My decade with Arsenal, by John Cross

By John Cross in Mirror Football Blog

Published 15:00 21/12/09

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The Daily Mirror's Emirates expert on 10 years in the company of Arsene Wenger...

One of the best football books I've read is about Sir Alex Ferguson.

This Is The One, by The Guardian's Daniel Taylor, presents a brilliant, fascinating view of the Manchester United boss in his dealings with the media over the course of two seasons.

Fergie comes across as I never imagined. He is painted as having a warmth, sense of humour and a humility towards people that I had never imagined as a relative outsider looking in.

I've covered Arsenal for many years, along with other London teams. Most weeks, sometimes twice-a-week, I go to an Arsenal press conference and see Arsene Wenger.

I could write about the highs and lows of the past decade, but I thought it may be more interesting to give a very small snap shot of what Wenger is like, even though I'd never claim to know him really well. No-one does.

But I think the public persona painted of Wenger is that he is a Professor, obsessed with football to the point of being dull, and not being particularly warm or charming.

From more than ten years of covering Arsenal, I can't tell you how wrong that is. He's actually warm, humorous, knowledgeable and yet interesting and, above all, he loves debate and discussion.

Wenger is not only a great manager but he's great company and good fun, especially when the cameras and tape recorders have finished rolling.

Furthermore, there have been some incredible ups and downs over the past decade but, despite everything, he's ducked out of doing a press conference just once - after a touchline spat with former West Ham boss Alan Pardew.

Arsenal provide superb access to the manager, and the manager seems to find press conferences amusing on most occasions.

In the internet age, his broadcast press conference for TV and radio is shown across the channels, airwaves and web when he bats away questions about team news, the issue of the week, transfer targets and so on.

But Wenger also sits down with the daily newspapers to give us his thoughts every week. He respects the media and how it works. He gets exasperated sometimes but generally treats us brilliantly.

The most annoyed he has ever been was after the famous Jose Moruinho telescope jibe, the former Chelsea manager saying Wenger must have one because he kept on talking and looking over the fence at Arsenal's neighbours.

One of my broadsheet colleagues - see, not a tabloid - kept on pressing him: "No, Arsene, have you really got a telescope?"

From day one, Wenger has adopted a no-favourites rule. He calls one or two by their first name but there are no cliques, no favouritism and just politeness.

I'm reliably informed that he knows who we all are, it's just his way. He's called me by my name once, and only once.

That was at the Football Writers' Association annual ladies' night where the great and the good are honoured. Wenger fits into that category and it was his turn to have a tribute night three or four years ago.

After the formal things are out of the way, you can go up to the star of the show and get your menu signed. I duly did this with my wife and said to him: "Would you mind signing this for Heather?"

She quickly piped up it was for me (OK, it was) and he laughed his head off and said: "Here we are, John." After so many years, so many press conferences, it's still a stand-out moment.

There was a similar one for a colleague of mine who was getting married after Euro 2004. Wenger saw him at an airport, came up to him and said: "I hear you are getting married - make sure you get a good contract!"

Wenger doesn't exactly lie (well, very rarely) - and yet he doesn't always tell the whole truth. You can ask him about an injury and he'll be cagey when, in reality, the player will be out for definite.

There's even a Wenger code that a few of us have cracked. You can just tell by his manner when they're playing or not playing. Take his team news updates sometimes with a pinch of salt, but all managers do it to an extent.

It can be impossible to relay on the BBC, or whatever, so they have to go with it, and yet even their reporters probably know it's wrong.

Wenger is equally cagey when it comes to transfers. A classic example of that was last December.

A story I had written about Arsenal going in for Andrey Arshavin was plastered all over the back page of the Mirror after Cesc Fabregas was ruled out through injury for up to three months.

I was confident in my story, but even my belief was tested when Wenger dismissed it to Sky and other TV cameras. But he did say he was interested in signing a player in January.

When I rang in, even my office said that, as he's no longer interested in Arshavin, could I get together a list of five other potential targets. Er, thanks for your faith.

Bearing in mind Arsenal had been interested in the past in Mark Noble, I chucked him in for good measure.

When the call came back that the West Ham fans in the office were laughing, I did have to go back and say: "Well, they don't actually really want him at all..."

I would rarely expect a manager to stand up a transfer story but when he says anything about it then you get a flurry of denials or confirmations running on Sky Sports News.

But despite the white lies and fun and games with the press, underneath lies a very kind and clever man.

Wenger is a family man. He enjoys the odd joke and bit of banter with us and generally doesn't seem to mind giving up so much of his time to the press.

That must also go down as credit to the Arsenal press office team who, as a result of being open and friendly, get good coverage.

I know some people will jump on that and say it's wrong. But think about it logically: if you like someone, if they're good to cover, then surely subconsciously you are going to be more kind to them.

Forget the fantasy football that Arsenal often play, Wenger also gets kind coverage in the media. It's not crooked, it's not wrong, it's just human nature.

So many times fans think that journalists have an agenda against certain clubs or teams.

Whenever I criticise Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or whoever, I always get e-mails or correspondence saying I'm anti-Arsenal or whoever and that all journalists are biased towards Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson (change club or name of manager as appropriate).

Let me assure you, that very few - if any - have anything against Arsenal or, in particular, Wenger. It's not rocket science. Treat people well and they return the favour.

But also there are no special favours for anyone. A guy from CNN did a TV interview a few weeks back. Wenger does very few one-on-one interviews. This guy probably found Wenger charming and accommodating.

However, a few days later at a press conference when the guy from CNN said, "when we spoke a few days ago..." there was no hint of recognition or favouritism. Wenger is charm personified but don't expect to be his friend.

I once saw him at a Hertforshire hotel after an England press conference and he was very happy just to chew the fat about food, wine and family.

But even Wenger can occasionally lose that charm when certain topics come up. He hates the old 'Arsenal have too many foreigners' line.

Once when Pardew - notice a theme here - had criticised Arsenal for not developing enough home-grown talent, Wenger, quick as a flash, piped up: "He didn't complain when he wanted Jeremie Aliadiere on loan."

I think Wenger gets upset when people he has helped - and Wenger helped Pardew, who came and had a few days at the Arsenal training ground - rather disappoint him.

But very few have upset him quite as much down the years as Sir Alex Ferguson, although it must be said that there is now mutual respect between the pair.

There's been Pizzagate, bust-ups and rows. Humiliating defeats. The works. The funniest Wenger quote about the feud came after Fergie claimed United were the best, but Wenger saw it differently. "Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home," he quipped.

That, by all accounts, incensed Ferguson. He was unable to see it in the way it was said and intended - not as an insult but as a friendly remark, almost understanding Fergie's point.

That was at the height of the row which then rose to such levels that it drove Wenger to such distraction that he once famously said: "I will never talk about that man again." They are back onside now.

But Wenger very rarely refuses to talk about issues. He hates talking ahead of big games. He hates to say anything wrong, stoke up the fire and inspire the opposition.

Wenger can, however, play the press as he did last season when he hardly distanced himself from all those Real Madrid rumours.

Come on, it was fun while it lasted. He was never going to Real Madrid, I don't care what anyone says.

But there was an element there of Arsenal fans turning on him after a trophy-less season and he enjoyed an element of "I'll show you" what you could be missing.

My favourite Wenger phrase came after the 1998 Double when things were not going so well and the Arsenal fans got restless, when Wenger made his famous "caviar and sausages" remark.

When you're used to the best, it's hard to accept anything less.

As London-based reporters for our national newspapers we have got used to Wenger being the best. Even with Jose Mourinho at his most arrogant best, Wenger is better because every week he serves up good, honest opinions.

Wenger, however, is a bad loser. He can be ugly in press conferences, ungracious and the recent defeat to Chelsea summed that up.

To say Didier Drogba had not done much was, frankly, embarrassing. He only scored twice, beat up the Arsenal defence and won the game pretty much on his own.

Wenger's saving grace perhaps is that he doesn't gloat too much. He's glowing about his players, but not as insufferable as some other Premier League managers when they pull of a big win.

That's why, just as Arsenal fans won't truly appreciate what they've got until he's gone, we as journalists won't appreciate how good Wenger is until he's gone.

He's knowledgeable to the point of ridiculous. He'll joke about watching a German reserve team match rather than having dinner with his wife. Trouble is, he's telling the truth!

One time a reporter was sent to ask him about George Weah - who he managed and made famous at Monaco - standing for election in Liberia.

Not only did Wenger know that Weah was standing for election, he knew about the whole breakdown and make-up of Liberian politics. Absolutely incredible.

That is why when he reached 60 recently, a few of the more regular reporters on the beat, clubbed together and bought him a bottle of what we thought was fine red wine. (Despite what Fergie says, Wenger is a wine connoisseur).

He seemed touched by the little presentation at the training ground. Though it worried me the following week when he compared a player to a bad wine.

Immediately he saw our horror. "Don't worry, not your wine!"

Typical of the guy - quick witted, humorous and warm. Above all, a managerial legend who has been a pleasure to cover for more than a decade.

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