Guus Hiddink has commented on Arsene Wenger’s longevity at Arsenal, admitting that the boss is probably the last of his kind.
As the interim Chelsea manager, Hiddink probably knows more than most how fickle modern football is. In the time Wenger has been in north London, the Blues have switched their manager 12 times and while Chelsea is one of the extreme examples, Le Professeur is by far the longest serving manager in the Premier League.
“He might be one of the last to sit on the chair that long,” said Hiddink.
“Him being in charge in those years without a title means there is a lot of confidence from the board. It’s always good to have men who have a long period at a club.”
Wenger has been with us almost 20 years and, unlike Sir Alex Ferguson when he was at Manchester United, it’s not been a walk in the park. Although Fergie’s first couple of seasons meant he almost got the sack from the Red Devils, after this is was pretty much plain sailing for one of the most successful managers of all time.
At Arsenal, Wenger has had to deal with moving to a new stadium, dwindling funds, players leaving, media criticism and his own fans turning on him, but he stayed.
With this in mind I have to agree with Hiddink: Arsene Wenger will be the last of his kind.