Arsenal managers first took to the dugout in 1897, before that the duties were done by a group of directors. Can you imagine? No, me neither. Since then, the mighty Arsenal have had a string of successful managers. There have been nineteen permanent managers and eight caretakers. The manager, the gaffer, or the first team coach, whatever you want to call them, they are essential to success. Judging a manager can be a tricky job. There are a lot of external factors you should consider, but usually don’t… because that’s the nature of the game.
Here’s our top five Arsenal managers of all time, (let’s hope we’ll be updating this article soon).
Tom Whittaker
As an ex-player and one-club man, Whittaker had only played for and only managed the Arsenal. His total span at the club ranges from 1919 to 1956, and like most people who lived through those years, his career was massively disturbed by the World War 2. Whittaker had worked under Herbert Chapman as a trainer before the latter’s untimely death in 1934. After which, he stayed at the club working with manager George Allison.
Whittaker studied physiotherapy and was respected through-out sport. Even tennis stars like Bunny Austin and Fred Perry would seek his advice when injured. He was popular with the players and once Alison retired; he was given the chance to step forward into the managerial role in 1947. He immediately won league titles in 1947-48 and an F.A Cup in 1949-50. Then later in 1952-53, he won the league again in the tightest of league victories.
Bertie Mee
A Hollywood story in the making. The tale of the physiotherapist that took the managerial role and never looked back. Arsenal had spent the previous 17 years without a trophy, but Mee turned the club around by employing experience heads, like Don Howe and Dave Sexton, as assistants and using exciting players from the youth ranks such as Charlie George and Pat rice.
Bertie Mee’s young side quickly showed their potential by reaching two cup finals in the next three years. The following year saw them lift the club’s first European trophy as they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In 1971 the team were at it again as they completed Arsenal’s first ever league and F.A Cup double. Both competitions were secured in dramatic and enjoyable fashion. The league was won at White Hart Lane, and the Cup win was earned in extra time against Liverpool.
George Graham
The strict disciplinarian from Scotland was employed in 1986, after an impressive spell with Millwall. He took charge of an Arsenal team that had finished outside of the top five for four consecutive seasons. His appointment saw an immediate upturn in results and Arsenal’s first silverware for around eight years. “One-nil to the Arsenal” became a regular score and chant from the Gooners as the gaffer created one of the best defensive units in world football.
Graham put trust in younger players and worked with club legends like Tony Adams, David Rocastle, and Ian Wright. The defensive stability he installed in Arsenal paid dividends, even after the Scotsman’s departure in 1995. His nine-year stint at Arsenal saw him lift two league titles, one F.A Cup, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Herbert Chapman
Before the arrival of Chapman, Arsenal had spent the last two seasons fighting to stay in the top league and had never been considered a major force in English football. His impact was instant and huge. He revolutionised tactics on the pitch introducing the “WM” formation to combat recent offside laws. Off the pitch, he brought in shirt numbers for the team and pioneered the use of flood lights at matches.
He is also credited with changing the shirt into a brighter shade of red and adding the white sleeves after seeing a fan wear the jersey over a white long sleeved top. His side played counter-attacking football with a strong defence and fast wingers. He brought in players like Alex James, Charlie Buchan, and Cliff Bastin. From 1925 to 1934, Chapman's transformation of Arsenal saw them move from league strugglers to winning two League titles and an F.A Cup.
Arsene Wenger
Arsenal’s longest serving manager, Wenger reigned from 1996 to 2018. He was one of the first foreign managers to join an English team and was tasked with bringing Arsenal into a new modern era. He did just that. His tactics on the field were free, attacking and liberating, while his attention to detail in nutrition and rest and recovery were never before seen in the league. He used his knowledge of European football to help him hand pick the best talent from foreign divisions at bargain prices. In his time at the club, he brought in and developed world-class players like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Sol Campbell.
On a meagre budget, he won three league titles, seven F.A Cups and seven Community Shields. In 2003, his team were awarded a Golden Premier League trophy for going an entire season unbeaten. The run saw them complete a record breaking 49 games undefeated. In his twenty-two-years at the club, Arsenal qualified for 19 Champions League in a row. A European record only bettered by Real Madrid.
Comments
Post a Comment