Hleb and most of all Bergkamp, Kanu too.
I really like english football, the way English people live football, I'm not so interested by spanish or italian leagues for example. I have been impressed by Man United when I was very young, because they were trully amazing in European games. And when watching Premier League, Arsenal was just the team that fitted me well. I respect Man United or Liverpool, but it's not the same. I had the chance to see Arsenal once in real, it was in Newcastle, in Saint James Park in 2010, victory 4-0, I was with Arsenal fans that day, I could see Arshavin (one of my favourite players, Rosicky too, Walcott), it is a very good memory.
But yeah, let's be honest, it's a lot because I see the football like Wenger, he always recruited football players I liked the most (Pirès, Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin...), to me, when Emery was appointed coach, it was a very sad day. I saw him in France with Paris, I was not understanding that choice because they are so different. Though, I like what Arteta is doing, he's not like Wenger, a bit more shy, but he has the spirit of Arsenal.
And as I'm writing, I'm missing the game xD
I was watching this.Match on television, on ITV. I was 16 at the time, most of the kids at School supported Liverpool. There was one Manchester United fan, and a Crystal Palace fan, (don't know how he came to support them).
