Oldfield - Arsene Wenger - The Unauthorised Biography of Le Professeur

I n an era where the managerial carousel is turning at a dizzying rate, Arsne Wengers 18-year tenure as Arsenal boss is a remarkable achievement. While critics will point to a frustrating nine-season trophy drought, which ended last season with FA Cup glory, Wengers impact in north London goes beyond silverware.

All good managers possess the quality to extract the maximum from a group of players but greatness comes from transforming an entire club, just as Arsne has for the Gunners. The Frenchman has been the key constant for Arsenal over the past two decades, redefining the manner in which players prepare for games, overseeing a move to a new stadium and developing the Gunners into one of the most entertaining sides on the planet.

Make no mistake, Wenger has the trophies to support his status as one of the best managers of all-time but overlooking his aura, steady hand and stabilizing effect would undersell his role in overall impact in north London.

Wengers journey to the top has shown him to be a true football man, earning him the nickname The Professor. Starting in France, he began to build his reputation with stints at first Nancy and then Monaco, where he won the French championship and the French Cup and enjoyed good runs in Europe before the Marseille match-fixing scandal marred Arsnes time at Monaco and the club parted company with the Frenchman in 1994.

To the surprise of many, Wenger then accepted the vacant managers post at Nagoya Grampus Eight in the Japanese JLeague and, after a tricky start, he helped the club enjoy one of its best ever seasons. In the process, he learned plenty about himself and about new coaching techniques.

But when Arsenal came knocking, the offer was too good to turn down. When he first arrived in London, he certainly brought a decent CV with him but he received a rather hostile reception from supporters expecting a bigger name as the new Arsenal manager. He had plenty to prove but did not take long to win over the Gunners fans, and his subsequent achievements at Arsenal have pushed him into the category of world class managers.

The Frenchmans time at the club falls into two distinct chapters Arsenal as a title-chasing powerhouse; and Arsenal as eye-catching title outsiders. However, throughout it all, Arsne has stayed true to his football principles.

Taking a Gunners team that was off the pace in the Premiership, Wenger transformed the squad into league champions and FA Cup winners in his second season, outwitting Sir Alex Ferguson in the process. His savvy dealings in the transfer market unearthed bargain signings like Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka.

Three league titles in seven years put Wenger in elite company, with only Ferguson able to better that record during the Premier League era. The unbeaten league season of 2003/04 is a feat that is unlikely to be repeated for many, many years and is a testament to Wengers ability to motivate and get the best out of his players.

His Gunners teams established a reputation for playing some of the most stylish football in Europe, with crisp one-touch passing and creative running off the ball. In 2006, a surprise appearance in the Champions League final provided another reminder of Arsnes tactical nous but the Gunners were narrowly beaten by Barcelona on a night that will haunt him for years.

But the second half of Wengers tenure at the club which more or less coincides with the move to the Emirates Stadium has had a somewhat different feel to it, even though the quality of football has often been equally breath-taking.

With Manchester United refusing to take a step back, Chelsea establishing themselves as perennial contenders under Jose Mourinho and, more recently, Manchester City emerging as a serious title threat, Arsenal were suddenly outmuscled and outspent. In the blink of an eye, Wengers men were forced to face their new reality: securing a place in the top four and, with it, a place in the Champions League was the primary objective.

For players impatiently chasing silverware, this proved to be a problem. A host of players, including Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, joined the Manchester City revolution while Cesc Fabregas returned to Barcelona, and Robin van Persie completed a controversial move to Manchester United.

Wenger has refused to panic in the transfer market at times, to the dismay of supporters. He prides himself on ushering in new phases in his career at Arsenal by nurturing talented (and often unproved) replacements for big-name departures. For instance, in attack, Ian Wright was replaced by Nicolas Anelka who was followed by Thierry Henry and then Emmanuel Adebayor and van Persie. Marc Overmars gave way to Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg, with Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the latest stars on the flanks.

Yet the formula has let him down in the title race. Time and again over the past eight years, Arsenal have looked like promising contenders, only for a couple of injuries or a disastrous month to prove costly. The 2007/08 season is a perfect example, with the Gunners on their way to securing the fourth title Wenger craved before the campaign petered out in the face of Manchester Uniteds flawless finish.

The 2009/10 and 2013/14 campaigns proved to be a similar story. Instead of celebrating silverware, Arsenal fans had to settle for fourth place finishes, followed by limited activity in the transfer market. As frustration mounted in the stands, there was the unfamiliar sight of Arsne Out signs and protests from a small portion of Gunners fans.

But Wenger refused to throw in the towel. He continued to develop his players and stayed true to his football principles. And the trophy drought finally ended last season as Arsenal fought back to beat Hull and capture the FA Cup, a competition that Wenger also won in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005.

And there could be more to come. Wenger confirmed that he is not ready to call it quits at the Emirates just yet by signing a three-year extension to his Arsenal contract this summer, keeping him at the club until 2017. We are entering a very exciting period, the Frenchman told the media. We have a strong squad, financial stability and huge support around the world. We are all determined to bring more success to this club.

FA Cup glory lifted a heavy burden from Arsnes shoulders but his thirst for silverware remains unquenched, especially the Premier League and Champions League trophies. Those will be the targets as Wenger looks to end a hugely successful managerial career on a high note.