Wenger's Replacement Should Be Thankful

Arsène Wenger has boldly stated that he is setting up Arsenal for the long-run and will leave the tools behind for his successor to do "something exceptional" when he retires.

Speaking to Martin Keown for the BBC he spoke candidly about how Arsenal needed to create money to build the money and the wealth creation burden limited his options in the transfer market but now "that is not the case and we [Arsenal] can compete for the best players in the world".

During Arsenal's financially limited era in the run up to and after the Emirates Stadium move Arsène Wenger had multiple opportunities to leave Arsenal but chose to stay for the challenge of keeping Arsenal competing at Champions League level. His target, he told Keown, was to achieve qualification 3 years out of 5 which he achieved and then some.

Wenger masterminded year after year of Champions League qualification as teams around him invested more and more into the playing side of their clubs, often with Arsenal trained players. His loyalty to the club during that period really should have earned him a lot more respect than he has lost whilst failing to meet the extraordinarily high expectations the Arsenal faithful had developed whilst Wenger was sweeping up trophies on a level playing field.

Arsenal's longest-serving manager admitted that the time after the Emirates move was a sensitive time but feels he performed his job well in a committed and faithful way.

You might have won more than me but I'm leaving my club in a better condition

Keown asked Wenger what condition he wanted to leave the club in - which ahead of Arsenal's trip to Old Trafford was quite a pertinent one as Wenger's old sparring partner Sir Alex Ferguson arguably did not leave his club in the best condition for continued success.

Wenger said:

"In a strong, healthy position. That means a club with good players, good youth behind and a strong financial position to go further up and develop even more. And I will do that. You can believe me! The guy who comes in after me is in a very strong position to deliver something exceptional. I believe that the biggest quality first for a top top club is to maintain consistency in the results and I hope that when I have left some day and come back to the Emirates to watch a game I will be very happy to see a quality team."

Whoever takes over from Arsène Wenger will certainly have all of those things with a team full of players like Alexis, Özil, Ramsey, Gabriel, Chambers, Bellerin, Gibbs, Wilshere, Gnabry, Walcott, Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Coquelin just approaching their prime and a youth set up that boasts the likes of Crowley, Akpom, Zelalem and more plus healthy finances.

Arsenal have been well and truly set up for the future and we have one man to thank for that. Arsène Wenger.

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