to procure trophies and thereby lay the foundations for future prosperity at a time of financial uncertainty. It is a unique blueprint for the making of a modern superclub, to a point where, by the time his current contract expires in 2011, Arsenal could be the worldâs richest club. By the conclusion of the 2006/07 season, they had risen to the heady position of third in the world money league with an annual turnover of more than £200 million (with the inclusion of its property revenues) on a net transfer spend of less than £4 million a season over the 11 campaigns that their manager had overseen. To achieve this whilst delivering seven major trophies and producing the most entertaining fare in the country can be summarised as âthe Wengerian miracleâ.
The personnel Wenger inherited in 1996 were comfortable with the 3â5â2 formation that Bruce Rioch had introduced and they expressed their wish for the new boss to persevere with it. After all, they were lying second in the table on goal difference, in spite of a series of off-the-field upheavals. Over the course of less than three months, three different men had selected the first team. To add to the climate of uncertainty, club captain Tony Adams faced up to his demons and admitted he was an alcoholic to his colleagues, who probably werenât as surprised at the revelation so much as the transformation of the man who was making it. As his teammate Ian Wright commented with no ironic intent, âFor Tony to admit he is an alcoholic took an awful lot of bottle.â
With change and an accompanying foreboding in the air, the paramount need was for a sense of togetherness, which the new arrival effected by maintaining the existing formation as the players had requested. Had he insisted on his preferred 4â4â2 line-up, perhaps the outcome would have been even better than the third spot they attained, missing out on Champions League qualification on goal difference to Newcastle, seven points behind champions Manchester United. It would be the last time that Arsenal finished outside the top two until 2006, and the last time that Arsène Wenger would compromise on his modus operandi .
Still, a lot of the groundwork accomplished in Wengerâs first months would bear fruit the following year, despite the playersâ initial hostility. This was epitomised by Tony Adams: âAt first I thought, âWhat does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher. Heâs not going to be as good as George [Graham]. Does he even speak English properly?ââ But having got their way over their preferred system, they conceded to Wengerâs newfangled preparatory methods. With a nucleus of largely English players, he concentrated on improving their physical well-being, introducing dietary changes and training that was geared towards tuning rather than testing bodies.
Sessions were much shorter than hitherto and involved much more preparatory work â stretching and jogging â to lessen the chances of injury. Regular psychological and physical examinations and continuous monitoring confirmed how effective the new methods were. During the week, the manager had to rely on his players choosing to consume copious amounts of water instead of (dehydrating) alcohol when left to their own devices. Ian Wright probably headed for the nearest takeaway as an antidote to the nourishing fare he was provided with at the training ground: âHe has put me on grilled fish, grilled broccoli, grilled everything. Yuk!â Shortly after his arrival, Wenger justified his reforms: âItâs silly to work hard the whole week and then spoil it by not preparing properly before the game. As a coach you can influence the diet of your players. You can point out what is wrong. Some are wrong because they are not strong enough to fight temptation and some are wrong because they do not know. As a coach I
The personnel Wenger inherited in 1996 were comfortable with the 3â5â2 formation that Bruce Rioch had introduced and they expressed their wish for the new boss to persevere with it. After all, they were lying second in the table on goal difference, in spite of a series of off-the-field upheavals. Over the course of less than three months, three different men had selected the first team. To add to the climate of uncertainty, club captain Tony Adams faced up to his demons and admitted he was an alcoholic to his colleagues, who probably werenât as surprised at the revelation so much as the transformation of the man who was making it. As his teammate Ian Wright commented with no ironic intent, âFor Tony to admit he is an alcoholic took an awful lot of bottle.â
With change and an accompanying foreboding in the air, the paramount need was for a sense of togetherness, which the new arrival effected by maintaining the existing formation as the players had requested. Had he insisted on his preferred 4â4â2 line-up, perhaps the outcome would have been even better than the third spot they attained, missing out on Champions League qualification on goal difference to Newcastle, seven points behind champions Manchester United. It would be the last time that Arsenal finished outside the top two until 2006, and the last time that Arsène Wenger would compromise on his modus operandi .
Still, a lot of the groundwork accomplished in Wengerâs first months would bear fruit the following year, despite the playersâ initial hostility. This was epitomised by Tony Adams: âAt first I thought, âWhat does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher. Heâs not going to be as good as George [Graham]. Does he even speak English properly?ââ But having got their way over their preferred system, they conceded to Wengerâs newfangled preparatory methods. With a nucleus of largely English players, he concentrated on improving their physical well-being, introducing dietary changes and training that was geared towards tuning rather than testing bodies.
Sessions were much shorter than hitherto and involved much more preparatory work â stretching and jogging â to lessen the chances of injury. Regular psychological and physical examinations and continuous monitoring confirmed how effective the new methods were. During the week, the manager had to rely on his players choosing to consume copious amounts of water instead of (dehydrating) alcohol when left to their own devices. Ian Wright probably headed for the nearest takeaway as an antidote to the nourishing fare he was provided with at the training ground: âHe has put me on grilled fish, grilled broccoli, grilled everything. Yuk!â Shortly after his arrival, Wenger justified his reforms: âItâs silly to work hard the whole week and then spoil it by not preparing properly before the game. As a coach you can influence the diet of your players. You can point out what is wrong. Some are wrong because they are not strong enough to fight temptation and some are wrong because they do not know. As a coach I
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