In October 1996, Wenger became Arsenal's manager. Now, Wenger sat down with his former player, Thierry Henry, on Sky Sports to reminisce about his Gunners' coaching career.

Henry: Thank you for the interview, and congratulations first of all. There's one thing I've always wanted to ask you, not about the team, but about your best and worst moments as a manager in your career. Of course, I was part of it myself, and I've also been following from the sidelines ever since.

Wenger: The best moment, perhaps, was winning our first title after the Invincibles season. Because I think every manager's dream is to have a perfect, flawless season, and I've always felt that you never truly know how good you are as a manager as long as you're still losing games, meaning there's still room for improvement.

So 2004 was extraordinary because the team had everything. The players had individual ability, and we were a true team.

We had an innate collective spirit. That team was so special, basically a moment I never encountered again in my career.

You also mentioned the first double. Why was that particularly important?

Because I came to England as a complete unknown, and Arsenal, when I first arrived, had a bit of a "French touch," you know. There were many doubts about my appointment, and proving that I could win was incredibly important. Because I could make people believe that I had a chance to achieve something here.

What about the worst moment?

One of the worst moments was when we lost to Manchester United. Because at that moment, you feel like the title is just gone. It was a game you couldn't afford to lose, and that day we simply didn't perform as we should have. You'd think, "What did I do wrong? What went wrong?" We were definitely the favorites to win that match, and you had to win it. But I feel that rather than losing a game, we just weren't in contention that day.

So I'll ask you, changing from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1, which depends on how high the wingers push. Why did you change the 4-4-2 formation? Because I know you used 4-4-2 since your Monaco days, and I also played in a 4-4-2. Then we changed formation when we reached the Champions League final. Why did you change? Was it for personal reasons, or was football itself changing?

Football itself hasn't really changed. I just adjusted based on the characteristics of the players I had. We played 4-4-2 with Bergkamp; he was a striker, but when he partnered with you, it already felt a bit like a 4-2-3-1. However, the main reason was that in the Champions League, I sometimes felt we were at a disadvantage in midfield; we struggled. Also, when you were on the pitch, it also depended on whether the striker had the ability to create chances through individual brilliance. So I thought we could add another person in midfield while still maintaining attacking threat. And at that time, we had players like Ljungberg, who could make deep runs from behind, so sometimes it was like having two or three strikers on the field simultaneously.

20 years, of course, we are celebrating, which is fantastic. But can we say, and it's almost a fact now, that we won far more trophies in the first 10 years than in the latter 10? Did you ever expect it to take so long to win another title? Or did you already know it would be that difficult?

Not at all, I never imagined it would take us so long to win another trophy. But there were two factors. The first was that we built a new stadium, and as you know, with financial constraints, we had to sell our best players. The second was that, at the same time, capital came in, for example Chelsea, and later Manchester City. They were ambitious, and we were no longer the club that could compete with them financially. It's different now; there are many investors, and basically, everyone is back on a similar playing field. But those years, I have to say, were the toughest because I myself had raised the fans' expectations to that level, and I felt we no longer had the same competitiveness. When you're always on the defensive, always having to explain: why aren't you winning the league title anymore? I understand, because for someone who loves Arsenal, this is a very normal demand.

So, coach, do you think this current team has the strength to contend for the league title this year?

I believe so, yes. I think we are more mature and have a more complete squad. Our squad is no longer a group of kids, but is made up of experienced and mature players. Of course, it depends on how consistent we can be, and whether we can deliver a good performance every three days.

I've certainly been following the team, and there's one season I particularly liked, with all due respect, when Sanchez played up front. I thought he brought something new to the team. Why did you play Sanchez through the middle?

Firstly, there was strong competition up front, because I thought Welbeck could play that position and he had different qualities there. Then, I thought for a long time and finally decided to try Sanchez through the middle. He's a bit like Suarez, you know, he just goes directly at you. At first, I have to say, many people questioned that decision.

I'm glad you liked him. Coach, I always thought he had all the qualities to bring something different to the team because of his unique playing style. What I liked about him is that he could also deliver passes, which is very important, but many people didn't notice that ability.

Yes, but I have to say, I had tried him a few times before, and he wasn't convincing in that position, so you'd think, was this the wrong decision, or should I give him more time? For the first two games, I wasn't fully convinced, but now, game after game, he's getting more and more comfortable and better in that position. His strengths are that he can hold the ball, he can finish, and he can deliver the final pass.

I think what he needed was a continuous run of games to figure out when to pass and how to make runs. I think that's the biggest difference. You look at Mustafi in defense and Xhaka in midfield; when he plays, I feel the team's solidity looks more stable now.

I think that team looked that way, and I agree with you, but both your impression and mine still need to be verified by sustained consistent performance. I think the team's morale is good, and they want to play well. But you know there are always disappointing moments during a season, and the hallmark of a championship team is the ability to bounce back strongly after disappointment, and we have to prove we can do that. Also, don't forget that the level of competition was very high back then, with many teams in the Premier League at the top, all capable of contending for the league title.

One more question, which I never actually asked you when I was a player, because nobody cares how the coach is doing. Really, nobody asks how the coach is doing; everyone just wants to know that you always have to be at the forefront for the team. You have to face the media, face the fans, face the board, and sometimes face players who come knocking, like I often used to do, bringing any problem to you. But I want to ask you, are you okay? Not the kind of "How are you?" "I'm fine" pleasantry, but how are you really? Thirty years, plus the years before that, it's not easy to bear, so are you okay? Who helps the one who helps everyone else?

What's the secret? The secret is my love for the game. I love... I think I'm an optimistic person about human nature, and I believe that helped me get through. Also, I think I have pretty good stress resistance. You know, when you manage at the top level, people often underestimate this quality, but when you're 20, 25, and even later as a manager, stress resistance and sticking to what you believe is important are key. Because when you're under pressure, many times you lose your judgment, and I'm probably not too bad in that regard. But first and foremost, I've always been... I'm a bit of a dreamer, I always feel that the next game will be perfect. You know, in this business, whether you're a player or a coach, you're always waiting for the next game, you want to do it again, and do it better this time. In the end, looking back, 20 years just flew by, very quickly.

I have three more questions for you, to see how familiar you are with your own data. Alright, just three random questions. First, who was the player you used the most throughout your entire Arsenal managerial career? Just one answer.

One answer?

Do you want me to tell you who it is? Vieira.

Interesting, because I was hesitating between Vieira, Ashley Cole, and you. Oh, I wasn't far off. Cole should be pretty close too,

Yes, Cole wasn't far off, but... it was Vieira. Second, who was the player you substituted off the most?

Let me think...

Bergkamp, hahahaha.

Wow, I was also surprised when I saw the data: 140 times, 140 times. But this can also be positive, right? The game was already won, the game was already won.

Last question: Against which team did your side score the most goals?

Liverpool?

It's Tottenham, hahahaha.

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