Love.
It's already been ten years. Ten years of brilliance. Ten years of watching football and being thankful you support Arsenal. And proud. Ten years of people watching Arsenal play and falling in love. Ten years full of happiness and full of tears. Triumphs and failures. It was all worth it. And it was all because of Arsène Wenger.
A simple "thank you" isn't enough. But that's all I can say.
To honour this occasion, I bring you...
A PICSPAM! Yay!
You realise I couldn't go through this entire post with a straight face. The world knows I luuuurve Arsène more than words can say (enough to actually copy-paste his name from Wikipedia because my keyboard doesn't have French accents and I can't be bothered to do it through "symbols".). This day wouldn't be complete without a little love from me, would it?
The thing is, Arsène has been getting a lot of love today, from pretty much everyone. It's beautiful to see how much everyone respects him, and it's especially poignant to see people like Roy Keane to express their sentiments:
Keane said: "He has done a brilliant job at Arsenal. I watched them last week against United and they were outstanding.
"The way they play the game, the way he leads himself - I have to say, the way he keeps his head or he seems to keep his head, even at the start of the season when people were starting to doubt Arsenal - maybe myself being one of them - I thought United would beat them.
"A manager at any top club like an Arsenal, a Liverpool, a United, has obviously got special talent.
"I read something about him the other day and a thing he said about football: he said some people live off football and some people live for football.
"He clearly lives for the game, I will give him that, and all credit to him. I wish him well."
I still think he was a dirty... ahem, player, but I must admit it was very nice of him to begrudgingly admit Arsène's general awesomeness.
Football 365 also sheds light on some little-known aspects of Arsène's life. Interesting tidbits: Jens is his neighbour (OTP? I'll shut up.), he goes for a run 3 times a week at 8 in the morning (that's why he's so fit ♥. OK, I'll seriously shut up now.) and he and his wife have a 9-year-old daughter. (Additional info: I read in an Arsenal forum that his wife is really young Bitch. It should have been me. Sadly, I haven't been able to find a picture of her and I'm dying of curiosity. Oh well.). Lastly, and I quote:
Wenger holds a degree in Engineering from Strasbourg University as well as a master's degree in Economics and a diploma in Soccer Coaching and Management.
"The Professor", indeed.
The bbc also prepared a little Arsène retrospective here. It includes little facts and interesting statistics.
Teaser:
Aw! Young Arsène! So that's his actual hair colour! He looks so... Professor-like. ♥ ♥ ♥
Before we get back on Young Arsène, though, I'd like to point out a glaring error in the bbc article:
OMG. Is that Pascal? PASCAL? PASCAL ZINEDINE CYGAN? Listed as one of the worst buys? WORST? Surely this is a mistake. An oversight. I'm sure they meant to put him under "Best buys" but there was no room left, and then they thought "wait, we can't leave Pascal out of this entirely, we must include him somehow!". Hence the above picture. I'm annoyed, but it's a happy day so I'll let it slide.
So, Young Arsène:
When he was still with Monaco! Aw. He's so classy and elegant.
Really young, possibly still-playing-football Arsène:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Some interesting pictures:
His face is a bit severe but also very expressive. And he always looks like he has a million things on his mind.
Ignore the watermark. Tongue! OMGYAY! (I'll shut up No, I won't. It's an Arsène picspam, let me perv!).
Now some Arsène in action, starting from the most recent match against Porto:
That bitch referee kept asking Arsène to sit the fuck down, because Arsène was being unusually perky. Like this:
Obviously it took some convincing, but finally order was restored. Before that, though, Arsène had a go at (my precious) Alex Hleb! Why? (maybe because he wouldn't shoot? Like, EVER?). But after that, Alex shot! And SCORED! Just minutes after Arsène had called him a cunt. o.O xDDDD
I love them both.
Some more angry Arsène, just for fun:
Happy Arsène:
Sad Arsène:
Windblown Arsène:
Arsène under a funky dome:
And now, Arsène and friends.
With Sir Alex Ferguson:
A story of love and hate (you know they secretly like each other. And ever since Mourinho appeared they seem to express their respect for each other more openly, as if to say "This is what it means to be a great manager. And Mourinho isn't it.". Right on.).
Daddy and son:
So much love for this picture. And for Cesc. ♥
Arsène wishing Freddie a happy birthday, back in 2001:
Original Freddie hair! Aw. You know, Arsène may have been with us for 10 years, but Freddie is currently in his 9th season with The Arsenal. He was a wee lad when he first got here, and now he's... still a wee lad. Well, you know what I mean. A true Gooner. ♥ ♥ ♥ (you guys know he left Calvin Klein, right? The upcoming campaign will be his last. Woe is me.)
Arsène and the future: Theo Walcott.
Arsène and The Beast, bitchez!
The Beast (aka Julio Baptista) is slowly becoming my new favourite player (apart from Rosa ♥). I love him. He's lethal, but also cute as a button. And, he refers to himself in the third person ("I know The Beast can triumph in England", he said. LOVE. ♥ ♥ ♥).
Arsène and sweet Emmanuel Eboue:
I'm re-posting this one because Arsène looks great in it :p. And because I think Eboue is one of the prettiest Arsenal players. An underappreciated beauty ♥ (plus, apparently he learned how to cross! Like, YAY! Even though his performances endanger the position of my one and only love, Ralph Lauren, I can't help but be happy for him. He's one of the reasons the team has improved so much lately.)
This couldn't not be here:
credit: trampadoo, of course :)
And a little bonus Jens (because, well, it's Jens):
Doesn't this scream "Freddie?", and wouldn't it make a perfect twin icon for this one?
Huh? *whistles innocently*
Sooo, that's about it.
ALMOST.
There's one last picture. Enjoy:
OMG! Arsène skin! Yay! *licks* OK ew, not *licks*. Erm, *admires*. *pervs*?
That's all, folks. Here's to another 10 years.
(let's all pretend I posted this on Thursday the 28th, OK? Well, it's still the 28th in England, so it's OK.)
cross-posted at jensdefense ♥