The Arsenal Twittersphere is saturated with hoards of individual Gooners, Bloggers and Journalists, each with their own opinions. After supporting Arsenal, all Arsenal Twitter accounts have the same thing in common - they want you to follow them.
“Following everybody and anybody who boasts #Arsenal in their Twitter bio has it’s dangers.”
However, following everybody and anybody who boasts #Arsenal in their Twitter bio has it’s dangers. Not only will you be flooded with poorly written, badly thought-out Arsenal tweets during key events, but you’ll also be exposed to non-Arsenal tweets when the world of Football is asleep. Nobody wants to read about the detailed personal lives of a stranger, simply because they follow Arsenal.
Sifting through the irrelevant Arsenal Twitter accounts can be tiresome task, so I have compiled a list of the top fifty Arsenal Tweeters. To save confusion, I have allowed the account holders to give a description of themselves via their own Twitter Bios alongside selected comments from me, where necessary.
The list is in no particular order.
Arsenal 100% - There’s no high horse & I don’t expect you to agree with my opinions. Twitter’s fun & informative, nothing more.
All about Arsenal FC, for proper Gooners only & expecting for the club’s major changes!
Arsenal. Premier League. La Liga. Serie A. Bundesliga. Ligue 1. Champions League. Internationals.
Imagine a girl in an Arsenal shirt and high heels eating pies while walking into a door. Hello!
Tweet about Arsenal, football and sport, in French or English. - A good source of Arsenal news & interviews originating from French media.
All about Arsenal FC, for proper Gooners only & expecting for the club’s major changes!
Arsenal, wife & kids, dogs. In that order.
Arsenal. Follow EPL & Bundesliga. Blogger, (Nocturnalist). 19. Idols Falcao, Wilshere & Gotze. Editor of FreshFootball.
Arsenal blogger, committed drinker. Will RT what I like, not what I’m asked.
Dedicated Arsenal website run by dedicated Gooners. News, views and everything Arsenal.
Forty something Gooner. Trying to stay positive. Have my own blog which try to write something new for at least once a week.
Blogging daily opinion pieces about Arsenal for 5 years | Season ticket holder & shareholder.
Mainly Arsenal, all sport. I will try to make you laugh. I hope to occasionally succeed.
Opta Content Director. Reclusive. Purveyor of Arsenal facts - some mine, some courtesy of the day job.
Journalism student. Writer for @laliga_news & @SWOLofficial. Columnist for @bernabeudigital. Benzefan. Real Madrid ST holder with a non-secret love for Arsenal. - Useful for Arsenal news originating from Spanish media.
GunnerBlogger - Excellent analysis of events and matches, trusted news source.
Everything Arsenal. Fan of @T_Vermaelen05, but not affiliated to him. Light-hearted.
The funniest Gooner on Twitter and the best blogger on the Internet…. Modest too.
Arsenal & proud [ Stats , News & Discussion ] You can call me Mr. ARSENAL
Bringing you news, transfer gossip, stats and opinion on Arsenal & football in general.
Gooner Artist I pretty much tweet everything got to do with Arsenal as well as doing Arsenal Edits! - Brilliant Arsenal Images & Edits
Daily Mirror sports writer and football fanatic. Remember: If I’m anti-everyone I’m biased towards no-one. - Mirror Football Journalist, with special emphasis on Arsenal.
Tweeting the latest Arsenal News/Views from a variety of Gooner blogs.
Arsenal FC Shareholder & Season Ticket Holder, AST Member, FCB Member, Messi, Stone Roses, Hacienda, J-Pop, Factory Records and all that. Consumer Products since 1986.
Don’t come for the news, come for the views. We are multi-admin on http://facebook.com/shewore not all tweets are mine *GC* BSM MEMBERS.
Car nut with a slight Arsenal obsession. ‘Once an Arsenal man, always an Arsenal man’. Proud Real Oviedo share holder!
It’s all about the Arsenal! I’m a massive Gooner! I love to photograph nature!
The best selling Arsenal fanzine.
One of Where Has Our Arsenal Gone? The pressure group speaking up for supporters of The Arsenal. These are my views; visit our website for official news.
ARSENAL FAN FIRST AND FOREMOST! All things Eredivise. — I’ll keep you updated with all sorts of news.
I love Arsenal FC. Two beautiful US born kids. Go Houston Texans! 3rd Degree Tae Kwon Do Black Belt! FB all Gooners. Freethinker!
“I really like Arsenal. But you, yes, you. Do you really like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with trophies?” DB10… DISCLAIMER : Tweets NOT directed at middle ground.
Sports writer at the Metro newspaper. Working in the worlds of football, rugby, tennis, boxing and F1. I’m to blame for all views.
Come On You Rip Roaring Reds!
Arsenal Lore, Arsenal Scores, Arsenal Chalkboards - Occasional match-day reporting for @cityam_sport
Bunch of Arse. First with all the news, features and that…
Brit blogging from Switzerland, usually about the business of football. - Excellent financial stats & facts about Arsenal & Football in general.
Arsenal fan, Write a bit, Notoriously pessimistic. Follows St-Etienne. Transfer whore. First Irish Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate since 1998.
The 7amkickoff glass is always half-wanker/half-genius depending on your point of view. If I didn’t piss you off today, check back tomorrow.
Editor of Goodplaya.com - Arsenal blogging since 2004.
Arsenal supporter; AST Board Member; Columnist and proofreader for The Gooner magazine. Usually right; occasionally wrong; always certain.
An Arsenal Football Club blog.
Grooming Frimpong’s mohawk, since 2009. Arsenal stats, tactics, analysis, truth, opinion and numbers.
Keeping you updated on Arsenal. [ Live Match Commentary, Transfer Gossips, Match Reviews + Much More ] - Great for regular Arsenal Images & Fan Art.
Born HIGHBURY 1878. Harrow; Oxford; The Guards, Woolwich; Highbury; The Emirates.
Football writer, biographer and broadcaster, England correspondent of France Football and RMC, contributor to The Blizzard. Musician when none of the above. - Not a dedicated Arsenal fan, but certainly has a soft spot for The Gunners.
Live Arsenal, Breathe Arsenal, Be Arsenal… Your World Is My World… The World Of Arsenal…
Blogging about the Arsenal.
Arsenal supporter [News, images, stats, and more]. - My heart, my life, my Arsenal!
Huge Arsenal fan and will always be supportive of Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. And I also hate Spuds.
Arsenal FC. Wenger loyalist. Henry idolator. Lately come. Here to stay. An Arse man through and through.
Now, Get Following!
There you have it. Fifty of the very best Arsenal Twitter accounts to simplify your Twitter timeline. Each of the accounts above are accounts which I personally follow, and highly recommend to any Arsenal fan. If these are the only accounts you follow - You’ll never miss a thing.
Naturally, the obvious candidates such as the Official Arsenal Twitter Account have been left off the list, to make room for lesser-known, yet equally useful tweeters.
Also, don’t forget to Follow The Clock End, we’re not too bad either!
Have we missed somebody off the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
On the 30th of September 1996, Arsene Wenger was officially appointed as manager of Arsenal Football Club. Since that day, a grand total of thirty three transfer windows have come to pass.
“Many Arsene Wenger transfers have gone down in history as masterstrokes…”
Over the years, many Arsene Wenger’s transfers, both in and out of the club, have gone down in history as masterstrokes. Yet at the same time, many of his transfers have been highly criticised by fans and media alike - usually for good reason.
However, regardless of the subsequent success of the players themselves, it is important to first analyse Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal transfer history via the amount of money he has spent & received over the course of his illustrious, seventeen year reign over The Gunners.
I hate maths. But for the sake of analysing Arsenal’s expenditure and income since 1996, I’ve had no choice but to dabble in it. By clicking the link below, you’ll reveal an extensive table of every purchase and sale ever made by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal Football club, as well as the fee for each transfer.
Players In | Fee | Players Out | Fee | Profit/Loss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 2012 / 2013 | |||||
| Lukas Podolski | £11,000,000 | Tom Cruise | Free | ||
| Olivier Giroud | £13,000,000 | Jeffrey Monakana | Free | ||
| Santi Cazorla | £16,000,000 | Oguzhan Özyakup | £500,000 | ||
| Nacho Monreal | £8,300,000 | Pedro Botelho | Undisclosed | ||
| Carlos Vela | £4,200,000 | ||||
| Robin Van Persie | £22,000,000 | ||||
| Kyle Bartley | £1,000,000 | ||||
| Alex Song | £15,000,000 | ||||
| Henri Lansbury | £1,000,000 | ||||
| Rhys Murphy | Free | ||||
| Gavin Hoyte | Free | ||||
| Manuel Almunia | Free | ||||
| Total: | £48,300,000 | £43,700,000 | £4,600,000 | ||
| Season 2011 / 2012 | |||||
| Carl Jenkinson | £1,000,000 | Gaël Clichy | £7,000,000 | ||
| Gervinho | £10,600,000 | Mark Randall | Free | ||
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | £12,000,000 | Jay E-Thomas | £1,500,000 | ||
| Joel Campbell | £950,000 | Cesc Fábregas | £35,000,000 | ||
| Park Chu-Young | £3,000,000 | Emmanuel Eboué | £4,000,000 | ||
| André Santos | £6,200,000 | Jamie Edge | Free | ||
| Mikel Arteta | £10,000,000 | Samir Nasri | £22,000,000 | ||
| Per Mertesacker | £10,000,000 | Armand Traore | £1,200,000 | ||
| Thomas Eisfeld | £400,000 | Gilles Sunu | Free | ||
| Luke Freeman | Undisclosed | ||||
| Total: | £54,150,000 | £70,700,000 | £16,550,000 | ||
| Season 2010 / 2011 | |||||
| Marouane Chamakh | Free | Fran Merida | Free | ||
| Kyle Ebecillo | £500,000 | Philippe Senderos | Free | ||
| Laurent Koscielny | £10,000,000 | Luke Ayling | Free | ||
| Sebastien Squillaci | £4,000,000 | Eduardo | £6,000,000 | ||
| Ryo Miyaichi | Undisclosed | Sol Campbell | Signed | ||
| Jay Simpson | £1,200,000 | ||||
| Havard Nordtveit | £500,000 | ||||
| Nacer Barazite | Free | ||||
| Total: | £14,500,000 | £7,700,000 | £6,800,000 | ||
| Season 2009 / 2010 | |||||
| Thomas Vermaelen | £10,000,000 | Abu Ogogo | Free | ||
| Samuel Galindo | Undisclosed | Emmanuel Adebayor | £25,000,000 | ||
| Sol Campbell | Free | Kolo Toure | £16,000,000 | ||
| James Dunne | Signed | ||||
| Rene Steer | Signed | ||||
| Total: | £10,000,000 | £41,000,000 | £31,000,000 | ||
| Season 2008 / 2009 | |||||
| Amaury Bischoff | Undisclosed | Mathieu Flamini | Free | ||
| Mikael Sylvestre | £750,000 | Alexander Hleb | £11,800,000 | ||
| Andrei Arshavin | £15,000,000 | Gilberto Silva | £1,000,000 | ||
| Justin Hoyte | £3,000,000 | ||||
| Total: | £15,750,000 | £15,800,000 | £50,000 | ||
| Season 2007 / 2008 | |||||
| Samir Nasri | £15,800,000 | Jens Lehmann | Free | ||
| Aaron Ramsey | £5,000,000 | Lassana Diarra | £5,500,000 | ||
| Luke Freeman | £200,000 | Matthew Connolly | £1,000,000 | ||
| Lassana Diarra | £4,000,000 | Joe O’Cearuill | Free | ||
| Bakari Sagna | £6,000,000 | Ryan Garry | Free | ||
| Jose Reyes | £8,100,000 | ||||
| Fredrik Ljungberg | £3,000,000 | ||||
| Total: | £31,000,000 | £17,600,000 | £13,400,000 | ||
| Season 2006 / 2007 | |||||
| Eduardo | £7,500,000 | Peggy Lokando | Free | ||
| Nacer Barazite | Signed | Arturo Lupoli | Free | ||
| Lukasz Fabianski | £2,000,000 | Thierry Henry | £16,100,000 | ||
| Denilson | £3,400,000 | Jeremie Aliadiere | £2,000,000 | ||
| William Gallas | Swap | Mart Poom | Signed | ||
| Alexandre Song Billong | £1,000,000 | Fabrice Muamba | £2,000,000 | ||
| Fran Merida Perez | Free | Sebastian Larsso | £1,000,000 | ||
| Joe O’Cearuill | Free | Bisan Lauren | £500,000 | ||
| Anthony Stokes | £2,000,000 | ||||
| Ashley Cole | £5,000,000 | ||||
| Pascal Cygan | £2,000,000 | ||||
| Sol Campbell | Free | ||||
| Ryan Smith | £300,000 | ||||
| Graham Stack | Signed | ||||
| Michael Jordan | Free | ||||
| Total: | £13,900,000 | £30,900,000 | £17,000,000 | ||
| Season 2005 / 2006 | |||||
| Tomas Rosicky | £6,800,000 | Robert Pires | Free | ||
| Mart Poom | Signed | Mark Howard | Free | ||
| Theo Walcott | £9,100,000 | Quincy Owusu-A | £1,500,000 | ||
| Emmanuel Adebayor | £7,000,000 | David Bentley | £10,000,000 | ||
| Vassiriki Diaby | £2,000,000 | Patrick Cregg | Free | ||
| Aleksandr Hleb | £11,200,000 | Frankie Simek | Free | ||
| Armand Traore | £250,000 | Sebastian Svard | Free | ||
| Vito Mannone | £350,000 | Patrick Vieira | £13,700,000 | ||
| Nicklas Bendtner | £200,000 | Jermaine Pennant | £4,670,000 | ||
| Stephen O’Donnell | Free | ||||
| Daniel Karbassiyo | Free | ||||
| Stuart Taylor | £250,000 | ||||
| Dean McDonald | Free | ||||
| Adam Birchall | Free | ||||
| Olafur Ingi Skulas | Free | ||||
| Total: | £36,900,000 | £30,120,000 | £6,780,000 | ||
| Season 2004 / 2005 | |||||
| Emmanuel Eboue | £1,000,000 | Chris Wright | Free | ||
| Mathieu Flamini | £1,000,000 | Edu | Free | ||
| Manuel Almunia | £2,500,000 | Dominic Shimmin | £300,000 | ||
| Matthew Hislop | Free | ||||
| Rami Shaaban | Free | ||||
| John Spicer | Signed | ||||
| Tomas Danileviciu | Signed | ||||
| Stephen Bradley | |||||
| Sylvain Wiltord | Free | ||||
| Francis Jeffers | £2,600,000 | ||||
| Igor Stepanovs | Signed | ||||
| Nwankwo Kanu | Free | ||||
| Ray Parlour | Free | ||||
| Martin Keown | Free | ||||
| Total: | £4,500,000 | £2,900,000 | £1,600,000 | ||
| Season 2003 / 2004 | |||||
| Arturo Lupoli | Signed | Dean Shiels | Free | ||
| Robin Van Persie | £2,750,000 | Giovanni Van Bro | £3,000,000 | ||
| Jose Reyes | £13,000,000 | Alex Bailey | Free | ||
| Gael Clichy | £250,000 | Efstathios Tavlari | £250,000 | ||
| Johan Djourou | £0 | Craig Holloway | Free | ||
| Jens Lehmann | £2,000,000 | Ashley Probets | Free | ||
| Philippe Senderos | £2,500,000 | Liam Chilvers | Free | ||
| Cesc Fabregas | Free | Nicky Nicolau | Free | ||
| Jerome Thomas | £100,000 | ||||
| Moritz Volz | £500,000 | ||||
| John Halls | Undisclosed | ||||
| Guillaume Warmu | Free | ||||
| Oleg Luzhny | Free | ||||
| Total: | £20,500,000 | £3,850,000 | £16,650,000 | ||
| Season 2002 / 2003 | |||||
| Guillaume Warmuz | Signed | David Seaman | Free | ||
| Rami Shaaban | Signed | Graham Barrett | Free | ||
| Gilberto Silva | £4,500,000 | Ben Chorley | Free | ||
| Pascal Cygan | £2,100,000 | Michael Gordon | Free | ||
| Carlin Itonga | Free | ||||
| Matthew Rouse | Signed | ||||
| David Noble | Signed | ||||
| David Grondin | Free | ||||
| Matthew Upson | £1,000,000 | ||||
| Steven Sidwell | £250,000 | ||||
| Jo Kuffour | Free | ||||
| Richard Wright | £3,500,000 | ||||
| Rohan Ricketts | Free | ||||
| Alex Manninger | £960,000 | ||||
| Total: | £6,600,000 | £5,710,000 | £890,000 | ||
| Season 2001 / 2002 | |||||
| Kolo Toure | £150,000 | Greg Lincoln | Signed | ||
| Efstathios Tavlaridis | £600,000 | Sylvinho | £3,500,000 | ||
| Richard Wright | £6,000,000 | Guillaume Norbert | Free | ||
| Sol Campbell | Free | Guy Demel | £194,000 | ||
| Giovanni Van Bronckhorst | £8,500,000 | Stefan Malz | £580,000 | ||
| Nelson Vivas | Free | ||||
| Total: | £15,250,000 | £4,274,000 | £10,976,000 | ||
| Season 2000 / 2001 | |||||
| Francis Jeffers | £8,000,000 | Nelson Vivas | Free | ||
| Juan | Signed | James Harper | Signed | ||
| Edu | £6,000,000 | Christopher Wreh | Signed | ||
| Tomas Danilevicius | £1,000,000 | Paolo Vernazza | £350,000 | ||
| Igor Stepanovs | £1,000,000 | Rhys Weston | £300,000 | ||
| Sylvain Wiltord | £13,000,000 | Brian McGovern | £50,000 | ||
| Guy Demel | Free | Emmanuel Petit | £5,000,000 | ||
| Moritz Volz | Signed | Marc Overmars | £25,000,000 | ||
| Sebastian Svard | Undisclosed | Jay Bothroyd | £1,000,000 | ||
| Robert Pires | £6,000,000 | ||||
| Total: | £35,000,000 | £31,700,000 | £3,300,000 | ||
| Season 1999 / 2000 | |||||
| Lauren | £7,200,000 | Julian Gray | £500,000 | ||
| Niccolo Galli | £0 | Tommy Black | £500,000 | ||
| Thierry Henry | £10,500,000 | Davor Suker | Free | ||
| Davor Suker | £500,000 | Nigel Winterburn | Signed | ||
| Sylvinho | £4,000,000 | Narada Bernard | Free | ||
| Stefan Malz | £650,000 | Stephen Hughes | £3,000,000 | ||
| Omer Riza | Undisclosed | ||||
| Luis Boa Morte | £500,000 | ||||
| Dave Livermore | £30,000 | ||||
| Nicolas Anelka | £23,000,000 | ||||
| Michael Black | Free | ||||
| Jason Crowe | £1,000,000 | ||||
| Steve Bould | £500,000 | ||||
| Total: | £22,850,000 | £29,030,000 | £6,180,000 | ||
| Season 1998 / 1999 | |||||
| Oleg Luzhny | £1,800,000 | Kaba Diawara | £3,000,000 | ||
| Kaba Diawara | £2,500,000 | William Huck | £50,000 | ||
| Nwankwo Kanu | £4,500,000 | Jamie Day | £20,000 | ||
| Jermaine Pennant | £2,000,000 | Isaiah Rankin | £1,300,000 | ||
| William Huck | Free | Ian Wright | £500,000 | ||
| Eric Chukwunyelu Obinna | Signed | ||||
| Fredrik Ljungberg | £3,000,000 | ||||
| Nelson Vivas | Free | ||||
| Total: | £13,800,000 | £4,870,000 | £8,930,000 | ||
| Season 1997 / 1998 | |||||
| David Grondin | £500,000 | Richard Hughes | Free | ||
| Christopher Wreh | £300,000 | Peter Clark | Free | ||
| Vince Bartram | Signed | ||||
| Valur Gislason | Unknown | ||||
| Jehad Muntasser | Free | ||||
| Glenn Helder | Undisclosed | ||||
| Ian Selley | £500,000 | ||||
| Paul Shaw | £250,000 | ||||
| Total: | £800,000 | £750,000 | £50,000 | ||
| Season 1996 / 1997 | |||||
| Lee Canoville | Signed | Lee Harper | £125,000 | ||
| Marc Overmars | £7,000,000 | Paul Merson | £4,500,000 | ||
| Alberto Mendez | Unknown | Matthew Rose | £500,000 | ||
| Luis Boa Morte | £1,750,000 | John Hartson | £3,300,000 | ||
| Gilles Grimandi | £2,500,000 | Andy Linighan | £110,000 | ||
| Emmanuel Petit | £2,500,000 | Paul Read | £35,000 | ||
| Alex Manninger | £500,000 | David Hillier | £250,000 | ||
| Matthew Upson | £2,000,000 | Eddie McGoldrick | £300,000 | ||
| Nicolas Anelka | £500,000 | Paul Dickov | £1,000,000 | ||
| Patrick Vieira | £3,500,000 | Roy O’Brien | Signed | ||
| Remi Garde | Free | Kevin Dennis | Free | ||
| Total: | £20,250,000 | £10,120,000 | £10,130,000 | ||
| Grand Total: | £364,050,000 | £350,704,000 | £13,346,000 | ||
I did tell you it was extensive.
So there you have it. Every single transfer, with every fee accounted for. Naturally, some of the transactions are undisclosed, and we have to understand that many ‘confirmed’ transfer fees are rarely confirmed by the actual clubs themselves. However, it’s safe to say that the above table is an accurate depiction of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal transfer history.
Since taking charge of Arsenal Football Club, Arsene Wenger has spent approximately £364,050,000 on player purchases, whilst accruing £350,704,000. This leaves us with a £13,346,000 deficit. A large enough number, but in the grand scheme of things, the figure is mere pennies.
“The numbers certainly seem to indicate that the club considers its past when taking gambles on the future.”
Has such a close balance been achieved on purpose? Each year Arsene will have been given a budget which reflected the clubs current finances, so it’s unclear whether his transfer budget in 2012 was impacted by his expenditure in 1997, but the numbers certainly seem to indicate that the club considers its past when taking gambles on the future.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the table above is impressive. Despite the economic world changing drastically between 1996 and 2013, not forgetting to mention the fact that Arsenal built and moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, Arsene Wenger has kept his transfer budgets in tight check. This many not be every fans dream transfer policy, but from a purely business point of view - you have to admire him.
Additionally, reading through the names listed above brings back floods of memories. It’s difficult to believe that Arsenal’s current Assistant Manager, Steve Bould, was sold by the club in the year 2000 for £500,000.
Impressive figures are all well and good, except when the positive balance is not reflected in the most important area of the club - on the pitch.
Scanning through the Arsenal transfer history list above quickly tells you about the financial aspect of Arsene Wenger’s policies. But a deeper review will reveal that, over the years, his transfer policy has changed in terms of who the money gets spent on. And the change is a negative one.
“Arsene had a knack for finding players with raw talent, and crafting them into superstars.”
Some of Arsene’s first signings include the likes of Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit & Nicolas Anelka. Names who, at the time, were not known for being world beaters. But Arsene had a knack for finding players with raw talent, and crafting them into superstars. This was continued with purchases such as Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Francis Jeffers Robert Pires.
Today, we see that the funds get spent on players who can’t be crafted into much at all. Names such as Andre Santos, Sebatien Squillaci & Gervinho all boast pricetags far above & beyond their true worth. The worst part is, there are few names to point out who have have been crafted to have the same impact as players like Patick Vieira & Thierry Henry. It seems that Arsene Wenger’s knack has abandoned him.
What do you think of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal Transfer History? Is the money less of an issue in comparison to the lack of quality being brought into the club? Share your views in the comments section below.
Arsene Wenger’s tremendous Seventeen-year reign over Arsenal Football Club has taken him well into 2013. The beautiful game is indeed a game of two halves, and you can argue that Wenger’s time at Arsenal has followed suit perfectly. The first half was adorned with an abundance of class and silverware, with the second half turning out to be painfully fruitless and - at times, mediocre.
In light of this, we’ve compiled ten of the most interesting & relevant Arsene Wenger quotes sourced throughout his long Arsenal career. The diverse selection of quotes include Arsene’s thoughts on being humble in victory, financial responsibility, talent versus hard work, and even Pubs.
One can always make the argument that Arsene has failed to win any competition for almost eight years now. But I’m sure nobody would deny that the Frenchman is a great lover of Football, Sport, and indeed competitiveness itself. He has always relished the big games, and was never afraid of getting enthralled in managerial mind games. If it’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that Arsene Wenger has the mentality of a winner.
“I think we live in a very competitive world, and I love competition.”
It’s a strange, controversial concept. Arsene Wenger has always been criticised for not spending enough money on bolstering his squad, and some may argue the results are currently speaking for themselves. But Arsene has his own standpoint when it comes to finances and responsibility.
“What is unbelievable is that, I am in a position where people reproach me for making a profit. The people who lose money – nobody says a word. Reproach the people who lose money. I do business by managing in a safe way in a healthy way, and on top of that you reproach me for making money. It looks like we are in a business where the desired quality is to lose money.”
Arsene always did enjoy a laugh, and we’re glad it’s at the expense of Tottenham in this case. When asked by a reporter if he managed to watch the Spurs game last night, Wenger replied in a way which any Arsenal fan would be proud of.
“”I tried to watch the Tottenham match on television in my hotel yesterday, but I fell asleep.”
Anybody who has researched Arsene Wenger in detail will find that he has some interesting thoughts on issues outside of Football. This one is of course applicable to any situation. Overall, it’s just a great piece of advice, and I’m sure he reminds his young players of this idea regularly.
“Nobody has enough talent to live on talent alone. Even when you have talent, a life without work goes nowhere.”
More controversy you ask? Go on then. In recent years, Arsene Wenger has constantly been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Players leaving, messy contract negotiations, under-spending, and so forth. But here, Arsene reacts to his critics, and hopes one day they’ll realise…
“There is no priority other than being at the top level in Football. When you look back, you’ll see than Arsenal has been consistently [for Sixteen years] at the top level of European Football. You will find we have been consistently in the top three of four in England, some years we won [the League] and some years we didn’t win. Maybe one day people will realise that it’s not so easy to stay at the top, as well as facing financial compulsories that you face at that level.”
Arsene relates his experiences of Japanese culture when it comes to victory, to describe his views on being humble in times of success. It’s an admirable trait to aspire for, but I can’t really see it catching on. After all, where would we be without Arsene’s famous celebratory dances?
“One of the things I discovered in Japan was from watching sumo wrestling. At the end you can never tell who has won the fight, and who has lost, because they do not show their emotion because it could embarrass the loser. It is unbelievable. That is why I try to teach my team politeness. It is only here in England that everybody pokes their tongue out when they win.”
Everybody’s favourite Arsene Wenger Quote. If there is ever a questionable incident involving an Arsenal player on the pitch - you can guarantee that Arsene Wenger never saw it. He may have been looking directly at it with uninterrupted focus, but that’s not important. He never saw it. Honest.
“Sometimes I see it [a foul by an Arsenal player], but I say that I didn’t see it to protect the players and because I could not find any rational explanation for that they did.”
A few years back, rumours spread that Arsene Wenger would have to stop the team bus on the way home in order to physically be sick following defeats. The reports were never confirmed, but this statement from Wenger certainly suggests that his emotions seem to be vented via vomit. It’s also a great example of how Wenger struggled for thirty years to achieve the success that he has. His career is indeed a fascinating one.
“”I started at 33 as a manager and sometimes I felt I wouldn’t survive. Physically, I was sick.”
At the time of writing, Arsene Wenger has failed to win a trophy for Arsenal Football Club for almost eight years. But despite his failings, we can never doubt his commitment, dedication and love for the club he helped establish on a global stage. Without doubt, we owe Arsene Wenger a lot.
“I want to go to the end of my job here [at Arsenal]. I built this team, I want to deliver with this team and I feel that if I left, I would have in some way betrayed my own beliefs. It is as simple as that. I have a project here that I started, and I want to reach the end of it. I could not leave this team at this stage of their development.”
So, there you go. Ten of the very best Arsene Wenger quotes, epitomising his love for Arsenal, his and even his stance on bringing up kids in pubs .
Arsene Wenger is currently facing immense strife and pressure at Arsenal, and so it’s easy for fans to forget just what a great man he really is. We often take his presence for granted, and fail to recognise the positives. Back in October 2012, I published ten Arsene Wenger Interviews you’ve never seen before. If you’ve lost your love for Arsene - that article will certainly restore it.
Which one of the above Arsene Wenger quotes was your favourite? Have we missed one out? Share it with us in the comments section below!
On the 100th anniversary of Arsenal’s rivalry with Tottenham, The Lily-Whites currently sit seven points ahead of The Gunners with just ten games of the season left to play. To make matters worse, local rivals Chelsea also have a five point advantage over Arsenal. Qualifying for the Champions League, looks improbable.
“Arsenal currently find themselves staring into the abyss of the Europa League.”
The combination of a thin, poorly assembled squad and a ‘one-size-fits-all‘ approach to match tactics has proven lethal to The Gunners’ Champions League hopes. Unfortunately, Arsenal have nobody but themselves to blame.
Of course, thanks to the remaining ten games, Arsenal do have a chance of overturning the seven point deficit and claiming a Champions League spot for the seventeenth season in a row. But just in the worst case scenario, what should Arsenal’s plans be in response to playing in the Europa League, and bouncing back to where they belong?
Arsenal have a long, fruitful relationship with the Champions League. The Gunners have qualified for the prestigious competition for sixteen season’s in a row, yet despite their proud history, Arsenal currently find themselves staring into the abyss of the Europa League. An abyss which clubs as big as Liverpool have struggled to navigate.
The first plan of action should be internal. Dropping out of the Champions League will wound the Arsenal, which is an open invite for other clubs to make approaches for our best players. The club will have to sit down with the players who will be most tempted to leave, and explain to them how and why Arsenal will quickly bounce back.
“Players like Nicklas Bendtner, Marouane Chamakh & Sebastien Squillaci are doing nothing but occupying squad space and consuming wages.”
Secondly, dead wood lurking within the club need to be dealt with. Players like Nicklas Bendtner, Marouane Chamakh & Sebastien Squillaci are doing nothing but occupying squad space and consuming wages.
Back in July, I published a list of players who should Sling Their Hook. Unfortunately for Arsenal, all four players listed are still here.
My third and final plan for facing the Europa League and bouncing back to the Champions League, will be explained in greater detail later.
Essentially, the internal workings of Arsenal are in tatters. Contracts are allowed to run down to their final year, and the finest players are consistently sold to the most detested clubs. Some may argue that in order to change the broken system within the club concerning players, wages and contracts, is for the board, and the manager, to be given a wake up call. Such as failing to qualify for the Champions League.
I just hope that these logical internal changes don’t have to come at such a heavy price.
The third and final point of action is certainly the most important. Recruiting the right players to not only win the Europa League, but also to do well enough to obtain a top four finish in the Premier League.
Getting rid of dead wood will undoubtedly make this step easier, but in recent years, Arsenal have struggled to buy the correct players needed to maintain the quality of football the fans have come to expect. A brand new approach to recruiting needs to be introduced. Preferably, the old one.
“The most regrettable aspect of this situation is that Arsenal have allowed it to decay from not being able to win trophies, to not being able to challenge for them at all.”
Gone are the days of Thierry Henry, Martin Keown & Patrick Vieira. Today, we have Gervinho, Aaron Ramsey & Andre Santos. One has to wonder what went wrong.
Financially, perhaps Arsenal are not capable of competing in terms of transfer fees and player wages. Which is why some fans have been baying for the Alisher Usmanov takeover to be made possible. A controversial topic, to say the least.
The plans put forward in this article are by no means groundbreaking. They are logical steps leading to a solid, structured financial setup which will at least maintain our status as a top four club. These ideas are years old, but the sheer stubbornness of the current Arsenal board & manager have kept them as just that, ideas.
Further refusal to implement these plans of action, will certainly result in a Liverpool-esque decline.
The most regrettable aspect of this situation is that Arsenal have allowed it to decay from not being able to win trophies, to not being able to challenge for them at all.
What do you think of Arsenal’s chances of making top four this season? If The Gunners have to face the Europa League, what measures should be taken to ensure a quick bounceback? Share your views in the comments section below.
For one hundred hate-filled years, Arsenal Football Club & Tottenham Hotspur have formed one of the most fierce rivalries in English Football.
“Naturally, the fans themselves have been only too happy to fuel the rivalry.”
Despite both clubs being established in the 1800′s the rivalry between Arsenal & Tottenham did not exist until 1913. That year, The Gunners relocated from Manor Ground, Woolwich, to Highbury, North London. The move resulted in an organic rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur, which has lasted for an entire Century.
The ferocious contention between the two clubs has produced some memorable events. the world-famous ‘North London Derby’ always delivers goals and blood-boiling controversy. Naturally, the fans themselves have been only too happy to fuel the rivalry.
Hating your rival is customary. But being able to hate whilst knowing where your club stands historically, is far more fulfilling. Unless of course, you happen to be a Tottenham fan. The Infographic below outlines the history of both clubs, as well as the most important statistics relevant to the North London Derby.
The above Infographic touches on some of the most important statistics surrounding club rivalry. Derbies won, goals scored, and overall major honours achieved, are great indications as to which club is dominant. The results, speak for themselves.
The dominance of Arsenal throughout the first combative century between the two North London outfits, is undeniable. But what can be asked about the next phase of rivalry between The Gunners & The Lilywhites?
“In recent years, the gap between Arsenal and Spurs has narrowed.”
It has even been suggested that the rivalry could be diminished by Tottenham’s potential move away from White Hart Lane. A move outside of North London, could pull the plug on a traditional local rivalry with Arsenal, as well as the famous North London Derby.
Regardless of locality, in recent years, the gap between Arsenal and Spurs has narrowed. Season by season, Tottenham have improved, whilst Arsenal have, at best, stood still. Coincidentally, at the time of writing, Arsenal face Tottenham this weekend, with the latter four points ahead of The Gunners. The matchup is quite literally make or break - for both teams.
It may well come to pass that the next period of dominance, will be Tottenham’s.
But I doubt it.
For fifteen consecutive years without fail, Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League. However, despite such a steady qualification record, The Gunners are yet to get their hands on the elusive Eurpoean trophy. All in all, Arsenal’s Champions League history is a frustrating one.
“Arsenal’s Champions League history is a frustrating one.”
Not only do Arsenal qualify for the Champions League year on year, but they also have a habit of doing quite well thereafter. Over the last ten years, Arsenal have never been knocked out of the cup before reaching the final 16 knock-out stages.
Arsenal hold some pretty admirable records in Europe, and they are by no means an easy club to beat on their day. Yet, the Champions League Cup itself has managed to elude them completely. So, what’s going wrong?
Poor Arsenal. Always the Bridesmaid, never the Bride. No Arsenal fan will have escaped the pain of the 05/06 Champions League final. The Lehman sending off, the Campbell header, and the subsequent Barcelona offensive onslaught that followed, robbing The Gunners of a dream victory.
Below, I have set out a Graph outlining Arsenal’s Champions League history compared with Manchester United, Real Madrid & Barcelona, over the last ten years. Granted, Arsenal have not been matching these elite clubs in recent years, but nevertheless, they been historic European & domestic rivals, and our aim should be to match their quality.
For me, the Graph illustrates two interesting points about Arsenal’s recent Champions League history.
Firstly, The Gunners have not dealt well with their defeat in the Champions League final in 05/06. The Graph shows that both Man Utd & Barcelona immediately improve when being knocked out of the Champions league at a disappointing stage. Arsenal however, have been on a steady decline since their defeat to The Catalans, seven years ago.
Additionally, Arsenal are far better suited to a league set-up, rather than the knock-out stages of a cup competition. When compared to Man Utd, Arsenal have advanced past the group stages more often, yet The Red Devils have had more success in the knock-out stages.
The Gunners are always in the race, but have never really steamed ahead. Evidently, ‘Slow & Steady Wins The Race’, does not apply to Arsenal.
With the emergence of super-clubs such as Manchester City & Paris Saint Germain, Arsenal need to re-evaluate their approach the Champions League. The squad needs to be built not just for longevity, but also for explosivity.
“Too often, we succumb to pressure much less burdensome [than the Champions League]. How then, can we expect Arsenal to fight their way through the knock-out stages? The current Arsenal side is simply not built for cup competitions.”
Arsenal’s current squad, much like the previous ones, is built solely to withstand the marathon which is the English Premier League. This is a noble approach, but the lack of success in knock-out competitions, especially in cup finals, is down to the fact that Arsenal lack a player, or a group pf players, who can turn a game on its head, whenever they please.
Since 2006, Arsenal have seen Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg & Robert Pires, all leave the club. Three highly dangerous attackers who can produce goals when they are needed. Players who penetrate defences both as a part of a team, and as a solitary force.
They have been replaced with players who have proven to be good goalscorers over extended periods, but who lack the ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck on a consistent basis.
Mikel Arteta, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla & Theo Walcott currently make up the bulk of Arsenal’s midfield & strike force. Excellent players, but not amongst those whom you’d call upon in a scrappy, heated cup final where the pressure is mountainous. Too often, we have seen them succumb to pressure much less burdensome. How then, can we expect them to fight their way through a full Champions League competition?
The current Arsenal side is simply not built for cup competitions.
We currently find ourselves in an extremely vulnerable position. Arsenal have exited both domestic cup competitions, and in order to qualify for the Champions League for the sixteenth time in a row, The Gunners must chase fourth spot with only a slice of the season remaining.
“The upcoming month of March is shaping up to be quite a story for both Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.”
Pressure from fans and media alike are mounting on Arsene Wenger like never before. Big questions are being asked of him personally, and his ailing team of under-performers. It just so happens that tonight, (at the time of writing) Arsenal face Bayern Munich in the first knock-out stage of the Champions League. The scoreline could just sculpt the rest of Arsenal’s season.
Two weeks ago I suggested that Arsenal’s Top Four Status could be under serious threat, and nothing has changed since. It certainly seems that it is now or never for Arsenal Football Club. The upcoming month of March is shaping up to be quite a story for both Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, in both the Premier League, and the Champions League.
Lets hope it’s a story worth telling.
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