By Boris Mellor
August 20 2005

As Arsene approaches his 500th game we can see that he has broken with the tradition of the past few years.He was not not a revolutionary for most of his time at Highbury in terms of players,(in matters of diet and facilities he acted more rapidly)more a gradualist,only slowly exchanging personnel.

 Reluctant to over depend on youth and fighting to keep his squad together at all costs, he has emphasised experience; but this year he has let two key players go. Of course Vieira is more important then Edu, but they were the two most experienced midfielders in the side.

I don’t think it happened in a fit of absent-mindedness, nor is it about money. Wenger I suggest has been thinking about this for a while – he looked stale last season, tired and listless. Have you ever seen him more relaxed than at the beginning of this season?

What has rejuvenated him? It is the challenge he is setting himself – the challenge to win the big trophies with a team of players mostly developed by him. To win with the kids. To win with team of few stars. He doesn’t believe in the Chelsea method, he has been working on this project long-term. Collecting Europe’s jewels and teaching them pure football.

Wenger’s revolutionary idea is that you can play pure football without breaking the bank. To do that coaching and teamwork will be the key; we may also see more tactical changes. That’s why he let Vieira go, I believe he began to feel restrained by Vieira, everything had to go through him. The defence over depended on him; the midfield wanted him to be the main playmaker. Without him, before last season, we often lost. We were too dependent on him. Now the team must remember it’s a team, and use those quick breaks and angled passes. No lazy give it to Paddy. Also with Henry we have a captain who has no ambiguity over his support for the cause.

Wenger has faith in Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto, is he right? He is not God, but he has a good track record. He trusted Vieira to change Arsenals fortunes, now he trusts Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, and his new signing Hleb to keep up the pressure on the opposition. Whatever the result at Chelsea, Arsenal fans should not rush to snap judgements, victory can be as much a false impostor as defeat. To trust Wenger is not blind faith, it is based on rational evidence.

Vieira made it clear that one reason he left was a lack of success in Europe, he did not agree with Arsene’s refusal to buy big names. Wenger has never bought a superstar – he makes them. Henry was in the doldrums when he bought him, Paddy was in the reserves. Real bought all the big names, and have won nothing for the last two seasons.

By selling Vieira Arsene has made it clear that he rejects the big star route, but that doesn’t mean he lacks ambition. Remember we were written off before the invincible season, we are at our best when written off. Nor should we forget that the most attractive football in Britain, if not Europe is played by Arsenal. Again and again non-Arsenal fans tell me that, although they have no love of Arsenal, they are the team they enjoy watching most.I have even been told that by a few Spurs fans. This is proved by the TV revenues Arsenal command across the world.

Wenger's arrival raised the bar for Ferguson, who responded by buying Veron and RVN, and later Rio, Smith, Rooney, and many more. It is forgotten that the Premiership was a one horse race before Wenger arrived. Claudio was given a fortune to spend on players, but Wenger raised the bar again with the invincible season. That cost Claudio his job and the special one arrived. Suddenly the press noticed the bar had been raised, as if Wenger had never done that in his last 499 games. Now it is assumed that the bar raised by Chelsea millions cannot be overcome, that we must return to the days of a one horse race again.

But Wenger is not preparing for second best, as he approaches his 500^th game he is preparing for revolution. Football is a team game, it’s about leadership, loyalty and skill. It’s also about coaching and confidence. Wenger’s revolution is that he intends to bring all those factors together, and mould them with the wonderful young new talent that he has assembled. After Busby’s Babes maybe it will be Wenger’s Wonderkids that will enter the history books.

Nothing is certain in football, Wenger is no more guaranteed success than Ferguson or Mourinho, but whatever the outcome we Arsenal fans will see some beautiful football in the season ahead.