Arsene Wenger is celebrating 20 years as Arsenal manager, to use the term loosely.
If the Frenchman is indeed ‘celebrating’ his tenure, then the festivities will be muted given his dwindling reputation among Gunners fans.
However, twelve years ago, it was all so different. Wenger won the Premier League three times in his first eight years in North London, but hasn’t done it since 2004.
Somehow, Arsenal have still secured Champions League football, which is in itself an achievement to be recognised. In the league, though, arguably where it matters most, Wenger just hasn’t been able to keep up.
That was initially the fault of Jose Mourinho, who came in at Chelsea all those years ago and dominated English football, taking the medallion from Wenger as the most admired foreign manager in the league.
Now, the Special One could learn a thing or two from his old adversary, the ‘specialist in failure’.
Wenger and Mourinho are equally stubborn. Le Professeur has refused to keep up with rival clubs’ spending, and his team have suffered as a result.
The latter can’t be said of Mourinho, but there is one big similarity. The game has changed since both men were at their peak in the mid-2000s.
Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the few managers to enjoy over a decade of success, for that very reason. If that is the time frame bosses have to work with now, then Mourinho’s proverbial egg timer has very little sand left.
At Manchester United, the Portuguese needs to adapt, not least because he is already having to change his playing style. If not, he risks turning into another Wenger, but without the advantage of a club who are willing to tolerate mediocrity.
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