Football’s beauty is its unpredictability, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger says his undiminished, ever-lasting love of football is based on the game’s glorious unpredictability.

The veteran Arsenal boss admits that uncertainty gives him pre-match jitters but claims the game wouldn’t be so universally popular if it was logical.

“Of course I get nervous before the games because football is not mathematics,” Wenger said. “In maths every day you know that one plus one is two. In football, one player plus one player doesn’t always add up to two players.

“I’ve asked people many times why they think that football, that didn’t even exist in 1850, is so popular. I think there are two main reasons. The first one is that it’s completely unpredictable. More so than any other sport.

“The second reason is that everybody has a chance to play this sport, no matter how small or tall. That’s why football is becoming stronger and bigger all over the world.

“It’s so unpredictable that Bradford can go to Chelsea and win, Diego Maradona can be the best player in the world and is very small and Per Mertesacker can make over 100 caps and is very tall.

“This uncertainty and this huge potential is in your mind when you’re a manager as well, so of course it makes you nervous, because nobody knows what will happen.”

A key part of the job is the final 10-15 minutes before kick-off. One of the big challenges is handling the dynamics of a group of players who have their own individual pre-match routines that need to be understood. Exuding confidence, Wenger argues, is key.

“Everybody is different and approaches a matchday differently, but I always try to be confident,” Wenger said. “I’m always confident that my team will do well and I want to show that.

“But you never know exactly the mental energy that will be in the team during the game, nor the physical energy that will be in everybody that day. Why? Because we are all human beings and don’t wake up every day in exactly the same state. That goes for each of the players as well, so if you multiply by 18, it shows you the uncertainty that can exist. So I’m confident but also a bit uncertain and curious as to what kind of mental and physical energy will be in the tank for the team.

“I make sure that everybody around the team fills that tank as much as we can. Of course there is a certainty about the quality of my players but an uncertainty about the energy level that will be available on the day of the game.”

Calum Chambers is one of the current generation of Arsenal players benefiting from Wenger’s love affair with the game.

The 20-year-old joined the Gunners from Southampton last summer and is grateful for Wenger’s part in his development.

“He’s been fantastic to me - really supportive and he’s given me an opportunity to show everyone what I can do and opportunities to play games,” Chambers said. “I’m very grateful for what he’s done for me.

“Everyone has expectations on things but he’s exceeded all expectations that I had. He has been amazing for me and I can’t thank him enough.

“I think he’s very thoughtful in everything he does. He gives everyone a chance and he gets the best out of all the players, which is a very good quality to have.”