Tomorrow we play Chelsea in an early kick-off and we have to win the game in order to stay in the race.
However, there's another reason for the players to put extra effort in: Arsene Wenger will lead the team for a 1000th time. I cannot even comprehend such a number.
I've started supporting Arsenal in 2004, long after Wenger became our manager. First I thought, that I was attached to the players. But individuals like Henry, Bergkamp, Lehmann and Fabregas came and went and, though I was broken-hearted each time they did so, I haven't stopped supporting the club.
Then I thought it was the style of our play I held in reverence. It suffered greatly and underwent a number of transformations during our trophy drought, but still I was there to watch every Arsenal game I could lay my hands on.
Though today I understand, that's it's the club itself I adore and will never stop supporting, a lot of this love is of Arsene Wenger's making. He's made Arsenal what it is today and the image of Arsene (whose name, incidentally, correlates with that of the club) treading the byline has become a must in every game. I simply cannot imagine Arsenal without Arsene Wenger in charge.
There are a lot of qualities, that make Arsene a great manager, but it's his undying love for the Club coupled with his charisma, the way he behaves on the pitch and off it, that makes me shudder of the mere thought of him one day leaving the club. Despite yours truly questioning our manager's abilities at the start of this season, I have never questioned his desire to lead Arsenal to success or his passion as a whole. When a man measures the height of toilet seats in a new stadium, that tells it's own story of how deeply ingrained that man has become to the club.
Tim Stillman over on Arseblog called Arsene a dying breed and I couldn't agree more, though he's a rare specimen in more ways than one. His managerial skills, the way he inspires players and encourages their future development, how Wenger cannot stand physical separation from his side during suspensions, but what I like most about Le Professeur is the way he holds himself.
He's always polite, rarely loses control over his emotions, has an ability to get one back on mass media and/or other managers when they step out of line. This vision of how to behave Arsene was able to pass on to his side. When, for example, was the last time one of the Gunners performed a dive in order to earn a free-kick? It's just not the way Arsene does things.
I could go on and on, but Arsenal fans won't need me to. Words are just not enough to describe all the good our manager has done (and brought) to this club. From a fluent passing game to a new stadium, whose construction Arsene supervised in person.
All of this sounds like I'm saying goodbye to Arsene, but I didn't mean for it to look this way. I just tried to emphasize the point, that it's most unlikely someone will ever do so much for Arsenal, especially in an era, when stability it's overlooked in favour of immediate success. I really hope the players will be able to make Arsene happy tomorrow and beat Mourinho and his cronies.
I know this was supposed to have been a preview, but what the hell. I'll get back to you tomorrow for a proper one.
Until then
However, there's another reason for the players to put extra effort in: Arsene Wenger will lead the team for a 1000th time. I cannot even comprehend such a number.
I've started supporting Arsenal in 2004, long after Wenger became our manager. First I thought, that I was attached to the players. But individuals like Henry, Bergkamp, Lehmann and Fabregas came and went and, though I was broken-hearted each time they did so, I haven't stopped supporting the club.
Then I thought it was the style of our play I held in reverence. It suffered greatly and underwent a number of transformations during our trophy drought, but still I was there to watch every Arsenal game I could lay my hands on.
Though today I understand, that's it's the club itself I adore and will never stop supporting, a lot of this love is of Arsene Wenger's making. He's made Arsenal what it is today and the image of Arsene (whose name, incidentally, correlates with that of the club) treading the byline has become a must in every game. I simply cannot imagine Arsenal without Arsene Wenger in charge.
There are a lot of qualities, that make Arsene a great manager, but it's his undying love for the Club coupled with his charisma, the way he behaves on the pitch and off it, that makes me shudder of the mere thought of him one day leaving the club. Despite yours truly questioning our manager's abilities at the start of this season, I have never questioned his desire to lead Arsenal to success or his passion as a whole. When a man measures the height of toilet seats in a new stadium, that tells it's own story of how deeply ingrained that man has become to the club.
Tim Stillman over on Arseblog called Arsene a dying breed and I couldn't agree more, though he's a rare specimen in more ways than one. His managerial skills, the way he inspires players and encourages their future development, how Wenger cannot stand physical separation from his side during suspensions, but what I like most about Le Professeur is the way he holds himself.
He's always polite, rarely loses control over his emotions, has an ability to get one back on mass media and/or other managers when they step out of line. This vision of how to behave Arsene was able to pass on to his side. When, for example, was the last time one of the Gunners performed a dive in order to earn a free-kick? It's just not the way Arsene does things.
I could go on and on, but Arsenal fans won't need me to. Words are just not enough to describe all the good our manager has done (and brought) to this club. From a fluent passing game to a new stadium, whose construction Arsene supervised in person.
All of this sounds like I'm saying goodbye to Arsene, but I didn't mean for it to look this way. I just tried to emphasize the point, that it's most unlikely someone will ever do so much for Arsenal, especially in an era, when stability it's overlooked in favour of immediate success. I really hope the players will be able to make Arsene happy tomorrow and beat Mourinho and his cronies.
I know this was supposed to have been a preview, but what the hell. I'll get back to you tomorrow for a proper one.
Until then