We Trust You, Wenger, But...

Yes, we trust you, Arsene, but I hope you know what you're doing. In all these years you have been at Highbury, we HAVE trusted you, and by and large, you have delivered. Not wildly unimaginable success, but more success than in the past 50 years.

But I hope you know what you're doing. Patrick Vieira is our talismanic (as much as I dislike that cliche) captain. 9 years is an eternity in football, he stayed on despite the lure of bigger clubs and European glory, and he has matured into one of the best defensive midfielders in the world (yes, Roy Keane, that's right).

Those who criticize Arsenal's lack of real success always forget that this team is the only major European club that puts out under-23 players week in week out due to lack of financial clout like Real or Chelsea. Like Flamini, Fabregas, van Persie, Toure, Clichy and Cole. And by that measure, they are punching far above their weight.

And without Paddy, there is a huge gap in the middle of the park. Edu has left for the warmer Spain, Parlour is collecting his pension at Boro, Pires is updating his resume and Gilberto is still on back-pain medication.

When Bergkamp retires at the end of the season, an entire generation of players will have passed, Dennis is the last remaining player from the pre-Wenger, Rioch/Graham era, the remaining are from the tutelage of Wenger and the dorms of Colney. And Paddy was the very first of that generation.

And so, good luck Paddy in the catenachio of Italy. We wish you all the best, and thanks for the memories. Along with likes of Tony Adams, Liam Brady, Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp and David Seaman, you are one of our greats.

And don't fail our trust, Wenger.

Gunner 4 life.



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