Arsene Wenger is easily Arsenal's greatest manager and one of the greatest manager to grace the game of football. In his fourteen year stay at Arsenal, Wenger has transformed the Gunners from the"boring" side of the olden days to one of the most attack-minded and entertaining sides in Europe.
His vision and smart spending has ensured Arsenal have a certain stability among their ranks that very few clubs can boast of in today's football world which is ravaged by debt. His frugal spending has ensured that Arsenal will face no financial crisis in the recent future.
But his greatest achievements will be his knack of spotting talent from around Europe and transforming these people into greats. His fine coaching methods also meant that he brought out the best from ageing players and most players have thrived under the guidance and tutelage of Wenger. Throughout the years, Wenger has molded many stars who have dazzled and entertained.
Here is a list of the greatest team to have played under Wenger- some are players he inherited but many players he groomed. Some are part of one of football's greatest achievements-The Invincibles, while some are from more recent times.
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Goalkeeper: David Seaman
One of the greatest goalkeepers of his time, Seaman is without a doubt the greatest and most talented keeper of the Wenger regime.
Possessing great reflexes, anticipation and positional sense, Arsenal have lacked a consistent and solid keeper since his departure. During his stay at Arsenal Seaman won 9 trophies with five of them coming in the Wenger regime. Wenger inherited Seaman from previous manager George Graham.
Seaman was an integral part of the double winning side of 2002. He will forever be remembered for his save against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semifinal which will forever go down as one of the greatest saves of all time.
A goalkeeper of Seaman's quality is rare and Arsenal fans will forever be indebted to the Englishman's heroics
Left Back: Ashley Cole
Although Arsenal fans may hate Cole(Well atleast I do) following his transfer to rivals Chelsea, there was no denying that Cole was one of the world's best left backs and still is.
Playing his entire career under Wenger, Cole was groomed by Wenger and is another great example of Wenger's great skill at spotting a talent.
After establishing himself as Arsenal's first choice left back in the 2000-01 season, Cole went on to establish himself as one of the consistent performers of the Arsenal side that enjoyed exceptional success in 2002 and was an integral part of The Invincibles.
Noted for his pace, Cole was solid in his defending and was excellent while going forward as well. His tidy work down the left makes him a formidable opponent and although not admired throughout the world for his off field antics, on the pitch, Cole was one of Wenger's best players before his transfer.
Centre Back: Tony Adams (Captain)
Who else but Mr Arsenal, Tony Adams. Tony Adams was everything the present breed of Arsenal defenders lack- strong, ruthless and a great defender.
It was under his leadership that Arsenal were renowned for their brilliant defense. A great leader, Adams is the finest defender to have adorned the red and whites of Arsenal. He was a part of the legendary Arsenal defense that was impenetrable and rock solid at the back
Adams was one of the players who benefited greatly from Wenger's revolutionary coaching methods and Wenger's dietary rules prolonged his fantastic career to a great extent.
Although Adams will forever be remembered for his pragmatic defending, under Wenger he incorporated bit more flair into his game and initiated attacks from the back. It was under his leadership that Arsenal won the double in 1998 and in 2002. He will be one of Arsenal's greatest captains as he inspired the Gunners to many a famous wins and was always leading by example and was a truly inspirational figure on the pitch.
The greatest defender of the Wenger regime, Adams will forever be remembered for his dedication and commitment to Arsenal.
Centre Back: Sol Campbell
Partnering Adams at the heart of the defense will be Sol Campbell, the fierce battler who made the shocking transfer across North London to sign for Arsenal from eternal rivals, Spurs.
A no-nonsense defender, Campbell was a fierce competitor and was a regular starter for Wenger's men and partnered Toure in the heart of Arsenal's Invincibles. Campbell was always willing to put in everything and remained committed to the Arsenal cause.
A solid defender and supreme tackler, Campbell was rock solid at the back and had an uncanny knack for scoring key goals, non more important than his goal against Barcelona in the UCL final although it ended up being for a lost cause.
His commitment and dedication to Arsenal was there for every one to be seen as he came back to Arsenal for a six month spell in 2010. Despite being 35, Campbell continued to put his best and was one of Arsenal's better players towards the end of the season. He outshone many of his younger teammates and was an inspirational figure on the pitch.
A great and solid defender, Arsenal require more players who possess a similar passion like the legendary Sol Campbell.
Right Back: Lee Dixon
Another one of Arsenal's famous defenders of the 90's, Lee Dixon was a marauding force at the right back position. Wenger made full use of his attacking capabilities and he too had a positive impact from Wenger's arrival at Highbury. His coaching methods and attack-minded play gave Dixon the incentive to venture out forward, but never did he neglect his defensive duties.
Possessing an exquisite first touch, Dixon was noted for his brilliant deliveries into the box. Dixon's smart attacking play served him exceptionally well during Wenger's reign. The move added another dimension to Dixon's game and his exquisite touch served him well while defending and allowed him to keep the threat alive while attacking as well.
But Dixon will forever be remembered as a defender who excelled at the right back position, a position many a times undervalued and unnoticed. Rarely was he found wanting in his positioning and his sharpness at the back helped in neutralising many a threats down the right.
The twilight of his illustrious career was charachterised by numerous injuries, but with typical resoluteness, Dixon battled injuries and challenges from Lauren and Oleg Luzhny and continued to put in great performances. His last season for the Gunners was marked with the double of Premier League and FA Cup: the perfect ending for a great defender.
Defensive Midfielder: Patrick Vieira
How can any Arsenal squad be complete without the man responsible for much of Arsenal's success- Patrick Vieira.
One of Wenger's first signings as Gunner's boss, tall, strong and powerful, Vieira is widely considered to be one of Wenger's greatest signings and rightfully so. Wenger transformed him from an unknown player into a world beater, a star who was widely sought out by many top European clubs.
His physical approach helped him settle in seamlessly into the Premier League and established himself as one of the best midfielders of his time. What was another exceptional aspect of his game was how quickly he could transform from the tough tackling player to the silky, smooth player with a penchant for flair and smooth fluid play. His smart attacking play made him a real threat while going forward and made him a complete midfielder.
His value to the club was immense and was the backbone of Arsenal's trophy winning sides. He was an inspirational figure on the pitch as he led Arsenal to an unbeaten season in the Premier League. He was invaluable to Arsenal and this is highlighted by the fact that Arsenal have failed to win a trophy since his departure.
Adored by fans, Vieira was the heartbeat, the driving force behind Wenger's title winning squads.
Central Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas
The only player in this list, who is still playing for the Gunners, Cesc Fabregas is one of the world's finest midfielders. Considered one of Wenger's smartest transfer coup, Wenger signed Fabregas from Barcelona at the age of 16.
Wenger groomed Fabregas to fit Arsenal's style of play and is widely responsible for Cesc's exploits, acting as father-figure, a mentor.
Since then there has been no looking back for Fabregas, who has blossomed into a fine midfielder with great vision, movement and an ability to pick out a pass when none seemed likely. Arsenal's talismanic captain has been performing consistently, scoring goals and racking up assists. Preferring skill over strength, Fabregas has adopted a more aggressive style of play over the years which has reaped rich dividends for the team and as well as individually.
A hugely inspirational figure on the pitch, Fabregas has been exemplary as a captain. A natural leader on the pitch, Fabregas adds another dimension to Arsenal's free flowing game.
Whether he moves to boyhood club Barcelona is still open to speculation, but there is no denying the fact that he is one of the greatest midfielders in the world and is testimony to Wenger's eye for spotting world class talent.
Left Midfielder: Robert Pires
Pires was signed by Wenger to fill the void left by Marc Overmars and and after initially struggling to find his fee in the English game, many were quick to write him off. But Pires bounced back in style and went onto silence all his critics in his 6 year stay with the Gunners.
During his stay at Highbury football fans were treated to a fantastic display of technique, sublime skill and finishing by the Frenchman who served the Gunners fantastically during one of their finest eras, an era which featured the Invincibles.
During his stay, Pires was he architect of many great goals and it was a joy to watch him in action. But Pires had a grittier side to him as well which served him useful on many occasions. That along with his fine dribbling skill made him one of the most talented and skillful midfielders in the history of the Premier League.
Pires left Arsenal, when Wenger substituted him 12 minutes into the Champions League final. A sad ending for the winger, who dedicated so much of his career to the Gunners
Right Midfielder: Freddy Ljungberg
Arsene Wenger signed Ljungberg after seeing his performances against England, for he Swedish national team, and his decision was vindicated by the Swede. Possessing abundant skill and pace, Ljungberg was a nightmare to play on his day.
Signed by Wenger in the summer of 98, Ljungberg went onto play for the Gunners for the next nine years as he scored more than a 80 goals. Ljungberg adjusted to English football with consummate ease as he scored on his debut against rivals, Manchester United. He was quick to endear himself to the fans with his dazzling performances and hairstyle!
Ljungberg could fit into any part of the pitch with ease, whether it be central midfield or playing down the wings. He had his best seasons in an Arsenal jersey in 2001-02 where he found the back of the net a consistent 17 times a stunning second in Arsenal’s win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Ljungberg developed a knack of scoring goals at big moments, including goals in three FA Cup finals. He too was a member of the Invincibles. Developing a good partnership with Robert Pires, both thrived in each other’s partnership. Despite suffering from injuries in several seasons, he bounced back each time and continued to fight for a place in the team.
Second Striker: Dennis Bergkamp
"Intelligence and class. Class is of course, most of the time linked to what you can do with the ball, but the intelligence makes you use the technique in an efficient way. It's like somebody who has a big vocabulary but he doesn't say intelligent words, and somebody who has a big vocabulary but he can talk intelligently, and that's what Dennis is all about. What he does, there's always a head and always a brain. And his technique allows him to do what he sees, and what he decides to do."
Thats what manager Arsene Wenger had to say about Dennis Bergkamp, arguably the most skillful player to ever grace the English game.
One runs out of superlatives to describe the Dutch maestro who could split the football pitch wide open with one touch of his feet. Signed by boss Bruce Rioch from Italian giants Inter Milan, Bergkamp revolutionized, the second striker position.
Throughout his career, Bergkamp had a penchant for scoring goals that bamboozled defenders. He could get past defenders so skillfully, effortlessly that is no surprise that he is widely considered to be the greatest foreigner to ply his trade in England.
Playing 380 games for Arsenal and scoring 104 goals, Bergkamp was a treat to watch and admire. He drew admiration from fans and was an inspirational figure on the pitch
Bergkamp has left a legacy at Arsenal that very few can ever come close to. One of the greats to play the modern game, Bergkamp will forever be cherished by Arsenal fans.
Striker: Thierry Henry
Is there any doubt??
Any list of Arsenal greats will always remain incomplete without Thierry Henry, the skillful, talented, surprisingly strong player who was the linchpin of Arsenal's attacking play.
Signed by former manager Wenger from Juventus, Henry's Arsenal career got off to a poor start as he failed to score in his first 8 games. But since then there has been no looking back. In which ever formation he played, Henry could not stop scoring.
Arsenal's top scorer, he racked up 226 goals in 380 games for the Gunners. Henry was struggling in Italy when Wenger bought him, Wenger transformed him from a struggling winger to the world's most feared striker. Henry had all the makings of a great star- searing pace, exquisite technique and a calm and cool head to finish a goalscoring opportunity.
Whenever a challenge was mounted, Henry responded in exemplary fashion. When the going was tough, Henry was always the man to conjure up a goal out of nowhere. Few can boast the statistics possessed by the Frenchmen, but a even fewer can possess his talent, his drive and passion.
Henry might have left Arsenal, but he played the peak of his career for the Gunners and will forever be engraved in the mind's of every Arsenal supporter.
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