Arsene Wenger experienced the highest of highs at Arsenal, but eventually, he lost control. And one of his former players has revealed why.
After serving a whopping 26 years at the club, the Frenchman cemented himself as one of the greatest managers of all time. During his pomp, he utilised his tactical prowess to compete with Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the world’s best coaches.
He guided the club to some of the greatest moments in its history. Without his managerial performances, they wouldn’t have won doubles in 1998 and 2002. But his most significant achievement by far came in 2003-04. They became the first club since Preston North End 115 years before to go without losing a single game throughout the entire campaign, becoming ‘The Invincibles’.
But despite his roaring success, unlike his Scottish counterpart, he couldn’t maintain the momentum. Arsenal went nine years without a trophy, and despite eventually winning a few, he lost his job in 2018. Without his previous success, the Frenchman would’ve likely been shown the door a lot sooner.
But after so many years of triumphs, why did he fall apart? An ex-Gunner thinks he knows the answer.
Read: Arsene Wenger picks the one player he wishes he’d re-signed for Arsenal.
Where does Mikael Silvestre think Arsene Wenger went wrong at Arsenal?
In a recent interview with Genting Casino, the French defender looked back at his time under his old manager and analysed where he went wrong. The 44-year-old believes Wenger’s faith in younger players let him down.
He explained: “Youth has a good side, and sometimes it can be your downfall. But I think looking at the amount of points that we got and the football that we played, we were a good side. I know Patrice Evra said that it felt like he played against “children” (when playing for United against Arsenal). Yeah, the side was young. But you can’t have it both ways, and that was the choice from the manager to not sign older players. And he believed that these young players would grow up together and achieve a lot. But some of them lacked patience and left.”
How did Mikel Silvestre get on at Manchester United?
The versatile defender enjoyed a sparkling nine-year spell at The Theatre of Dreams. Known for his pace and stamina, he regularly featured in Ferguson’s team and picked up ten trophies for his troubles.
But after slowly falling out of favour at United, he signed for Arsenal and won nothing during his two-year stint at The Emirates.
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