Podcast: How Wenger revolutionized Arsenal – “Didn’t buy world stars, he made them”

New episode Done Deals

Arsenal FC is “boring”, it was said in 1996. But what then developed at the “Gunners” with the arrival of Arsène Wenger was the opposite of boring. The Frenchman revolutionized the North Londoners’ game and even achieved the rare feat of remaining undefeated in the Premier League for an entire season in 2003/04: Arsenal’s Invincibles were born. The new episode of the Transfermarkt podcast “Done Deals” revolves around Wenger’s work. Listen now Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music!

Host Max Ropers talks to Premier League commentator Joachim Hebel, who works for Sky and runs the podcast Click & Rush with his brother Uli, about why fans were initially not enthusiastic about the Frenchman’s signing what means he modernized the club as well as the roles of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

“It was a complete break in style back then,” says Hebel, describing Wenger’s installation, as at that time only local coaches were actually hired in the English upper house. “He was an absolute gentleman, very intelligent, very well-read and an empathetic and charming guy.” With the Strasbourg native, everything changed at the “Gunners”: the transfer policy, the tactics, the training methods. “The biggest explosion in performance came with the introduction of a diet plan. He gave the players training and nutrition plans. “What we find normal today, he started in 1996 when everyone else was still on fries,” says Hebel.

The now 74-year-old wasn’t just meticulous when it came to nutrition. Lever: “He was also in a top tactical position. He watched games from all over the world. There was a report about him in which you can see him opening a wall unit in his home and behind it there are 17 televisions, each of which is playing a different game. He was a madman and an absolute tactical genius for the time.”

Leverage in the TM podcast: Henry best player in Premier League history

The right selection of players and their development was also of central importance, as was the case with Bergkamp. “I have rarely seen a finer technician in the storm than him. He had a great eye for his teammates, a great finish – he actually had everything. Not the high top speed, but everything else. His technique was ahead of everyone else – especially in the Premier League, which was very physical at the time,” says Hebel.

Henry, who was bought from Juventus for 16.1 million euros in 1999, also shaped an era at Arsenal. For Hebel, the former iconic striker is the best player in the 30-year history of the Premier League. “He did things that no one else had done before and with an incredible force of nature. It has never happened before that a player has shouldered a club like this. Henry had the total package: was super fast, was technically super strong and also provided the goals, plus the Invincibles season. He had that extra sparkle compared to others.” Another credit to the coach: “Wenger didn’t buy world stars, he made them. Henry was the best example.”

Other topics in the TM podcast include the end of the unbeaten streak after 49 games and how it broke the club as well as the financial difficulties associated with the recent stadium construction. Listen now Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

To home page