As Arsene Wenger says goodbye, his legacy will live on

When Arsenal appointed Arsene Wenger as their manager in 1996 there were no shortage of sceptics, wondering what exactly in the Frenchman's past made him suitable for such a prestigious role.

His playing career was barely noticed and as a manager it had been eight years since he had won his only French league title with Monaco. He had spent the previous 18 months coaching Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan’s J League, far from the centre of football power.

Arsenal players and fans did not have to wait long to feel the Frenchman's impact.

Even before he officially took over, he was shaping the revolution he was to lead, instructing vice-chairman David Dein, who was the key figure behind bringing Wenger to the club, to buy French midfielders Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit.

Wenger then set about altering the culture of a team that was among the most traditionally English, changing diets, training methods and playing style.

Wenger wanted to see something different and, encouraged by Dein, understood that there was plenty that English football could learn from France, who two years later would become world champions.

Yet Wenger was smart enough to realise that he had inherited the best defence in the league and there was little point in discarding it.

Fullbacks Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn and central defenders Adams and Steve Bould provided the necessary foundation for a side which boasted the brilliant Dutch forward Dennis Bergkamp and the goal-hungry Ian Wright.

Arsenal did not have it all their own way as Manchester United rose to the challenge winning three consecutive titles from 1999, with Wenger's side second on each occasion.

The competition fuelled an intense rivalry between Wenger and United boss Alex Ferguson.

"If we shared one characteristic, it was an absolute hatred of losing," Ferguson said of Wenger in his autobiography.

Perhaps Wenger's most inspired signing came in 1999 when he bought Thierry Henry, a known talent who had been struggling as a winger in Serie A with Juventus.

Wenger turned Henry into a striker and was rewarded handsomely as the Frenchman went on to become the club’s record scorer with 228 goals in all competitions, 32 in 2001-02 as Arsenal claimed a second double.

Another FA Cup triumph followed a year later, but it is the 2003-04 campaign that will go down as Wenger’s finest hour as his 'Invincibles' captured the league title without losing a game.

That was, however, to be his last Premier League title. With the club having to operate on a tighter budget to finance their move to the Emirates Stadium, Wenger struggled to compete with big-spending Chelsea and Ferguson's United.

The latter years of the Wenger reign were largely frustrating for Arsenal fans, with consistent top-four finishes and a series of FA Cup wins (seven in his career) providing little compensation for their failure to challenge for the title.

Wenger appeared stubborn, bristling at criticism, too often blaming referees and seemingly incapable of understanding the supporters' desire for something more than a solid balance sheet and European qualification.

Some began to call for his removal, even some of his most loyal former players such as Wright, while others felt he had earned the chance to go out on his own terms.

As in the end, that is exactly what he did and no matter how disappointing the finale, the exhilarating football of his early years will long be remembered.

Now he has announced his retirement but there can not be any replacement for Arsene Wenger, the club will have to look for someone who can give new dimensions to Arsenal FC.