If there is one lasting legacy still remaining from Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal, apart from his stingy ways in acquiring players for the club, is the amount of emphasis he put on his wards’ off-field regimen.
Yes, there were full time coaching staff and trainers that took care of players long before his reign, but the level of intensity and the amount of money and time invested into developing players stands out. Indeed, one could say Wenger modernized training regimen tactics.
And now, though his time at the club is but in memory, his methods are hardly forgotten, continuing to find new takers, more staff that take inspiration from his ideology and make sure that the players are, physically at least, on par if not better than those from the rest of the league.
This ideology was made very clear when twitter user @afcevan posted a compilation of sorts on Twitter. Presented in a before-and-after style format, it shows photos of players like Martinelli, Tierney, Nicolas Pepe and Willock from about six months ago compared to how they are now. And oh boy, there is a stark difference alright.
As one user quipped in the comments, all of them seem to be on that (Wolves player Adama) Traore juice. Considering how much the players have gained in the past half year, it would be hard to disagree with that statement.
Of course, full credit must go to Shad Forsythe, long time head fitness coach for the Gunners and all the staff under him. The man has stuck to his mentor’s philosophy and the results pretty much speak for themselves.
Now, the amount of bulking up that they have done will surely go hand in hand with an increased physicality and presence on the field.
Hopefully it leads to more favourable results for the Londoners in the coming days, and fans get something more to cheer about.
