Until Arsenal, at long last, survived the quarter-finals of the European Cup and went all the way to the final in Paris last year, judgement had surely to be reserved. Wenger had all those domestic triumphs in Cup and league, but the ultimate criterion, success in the major European competition, had time and time again eluded him and his team.
When he arrived at Highbury, it was at the expense of Bruce Rioch, who, in fact, had actually signed a new contract. But the chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, being away on holiday, had not signed on behalf of the club. So it was that Rioch was shown the door, although he left behind one priceless legacy in the signing of Dennis Bergkamp.
Wenger’s arrival provoked absurd headlines such as “Arsene Who?” Anybody who…
