End of an era - Arsene Wenger to leave Arsenal

[Barbara On A Broomstick]

Really is the end of an era, I grew up seeing if Arsenal won a game of football as my dad has supported them since he was a boy.

A great manager in his day and accomplished so much but maybe now is the right time to leave and hand over to someone younger. However I feel quite sad that he is leaving.

I wish him well and lots of love and thanks

Departing Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been described as "one of the greatest Premier League managers" by old rival Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 68-year-old Frenchman will leave at the end of the season after nearly 22 years at the club, 12 months before his latest contract was due to expire.

Former Manchester United boss Ferguson paid tribute to his "professionalism, talent and determination".

Ex-Gunners striker Thierry Henry said Wenger leaves "an untouchable legacy".

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Wenger won three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups, including the Double in 1998 and 2002.

"I am pleased he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season as he can now have the send-off that he truly deserves," said Ferguson, who won 13 league titles in 26 years at Old Trafford, before retiring in 2013.

"He is, without doubt, one of the greatest Premier League managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague and a friend to such a great man.

"It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job that he loves."

Gunners goalkeeping legend Bob Wilson said Wenger was Arsenal's greatest boss, and broke down in tears as he told BBC Radio 5 live how the Frenchman had helped his family.

Wilson, whose 31-year-old daughter Anna died of a rare form of cancer in 1998, said: "I was there on the day he arrived and he is without doubt one of the three greatest men I have ever met in my life.

"It is not just his football knowledge and the way he changed the game in this country but as a human being through difficult times for me and my wife.

"Arsene is not only the greatest manager in Arsenal's history, he has personally changed the face of the game in this country.

"We had a team who enjoyed a drink and he changed everything about psychology, rehydration, training and everyone followed suit."

Club captain Per Mertsacker said he felt "sad and emotional" on hearing of Wenger's departure.

"There have been a lot of challenges, a lot of highs and lows, but how he went through tough times has taught me a lot about his character and about how to trust people and get the people in the right places to be successful," he said.

The Gunners are sixth in the league and set to miss out on a top-four spot for the second straight season, with their hopes of reaching the Champions League resting on winning the Europa League.

Henry said it would be "an amazing achievement" if Wenger could sign off by winning a trophy.

"His legacy is untouchable. Managers, fans from other teams - (they talk about) how Arsene changed Arsenal," he told Sky Sports.


'Arsene Who?' - Wenger remembers joining Arsenal
Wenger had been under increasing pressure to step down from some fans having failed to win the league for 14 years.

Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson said he was like a "dictator" and should have left several years ago.

"You can't take away the good things when he came he changed the philosophy of Arsenal," Robson told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He was fantastic in that period but, like a lot of dictators, they think they are going down the right road - but even when people are saying you need to change, he wouldn't change.

"Arsenal under Arsene Wenger in the last few years have been too one-dimensional and behind the times in recruitment and physiotherapy. It is the best thing that could happen to Arsenal that he is leaving now."

Appointed on 1 October 1996, Wenger is the Premier League's current longest-serving manager and has taken charge of a record 823 games.

His team were dubbed "The Invincibles" in the 2003-04 season after going unbeaten in their title-winning campaign.

Arsenal announced Wenger's departure with this tweet
Reaction - 'He made us change the way we played'
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere said: "Always a gentleman, like a father through tough times in my career. He always believed in me when most people didn't. Thank you for everything boss. It's down to us now."

Ex-Gunners goalkeeper David Seaman told BBC Radio 5 live of the impact Wenger made when he arrived at Arsenal.

"He changed the way we played, the way we ate, the massage routines, stretches. He was wise enough not to touch the back four and went on to success and more success with the Double and Invincibles," said Seaman.

Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie said: "Thanks Arsene for all your confidence in me over the years. You are a very special man and a top coach. Definitely one of the very best ever."

Spain and Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas, who burst in to the Arsenal starting line-up under Wenger, posted on Instagram: "Wow. I never expected that but it shows the great dignity and class of the man. I will never forget his guidance and support, his tutelage and mentorship."

Former Arsenal striker John Hartson, who played in Wenger's first match, told BBC Wales Sport: "English football and the Premier League owe him an awful lot.

"The stretching before matches and training, getting rid of the lactic acid, jogging around for 20 minutes before you even started - that had never been done before.

 

[Swami]

By the modern standards of English football management, he had tremendous longevity.

Swami

 

[Angela Chilling]

There really aren't words that can adequately express how devastated I am about him leaving.

It was only 2 years ago when Mr Wenger lead Arsenal to second place in the Premier League and to victory in the FA Cup but that wasn't enough for our so-called fans who were still calling for him to be sacked. The loyalty he showed Arsenal, staying there for 22 years, and the club are no showing him the same loyalty is a disgrace.

I think we will live to regret him leaving the club because we will never be able to compete with Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd in the transfer market so whoever replaces him will still have to operate under the same restrictions.

I've supported Arsenal since I was 5 and in all those years, today has been the saddest as a supporter.

I hope he goes on to manage the French national team because he deserves another big job.

 

[Barbara On A Broomstick]

I agree @Angela Channing and I hope that the fans give him the send off he deserves for all the great things he did for Arsenal and its players in his 22 years as a manager

Its sad but lovely to listen to former players and not one person has anything bad to say about the man.

I dont think that british Football will ever see the likes of the great and the good managers like Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger again who were there for more than a decade or two and really made their mark on British football.

Whoever replaces him has a hard job to follow in his success and his footsteps - (Hope its NOT Brendan Rodgers tho)

 

[Angela Chilling]

Most of the names being touted as a possible successor to Mr Wenger are big money spending managers so they might find it more difficult to achieve the success they did with their previous clubs.

I've always liked Roy Hodgson as a manager, not least because he always has shown total admiration and respect for Mr Wenger and he has previously built winning teams without having and endless budget but I think the board will want a big name manager from one of the strong European leagues (Spain, Italy or Germany). Massimiliano Allegri has been suggested but I think Arsenal would have to agree to spend a lot more money in the transfer market and players' wages to tempt him to come to Arsenal.

It's really difficult to think of anyone who would do a better job than Mr Wenger unless Arsenal start spending megabucks on new players.

 

[Barbara On A Broomstick]

The best of frenemies

Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger shared a joke in front of photographers during the pre-match presentation
Wenger had joked before Sunday's match that he "always got a great reception at Old Trafford" - referring to his long-standing rivalry with United.

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...nger-on-final-old-trafford-clash-with-arsenal

On this occasion, it was true. Old foe Sir Alex Ferguson was master of ceremonies in a pre-match presentation for the Frenchman, who will leave Arsenal at the end of the season after 22 years as manager.

The crowd applauded as Wenger was given a silver vase by former United boss Ferguson, and the pair embraced during a photo opportunity in which they were briefly joined by current Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho.

The atmosphere returned to normal after Pogba's opener, with the home crowd chanting 'we want you to stay' and the Arsenal fans responding: 'Arsene Wenger, he won the league here.'

Wenger - whose team won the title at Old Trafford in 2002 - started the game smiling, but left disappointed after his side stretched their winless run here to 11 matches.

Arsenal's winless away run goes on
Wenger opted to make eight changes to his team, with one eye on Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg at Atletico Madrid, which is poised at 1-1.

With an average age of 24 years and 67 days, it was Arsenal's youngest starting XI in the Premier League since August 2011 - in their infamous 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

It was a different story this time around. The Gunners made few mistakes and looked lively in parts, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Danny Welbeck testing United keeper David de Gea.

Mkhitaryan produced a cool and accurate finish for his goal, before being taken off with a knee injury which will be assessed before Thursday.

But three defenders failed to deal with a rising Fellani in the box as he headed home a winning goal that meant Arsenal remain the only team in England's top four tiers without an away win in 2018.

'We want second'
United's final chance for silverware this season comes on 19 May, when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Victory over Arsenal means they will definitely finish in the top four in the league, but Mourinho is adamant they are aiming for second behind champions Manchester City.

"We won three points and that kills the Champions League story," he said after the game.

"But we still need four points to finish second which is what we want."

United now have a five-point advantage over third-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.

Wenger's Old Trafford hoodoo - the stats from Man Utd's win

• Other than at Emirates Stadium and Highbury, Wenger has lost more matches at Old Trafford as Arsenal manager than at any other ground.
• United completed a Premier League double over the Gunners for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.
• Fellaini's goal was the first 90th-minute winner United have scored against Arsenal in the Premier League, and the first in this fixture since January 2007, when Thierry Henry scored one at the Emirates in the home side's 2-1 win.
• United have won all 10 of the Premier League games in which Pogba has found the net.

 

[Angela Chilling]

It was a very emotional day at the Emirates Stadium yesterday but the fans gave Mr Wenger a great send off. The true class of the man was demonstrated again when at the ceremony after the match to honour him, his first thought in his speech was to wish Alex Ferguson a speedy recovery. He ended by telling fans "I will miss you", not as much as I will miss his. I love that man!