'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsene Wenger the Manager of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 01, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The palpable sense of relief that swept across the Emirates when the final whistle blew to signal the end of what had been a pulsating North London derby brought a slight smile to the face of Arsene Wenger. As the manager strolled across the sacred turf that he has guarded so fiercely over recent years, the chants of the faithful filled me up, a magical phoenix song that seemed to melt away the frustrations of what had been a forgettable summer.
And in that moment, thousands of miles away, watching the man who has done more for this club than anyone ever will, I knew that this was something that was unique to being a Gooner. Knowing that sometimes in the “smash and grab” world we live in today, the values that make up a man still matter; perhaps now more than ever.
Its amazing what a difference one week can make in the wonderful world of the English Premier League. The heavy air of negativity that has persisted over Ashburton Grove for what has seemed like an eternity has now been magically lifted, and we can all breathe again. Mesut Ozil has been heralded as the answer to every question that hung over Arsenal Football Club since the departure of a certain Frenchman for greener pastures. And although my footballing brain tells me that we shouldn’t descend into this cloud of naivety, my Gooner heart cannot but help being uplifted by the euphoria that has set this club free.
All it takes is one drop of positivity to change fortunes, and indeed, lives. And the positive flood of emotions that the German’s arrival has triggered is going to take this club to glory – I am convinced of it. But only because we have Wenger at the helm; the difference being that he now has his entire crew and (extended) family well and truly behind him, once again confident in his ability to steer the battleship that is Arsenal Football Club.
The insinuation that Arsene Wenger had lost the authority to keep his house in order has always angered me. But I am not going to go into the cold, hard facts about the financial aspects of building the Emirates stadium- those have been highlighted extensively by well-meaning Gooners the world over. Instead, I would like to point out the one thing I have in common with Monsieur Wenger – we are both, essentially, romantics at heart. It is what drew me to this club as a teenager in the first place; a belief that this game that we love so very much should not be reduced to a shuffle to see who has the deepest pockets.
The joy of watching a youngster, his eyes betraying his naivety and innocent promise, mature into a leader who makes the difference out on the pitch – I can only imagine how amazing it must be to live Wenger’s life. The defining image for me, when I think of Fabregas’ all-too-brief Gunner stint (yes, I’m still mad at you Cesc) was in the wake of that famous win against Juventus. You could tell how much it meant to both player and manager, and for the millionth time my mind wandered out to a universe where I was kissing the Arsenal badge, sixty thousand fans screaming my name, while I had eyes for just one – my mentor, guide and teacher. Thank you, Le Professeur, for teaching me early on that pretty girls weren’t the only ones who deserved passion. My teenaged brain seized upon your devotion to find something in my own life that deserved purpose, passion and drive – and it has never really let go.
This game deserves more than the jets and boats of the billionaires who control something that exceeds their grasp. To put a price on the passions that this sport evokes in millions is a dangerous thing – mothers have always taught their children not to play with fire. Right now there is a kid in New Delhi, Cairo or in Gaborone, his frustration evident at his inability to juggle the ball for longer than his older brother. And the minds that think that they can buy that little bit of heart from another human being should know better – it probably took that little bit of passion for these men themselves to end up at the lofted heights they are today.
There really is nothing in our fleeting lives that compares to the feeling of being able to wake up every day knowing that you are doing something you truly love – and that is what Arsene Wenger has. This is a man who admitted that he watches football in the off-season to “relax”. How else does one man first change the fortunes of a club all on his own, then have the steel to take on incessant criticism for years on end while rebuilding the club that has become synonymous with his own identity (and indeed even his name)?
But the colossus has ended his silence. Wenger, in a recent press conference, has stated that if the club fails to land any silverware this season, he would call it quits – let the dice fall where they may. Only a man of his standing in the game would say something like that; in this world where managerial hot seats are treated to a game of musical chairs. You can expect him to be standing tall when the music stops, purposeful and strong. The gauntlet has been thrown down, people – keep a weather eye on the horizon. We’re coming.
