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Арсен Венгер
„Аз вярвам, че големите клубове имат отговорността да печелят, но също така и да печелят красиво... Винаги ми се е искало да мисля, че човек, който става събота сутрин след тежка работна седмица преживява един хубав момент, една частица от секундата, когато отваря очите си и си казва: "О, днес отивам да гледам любимия си отбор!"
Арсен Венгер е мениджър на Арсенал от 1996 г. с повече от 1000 мача начело. Когато французинът дойде в Северен Лондон, той беше до голяма степен непознат и във време, когато чуждестранните специалисти бяха още рядкост в английския футбол, неговите нови идеи относно диети, упражнения, тренировки и тактика революционизираха закостенелите порядки в клуба.
Към британското сърце на тима и легендарната му защитна четворка той добави континентална изящност и комбинацията му донесе седем трофея до 2005 г., включително два дубъла (през 1998-а и 2002-а) и сезон без нито една загуба в първенството – 2003-04. Звезди като Бергкамп, Анри и Пирес в добавка към бойци като Адамс, Кембъл и Виейра създадоха несломима сила, способна и да прегази и да надиграе съперниците си.
След това дойде деветгодишно прекъсване в традицията на трофеите. Докато лондонският клуб трябваше да спонсорира преместването си на новия стадион „Емиратс”, конкуренцията на новозабогатели конкуренти като Челси и Манчестър Сити развали двуполюсния модел на доминация на Арсенал и Манчестър Юнайтед във Висшата лига. Повдигнати бяха въпроси, но през 2014 и 2015 г. артилеристите спечелиха Купата на Англия, освен това 19 поредни сезона се класираха в Шампионската лига. Венгер все още има отговорите...
В този пленителен и всеобхватен поглед отвътре към Арсенал на Венгер Джон Крос създава завладяваща представа за човека и мениджъра. Той оценява скалата на постиженията на Венгер и наследството, което французинът продължава да твори. На базата на задълбочени интервюта с много от ключовите фигури Крос е създал най-завършената история за кариерата на Венгер в Арсенал, която някога е публикувана.
Арсен Венгер е мениджър на Арсенал от 1996 г. с повече от 1000 мача начело. Когато французинът дойде в Северен Лондон, той беше до голяма степен непознат и във време, когато чуждестранните специалисти бяха още рядкост в английския футбол, неговите нови идеи относно диети, упражнения, тренировки и тактика революционизираха закостенелите порядки в клуба.
Към британското сърце на тима и легендарната му защитна четворка той добави континентална изящност и комбинацията му донесе седем трофея до 2005 г., включително два дубъла (през 1998-а и 2002-а) и сезон без нито една загуба в първенството – 2003-04. Звезди като Бергкамп, Анри и Пирес в добавка към бойци като Адамс, Кембъл и Виейра създадоха несломима сила, способна и да прегази и да надиграе съперниците си.
След това дойде деветгодишно прекъсване в традицията на трофеите. Докато лондонският клуб трябваше да спонсорира преместването си на новия стадион „Емиратс”, конкуренцията на новозабогатели конкуренти като Челси и Манчестър Сити развали двуполюсния модел на доминация на Арсенал и Манчестър Юнайтед във Висшата лига. Повдигнати бяха въпроси, но през 2014 и 2015 г. артилеристите спечелиха Купата на Англия, освен това 19 поредни сезона се класираха в Шампионската лига. Венгер все още има отговорите...
В този пленителен и всеобхватен поглед отвътре към Арсенал на Венгер Джон Крос създава завладяваща представа за човека и мениджъра. Той оценява скалата на постиженията на Венгер и наследството, което французинът продължава да твори. На базата на задълбочени интервюта с много от ключовите фигури Крос е създал най-завършената история за кариерата на Венгер в Арсенал, която някога е публикувана.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2015
69 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
April 17, 2022
If you follow football, a casual look at the book will add much to your memory to revisit all those years and events. However, for the young football fans who love Arsenal and want to know about the legendary years of Wenger, this book might be a good starter.
March 6, 2016
A bland, unimaginative and formulaic retelling of many well worn tales and tribulations involving such a mesmeric and intriguing football personality.
Apart from the rare 'exclusive' snippet (Bendtner in the airport, Arsenal after party to 03 FA Cup win) it discusses many stereotypes without much learnt.
Amy Lawrence's 'Invincible' is a much stronger and powerful entry on a similar issue that does it justice.
Apart from the rare 'exclusive' snippet (Bendtner in the airport, Arsenal after party to 03 FA Cup win) it discusses many stereotypes without much learnt.
Amy Lawrence's 'Invincible' is a much stronger and powerful entry on a similar issue that does it justice.
February 2, 2017
An excellent biography - very detailed. Enjoyed hearing the different perspectives from key professionals who have worked with or under Wenger. I would recommend this to any football fan.
January 3, 2018
Well, it's definitely romantic. I'm a casual sports fan. I'm from New York so I follow the local teams (The Knicks, The Giants, and occasionally the Yankees). But my heart will always belong to the Arsenal Football Club from London. I dream of a day that I can go watch a game at the Emirates Stadium. This biography on Arsene Wenger speaks about this very love for the club. He's a big reason why I'm a fan, and so I'm a little biased towards the book because the man is a hero of mine. I only wished I could get an autobiography of his. Until then, this will have to do. It has givene great insight on his personality, his mentality, and of stories I would have never known about him otherwise. I loved it.
February 9, 2017
This is a dreadful book. Don't waste your time reading it. I admire Cross' journalism, but his style grates and clunks in book form. Much of the blame must go to Simon and Schuster who clearly didn't waste any resources on a sub-editor. This book veers around all over the place, there are no clear themes to any of the chapters, adjectives and descriptions are continually repeated and crucially there's almost nothing of interest in the book other than a good anecdote about Niklas Bendtner at an airport. Other than that, the main thing I learned is that Phil Brown is a much more intelligent and thoughtful man that I might have imagined.
Read
March 20, 2019As an Arsenal fan, there wasn't much in the book which was new to me. Most of the stories I've read from the papers or social media and since I've forgotten a lot of them, it was nice to read this book to refresh my memory. I did like the story involving Bendtner at the airport (this one I believe I've not heard before). The one part I didn't like was the Piers Morgan section which was a 4-page spread! I really cannot be bothered about him so I skipped most of his part. Other than that, this was a nice read and I had a great time reading all the funny and amusing stories and I enjoyed reminiscing the good (and bad!) old days of the boss.
August 2, 2019
John Cross did a great job giving the history of where Arsene was and through his Arsenal days. Really recommend reading this - fantastic.
May 11, 2020
I found “Old foes” the best chapter of the book. The battles between Arsen and big coaches (Sir Alex, and Jose) were interesting.
You really can’t describe what Arsenal meant to Arsen.
You really can’t describe what Arsenal meant to Arsen.
July 11, 2022
Not a Arsenal fan but enjoyed the book thoroughly. It takes you through roughly 2 decades of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. The way he built the club, the important figures who played pivotal roles at Arsenal. The philosophy of attacking football which I very much relate to. It’s amazing what this man has achieved with Arsenal and in the way that he has achieved. In the current times how excess wealth has distorted ground realities at Premier League and elsewhere, Arsene Wenger is a shining example of living within the means. In the greatest managers of all time he surely has a much deserved place.
June 2, 2021
An exceptional book about an exceptional human being. This book written by football journalist John Cross gives great insight into the man who managed Arsenal for twenty years and the behind the scenes efforts to make Arsenal one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Reading a biography for myself is an opportunity to see through other people's eyes how they deal with adversity and handle the challenges they encounter. Also to see what are the qualities that make them unique to be written about. That way I can perhaps apply the lessons learned in my own life. They're the main measuring sticks to decide how good of a read it was. With Arsene I feel it passed the test with flying colours.
Arsene Wenger doesn't have the amount accolades that other managers like Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho can flaunt, but he has other more substantial attributes like loyalty, class, selflessness, and charm. Perhaps in today's extremely competitive world of football where wining comes first these traits might be considered irrelevant, but it's very clear that these qualities were what made and kept Wenger very dear in the hearts of the people he encountered from fans, exectuives, players, and journalists. They were the reason why in today's volatile mangers job market Arsene stood with one of the longest tenures in the sport. Nonetheless Cross is not out to paint an idealised portrait of Wenger. He addresses some of the managers faults like his dislike for confrontation, his stubbornness, his micromanagement style, and for lack of a better term being a cheapskate in the transfer market. In the end Wenger's romantic idealism towards the sport might be a source of contempt for some or a point of administration for others, whatever camp you fall into Wenger cannot be denied respect for sticking to his beliefs even under immense pressure. It's safe to say there will never be Another Arsene Wenger
Reading a biography for myself is an opportunity to see through other people's eyes how they deal with adversity and handle the challenges they encounter. Also to see what are the qualities that make them unique to be written about. That way I can perhaps apply the lessons learned in my own life. They're the main measuring sticks to decide how good of a read it was. With Arsene I feel it passed the test with flying colours.
Arsene Wenger doesn't have the amount accolades that other managers like Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho can flaunt, but he has other more substantial attributes like loyalty, class, selflessness, and charm. Perhaps in today's extremely competitive world of football where wining comes first these traits might be considered irrelevant, but it's very clear that these qualities were what made and kept Wenger very dear in the hearts of the people he encountered from fans, exectuives, players, and journalists. They were the reason why in today's volatile mangers job market Arsene stood with one of the longest tenures in the sport. Nonetheless Cross is not out to paint an idealised portrait of Wenger. He addresses some of the managers faults like his dislike for confrontation, his stubbornness, his micromanagement style, and for lack of a better term being a cheapskate in the transfer market. In the end Wenger's romantic idealism towards the sport might be a source of contempt for some or a point of administration for others, whatever camp you fall into Wenger cannot be denied respect for sticking to his beliefs even under immense pressure. It's safe to say there will never be Another Arsene Wenger
August 8, 2018
Nikdy som nerozmýšľala ako a kedy prišiel Arsène Wenger do Arsenalu. Jednoducho tam vždy bol. Odkedy sledujem futbal, odkedy si pamätám, odkedy sme s ocinom sedávali po večeroch pred telkou a sledovali Bergkampove parády a obdivovali francúzsko-holandské enklávy Arsenalu a Barcelony.
Toto leto som strávila nostalgicky - futbalovo, takže keď na mňa na Martinuse vykukla táto knižka ako ebook, neváhala som.
Prvá časť bola pre mňa najzaujímavejšia - čo bolo pred Arsenalom, odkiaľ Wenger pochádza, ako sa tam dostal, ako v klube zmenil pomery a zaužívané veci, prvé roky. To som nevedela, nezažila, bolo to pre mňa nové, pekný príbeh, autor sa ešte necyklil.
Druhá časť šla čiastočne chronologicky a čiastočne tematicky a musím povedať, že asi by som dala prednosť prísnejšiemu chronologickému popisu pôsobenia Wengera v Arsenale, pretože takto sa Cross často opakoval, spomínal neustále rovnaké výhry či prehry, aby na nich mohol aplikovať niekoľkokrát zopakované Wengerove charakteristické črty alebo dôsledky jeho správnych či nesprávnych rozhodnutí.
Plusom boli určite vyjadrenia bývalých hráčov, trénerov a iných funkcionárov z Premier League ako aj samotného Wengera k rôznym situáciám.
Suma sumárum slušný náhľad do života klubu a jeho dlhoročného trénera, ale od váženého žurnalistu by som po autorskej stránke čakala trochu viac.
Toto leto som strávila nostalgicky - futbalovo, takže keď na mňa na Martinuse vykukla táto knižka ako ebook, neváhala som.
Prvá časť bola pre mňa najzaujímavejšia - čo bolo pred Arsenalom, odkiaľ Wenger pochádza, ako sa tam dostal, ako v klube zmenil pomery a zaužívané veci, prvé roky. To som nevedela, nezažila, bolo to pre mňa nové, pekný príbeh, autor sa ešte necyklil.
Druhá časť šla čiastočne chronologicky a čiastočne tematicky a musím povedať, že asi by som dala prednosť prísnejšiemu chronologickému popisu pôsobenia Wengera v Arsenale, pretože takto sa Cross často opakoval, spomínal neustále rovnaké výhry či prehry, aby na nich mohol aplikovať niekoľkokrát zopakované Wengerove charakteristické črty alebo dôsledky jeho správnych či nesprávnych rozhodnutí.
Plusom boli určite vyjadrenia bývalých hráčov, trénerov a iných funkcionárov z Premier League ako aj samotného Wengera k rôznym situáciám.
Suma sumárum slušný náhľad do života klubu a jeho dlhoročného trénera, ale od váženého žurnalistu by som po autorskej stránke čakala trochu viac.
October 1, 2017
The book describes interesting events under Arsene Wenger era, gives insights into his managerial style and the thought process. The book traverses over his managerial years that allows the book to maintain continuity, is easy for fast pace reading and keeps the reader wanting for more. Since the episodes belong to the present and history of just couple decades, it is very easy to relate to the facts, the quotes, the player comments and the press news. On a personal note, what I felt lacking in the book is first-hand conversations with Arsene Wenger, himself. The book often gives the spectator view of the events, albeit sitting on the first row,to give that bit of extra details which often as news reader or game-watcher misses the eye.
Overall, the book is interesting and kept me engaged but would have loved to hear more from the man himself when the book is all about Arsene Wenger!
Overall, the book is interesting and kept me engaged but would have loved to hear more from the man himself when the book is all about Arsene Wenger!
September 21, 2016
Trenér, který trénuje nejlepší tým všech dob. 29 z 10.
October 7, 2020
Fantastic Book on Arsene and Arsenal. A must for any Arsenal supporter
August 15, 2021
کتاب بررسی کارنامه ی 22 ساله ی آرسن ونگر در آرسنال است که جان کراس به آن پرداخته است.کارنامه ای که میتوان آن را به دو بخش تقسیم کرد از 1996 تا 2006 که دوران طلایی آرسنال است و از 2006 تا 2018 که افول آرسنال را میبینیم.دیدگاه جالبی از کتاب دست میدهد اینکه آرسن ونگر با تغذیه از طرف باشگاه و منابعی که در اختیارش گذاشته شد بازیکنان بسیار خوبی را به تیم آورد با توجه به اینکه بازیکنان قدیمی هم که در تیم بودند از بهترین ها و توانست با جوانگرایی و پرورش استعداد ها تبدیل شود به تیم شکست ناپذیرها کاری که میلان پیش از این کرده بود و افتخارات آرسنال و ونگر توام با همکاری نفرات این تیم بزرگ بود و زمانی که تصمیم به ساخت ورزشگاه جدید گرفته و تخصیص اعتبارات به بازیکنان کاهش یافت آن آرسنال بزرگ کوچک و کوچک تر شد و تنها هدف آرسن پرورش استعداد ها و فروششان به تیم های بزرگ به جای نگهداری آن ها و گرفتن ��همیه لیگ قهرمانان برای درآمدزایی بود. این کتاب به سیاه و سفید آرسن ونگر در طول سال ها سرمربی گری توپچی ها می پردازد و دید جالبی به فوتبال دوستان خواهد داد.به شخصه کاریزمای آرسن ونگر را همواره دوست داشتم ��لی اکنون آن دید قبلی را نسبت به او ندارم هرچند میراثی که برای آرسنال باقی گذاشت برای سالهای آینده ارزشمند است.
کتاب اتفاقی به دستم رسید که با ترجمه ی زهرا حسینی از انتشارات اندیشه کهن چاپ شده است.ترجمه آنطور که باید دلنشین من نبود و نثر کتاب جذابیت کمی برایم داشت شاید این از قلم جان کراس بوده یا از ترجمه یا از نیاز ویراستاری و خلاصه آنطور روان نبود. اگر علاقمند باشید به فوتبال و دنیایش کتاب جالبی است.
کتاب اتفاقی به دستم رسید که با ترجمه ی زهرا حسینی از انتشارات اندیشه کهن چاپ شده است.ترجمه آنطور که باید دلنشین من نبود و نثر کتاب جذابیت کمی برایم داشت شاید این از قلم جان کراس بوده یا از ترجمه یا از نیاز ویراستاری و خلاصه آنطور روان نبود. اگر علاقمند باشید به فوتبال و دنیایش کتاب جالبی است.
March 11, 2022
A very easy read to breeze through and an interesting enough account of Wenger's time at Arsenal. The author's tabloid journalist style is definitely more bearable in the sort of small doses you get from newspapers and does rather grate over 400-odd pages. An annoying peculiarity of the 2018 edition (which I read) is that there is no rewriting, meaning that there are references throughout the text to questions of when Wenger will leave Arsenal then suddenly the last two chapters detail his departure. I suppose this was done to rush the new edition out while his departure was still fresh but it renders parts of the book redundant. Cross is an Arsenal supporter and obviously enjoys a good relationship with Wenger so some controversies are skimmed over and some of Wenger's confidences are not betrayed. Admirable in a way but it rather leaves the book feeling like a rehash of things already in the public domain.
Arsenal supporters will want to read it and even those like me who don't follow the club will enjoy reliving the Wenger years, notwithstanding the book's problems. Just don't expect any great insight from this very workmanlike book.
Arsenal supporters will want to read it and even those like me who don't follow the club will enjoy reliving the Wenger years, notwithstanding the book's problems. Just don't expect any great insight from this very workmanlike book.
October 14, 2020
Arsene Wenger's Arsenal career is inherently fascinating to any football fan, sparking a genuine cultural revolution within the English game and then tracking its slow death as the excitement of his first decade gave way to the (enforced) penny pinching and diminishing returns of the second. It's a good story, but I don't think this is the best retelling. John Cross is a Mirror journalist who covered Arsenal in depth during this time and is about as close a source to Wenger as its possible to get amongst the media, but much of the book is a rehash of his newspaper work. It's at its best in the later chapters, when Cross gathers testimonies from those closest to the manager in providing an emotional coda to his lengthy managerial stint.
On the whole, a book that makes me think I might have been better off waiting for his autobiography, though there's some interesting titbits within its pages.
On the whole, a book that makes me think I might have been better off waiting for his autobiography, though there's some interesting titbits within its pages.
March 20, 2019
Arsene Wenger is the man responsible for breaking Manchester United's dominance in the Premier League in the late 90s, which is why as a Man United fan, I used to love to hate him yet grudgingly admire his achievements. The fact that he was also a suave, well spoken and intelligent man made him almost the perfect adversary to Sir Alex Ferguson who although might have been a very intelligent man himself, he did not come across the same manner that Arsene Wenger did.
He's solely responsible for making Arsenal a powerhouse team culminating in that incredible Invincibles Season.
Book unfortunately is a little bland and does not really give us any real insight into the inside story of what happened at Arsenal during the Glory Years. I am not an Arsenal fan but even I knew most of the incidents mentioned in the book.
He's solely responsible for making Arsenal a powerhouse team culminating in that incredible Invincibles Season.
Book unfortunately is a little bland and does not really give us any real insight into the inside story of what happened at Arsenal during the Glory Years. I am not an Arsenal fan but even I knew most of the incidents mentioned in the book.
October 27, 2018
Definitely a must read for any Arsenal fan. The younger / new fans as well as seasoned fans should give it a read to understand completely how and why Wenger has EVOLVED the football club we all adore.
Yes ! criticism is part of every managers career but the recent blatant hate and threats faced by Wenger is completely unjustified.
I do not know when Arsene will leave Arsenal or anything after post Wenger era but before anyone threatens Wenger or his career , do give this book a read.
coming to the style of writing, it's more a compilation of major bits and pieces of Arsenes 20 years, Unlike a traditional biography. summing it up, all the info you need is in the book, how it is judged and interpreted completely relies on the reader.
COYG 🔴⚪
Yes ! criticism is part of every managers career but the recent blatant hate and threats faced by Wenger is completely unjustified.
I do not know when Arsene will leave Arsenal or anything after post Wenger era but before anyone threatens Wenger or his career , do give this book a read.
coming to the style of writing, it's more a compilation of major bits and pieces of Arsenes 20 years, Unlike a traditional biography. summing it up, all the info you need is in the book, how it is judged and interpreted completely relies on the reader.
COYG 🔴⚪
October 24, 2021
Whichever club you support, you will love Arsene if you love football. This book has just made me respect him more. The best thing about Cross is he writes every person involved in the book in a positive manner. For a person who started watching PL in 2008 as a United fan, I wish I started a few years earlier to actually feel their rivalry. I am still a United fan, but I wish Wenger signed off with a Premier League after reading this book. A must-read for those who started watching football after oil money started dominating football.
January 25, 2019
A fascinating read - well written and easy to read especially for someone who doesn't know much about football. The only reason I supported Arsenal was because I thought Arsene Wenger was a very "sexy Frenchman" and it was good having "eye candy" when watching a match. I suppose there could be worse reasons for supporting a sports team! Suffice to say, I'm not watching as many games as I used to now that he's no longer Arsenal's manager.
May 7, 2020
It's all there and well researched, but you have to be a Gooner really. I'm not and actually bought this in a charity shop in Liverpool. Great manager and did much to raise the game in this country, doesn't like losing, intelligent man who clearly raised the stock of football managers in the Prem and written by a very good sports writer who clearly is a Gooner. So if Arsenal is your team, go for it. Otherwise...
October 30, 2018
There is very little new information in the book that an Arsenal fan or even an avid football fan who reads the papers would not be aware of. Sourcing also seems quite limited - the views seem to come from only a few players and their views are repeated often. Generally Parlour, Hughes, Campbell and then a bunch of quotes from on the record interviews.
Quite disappointing.
Quite disappointing.
October 9, 2019
This book was underwhelming, overall. I feel like I've already read the best snippets on Reddit a hundred times (eg. Kolo Toure tackling Wenger in his first training session), and there are other books that better chronicle Wenger's time at Arsenal. This book lacked in structure, and certainly would have been better with a chapter or two on Wenger's final years with Arsenal.
August 10, 2021
While others focus on the 'Godfather' side of Wenger，John Cross's stories unveil the negative pieces in details.Being obstinate on his way to success，being indecisive on transfers ，gambling on his judge of players and tactics，failing in delegation and also putting faith into outdate staffs……After all，I become m & m wonder whether he should stay in.
August 14, 2025
Will always respect and love Arsene for what he did for Arsenal, Arsene is Arsenal. Good insight into the man behind the manager as he didn’t always give himself away to the public past that cheeky smile. Interesting behind the scenes look at his career and the different chapters of his time at Arsenal. Just an okay book overall, probably not worth the 450+ pages if you’re not an Arsenal fan.
January 6, 2023
A far more comprehensive, warts-and-all biography of Wegner than the latters actual autobiography! The only shame is that this book hasn't been updated to cover the time period where Wegner did finally leave Arsenal. Still, it's a good read 👌
July 1, 2024
Generous 4 stars, would be 3.5 if I could.
Very detailed and well researched history of arsene at arsenal.
At times, it did become a bit of a he said she said quotefest.
Must read for an arsenal fan like myself though.
Very detailed and well researched history of arsene at arsenal.
At times, it did become a bit of a he said she said quotefest.
Must read for an arsenal fan like myself though.
February 22, 2017
Мнохо шум за нищо!
August 11, 2017
Gave me so much joy to read about this amazing man. Epitome of loyalty. Must read for football and especially Arsenal fans
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