~ Mr Wenger, 17 years at Arsenal ~

This image has been created by an Arsenal fan, Shahid Shaikh.

Mr Arséne Wenger, the Frenchman, completes 17 years at the club. I have followed the club from 1998  through its highs or lows, and I have always admired him for what he done for the club. Am one of those Gooners who thinks "WengerKnowsBest". 

Gooners have had to live without a trophy for 8 seasons now & the pressure has been on the board, players & especially the manager for his style of play and operations. After having let go of key players season after season and crawling for 4th place finish in the last 2 seasons, most fans had lost their faith in Wenger. The way this season has started off & with our explosive last day signing of Özil from Real Madrid, those fans with "WengerOut" chants have gone silent.

Mr Wenger did surprise everyone with Özil signing, at £42.5M, a new club record for a player. Historically, he has always groomed young players into fine footballers. This time he broke away from his principles and tradition. 

Today, we beat Swansea to go on top of EPL table once again { above Sp*ds :D }. I know its too early to be celebrate. Still an amazing feeling for Arséne's 17 years at the club. The best part being, Spurs drew Chelsea; both the Manchester clubs, City & United lost. Above all, MUFC is at 12th place :P

This would be one of the best weekend for Gooners across the world :)

Some quotes on Wenger:

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender:

“Wenger was responsible for some of the most harrowing and unnerving days of my career.”

“Arsenal conquered all before them from 2002-2004, culminating in them being called the Invincibles after going unbeaten for a whole season. Outstanding  footballers and also supreme  athletes — they had everything. When you stood next to them in the tunnel before a game, the panic would roll in.”

“They were the best I ever faced, the only team that left me feeling technically and physically inadequate. From goalkeeper to striker, they were built like tanks. If you tried to tackle them, you would bounce off them.” More here.

Stan Kroenke, Arsena's majority shareholder:

“Arsène knows how we feel, what our philosophy is, what we want to do and I feel like we are totally aligned. I think he wants to do it the exact same way as we do.”

“I really enjoy Arsène – very smart, very intelligent. He has an absolute view on how he runs that team and the club. He has earned that right. Don’t look for me to interfere with that. I have learnt over the years that sometimes owners try do that and it is not so good.” More here.

Mr Wenger talking about his 17 years at Arsenal:

“It's a long time and a short time,” said Wenger. "I don't know where the 17 years have gone.”

“Our job has a good advantage - you just look forward to the next game. You never look back. I believe that is the most important. Of course when you look backwards, there's a lot of effort and consistency in effort behind that. For me the most interesting is tomorrow's game.”

“[I've never thought] that I don't really need this anymore. I want it even more. I think the good thing about football is that it's unpredictable and the next game is always a discovery and a new adventure and so you focus on that. All the rest is decoration.” More here.

via BBC

~ St Totteringham's Day ~

ArsenalFC beat NewcastleFC to finish among the top 4 in the EPL. As Gooners we aren't happy just finishing top 4 & qualifying 16th time for the Champions League. We want the team to win trophies & silence those the babies of the Million £££ Clubs who love taunting Gooners, offline & online.

We have played very well in the last 45 days of the season winning 8 of the last 10 games.

Reaching the Champions League ahead of Spurs completed a superb turnaround after they trailed by seven points at the beginning of March. Arsenal have now finished above Spurs 18 seasons in a row.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and his team saluted their joyous supporters, who sung "are you watching, Tottenham?" with added fervour. You can read more here.

The goal from Laurent Koscielny in the second half gave us the victory against Magpies.  

The celebrations at the bench on the final whistle speaks for itself for Arsenè Wenger & the players. 

Good to see a happy locker room. The Gunners deserved the 4th place finish. It's time now Arsenal Board & Wenger add some valuable assets for the next season. 

For all you Sp*ds or BaleFC fans, even though this has been your best season in EPL, it ain't good enough to finish above us. The infographic below should remind the reality. Mind the gap & Happy St. Totteringhams Day. For the un-initiated - "St Totteringham's Day is the day when Arsenal fans celebrate the fact that Tottenham can no longer catch Arsenal in the League. It is a movable feast, but usually falls in March, April or May. It is the day to collect on bets made by over-optimistic Spurs fans in the close season who think that "this is the year". More here

All Arsenal FC photographs from Stuart MacFarlane, the photographer at ArsenalFC.

~ King of Highbury ~

1. The highest goal scorer for ArsenalFC - 226
2. The first English club to beat Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Guess who scored ;)
3. The highest ever goal scorer @ Highbury which will never be broken - 100
4. Winner of PFA Players award twice
5. Winner of FWA of the year thrice

If you still haven't figured out who he is, then he is none other than Thierry Henry.

If you are Gooner or not, but loves the game of football, then do watch this documentary

~ The Professor ~

Another North London Derby {NLD} tomorrow, feel this time around it ain't important for the fans or the club. The outcome of this match could be the key for Arsene Wenger extending his tenure with Arsenal FC. There might have been managers at ArsenalFC who have won silverware &  brought laurels for the club. But none come close to the calibre of 'The Professor', who has brought discipline, style & art for the kind of game we play today. 

I have followed Arsenal from 1999, kind of Wenger era. During those days, in India, football was being watched or relayed ONLY during World Cups. Star Sports began showing EPL feed & not many people used to watch football in a Cricket Crazy Nation. Add to it, most of the people who did watch club football supported Manchester United or Liverpool or Juventus or AC Milan or Real Madrid. I could hardly find any Gooners in Bangalore. At times, when they did showed football at a local pub and if Arsenal were playing, often ended being a minority supporter. Occasionally would find a couple of Gooners amongst a group of 20 MUFC fans. 2 or 3 of us would enjoy taking on those MUFC fans. 

Over the last 14 years, Arsenal have had a fantastic run till 2007; despite having no silverware. Post 2008, the Invincibles departed and AFC were left with young team to manage & groom. 

There are many fans who are disappointed with Arsene Wenger {AW} for the last couple of seasons for varying factors - letting players go, selling our key striker to arch rival, not bringing reinforcements to those who have been sold, running the club for profits vs silverware, et al. To a certain extent even I have gone through the same emotion & thought process. Our performances have been dismal; Being beaten by non-league clubs, is more miserable.

As fans, each of us feel we have moral right to critique the way AW has been running the club or the board or Arsenal FC in general. We might even be entitled to do so, to an extent. Agreed, our frustrations are at an all time high. I feel it during these tough times, that Mr Wenger needs our support. He is not the only one to be blamed. Our PLAYERS on the field are more responsible to show the hunger & spirit of winning than the MANAGER.

In the current era, were we have seen Oligarchs from Russia or Middle East, who are buying clubs and running them at their whims. We need to recognize the fact that Arsenal wouldn't be the same anymore without Arsene Wenger. I don't want the culture of what AW has established at Arsenal to be lost. 

I wish Gunners who are playing the Derby tomorrow win the game for AW than anyone else to a new direction of AW next season. 

Also read - Tottenham v Arsenal: Arsene Wenger is a wounded warrior determined to come out fighting for the team

Image courtesy - Don'tgiveupworld