Farewell Arsène Wenger, our enemy for life

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Oh Arsène. You’ve only gone and bloody done it, haven’t you? Tendered your resignation; jumping into the abyss of unemployment before you felt Stan’s hungry hands pushing away at your scrawny shoulders.

But what business does an Arsène Wenger piece have on a Tottenham fan forum you ask? Well, this isn’t a tribute. No, definitely not a tribute. It’s a sort-of farewell to the man we love to hate.

Let’s get one thing straight. There’s no denying that Arsène Wenger changed the face of football in Britain, via Arsenal, during his 22 year tenure. Any Spurs fan that objects is either lying, or possibly delusional. His earlier teams were to be admired, envied even, and there’s also no denying that Arsenal were top dogs in north London for the much of that timescale. Painful, I know.

Growing up as a Spurs fan in the Nineties/Noughties, with Wenger as Arsenal boss, was difficult business. It’s hard enough accepting your side is destined for nothing more than mid-table mediocrity. Even harder when your direct rivals are considered one of, if not, the greatest ever side to grace the English game. Back in those days, there was no point hoping the Arsenal result would brighten up your Saturday after a Spurs defeat. (Man, that 2003-04 season was hard.)

Seaman, Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Lauren, Adams, Cole, Overmars, Gilberto, Ljungberg, Edu, Petit, Fabregas, Vieira, Henry, Berkamp, Wiltord, Kanu — enemies, enemies for life. I still despise them. You know why.

But even now, listing those names, there’s a begrudging respect and acknowledgement that Wenger had amassed a brilliant, talented team — and not at the behest of a multi-billionaire owner. A team that possessed the ball with the grace of a ballerina troupe and hunted it back with the savagery of a rabid pack of terriers.

And as those Arsenal glory sides will be honoured during Wenger’s swansong, the records will state that Spurs were dominated in north London derbies during their rival’s trophy-laden years. And it’s true, we were. But what the records don’t tell you, naturally, is that middling (at best) Spurs sides used to give them a game. And would nearly — very nearly! —upset the odds.

Taricco, Doherty, Bunjevčević, Gardner, Rebrov, Iversen, Pamarot, Davis, Brown, Keller: remember them? For these players in their respective Spurs sides used to run Arsenal’s greatest-ever XI to the wire.

Gooners could goad us back then for celebrating draws as if they were victories — take the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane when they won the title — but the gulf in class was huge. And still, back then, to Wenger and Arsenal we were more stray dog barking in the street than a noisy neighbour.

Then it all changed. Perhaps it was their move to the Emirates, perhaps it was the shifting landscape of the Premier League due to a new influx of foreign managers. The league that Arsène had moulded in his image was taking a form of its own, and he didn’t recognise it anymore. He also didn’t have the monopoly of signing French unknowns ahead of everyone else.

Then Arsène’s Arsenal started seeing us as rivals. They had to. To compensate for their fall from grace. Their trophy at the end of the season now?: “At least we finished above Tottenham.” To those who say it’s Spurs who are obsessed with Arsenal: watch the celebrations at the Emirates after we lost 5-1 to Newcastle in May 2016. They even came up with a name for it: St Totteringham’s Day. How far Arsène’s once-mighty Invincibles had fallen.

Coinciding with this downturn, Spurs finally became the rivals Arsène had feared. Finishing above Spurs now actually meant something, as Spurs were a good side in their own right. And so players like Szczęsny, Podolski and Wilshere — players who couldn’t lace the boots of Wenger’s previous starlets — sought to disguise their own shortcomings on the pitch with “banter”-fuelled attacks against their “smaller” rival Tottenham. It’s an environment Wenger proudly presided over.

The north London derby wins against Wenger finally came for Spurs, but was there a man gracious in defeat in the opposing dugout? Never. Of all the times a grinning, smug-ridden Wenger had masterminded victory against the Spurs managers he faced — 10 of them in total — not once did he take defeat against us well. And for that, our victories were made even sweeter.

And so, Wenger is to leave our most hated club at the end of this season. A brilliant, but flawed manager. A worthy rival, no doubt. But maybe the biggest compliment I can give to Monsieur Wenger is that his sides set the bar for what it means to be a true north London powerhouse. So, thanks for that Arsène and au revior. But we’ll take it from here.

 

All you arsenal fans ,who wanted him out ,two things ,most of your problems is your players not caring ,and number two Be careful of what you wish for ,look at Manchester United

 

I don't hate Wenger; I wish Sugar had appointed him back in the mid-'90s, when Arsenal's dominance under George Graham had come to a grinding halt, and we all thought the North London power pendulum was swinging back from N4 to N17, as it used to every few years in those days. He took Arsenal to a level we still only aspire to - all this talk about 'projects' and 'laying foundations for success' used to justify our continuing trophy famine infuriates me - Arsenal did 'the Double' two years after he was appointed! Before him, Arsenal and Spurs were pretty much level-pegging in terms of size and status, and we've still got a hell of a gulf to bridge in terms of world-wide following and profile (and turnover!) - let's hope his departure finally allows what Spurs supporters regard as normal service to resume in London (unless they get a 'super-manager' and pull away again, of course!).

 

As background, I am an arsenal fan who got redirected from the newsnow arsenal site because this article was wrongly indexed as arsenal news. Regarding this article I must say I was surprised, that despite the 'tongue in cheek tone', which is expected from a writer from 'the enemy camp', its surprisingly well balanced, mostly fair and in several parts funny. You somehow manage to pay compliment to the achievements of a worthy adversary without actually outright doing it. Well done. You got my respect. adieu

 

I went to the first NLD at The Emirates in 2006. Having been a long suffering season ticket holder at WHL I came away from yet another defeat at their hands completely disillusioned. The new stadium was probably the most impressive UK stadium I had visited. The gooner team on the pitch swept Spurs aside with ease, as they had done for a decade under Wenger. The gap seemed impossible to close in terms of trophy winning, quality of playing squad, coaching staff, boardroom and now this huge stadium with nearly double the WHL capacity. Mr Campbell's departure was the first blow. Then the invincibles. Later the sales of Carrick and Berbatov, along with the sacking of Jol, would end my attendance at WHL. These were the body blows that took away my belief.

When the invincibles won the league at WHL the first thing that went through my mind was; what would Bill Nicholson and Danny Blanchflower have made of that team? Of course they would have approved. That particular side played their football with a flourish. They went out to beat the other lot. Not wait for them to die of boredom. I wanted to applaud them. Of course I didn't. I just gave up on Spurs for a while. What has happened since then has been remarkable from a Spurs point of view. Spurs have made a gradual progression to become a top side. Running parallel with this Wenger has overseen a decade of decline in N5. I never sang that song about Wenger. I thought it was unfair. He was a football man and Hoddle said he was the best. Sugar should have listened. Our loss was their gain.

Wenger deserves respect from all football supporters for what he achieved in terms of trophies won, going a season unbeaten and the style of football he played. However; my favouriote memory of him will always be when he was sent off at Old Trafford and walked the wrong way until he was surrounded in a maze of United supporters.

 

We've a long way to go to emulate even a quarter of what Wenger did.
The talk of powershifts etc can only start being compared when we start actually winning things.

 

To be the best, you have to have to beat the best, in every aspect.
Success at the highest level needs the best of everything and over those 22 years we've been second best. Not always, but mostly. In those years we've won two trophies, they've won 10.
The only consolation has been and remains so, that now we ARE the best.
COYS

 

Can't believe this article been allowed on this site let alone anyone thinks it's worth writing about. Fck him fck arsenal end of.
We are the top boys in London now.

 

Spot on Fran , good f**kin riddance I say .... Was a good manager while he had a massive edge knowing all them young french stars , once his edge was gone , well let's just say the fact all their rival fans want him to stay tells it's own story .. If the answer to 10 year's of gutless shambolic defending is to keep buying technically gifted attacking players then Wenger's your man ........

 

5pm. ****. No feckin Toby!!!!!!! Raging! !!!!

 

What a nonsense .. No disrespect to Sanchez who's been excellent all things considered but it's a joke ... C.O.Y.S ....

 

Seems lingard and sanchez are being given free headers todays

 

Another record broken - eight defeats on the trot. As for Dembele, I hope all the people who've been praising him to the skies lately now recognise the useless lazy lump for the waste of space he is.

 

I'm afraid pochs attitude all week about the cup is not important showed in this non performance what chance of keeping our only world class player Erickson now.harry was non existent as was son and both were still on pitch after 85 mins

 

why was our best defender on the bench especially as Sanchez had a mare against city's movement.Please let the dembele fans apologise for that inept performance by their man be surprised if he gets in Belgium team

 

Seems that way alright, man. Did anybody ever tell him NOT to try and turn inside so close to his own box. Started reasonably well, seemed to think " I'm The Biz" then went downhill faster than a feckin' bobsleigh. If he's stalling on a new contract - good.
J*esus - 8 in a row. To lose one or two - it happens; three - bit of care needed lads, shape up; eight - What the feck is going on ?. What a total p*isser of an evening, a glorious sunny day completely wrecked by a no-more- than-average Sh*ite side, managed by an absolutely obnoxious manager. I used to make it a total no-no to do anything other than watch the game on Cup Final day, these last few years I can't even be bothered to switch on - the usual parade of the same faces. Chavs & The Sh*te this year ? Even more reason to go shopping with the Strife. Dear God Poch - where is the fight when it's really needed ? I need someone to talk to.

 

The performance and result were bad enough, but knowing that most of the Spurs sites will be awash with 'In Levy/Pochettino We Trust' posts, with attacks on 'knee-jerkers' and 'melters' (who are all really closet Arsenal fans, of course), makes it even worse. All 'projects' have a sell-by date, and I can't see see Pochettino's regime succeeding in turning our perennial also-rans into winners within the allotted five years, especially if several of our key players (and I don't mean Dembele - he can clear off as soon as he likes) have jumped ship in the meantime. It's all very depressing, and I feel desperately sorry for the hardcore of travelling, never miss a game fans, who don't even have the memories of glory days that I can still just about recall - faith really is all they've got to get them through days like this.

 

Agree, **** result. Dembele was **** and I am always waiting for him to try to pass one too many people. But to say **** team and obnoxious manager is ridiculous.

We are a top 4 team and on our day beat anyone- In a season you can only have one team winning the league and be winning the cup. Everybody was scared shitless that because we were playing home games at Wembley that we would plummet down the table. As it is we put a good showing of ourselves in league and champions league- we probably didn’t t deserve to get to FA semi anyway

Yes I am as pissed off as anyone but let’s not start the negative dross up again!

COYS

Felon - I appreciate these comments are like a red rag to a bull for you so I can almost feel the heat from your fingers bashing away at the keyboard now

 

Have to disagree on this; they're a not much more - if even that - than average side, made to look better than they are by virtue of a second spot in a poor League. And Mourinho isn't obnoxious ? Well, 'nuff said.
I appreciate your comments re a good PL & CL showing - even though there are times when the team look like they can't be a*sed, but really can't think of one single positive from today. To single out anyone (OK - I've mentioned Dembele) would be wrong. We may have baggied through to the SF but WE WERE THERE, lucky or not - that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our damnedest to win the thing. Only one side wins the Cup, yes, but we have comfortably beaten the three other Semi Finalists since Christmas and none are exceptional; that's the hardest part to take. A decent performance and we could, and possibly should have beaten them today.

 

Sorry. I misunderstood your comment. I thought you were referring to spurs being a shite team with an obnoxious manager. I retract my comment

As to who was good- I think Verts was and pretty much always is - I would rather hang onto him than Alderweireld

I though Harry and son ( sounds like a grocers) were the reason we lost today and obviously Dembele !