Arsene Wenger may be used to fielding questions at press conferences, but at his final Arsenal presser, the Gunners boss harked back to the days when he wasn’t comfortable speaking in a foreign language—English.
“I remember how bad my English was! And the curiosity that people had about me, because I came from nowhere,”an upbeat Wenger revealed on Friday when asked if he remembered how his first Arsenal presser was.
Wenger, who had previously managed Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, was working in Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight when the North Londoners came calling in September 1996.
“But I completely maintain what I said there, one of my jobs was to keep faithful to the qualities I had found here. The world has changed, the players are richer as well.”
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Despite having a reputation as a bright young tactician, the Frenchman was effectively an unknown quantity but results on the pitch soon
“I tried always to maintain the tradition and values of this club as much as I could. Overall I believe I was not too bad,” the 68-year-old insisted
Wenger was quizzed whether he thought another manager in the Premier League would ever be able to achieve such longevity at a single club, to which he responded, “It’s a very unique press conference because (Alex) Ferguson was the last one. I take this opportunity to wish him well. I see he is doing well, and I think he made 26 years and I am on 22.”
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Wenger’s final game in charge of the North Londoners will be an away Premier League fixture at Huddersfield Town.
The Gunners have an awful away record in the 2018, having failed to pick up a single point on their travels, and will look to secure a win as they bid farewell to man who’s been in charge for 22 years.
“There are some young managers who are already five or six years in charge. But 22? I don’t know.”
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Of late, however, the fans have turned against the tactician as they felt the team has been underperforming for far too long. They haven’t won a Premier League title since their great ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003-04 and for the past two years have failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
“You never can say I am the last one, it can happen again, the French manager added with a wry smile.