Arséne Who?
Arséne Wenger's magic....
Following Graham's departure, Stewart Houston took over as caretaker manager until June when Bruce Rioch arrived from Bolton. The disappointing loss in the Cup Winners Cup final at Paris was probably enough to see Houston return to his former role as first team coach. Rioch strengthened the squad with the purchases of Dennis Bergkamp and David Platt for (a club record of £7.5m and £4.75m respectively). Whilst Bergkamp soon became one of Arsenal's most gifted players (winning PFA player of the year 1997-98), Platt struggled to find fitness and a first team slot and eventually retired from professional football at the end of the 1997-98 double season (but who could forget his contributions when he did play, the final goal in the 3-2 win over Manchester United at home on November 9th, 1997?).
Rioch himself did not survive long, he was sacked days before the start of the 1996-97 season and Pat Rice filled the caretaker role until the arrival of Arsenal's new manager Arsene Wenger (from Japan) in September 1996.
Arsene's first season was a non-memorable season with Arsenal failing to achieve any silverware from the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup, the League Cup or the premiership and just failing to achieve a Champions League slot, despite having brought the (now) superb Patrick Vieira.
Arsene had also signed Emmanuel Petit, Nicolas Anelka, Rémi Garde, Gilles Grimandi, Christopher Wreh, Marc Overmars, Alex Manninger and Luis Boa-Morte in time for the 1997-98 season. Arsenal's venture into Europe had started poorly going out of the UEFA cup in the first round to PAOK Salonika. In a season with many memorable events (the home and away win against Manchester United, Ian Wright breaking Cliff Bastin's long standing 179 goals record for Arsenal against Bolton Wanderers on September 13th and only just failing to achieve a Coca-Cola Cup final after losing the second leg of the semi final at Stamford Bridge), it will be the double and the triumph over Manchester United for which this season will best be remembered.
Arsenal had received some criticism for fielding a less than usual team for the early stages of the Coca-Cola cup and yet managed to reach the semi finals of this competition as well. I for one enjoyed the evening games where we saw the potential of Manninger, Wreh, Boa-Morte, etc. for the first time.
The premiership looked like going to Manchester United again when in November and December Arsenal's form dipped and Manchester United appeared to be romping away with the title. Adam's received treatment in the south of France for his ankle injury just after Christmas. The turning point in the premiership was when we took the three points at Old Trafford in March thanks to Overmars. From that point on, as we were constantly reminded by the press and Alex Ferguson, Arsenal could only throw away the title ..... but they did not and on 3rd May a home win over Everton would see Arsenal crowned champions with Manchester United unable to overtake Arsenal even if Arsenal lost all their remaining games and Manchester United won theirs!
What a day it proved to be with Arsenal winning comfortably in the 4-0 defeat of Everton with two goals from (the superb) Overmars, an Everton own goal it was fitting that the Arsenal captain Tony Adams should score the 4th. There are several images that stay with me from that day (Bergkamp wandering around the pitch during the post match celebrations draped with a fan's scarf (he was recovering from a hamstring injury that would keep him out of the game), Ian Wright spraying the lower North Bank with Champagne and the upper North Bank moving several feet up and down as the fans jumped in unison to "We are the Champions" .. it moved so much that even Keown and others noticed it from the pitch!) but by far the most memorable for me has to be Adams stood with his back straight and both arms stretched skywards grinning as the Highbury faithfull erupted into huge cheers.
It was just under two weeks later that we were at Wembley with the Toon Army where fantastic goals from Overmars and Anelka (and some superb defending from Arsenal to deprive Shearer, most noticeably from Winterburn the veteran of so many campaigns!) sealed the double for Arsenal.
I have many memories of this period (some a little hazy from the all weekend celebration!!) ... but I'm glad I was fortunate enough to have been at both games and able to participate in the Islington party of 17th May.
1999 was not able to achieve the standard set in the previous year, with a disappointing start to Champions League football (out in the first round), a 5-0 home defeat in the Worthington Cup; Arsenal concentrated on the FA Cup and Premiership. Despite a tough fight, Manchester United beat Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi Final Replay (going on to beat Newcastle in the final) and pipped us for the premiership too in what was to be United's year as they were crowned champions of Europe in the Champions League too.
The 1999/2000 and 2000/01 seasons were more of the same, so close, yet so far. It was not until 2001/02 that Arsenal once again showed what they were capable of with an unbeaten record away from home in the premiership, culminating in taking the title from Manchester United at Old Trafford and picking up the FA Cup Final at the millennium stadium for Wenger's second double.
Arséne Wenger truly is magic...
