Arsene’s the technical director of FIFA. Or he’s accepted a position which infers that he’ll go by that title.
The New York Times reported this 48 hours ago, and I’m somewhat happy that Arsene Wenger has gone in that direction. I’m not sure I’d have been able to stand him managing another club or having football’s unforgiving fans rip through him like Texan barbecue set before rabid dogs.
It would have been too much.
Wenger is at FIFA, set to spread the gospel of improving coaching standards around the world. Much like Jesus set to let us know about taking the straight and narrow way to God. It’s never easy; it goes against our human nature, the need to satisfy self/flesh but, IF you love God enough, and know His love for you, it’d be worth it.
Here’s a clip from the Independent: How Arsene Wenger Changed the Premier League:
In the beginning Wenger’s tactics were considered to be ahead of their time, and thoughtful. His nickname, “the Professor” reflected this. Part of his original approach was to focus on more than just match day. The “non-visible” preparation of his squad ranged from improving the food menu the players ate, to adjusting training methods to place more emphasis on ball control.
It seems strange now to think that these adjustments were in any way revolutionary, but at the time his methods were met with resistance by the players. Now many of them credit Wenger with extending their careers by a number of years.
Arsene’s sure to revolutionalise things at the helm, and I’m sure he’ll ruffle a lot of feathers. It won’t be easy for the ‘culture’ to change or adapt. A culture where the players have become king and coaches are at the mercy of changing room mutinies — a culture where coaches jobs are not guaranteed, and player power is rife and abused.
IF we love football enough, we’ll welcome the change Arsene’s sanity might bring to the game. On to the straight and narrow.
