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Arsenal: Al Pacino Arsene Wenger Shows Difference This Season
Theo Walcott likened a speech of Arsene Wenger’s to Al Pacino from Any Given Sunday. The passion showed indicates the difference for Arsenal this season.
The management style of Arsene Wenger is rather a mystery. By virtue of rarely having access into the nooks and crannies of the Arsenal dressing room, the training techniques, the pre-match preparation and the tendencies that Wenger reigns with, it is often a little bit of a guessing game as to how he works.
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It has long been known that he is surprisingly and uniquely calm and composed, rarely giving impassioned speeches, rarely raising his voice, in anger, aggression or acclamation. Ian Wright has spoken of the oddness and peculiarity with which he managed early in his tenure, in complete juxtaposition to the stereotypically dogged style of the hard-nosed British manager.
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However, perhaps this season is different. With a Premier League title now 12 years in the rear-view mirror, as much a memory as a reality, there is a growing sense of desperation as Arsenal look to climb their way back to the top. Theo Walcott, when asked about how Wenger was managing his team, compared Le Prof to Al Pacino’s vibrant speech from the film ‘Any Given Sunday’:
"He did a speech the other day. I won’t be able to do the speech because it was that good. It genuinely reminded me of that film ‘Any Given Sunday’ and I actually said that to him! I was a bit embarrassed and didn’t know if he’d seen the film, but he showed his passion and how long it’s been since we’ve won the title. He wants it like all of his players, but you can tell he really wants it which is really good to see.”"
It is certainly nice to have a peek through the curtain at the goings on in at Arsenal. It is the last sentence that indicates the changing attitude of Wenger and this squad as they try to end their title drought.
It has been a long and painful wait for the Gunners, one that was only compounded with the miraculous campaign of Leicester City last season. If there was ever a year to reign as champions, then last season was it. A missed opportunity for Wenger and his team, one that is now motivating them to improvements this year.
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The many late goals that have rescued the North London outfit this season are a symptom of this desperate-to-win attitude. It is a mental shift, not a technical or physical change, that has brought about a grittier, more determined, side. Now, with the season quickly winding down, it is time for their desperation to pay dividends.