ARSENE WENGER reckons he blazed a trail for Pep Guardiola and the rest of the Premier League’s foreign bosses.
And the Arsenal manager believes the Spaniard has had it easy when compared to his baptism in English football 20 years ago.
Wenger’s appointment as Gunners boss in 1996 provoked the response, ‘Arsene Who?’.
But within two seasons, the Frenchman had delivered the double to the north London club and has introduced an approach to tactics and fitness that helped transform English football.
Wenger believes he was forced to roll with the punches as a pioneering foreign boss – especially as one with fresh ideas that went against the grain.
By contrast, Guardiola arrived at Manchester City last summer with a sky-high reputation after demonstrating his midas touch at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But that hasn’t protected the City supremo from stinging criticism – particularly after he declared he was “not a coach for the tackles” after City’s humiliation at Leicester last weekend.
Wenger and Guardiola will confront each other for the first time in England tomorrow when Arsenal head to the Etihad Stadium.
And Wenger reckons he could tell Guardiola a thing or two about what it really feels like to be under the cosh.
Asked if had made things easier for the foreign coaches who now dominate the Premier League, Wenger said: “Of course.
“I should get some newspapers when I arrived here and you will see that it’s much more easier today for the foreign managers.
“I would say when I arrived here it was difficult for the foreign managers. Today it difficult for the English managers, that’s what has changed.”
Wenger always knew Guardiola would stick to his beliefs at City and refuse to change his style – but knows from personal experience a manager must be patient when he applies his plans.
Wenger said: “I knew that he would bring his philosophy through and you have to accept that he tries to do that.
“I respect the fact that he has the philosophy and wants to play football. You expect him to put that print into his team.
“Every manager has a personality and can only act with his own personality.
“You cannot copy a manager, you can only be who you are, and he has been influence at Barcelona by the Cruyff period when he was a player.
“And I think he has strong beliefs and that for me is the most important thing for a manager.
But Wenger warned: “People are always resistant to radical change. They are also ready to cope with it if it is successful.
“Our job is to always accept that you want your own philosophy but at the right pace,
“When you go somewhere, sometimes you have to analyse what is going on and to bring in your own philosophy at a pace where you think they can cope with it.
“People really love football in this country and there’s a big passion for the game.
“I respect that hugely, but people also want their team to win. On top of that people are impatient as well.”
Discussion about this post