'Arsene who?' changed English football forever... but as a 目印 ぼんやり現れるs, how can he last another season without a トロフィー

By 略奪する Draper for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 22:05 BST, 15 March 2014 | Updated: 13:39 BST, 16 March 2014

It did not begin terribly 井戸／弁護士席. David Dein, then 兵器庫 副／悪徳行為-chairman, strode into the dressing room at their old training ground to 演説（する）／住所 the players, a team 十分な of league 支持する／優勝者s.

Bruce Rioch had been 解雇（する）d and Dein 手配中の，お尋ね者 to 伝える a message of 安定. He 安心させるd them that all was 罰金 because they had a first-class new 経営者／支配人, and his 指名する was Arsene Wenger. It was then that a 発言する／表明する called out from the 支援する: ‘Who the **** is he?’

Today, in the north London derby at Tottenham, Wenger will 完全にする his 999th game in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of 兵器庫, with his 目印 1,000th coming against another bitter 競争相手, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, next Satur day.

It is a feat that was unimaginable when he was 任命するd on September 30, 1996.

VIDEO Scroll 負かす／撃墜する to watch Wenger speaking before the Tottenham derby

Momentous: Arsene Wenger will be in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of 兵器庫 for the 999th time against Tottenham and will make it 1,000 next 週末 when the Gunners play Chelsea at Stamford 橋（渡しをする）

Glory days: Wenger won the 二塁打 both in 1998 and 2002 to become a legend in north London

敵s turned friends: The biggest 競争 in the 首相 League 時代 was between Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson

Wenger had reached two European Cup 半分-決勝戦 and won the French league but he had been 解雇（する）d by Monaco and spent the previous 18 months in Japan. Received 知恵 was that foreign 経営者／支配人s were unsuited to English football.

‘You needed to be a little bit crazy to do what 兵器庫 did,’ he has 認める. Every left-field foreign 任命 since ― from West Brom’s Pepe Mel to Jose Riga at Charlton ― 借りがあるs his 職業 in part to the desperate 願望（する） to discover another Wenger.

The 祝賀s next week, though, will not be without 問題／発行するs. U ncertainty clouds the 未来. His 契約 runs out in two months and a new two-year 拡張 remains unsigned, though it has been agreed in 原則 and friends （人命などを）奪う，主張する he will continue.

After 1,000 games, the に引き続いて 10 could 証明する 決定的な. 勝利，勝つ the FA Cup and 開始する a strong 肩書を与える challenge, and it will be possible to see a new Wenger 時代 ぼんやり現れるing. However, 敗北・負かす by Chelsea and Manchester City and 失敗 to 勝利，勝つ the Cup could end the Wenger 時代.

New 世代: Wenger took over the reins from Bruce Rioch (left) and has always 持続するd a good 関係 with 兵器庫's former chairman David Dein (権利)

Genius: He （機の）カム from managing in Japan and brought new ideas both on and off the pitch

Whatever the 現在の 疑問s, the magnitude of his 業績／成就s is 否定できない. Former left-支援する Nigel Winterburn remembers that 会合 with Dein and the feeling の中で the players.

‘I didn’t know anything about Arsene Wenger. People assumed it would be someone 比較して 井戸／弁護士席 known and from England. The headline in the paper was: “Arsene Who?” It was ground-breaking.’

The 任命 had long been planned by Dein, now a の近くに friend and 隣人 in Totteridge, north London. Their first 会合 was the moment that changed 兵器庫 and, arguably, English football.

It （機の）カム in January 1989 at Highbury, where the upper echelons 似ているd a gentlemen’s club. The directors had their own lounge, with a separate room for women ― known as the ‘ broom cupboard’ by one wife ― and another, the cocktail lounge, where visiting 経営者／支配人s and scouts congregated.

That afternoon Barbara Dein, unimpressed with the wives’ 施設s, had gatecrashed the cocktail lounge and sent word to her husband that the 経営者／支配人 of Monaco was visiting the club.

Left field choice: Former 兵器庫 defender Nigel Winterburn 収容する／認めるs he had no idea who Wenger was

支持する／優勝者s: His new 味方する blossomed and they went on to 安全な・保証する the League and FA Cup 二塁打 in 1998

David Dein made it his 商売／仕事 to speak to the visiting coach. He spotted an unassuming man in a long, beige raincoat and what looked like bad 国家の Health glasses, and made his introductions.

The Frenchman was returning from a match in Turkey in the French season’s midwinter break. Dein 主張するd he stay at their family home, rather than a hotel, and 招待するd Wenger to a dinner party they were …に出席するing.

It 証明するd a convivial event and the host 示唆するd a game of charades. Dein explained the 支配するs to a bemused Wenger, who agreed to join in and, 明らかに unfazed, was soon 試みる／企てるing to mime A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 前線 of strangers.

Dein tells friends that the bizarre night he ‘kidnapped’ Wenger was the moment he realised the Frenchman would one day manage 兵器庫. Aside from the fact his 指名する alone seemed to make him 運命にあるd for the club, his ability to を取り引きする any 状況／情勢, however far from his 慰安 zone, impressed Dein. So began a seven-year courtship.

Successful: Wenger's last 二塁打 （機の）カム in the 2001/02 season when he won the 肩書を与える ahead of Liverpool

This was the George Graham 時代, and the club had won the 肩書を与える twice. But Dein and Wenger met 定期的に in Monaco, where the 兵器庫 副／悪徳行為-chairman was hugely impressed by the coach’s 範囲 of 利益／興味s and 専門的知識. When Wenger moved to Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1995, Dein would send big, bulky ビデオテープs of 兵器庫 games by 夜通し FedEx to Japan.?

Wenger, who lived in a home 以前 owned by Gary Lineker, would fax 支援する his thoughts, the fax paper still 耐えるing the 指名する ‘Lineker’ at its 長，率いる.

Dein argued for Wenger’s 任命 when Graham was 解雇（する）d in 1995 but was overruled by the board, who 手配中の，お尋ね者 an 設立するd British 指名する. But in 1996, when Rioch failed, Dein was 押し進めるing at an open door. Training changed quickly under Wenger and a 伝統的な English 十分な-支援する such as Winterburn felt 攻撃を受けやすい.?

‘There were a lot of rumours 渦巻くing around that he was advised to get rid of the 支援する four,’ said Winterburn. ‘But I think he made his own 決定／判定勝ち（する）s when he saw the players playing and training, and saw the 願望（する） they had. From my point of 見解（をとる）, the training was good. It was sharp, it was energetic, it was different.

The best? 兵器庫's invincibles went 49 games unbeaten, 含むing winning the league in 2004

‘The style of football certainly started to change. We had always been 井戸／弁護士席 organised, but Arsene was more about players 表明するing themselves, playing off the cuff.’

Famously, what is now considered 基準 diet for a footballer ― fish, white meat, mineral water, pasta ― was Wenger’s first big change for a team whose refuelling was done at best with 火星 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業s and jelly beans, at worst with 10 pints of lager.

The ‘Evian-broccoli’ diet, as it was known, 生き残るd a 簡潔な／要約する insurrection, when the players 詠唱するd ‘We want our 火星 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業s 支援する’ on the team coach. Wenger smiled and shook his 長，率いる. And Winterburn says the players （機の）カム into line ― most of the time.

‘We’d travel on the train a lot and at the 駅／配置する we’d wait for Arsene to walk 負かす／撃墜する the 壇・綱領・公約, then most of the players would pile into the little kiosk and buy chocolate. You’d sit there 開始 a 火星 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 under the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する. But he was very astute. It was rare that he didn’t know what was going on.’

トロフィーs （機の）カム quickly ― the FA Cup and 首相 League 二塁打 in his first 十分な season in 1997-98, another 二塁打 in 2001-02 and the 頂点（に達する） of his 業績／成就s, the Invincible season of 2003-04, when 兵器庫 won the 首相 League unbeaten, going on to 設立する a 記録，記録的な／記録する 49-game unbeaten run.

決定するd: Freddie Ljungberg, part of 兵器庫's invincibles, says Wenger is 極端に 競争の激しい

Freddie Ljungberg, one the 星／主役にするs of that team, said: ‘Some clubs spoke about かかわり合い, 取り組むing and running to 勝利，勝つ a game. At 兵器庫, they said if you passed the ball better, played to your level, your 技術 would 勝利，勝つ the game.’

The 広大な／多数の／重要な 悔いる for Wenger is that he has never won the 支持する／優勝者s League.? にもかかわらず qualifying for 16 連続した years, the closest he （機の）カム 存在 a 2-1 loss to Barcelona in the 2006 final.?

‘When the old players 会合，会う up, we are very disappointed we 港／避難所’t won the 支持する／優勝者s League,’ 追加するd Ljungberg. ‘We felt we had a good enough team. That’s where I have my biggest 悔いるs.’

Then there are these past nine years without a トロフィー, the last one having been the FA Cup in 2005, a topic that 刺激するs たびたび（訪れる） jibes from Mourinho, the most 最近の seeing him label Wenger a ‘specialist in 失敗’.

Winterburn said: ‘I think Arsene will have taken that attack very 本人自身で. He’d be upset by the 欠如（する） of a トロフィー.’

敗北・負かすd: Wenger's biggest 悔いる is losing the final of the 支持する／優勝者s League to Barcelona in 2006

Turning point: Jens Lehmann was sent off and the Catalans went on to 勝利，勝つ 2-1

Silverware: Winning a European tournament is not a feeling Wenger has had with 兵器庫

Wenger is, by ありふれた 同意, an awful loser and Ljungberg 追加するd: ‘He’s a very intelligent man and tries to be composed and やめる 静める when he does his interviews. But I know 深い 負かす／撃墜する ― he probably won’t like me 説 it ― he’s 極端に 競争の激しい and he hates losing. He got 極端に angry when we were losing and I can see [the past nine years] it’s been hard on him.

‘When I got to 兵器庫, Pat Rice said to me,“You know, Freddie, in this club we need to 勝利，勝つ a トロフィー every year or it’s not 許容できる”. That was instilled in us. There have been other factors, like the stadium [costs], which have had an 衝撃, but I think it’s now maybe coming 支援する to what Arsene wants it to be.’

Dein and Wenger still arrange to 会合，会う for a meal at a restaurant after every home game. If they lose, Dein 取り消すs the 保留（地）／予約. Wenger is more likely to go to his home ― opposite Dein’s ― and immerse himself in an obscure match on TV than talk about 敗北・負かす.

Their friendship 生き残るd Dein leaving the board in 2007. にもかかわらず 申し込む／申し出s from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, that was the only time it seems Wenger 本気で considered quitting 兵器庫. Dein 説得するd him to stay. Now 64, Wenger’s 未来 seems more uncertain than at any time since then.

At last? 兵器庫's biggest chance of a トロフィー this season comes in the FA Cup

‘I have the energy and, believe me, the excitement [to continue],’ he said. ‘But I want to do 井戸／弁護士席. I do not want to stay here [just] because I’ve been here for a long time. I want to stay here because I feel I was able to 答える／応じる to the 期待 level of the fans and the club.’

The big question is whether the 失敗 to 勝利，勝つ a トロフィー for so long can be せいにするd to a 欠如（する） of 財政／金融 or whether Wenger is 部分的に／不公平に culpable.?

‘I 受託するd to stay here for a long time knowing that we had little chance to 勝利，勝つ the 首相 League,’ he said. ‘But I think we are in the position again where we can fight with other clubs to 調印する other players. When you have 制限するd 財政／金融s, it is as though I ask you tomorrow to race Usain Bolt ― and to 勝利，勝つ the race you will realise it is difficult.?

‘I went for a challenge that I knew would be difficult because we had to fight with clubs that lose £150million a year and we had to make £30m. On 最高の，を越す of that we have people telling you that you have to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 them. We can be proud of the consistency of our 業績／成就s.’

The move to the 首長国s Stadium had a 抱擁する 衝撃 on 兵器庫’s ability to spend, but Keith Edelman, 兵器庫’s former managing director, says that like John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Wenger and Dein brought out the best in each other.

Partners: Like Paul McCartney (left) and John Lennon, Wenger and Dein brought the best out of each other

‘Arsene was very 用心深い and David was very ambitious for the club,’ said Edelman. ‘He was very good at getting Arsene into a position where he was comfortable spending money,’

On occasions, Wenger has seemed 気が進まない to 許可／制裁 a 取引，協定 after months lining it up ― Santi Cazorla 最初 in 2011; Juan Mata the same summer; Gonzalo Higuain last summer. The last of these 取引，協定s was ready to go when, at the last minute, Wenger queried why Mourinho, who managed Higuain at Real Madrid, was not 利益／興味d in taking him to Chelsea. It scuppered the 取引，協定.?

Wenger’s 警告を与える and attention to 詳細（に述べる） is 明確に one of his 重要な strengths. But the 欠如（する） of an 付加 striker may cost 兵器庫 the 肩書を与える.

The FA Cup, a prize Wenger considers beneath 支持する／優勝者s League 資格, may yet bring redemption. 失敗 would surely bring some soul-searching as to whether to continue.