Arsenal FC is known for many great players, thrilling matches, disappointing misses, and plenty of amazing achievements. However, one of the most important assets the Gunners have ever had was their legendary manager, Arsene Wenger, also known as “Le Professeur”.
Although doubted at first, this Frenchman built Arsenal from the ground up with his unique training methods and other innovations that later left a mark on the entire English football scene.
Thanks to Arsene Wenger and his creativity, Premier League soccer odds now depend on many important things other than the talent of the most popular players. He’s done some amazing things during his time in Arsenal FC, and in the paragraphs below, you can learn more about the methods he introduced to English football while at the famous London club.
Diet Change
Before coming to Arsenal, Wenger spent almost two years in Japan as a manager of Nagoya Grampus. These two years were crucial for Wenger’s career as a manager, and they led to some radical changes in his eating habits.
While he was willing to share his football wisdom with the people of Japan, he was also happy to learn a lot about their cuisine and the way nutrition affects our bodies. Wenger was amazed by the differences between the common meal composition in Japan and any European country, which only made him more curious.
He wanted to test the theory that food can improve the overall performance of football players, which is why he changed the diet of all Arsenal footballers. Surprisingly, the Japanese diet change turned out to be a good move and increased the players’ stamina and energy while also sharpening their focus. Today, all players have a custom-made diet regime they follow. As a result, they can perform to the best of their abilities.
Training Sessions and Strategy
After he taught Arsenal players how to nourish their bodies through proper food, Wenger started making changes in the way they trained and prepared for matches. Instead of following traditional methods, the Frenchman based his practice sessions on scientifically proven techniques designed to help professional athletes reach a whole new performance level.
He also changed the way Arsenal organised the gameplay on the field and transformed the squad from reliable yet dull defenders to victory-hungry attackers. Once he had given up the stability in the back and encouraged players to move forward and aim for the win, passionate football fans started noticing that Arsenal matches were more entertaining than before.
Everyone around Arsene Wenger felt sceptical at first. Still, after the new playstyle of Arsenal FC started bearing fruit, these methods became a go-to strategy of almost every football club in England.
Foreigners and Young Talents
The fact that he is French wasn’t very helpful for Arsene Wenger’s career. When he joined Arsenal in 1996, the only other non-English manager was Ruud Gullit, who was at the helm of Chelsea FC.
Nevertheless, Wenger’s knowledge, intuition, and ambition helped him become well-known in the Premier League. He demonstrated that the country you’re from doesn’t have anything to do with your potential to be great at what you do, thus paving the way for many experienced international football managers.
Finally, one of the most important things Arsene Wenger taught Arsenal FC and other English clubs was the investment in youth. At that time, every team wanted to purchase those players who had already made a name for themselves in the football industry.
Even though Wenger didn’t have anything against them, he also looked outside the box. That is why he bought many young, promising players who matured into top-rated footballers under his leadership. Some of them were Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, and many other fantastic footballers the Gunners all over the world fondly remember.
