Arsene Wenger needs one last league title to cement his legacy at Arsenal

Can Arsenal win the league this season? The lines for soccer of winning the next match seem to agree as the odds have shifted in favour of the North Londoners.

The Gunners over the course of this season have shown that they have what it takes to become champions. Arsene Who? screamed newspaper headlines when Arsenal signed Arsene Wenger ad their new manager in November 1996.

The then 47 year old Frenchman was coming from Japan to take over a team in shambles. He had impressed David Dein the previous summer when the Arsenal football chief traveled to Japan. Dein was impressed about his knowledge of football, and he was promptly signed as manager the next year.

Fresh off the back of his first full season at the club, he won the Double in 1998, breaking up what was looking like a monopoly of league wins by Manchester United. He was credited with changing the club from the very top. He changed training ground routines, nutrition and tactical behaviour of the players which benefited a lot of the players.

The signing of Thierry Henry coincided with the best part of Wenger’s reign at Highbury. The legendary Frenchman led Arsenal to league and cup wins and was instrumental in their run to the Champions League final in 2006, where they were defeated by Barcelona.

The move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 is believed to have changed the Frenchman’s team drastically. Debts incurred in building the system had to be repaid, so the big players were let go to reduce the wage structure at the club. The emergence of Chelsea under Wenger’s nemesis, Jose Mourinho meant Arsenal were now officially the third best team in England, after the Blues and United. The definition of success changed for Wenger, as qualification for the money spinning Champions League soon became an obsession. It was necessary to qualify for the tournament so as to balance the books.

From 2005 to 2014, The Gunners suffered a trophy drought that has come to define Wenger’s era at the club, with most people conveniently forgetting his earlier successes. The club now has the freedom to spend big in the transfer market as a culmination of match day revenue, improved marketing and global appeal means there is more cash to spend on marquee players.

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The likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have proved to be inspired signings in recent seasons, as they look to mix up with the big boys at the very top end of the table. Wenger’s contract expires in 2018 and is believed to be his last before retiring, yet, Arsenal fans would want nothing more than another league title from the 67 year old, to allow him leave when the ovation is loudest.

Signs of low mental strength, lack of squad depth and lack of tactical variation have all been responsible for 12 years without the title. This season has seen some solutions to these problems. Massive squad depth will help in the winter months when the games come in thick and fast. It would seem Wenger is actively pushing for another league title, after the horror show that was last season. Defensively, they have strengthened.

The signing of Skhodran Mustafi has galvanized the entire team, as the team has not lost any single game since his arrival. To win the league, however, the small teams must be handled well. The recent draw at home against Boro felt like two points dropped, but, in reality it was one point gained as Aitor Karanka’s men constantly peppered Petr Cech’s goal.

Football will never forget Arsene’s achievement for the North Londoners, yet, in football, a coach is judged by his last game. How surreal it would be, if his last home game in charge of the team sees the team winning the league title, with the Frenchman lifting the trophy alongside Per Mertesecker. Scripts can be written in football, Wenger!. There is still space to write one last scene.

 

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