ARSENE WENGER finally strolled into Arsenal's marble halls yesterday and vowed: "I can make this club great again."

The elegant Frenchman has taken effective, if not official, control for Wednesday's UEFA Cup tie in Cologne and immediately banished talk of a Highbury crisis.

After weeks of frustration shackled to his current Japanese club Grampus 8, he at last took a first-hand look at the club supposedly reeling from Bruce Rioch's sacking, caretaker Stuart Houston's resignation, Tony Adams' alcoholism, and boardroom bungling.

But within hours of his dash from Tokyo, he felt confident enough to insist: "I had the feeling there was a big crisis here. But every time I had contact with the board they looked very strong and determined and the players appear to have been very positive too.

"The crisis has been around the club but never inside the club."

Wenger, who officially assumes control on September 30th, has already made his first major decision, appointing the Gunners' second stand-in Pat Rice as his number two.

And his second will be to meet the whole squad today and encourage them in their bid to retrieve a 3-2 deficit against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Then the 47-year-old will reassure self-confessed alcoholic Adams, and other problem players such as compulsive addict Paul Merson, that he will give them every chance.

My special message to Adams will be respect," he said. "I know he must for a long time have been in a difficult situation and when you're in that situation you feel you have to cheat sometimes.

"I know that what he did needs a lot of courage. When people are brave and honest you always have to respect them."

But Wenger, an economics graduate who speaks eloquently in five languages plus a smattering of Japanese, will be no soft touch.

"I believe in discipline but the best discipline is always when a player understands it's in his best interests," he said.

"Success today relies on discipline on and off the field and I try to convince players that it is important."

Pat Rice and Wenger will be working alongside each other in Germany this week with the Frenchman saying: "I am under contract until September 30th and unfortunately I cannot work for two teams at the same time.

"I will support the team but I will not be in charge.

But he felt he had to make the sudden visit, explaining: "The club is at an important period and people had created a lot of turmoil around the club.

"I had the feeling the club needed me and I wanted to be here. The first game wasn't so good with us losing 3-2 at home but I deeply believe we have a chance to reverse the game in Cologne."

Following Stewart Houston's desertion to QPR, former Northern Ireland international Rice's promotion was confirmed at yesterday's lunchtime conference.

"When you're manager you always depend on people around you. I don't believe in doing everything. You need good people around you," said Wenger.

"Pat Rice has worked a long time for the club, he has a perfect knowledge of English football and he will be my number two."

Rice said: "I had not met him before today but we had spoken on the phone a couple of times.

"I've been very impressed with him - he speaks very well. Let's hope we can go on from strength to strength, that's the most important thing."

It has been a frustrating time for Wenger, who says he was gagged by his Japanese employers and could not reveal the full story of his appointment.

"Seeing what was happening here and all the wrong stories that were told about the board, it was very frustrating for me." said Wenger.

"I had the feeling I had put the club in the wrong situation. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak."

Much has been made of the fact that Arsenal power-broker David Dein is a personal friend but Wenger insisted: "Work is one thing, friendship another and if you are intelligent you can separate the two.

"I am not here because I'm a friend of the Arsenal vice-president but because the board believes I have the qualities to work here. It's up to me to prove they made the right choice.

And his message to Arsenal fans who probably would not recognise him if he walks up Highbury Grove?

"It's up to me to prove I have the quality. If I do well people will recognise me. When I arrived in Nagoya nobody knew who I was, today I cannot go into the street.

"My aspiration is that when the fans come here to see Arsenal they are happy.