Arsenal FC: Why Arsene Wenger Had To Give Up His Pride To Save Arsenal's Season

Arsene Wenger was put in a very strange position after his Arsenal side were utterly destroyed 8-2 by Manchester United in August.

After being virtually unquestioned in his authority for almost 15 years, he finally was forced to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, he is not always the final authority on all things football.

His team, built in his image, was dismantled. They could not score and they certainly could not keep the ball from going in at the other end, either.

Wenger had withstood many crises before in his time as Arsenal manager, but he had never been turned into a caricature by the press and his team's own fans, who were fiercely divided over whether their longtime manager should be fired.

And if it wasn't for the affections of new owner Stan Kroenke, Wenger may well have found himself back in France, far away from the touchline at the Emirates Stadium.

Then, something amazing happened.

It seemed as if the mauling at the hands of one of his old rivals finally gave Wenger the wake-up call the Frenchman so desperately needed. Maybe, he realized, not every single one of his opinions is always right, and maybe the opinions of others should be considered, as well.

And just like that, as Wenger began to finally get over himself, Arsenal began to slowly turn their season around.

One by one, we saw the boss' repeatedly futile tactics get thrown to the wayside. First and foremost, there were the extremely uncharacteristic dealings on transfer deadline day, which saw Arsenal finally purchase experience and proven quality instead of youth and pure potential.

And then there was the defence. Oh, how awful it was for so many years, and what an utter joke it had become at the start of the season. At long last, Wenger finally bought a big, physical defender in Per Mertesacker to give the back line some height and solidity.

And, after stating that he would not consider hiring a defensive coach and that he was sticking by his training methods, Arsene finally realized that there was something very wrong. Then, he let Pat Rice handle the defence separately, and—what do you know—the the back line rapidly improved.

Of all people, starting goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny would be able to tell if this change improved or not. And the young Pole has said that the defence is more solid and organized now that they are working with someone who actually understands how to run one.

Add that to the effect that Szczesny states the new players have already had in the dressing room, and it is undeniable that Arsenal are a completely different team from the one they were a mere eight weeks ago.

And this remarkable transformation would never had happened had Arsene Wenger not finally put winning over his principles and his dignity. For years he had not done so, and for years he had let the trophy case at the Emirates Stadium collect dust.

But, even though it took years of failure and a humiliating defeat to force him to, Wenger finally let go of his ego and acknowledged that some of his doubters were right.

Now, calls for his sacking would seem laughable, and people were actually despondent when Wenger seemed to suggest his time at Arsenal was nearing its end.

I never thought "Le Professeur" would be able to put the interests of the club over his own pride, which is why I was a vocal member of that anti-Wenger group of supporters. But I truly regret my foolishness, as the manager has proven that he can change and let go of his own pride if it benefits the team.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is one more reason why Arsenal are by far the greatest team the world has ever seen.

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