Arsene Wenger is an extraordinary guy who still has Arsenal in his bones but he should have left after winning a seventh FA Cup, says Bob Wilson.
Monday marks the two-year anniversary of Wenger announcing he would be departing the Gunners at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Wenger masterminded one of the greatest periods in Arsenal s history during his near 22-year stay in north London, winning three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups – including two doubles.
The Frenchman also oversaw Arsenal s Invincibles , who incredibly went unbeaten during the 2003-04 campaign.
However, factions of supporters turned against him towards the later years of his tenure and there was an ever-growing Wenger Out brigade at the Emirates Stadium.
Legendary Arsenal goalkeeper Wilson, who was also a coach for the Gunners until retiring in 2003, will always be a huge proponent of Wenger s achievements, though feels it may have been prudent to go out on a high having beaten Chelsea in the 2017 FA Cup final.
I ll love Arsene until the day I die, but you can argue that 20 years was the right time to go, he told Stats Perform.
I still have a belief that when he lifted that trophy unexpectedly against Chelsea in the FA Cup and held it up to our crowd, I thought That s it, Arsene – time to go .
Look at the trophies he won, look at what he provided. A record number of FA Cups, the Invincibles .
There is a stubborn side to him but it s a stubborn side that s on the shoulders of an absolutely incredible human being.
I ve been in Arsene s company when we ve sat down at a table and people have never known him and got a bit gobsmacked and scared to ask a question.
22 years
1,235 games
2,298 goals
716 wins
49, 49 undefeated
P38, W26, D12, L0
7 FA Cups
3 titles
2 Doubles
1 Arsène Wenger
— Arsenal (@Arsenal)
Within 30 or 40 minutes, some of them are shaking their heads, thinking this guy is not what they expected from a normal football manager. That s basically his intelligence and everything that goes with him.
He s an extraordinary guy – I am biased, you have to understand that.
It s absolutely in his bones, he still loves the club. Megs [Wilson s wife] and I have been around to his home – you look at some of the trophies that are inside the front door. They almost hit you in the eyes.
The unbeaten class of the 03-04 campaign is a feat of Wenger s particularly revered by Wilson.
The invincible year, he predicted that. He actually said this team could go on to go a season unbeaten. Everybody poo-pooed him, he added.
The only time it had every been done was Preston North End, but they only played 18 games. They didn t play 38 games.
It was 38 games in the most difficult league in the world. Okay, there were quite a few draws in there but they did not lose a game.
***Bob Wilson was speaking on behalf of the Willow Foundation, which will host an online quiz via the London Football Awards Instagram page this Saturday and a concert by singer Mica Paris via its own Instagram page on Sunday.
For a full list of events and further information, visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk***
