--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first came to Arsenal, I realised…" description: "\"When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png" --- # When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four… ![“When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a doctor of defence. He is simply outstanding.” quote by Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png) > “When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a doctor of defence. He is simply outstanding.” [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Arsenal's defenders are highly educated, making the back line exceptionally skilled. **In simple terms:** Arsenal defenders are educated and excellent. Key Takeaway Value tactical intelligence in defense. Themes education defense teamwork football Mood proud analytical Type commentary inspirational When to use this quote - coaching sessions - team meetings - match preparation Key Concepts strategic thinking player development Questions to Reflect On - How does education translate to defensive skill? - Can tactical knowledge replace physical ability? A Different Perspective Education alone doesn't guarantee success on the pitch. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Graduates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduates/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [I think there is no defending a title. You don't go into a season with a points advantage over anyone. So I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stoner/i-think-there-is-no-defending-a-title-you-don-t-go-into-a-season-with/) [Casey Stoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stoner/) > [We have to entertain the supporters. It's not only about defending and 'don't concede.' Perhaps most managers focus on defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-nagelsmann/we-have-to-entertain-the-supporters-it-s-not-only-about-defending-and/) [Julian Nagelsmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-nagelsmann/) > [Before Wenger came, Arsenal celebrated 1-0 and were based on defensive solidity. With Arsene, joy came from attacking, with players of good standing. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unai-emery/before-wenger-came-arsenal-celebrated-1-0-and-were-based-on-defensive/) [Unai Emery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unai-emery/) > [I came to Arsenal to stay here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-bellerin/i-came-to-arsenal-to-stay-here/) [Hector Bellerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-bellerin/) > [I want a trophy, and that is why I came to Arsenal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-lacazette/i-want-a-trophy-and-that-is-why-i-came-to-arsenal/) [Alexandre Lacazette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-lacazette/) > [Bukayo Saka was the first person to greet me when I came to Arsenal so having him in the squad was a great help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-ramsdale/bukayo-saka-was-the-first-person-to-greet-me-when-i-came-to-arsenal/) [Aaron Ramsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-ramsdale/) > [If there's a shot on, I like to take the opportunity as well, and I like passing the ball - which is one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/if-there-s-a-shot-on-i-like-to-take-the-opportunity-as-well-and-i/) [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/) > [I knew before I came to Arsenal what kind of players were here. And of course, in training, you can see how many good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mesut-ozil/i-knew-before-i-came-to-arsenal-what-kind-of-players-were-here-and-of/) [Mesut Ozil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mesut-ozil/) > [When I came to Arsenal, I was on a scholarship earning £80 per week away from my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-szczesny/when-i-came-to-arsenal-i-was-on-a-scholarship-earning-80-per-week/) [Wojciech Szczesny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-szczesny/) > [I really want to be in the final to play in front of my family and friends, but it's not only that. I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-lacazette/i-really-want-to-be-in-the-final-to-play-in-front-of-my-family-and/) [Alexandre Lacazette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-lacazette/) > [When I was young and visited England with my auntie, as somebody who was football crazy, I simply had to come back with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-mertesacker/when-i-was-young-and-visited-england-with-my-auntie-as-somebody-who/) [Per Mertesacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-mertesacker/) > [I started as a winger and played there for about six years but when I came to Arsenal they told me 'now you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-bellerin/i-started-as-a-winger-and-played-there-for-about-six-years-but-when-i/) [Hector Bellerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-bellerin/) > [Tottenham tried to sign me but I held off and came to Arsenal because Arsene Wenger was here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-petit/tottenham-tried-to-sign-me-but-i-held-off-and-came-to-arsenal-because/) [Emmanuel Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-petit/) > [When I came to Arsenal years ago, I saw things from Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry I'd never seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-van-persie/when-i-came-to-arsenal-years-ago-i-saw-things-from-dennis-bergkamp/) [Robin Van Persie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-van-persie/) > [When I first came to Arsenal, I didn't know how to defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-bellerin/when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-didn-t-know-how-to-defend/) [Hector Bellerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-bellerin/) ## More by Arsene Wenger > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [He made the impossible possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/he-made-the-impossible-possible/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [Everyone plays the ball over the top and, at the moment, we only concede goals from crosses or balls over the top. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/everyone-plays-the-ball-over-the-top-and-at-the-moment-we-only/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [Spare me the articles about how nice Shawcross is because that was a horrendous tackle. People say we don't fancy the physical side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/spare-me-the-articles-about-how-nice-shawcross-is-because-that-was-a/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [For me, motivation is a person who has the capability to recruit the resources he needs to achieve a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/for-me-motivation-is-a-person-who-has-the-capability-to-recruit-the/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I think generally the Japanese players have more intensity in practice but generally I do the same things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-think-generally-the-japanese-players-have-more-intensity-in/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I would be much more annoyed if we hadn't won the game. As a manager, you have to see the positives and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-would-be-much-more-annoyed-if-we-hadn-t-won-the-game-as-a-manager/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [We played a whole season unbeaten but you did not see me every week jumping on the tables. Once it's over it's over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/we-played-a-whole-season-unbeaten-but-you-did-not-see-me-every-week/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [Everybody has a different opinion in this league and nobody is a prophet. I personally don't know who will win the league. I managed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/everybody-has-a-different-opinion-in-this-league-and-nobody-is-a/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [People who work make the world live better and to reward these people well is normal. Yet they are not the people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/people-who-work-make-the-world-live-better-and-to-reward-these-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-believe-the-target-of-anything-in-life-should-be-to-do-it-so-well/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I think in the future we need to look at our youth department to provide more players for the first team think it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-think-in-the-future-we-need-to-look-at-our-youth-department-to/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [Your first touch sets you free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/your-first-touch-sets-you-free/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I am still hopeful we can go through the season unbeaten - a frightening thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-am-still-hopeful-we-can-go-through-the-season-unbeaten-a/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I believe I do my job the way I have to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-believe-i-do-my-job-the-way-i-have-to-do-it/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) [Explore all 128 Arsene Wenger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) ## More Arsenal quotes > [I have always followed Arsenal in the Premier League. At some points they were really good, but also had some difficulties like a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervinho/i-have-always-followed-arsenal-in-the-premier-league-at-some-points/) [Gervinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervinho/) > [What do folk always say about Arsenal? They can pass you to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-adam/what-do-folk-always-say-about-arsenal-they-can-pass-you-to-death/) [Charlie Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-adam/) > [Don't put too much pressure on Jack Wilshere... in years to come I think he will be an Arsenal great like Liam Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/don-t-put-too-much-pressure-on-jack-wilshere-in-years-to-come-i-think/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I want to stay at Arsenal for as long as I can, stay at the highest level and push this club back to where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-white/i-want-to-stay-at-arsenal-for-as-long-as-i-can-stay-at-the-highest/) [Ben White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-white/) > [My wish was to finish my career at Arsenal, but there are always banana skins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/my-wish-was-to-finish-my-career-at-arsenal-but-there-are-always/) [Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/) > [I was at Arsenal as an 11-year-old. I really enjoyed it but I was at school and my dad used to drive me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noble/i-was-at-arsenal-as-an-11-year-old-i-really-enjoyed-it-but-i-was-at/) [Mark Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noble/) > [Captaining your country, going out at Wembley, captaining Arsenal to 10 trophies, playing your first game - they're all amazing things. But, phew, saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-adams/captaining-your-country-going-out-at-wembley-captaining-arsenal-to-10/) [Tony Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-adams/) > [I was always respectful to Arsene and I think he respected me for that. We had a good relationship and understanding. We spoke a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukasz-fabianski/i-was-always-respectful-to-arsene-and-i-think-he-respected-me-for/) [Lukasz Fabianski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukasz-fabianski/) > [If you think about it, Washington's overwhelming power in the world is founded on death, the awesome arsenal for killing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-you-think-about-it-washington-s-overwhelming-power-in-the-world-is/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [A club like Arsenal is a fabulous club, it is a well-run club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/a-club-like-arsenal-is-a-fabulous-club-it-is-a-well-run-club/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [I don't think there was a danger of chaos at Arsenal. We have a fantastic manager who knows how to run the club. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-szczesny/i-don-t-think-there-was-a-danger-of-chaos-at-arsenal-we-have-a/) [Wojciech Szczesny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-szczesny/) > [I was at Arsenal but I didn't like the manager of the under-10s at the time so I went to West Ham where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonjo-shelvey/i-was-at-arsenal-but-i-didn-t-like-the-manager-of-the-under-10s-at/) [Jonjo Shelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonjo-shelvey/) > [ The best player I ever played against was Paolo Maldini. We \[Arsenal\] played against Milan in the European Supercup \[in 1995\]. Maldini marked me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/the-best-player-i-ever-played-against-was-paolo-maldini-we-arsenal/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) Browse all 705 Arsenal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a doctor of defence. He is simply outstanding.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arsene Wenger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised-the-back-four-were-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arsenal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised-the-back-four-were-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/arsene-wenger-3518_arsenal_when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised_1095911.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of…” — Arsene Wenger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arsene Wenger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I first came to Arsenal,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised-the-back-four-were-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/when-i-first-came-to-arsenal-i-realised-the-back-four-were-all/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```