So, as us Gooners lick our wounds and reflect on another disappointing football season, we are left to try and comprehend how our once so great Arsenal has been allowed to deteriorate over the years into a mentally frail side, who every other team in the Premiership fancies themselves to take points from – be it home or away.
As many people who know me will tell you, I have, over the years, gone from being Arsene Wenger’s biggest fan, to being someone who absolutely despises the most successful manager in Arsenal FC’s history – and I know for a fact that I am not the only one. This wasn’t an overnight, fickle decision made by some plastic fan off the street; but more of a build up of season after season of disappointment and excuses, failure to replace the big players who chose to leave, and a lack of signing well known, established players, who us fan’s have heard of, and don’t have to spend time looking up on Youtube.
There is certainly no denying that Arsene Wenger is a world class manager, but he is also a prisoner to his own policies, and also has an inability to see that maybe he or his players are actually to blame when we lose. But I mean, let’s not forget, that such great players as Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas owe their careers to him, and without Wenger, there certainly would have been no Invincibles side. In fact, I am a firm believer that Wenger should have walked at the end of the 2004/5 season – the season our infamous 49 game unbeaten run came to an end, and we won the FA Cup, our last trophy to date. Doing this would have ensured he be remembered as one of the true greats of the game, whereas now, every trophyless season is just another taint on his once so glorious name.
A few weeks ago, I received the usual Arsenal membership renewal letter, which contained some sort of speech supposedly written by Mr. Wenger himself – the letter contained no sign of an apology to the fans for the gutless performances the side produced this season, but instead contained a lot of waffle about how Arsenal always have, and always will be ‘moving football forward’ or something along those lines (I would refer to the hard copy, but I binned it shortly after reading it). The whole thing just reeked of desperation. It was almost as if that for the first time in years, Wenger & Co. were genuinely worried that Arsenal may struggle to get a full house on match days.
I could go on forever on this whole subject, but for now I shall leave you with this. Arsene Wenger done a fantastic job in first half of his career at arsenal, and for that we can only be grateful, but 6 seasons without a trophy just strikes me as someone who has either, over the years, lost site of what is actually required in a team capable of winning the premiership; or, that he has became way too comfortable in his post at Arsenal, is no longer motivated to do the job to the highest standard, and is more than happy to stumble our way through the season as long as we finish in the top 4.
Either way, I am calling for time on the Arsene Wenger era, and hoping for a new manager with fresh ideas to come in, stop the rot, and restore us back to being the once so great and feared side we once were.
By Barney Samuel Thom
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For the first 3-4 years at least out of these 6 years we had no chance of winning the league cause AW was asked to balance the books..FACT…i think he did well just to keep us in the top 4…imagine chelsea or manu being asked to do the same thing…yeh he could have done better these last couple of years but to get rid of him No Chance
@Roger: +1
add to this: the emergence of Money bags clubs such as Chelsea first and now Man City. Plus also, oh how pains me to say this, one of the greatest managers of all times, Fergie, at the rains at ManU. He managed to squeeze the PL Championship out of a distinctly average squad this year. I don’t think there’s any manager like him.
You think Wenger would prefer to train Bedtner over Benzema? or Denilson over Essien? Get real, its all about money.
In fact Wenger is the only manager bar Fergy or Moyes who could, or even would tolerate the shackles imposed on him.
Most would prefer to get Mourinho in, bankrupt us and leave.
I can’t see them ever getting rid of Wenger, he’s earnt the position to bow out when he wants to.
I do wish that somehow we could embrace the mega rich sugar daddies on top of the sustainability plan.
Is it possible that they could offer the second largest shareholder (The Uzbek chap) a contract, where he can buy his way onto the board to a certain level of input, that would shield the company from any ridiculous behaviour but let him be a positive input into the company? He may want the team to be filled with superstars and big names, he may be willing to pay for a few too….?
Its all good that Arsenal live in their own means but there must be room to embrace fans, Oligarches even with very very with deep pockets!
It’s funny how quickly we forget The Arsenal sitting at the middle of the league. We go in cycles ever since our start as a club. Not a very good article as it ignores the true history of the club and makes me think that you are a fairly newcomer to the club. If you are not a newcomer please read the history before mouthing off. With the advent of blogs and the internet every fool can now pose as an expert.
Respect your views but the financial constraints that AW been working under are only just starting to loosen…….check the accounts. It would be interesting to see what AW can do now with a new owner more cash (finally). I for one don’t think he’s lost it. Having said that I can’t see him being given beyond next season to sort it.
Yesterday’s events underlined the reality for Wenger.Gazidis will know as a very commercial man that Webger is running out of road.It would seem to me that Arsene needs the right sort of influence at his right hand and since David Dein left he has not had it.Dein gave him the sort of kick up the pants when he dithered that noone does now.
Dein really did this from a fan’s perspective and this is where I doubt Gazidis can emulate him as he is a hired hand accountable to the Board and a smooth PR operator. Apart from the fact he wouldn’t do it can you imagine the cock ups and quotes Hill Wood would have created.
We all know that it is a big ask to win a trophy next year but we really missed a great chance last season when a manager with more balls and less ego would have ensured we got across the line by strengthening the squad.That is why the mood was so dark yesterday.Wenger would not have left with the move to the new ground imminent especially when he thought he could win the Champions League (and he nearly did!)Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Barney Samuel Thom…..another pseudo-fan living in the past. It is easy to write the critique above because you don’t have to support your conclusions with reasonable and valid arguments. Your blog is so full of typical histrionics, posturing, dross and false conclusions ¨supported¨by internet lies and misunderstandings spread by moronic wannabe pundits. For example:
1) a prisoner to his own policies – you mean he actually sticks by his principles and follows his strategy,youth development policies, Board directives and beliefs about the Arsenal…that makes him a professional not a failure.
2) every trophyless season is just another taint on his once so glorious name – is that your sublime opinion or just your despicable and whining Gloomer attitude? He is still one of the two most respected managers in the world (SAF-AW) and since your opinion is worthless, he will remain so long after you’ve given up and retired to your rock.
3) is no longer motivated to do the job to the highest standard – really, your vast experience in managing professional Football teams tells you this? Your motivation is clear….you are the vice-president of the moaners,groaners,gloomers and doomers, 6 year trophyless,Wenger-hating tribe that infest Arsenal and are trying continuously to demean and belittle both the manager and the team without the slightest understanding and appreciation for the actual events that brought the Arsenal to where it now is.
Step out of your time bubble and Fantasy Football Manager orgasms and find out where the REAL world of Arsenal Football is. Maybe we’ll actualy pay attention to your next blog.
Just a word to those blind AKB’s..is Wenger paid £6M plus to do the following??
1) Fail to address defensive organisation, esecially at set pieces.
2) Fail to make intelligent use of transfer windows, particularly in January when he knows the defence is underequipped-George Graham for all his faults realised that you can never have too many good centre-halves.
3) Arrogantly preen over his useless effeminate tappy-tappy football & look down his nose at other teams (Stoke for one) who..heaven forbid..play to their strengths against Arsenal.
4) A racist buying policy that favours mediocre French cast offs or 15 year olds from West Africa.
5) Claim that qualifying for the “Champions” League is a trophy-especially when he then messes up easy groups but not taking the away games seriously.
6) Continuously insult and abuse the Arsenal Captain’s armband by giving it to preening or unstable Frenchmen or wantaway disinterested Catalans.
7) Refuse to sign leaders or anyone with any balls to stand up to him either on or off the pitch.
I could go on..the fact that SAF though it pains me to say it has moved to strengthen the Man United spine already indicates that Wenger is unfit to lace his vintage red wine.
Let’s face it, none of us are experts on the subject, or we wouldn’t be sat commenting on a football blog.
I’m no new-comer to the game, or arsenal for that matter – I’m just one of many arsenal fans who wouldn’t mind seeing some changes at Arsenal after 6 seasons without a trophy.
Its so simple since the english back 4 + goalie left so did winning trophies. Arsene can not defend his natural tactics are to attack. He should employ a defensive coach to drill the team like george graham did. The gaffs we saw this year would never happen then.
Get rid of Wenger ??? The only reason for replacing a manager is the side under performing regarding there respective chances or a better manager being available. So Has Wenger underperformed? – not with the financial constraints on him.
Is there anyone better available? Well seeing as he could walk into virtually any job world wide I guess its unlikely, a better manager is sat twiddling his thumbs out there waiting for Kronke to phone.
How refreshing to find a blog that is actually talking sense and sharing the views of the majority.
Too many fans who have been hand reared by wenger are terrified about life without the main man but arsenal were great before wenger and will be again after he has gone. As for an earlier post by jahman about remembering when we finished “mid table”, please remind me when that was.
Wenger is a spent force, he has had his day and it is now time for him to collect his coat!
Spotty yoofs with imaginary friends on their shoulders should put down the harry potter books find a bird and enter the real world…..we will never win the league again with the likes of eboue,diaby,song,bendtner,clichy, arshavin, rosicky and almunia amongst others in the squad.
we need a complete clear out and 2 or 3 years rebuilding with either van basten,brady or coyle at the healm. Wengers social experiment with youth and midgets hasnt and isnt going to work.
Barney, that was a surprisingly cheery and friendly comment coming from the bloke who wrote that hate-filled rant up top. Too late to walk it back now, though.
David18, it’s funny how even at the height of his success, there were always Gooners who hated the fact that Wenger was French, and that we were winning with French and foreign players. They couldn’t say anything at the time, of course. But now that we’re no longer winning trophies, all that stuff comes pouring out – “preening, effeminate, tippy-tappy Frenchmen and want-away Catalans”.
You know, it’s a total giveaway that you hate foreigners when you accuse Wenger of racism for picking… foreigners. What a stupid, xenophobic, macho, narrow-minded, ignorant comment that is.
I apologise to Barney and the site for picking fights in the comments. Some fights you just have to pick.
No Phil, you’re right there is no one better than wenger, at providing endless comedy, endless opportunities to mock, deride and ridicule him. It’s always fun to have a comical jackass around to laugh at.
I don’t support any club. I “follow” Arsene FC because quite honestly, I get alot of entertainment and enjoyment from this ridiculously run club and particularly from the clown jackass arsene wenger. I really hope he stays in the job for a long time. I know the laughs will never end with him at the helm.
Let me start with that everyone agrees that last season was crap. Birmingham, spurs, liverpool, newcastle games were “classics”, i’m just surprised that spurs hadn’t come up with a DVD or maybe it’s just becoming the new normal.
To be fair to Arsene, other managers would probably have walked out of the club given the financial constraints and the fact is that he could have walked into most big clubs in the world. He knew it was gonna be a challenge with the stadium, passed up the Real Madrid job and probably a few other national team openings. If he had left the job half done, leaving on a high as some has suggested, yes he will forever be a Arsenal legend and would not get the kind of criticism and insults that he’s currently subjected to.
But what would have happened to the new manager and Arsenal? The new guy would have peanuts at his disposal, and depending on who he is, may be faced with plenty of our players bought by Arsene wanting to leave. He would have an uphill task keeping the players, attracting new players with the limited budget and forever be compared to the Legendary Arsene Wenger who won the Double twice, went through a whole season unbeaten and left with a perfect record. Odds would be low if he could have made lemonade out of the lemons left so high chance everyone would be calling for his head and the return of Arsene who just spent 80m buying Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema, Ozil and rest of the World selection for Real Madrid.. Whether he would come back is a big question but Arsenal by then would have been a mid-table team I’m afraid..
Yes it’s Arsenal FC and not Arsene FC but i’m of the opinion that Arsene has sacrificed for Arsenal and he wants to do welll even more than the rest of us so he deserves our respect.
All that being said, i’m also of the opinion that no fan can go through a season like the last one again without burning the Emirates down. So let’s keep our minds open, see who the club signs and see how the next season turns out.
We won a total of 24 major trophies (not incl. charity/community shield and friendly tournaments) between when the club first officially took part in any competition (1889-90) and when Wenger arrived in 1996.
24 trophies in 106 years.
Between 1952-53 when we won the league and 1969-70 when we were crowned Fairs Cup winners, we were losing finalists in a couple of cup competitions and we won NO trophies! Our highest league finish during those 17 years was 3rd when David Herd was at the top of his game!
Between 1970-71 when we won the league to the famous league win in 1989, we won 1 FA cup, 1 League cup and were runners up in the domestic cups and Europe a few times. 2 trophies in 18 years.
Between 1980 and 1996 we had many highs and trophy wins(6 in all) but finished anywhere from 1st to 12th in the league.
From the 1997-98 season up until now including our most recent barren run of 6 years without a trophy we’ve won 7 trophies, reached the finals of 2 European competitions and a handful of domestic cups. 14 seasons and 7 trophies. Add Wenger’s first season which began in Sept. 1996 and you have 15 seasons and 7 trophies.
While every comment made regarding this set of players not trying hard enough, not being in it completely, being mentally frail and not having the heart to win when the going gets tough is apt and seems to be very true based on how many easy wins we’ve thrown away and all the losing finals we’ve had in the last few years, I think those that say Wenger should go because of the lack of trophies needs to step back and view this with some perspective. We have always been a top team and we still are, but we’ve never been this season after season trophy winning team that people make us out to be. The facts are in our history. If you followed Arsenal from when Wenger arrived, he’s certainly given you a lot of reason to believe that a trophy every other season is the natural conclusion to our lovely style of play. But like I mentioned above, we’ve gone more than 15 years without winning anything, not had to move to a new stadium or have to make do with upcoming young players from the French league when those around us splashed the cash on top stars. Yet the club came through in the 70s, then the 80s and it will do so again now.
This lack of trophies is very frustrating but as an earlier poster said, unless there’s a ready made replacement available who can keep the club functioning within this self sustaining model that has made us a top club and benchmark for others around the world for 125 years, I don’t see why getting rid of Wenger will give us any better chance of winning a trophy in the near future.
Having said that, I still hope that he goes and signs at least 3 proven players and keeps hold of Fabregas. For the poster who criticized Wenger for picking Fabregas as captain….who else would you have gone for at that point in time?
And finally this player respect thing is a problem and that worries me the most about our club because except for one or two the rest are just here to get paid, play the game and go home. The fan disconnect is huge and I wonder how this can be changed….maybe we need more Carl Jenkinsons, but then he’s young and unproven…and judging by this article, most people aren’t prepared to wait for the good times to come back again.
I think Wenger needs to go back to maths class!
Last summer he said we needed at least 5 center backs because he/they(the managing team) noticed 4 wasn’t enough.
Now that said! He didn’t!
How can you say such a thing and not acting accordingly to your own sayings???
Well entering the season we lost Vermaelen… from that point I was disgusted by AW because he plays marketing his team instead of focusing on what his precise job is: getting points game after game.
He did managed a youth school that is an insurance in the future well trained and strong Arsenalists will come out playing full heartedly on the pitch.
Congratulations to him for that!
But! now that the time to spare money seem to be less of a priority at Arseanl…
Now is the time to understand that the increasing number of Gunners fans through recent years is
slowly but surely melting…
We deserve a strong team!
And by that I mean numerically … 5 cb is a minimum
another striker who can actually help lift the team and provide the mate up front Van Persie deserves
A winger in the mould of Ashley Cole to provide proper crosses and killer cut through…
There is no way fans would scream for a 4omillion buy
but buy accordingly to the success you fix as a target at the beginning of the season.
We know all … fans of Arsenal..fans of premiership.. fans of la Ligue 1 that Squillacci is really not up to the challenge.. why is he even still with Arsenal??????????????????????????
Can you answer that AW? YOu would surely say the opposite beacause you don’t like to be told that you made the wrong choice…
But men of value DO!
what are you waiting for?
We NEED absolutely English players .. they play the way the game is known how to play on the Great-Britain Island. And referee would be less tempted to see Arsenal of a foreign team in England
Well I hope … meaning I am not anymore confident… that Monsieur Arsène Wenger understands fans because I think the majority still want him heading this team… but NOW
WE WANT TO SEE YOU BATTLING WITH PROPER WEAPONS AND AMUNITIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELD!
May the words of wisdom hit the wooden doors of Wenger EARS!
William, Gervinho, Samba and Cahill will be a step in the right direction. The Sqaud needs more depth especially upfront and Defence needs only a few added.
The summer has only just started and we wait for news and see what happens. For now just forget the blogging, the Wenger bashing and we are not signing names that we do not approve of. Just take a holiday, watch the tennis or cricket or Rugby League and forget about last season and where we went wrong and how things went wrong after the League Cup Final. You know what other fans of other clubs and enjoy the summer.
Wenger’s instinct is to not spend money and be frugal. It’s his personality. To him finishing in the top 4 is sufficient, and then he may be able to get lucky and win something. In the eyes of the team board, management and powers to be; the way the math works is, being in the top four and not spending money is better business than winning everything and ending up with no profits, etc. Even the players who are being talked about today for transfer targets, are either average on average teams, or youngsters. Arsene has so much personal capital built up with this team, that getting him out is almost impossible. So it is us fans who are left wanting, and nobody is going to listen to us. As you will remember, during the past few years when we sold off for big money there were never any replacements brought in. Even if Fabregas is sold for 40 million, his replacement will by Ramsey, its all profit to the management. Gazidis was full of hot air in his remarks. A team that cares for winning would have done something after Henri left, etc. The part that really upsets me, is that Arsenal has become and will be more irrelevant in the football world. Before, we aspired to catch up to Barca, Real, Man u, Inter, AC Milan etc. Now we are like Tottenham, and other similar teams. Its a shame.
a lot will depend if he needs to act in jan with the anc takin players – that’s where he’s successively fallen by not reacting in that transfer window – could be his ultimate downfall too.
Even if he does mess up, I’d hope he gets sporting director and his understudy managing grampus comes in……
Sorry if my response was a bit too ‘cheery’, just didnt see the point in coming back all guns blazing – effing and jeffing all over the place, i still stand by what I said. I’m just thinking, if we hired a new manager and still didn’t win anything, at least there would be an valid excuse for it (new manager at a new club, still getting to know the players ect.)
You say that every side in the league fancies themselves to take points off Arsenal. And yet, Arsene Wenger continues to keep Arsenal in the top four. Is that enough? Hardly. But does it justify “every side in the league” having that confidence in us? Not by a long shot.
The question that Wenger Outers like you never seem to be able to answer is, “If not him, then who?” The fact that most of the English managers have proven themselves to be idiots shows just how shallow the “Wenger Out” argument is. Seriously, Shteve McClaren leads Alkmaar to its 1st Dutch league title in over 80 years, and the jobs open up at Chelsea and West Ham, and you never know when the Spurs, Man City and Newcastle jobs are going to open up, and the best job he can get is at Nottingham Forest?
I hate Wenger with a passion .. Everytime a goal is scored from a corner, everytime its a goalkeeping error, everytime a player refuses to shoot and we lose the ball I look at him with his arms out wide talking to pat rice and it makes me feel sick.
Why?
Easy I blame him for everything .. All the cheap crap signing , all the players we missed out on due to his penny pinching. All the times he stood by shite players like Almunia Denilson and Eboue we we all saw years ago that none of them were good enough. The way he uses the captains armband with vile disrespect and hands it to a player to keep them at the club like a cheap whore makes me cry .. Yes I blame Wenger for the way the current bunch of player turn to jelly. Yes I blame Wenger for our best players wanting to leave .. And I blame the so called fans who stick by this £7m a year hypocrite who refuses to reward top players for doing well because he says we have a limited budget but with the next hand he gets rewarded and a new contract for winning nothing since 2005.
Wenger is a cancer to this great club and the day he Walks the better.
Wenger should be in a mental asylum not managing a high profile football team, he used to have it, but has gradually lost it. Year after year hoping to uncover the new best player in the world, only to sell them at a cut price to other teams, this is the typical behavior of someone with bipolar, saying one thing and meaning another, trusting in players that are complete shit (Squilacci) and generally dicking about and treating Arsenal like he is on champ manager and that nothing will matter because he can just ‘add himself as manager’ again if he is sacked.
I am sorry Wenger this is no game, this is real life, and you are fucking with a football club which is not a toy like a yoyo, slinky or lego etc..
This is ignorant with the nicest meaning of the word. We simply don’t know how much money Wenger had to spend. However we do know that he did better spending nothing than Spurs, Aston Villa and many other sides who spent 10-30M more per season.
I think to some extent Wenger is a victim of the success he had when he did have money to spend, and when he didn’t. If he had finished mid table the last six years, everyone would be saying, “What do you expect?”
Unfortunately his youthful side have been inconsistently brilliant and given supporters hope that they could win something.I know many of you have made up your minds, but it is like a playground pickup where a team gets last pick every round. Every time Wenger is interested in a player, Man Utd or Chelsea just outbid us, every time one of our players gets good Barcelona or Man Utd start offering them lumps of cash to leave. There is no point in trying to out bid them, they can always go higher. Why do you thing Jones went for such a stupid number.
I do think Wenger has made mistakes, but I don’t think there is anyone who would have done a whole lot better, and we might be unlucky and pick someone who does a whole lot worse.
haha! that’s a good one. wenger should be undergoing treatment in a mental institution instead of managing the biggest club in london. I would be 100% in support of that suggestion except for the fact that I would then miss out on the great fun and enjoyment of laughing at wenger and mocking him while he makes a complete and utter jackass of himself as manager.
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Nice write up gooner.. Agree with your views
For the first 3-4 years at least out of these 6 years we had no chance of winning the league cause AW was asked to balance the books..FACT…i think he did well just to keep us in the top 4…imagine chelsea or manu being asked to do the same thing…yeh he could have done better these last couple of years but to get rid of him No Chance
Thanks for sharing your opinion Barney – you’ve done it respectfully, which I can’t say for a lot of other bloggers.
My opinion is that Arsene knows how to turn it around as well as any manager you’re thinking of calling in. Yes, I’m an AKB, and proud of it too.
We all want trophies – let’s hope change is around the corner.
@Roger: +1
add to this: the emergence of Money bags clubs such as Chelsea first and now Man City. Plus also, oh how pains me to say this, one of the greatest managers of all times, Fergie, at the rains at ManU. He managed to squeeze the PL Championship out of a distinctly average squad this year. I don’t think there’s any manager like him.
great post! we’ll see…
I doubt teams fancied getting points off us at their gaff, check our away record
Savage, you will now be known as Dave.
You think Wenger would prefer to train Bedtner over Benzema? or Denilson over Essien? Get real, its all about money.
In fact Wenger is the only manager bar Fergy or Moyes who could, or even would tolerate the shackles imposed on him.
Most would prefer to get Mourinho in, bankrupt us and leave.
I can’t see them ever getting rid of Wenger, he’s earnt the position to bow out when he wants to.
I do wish that somehow we could embrace the mega rich sugar daddies on top of the sustainability plan.
Is it possible that they could offer the second largest shareholder (The Uzbek chap) a contract, where he can buy his way onto the board to a certain level of input, that would shield the company from any ridiculous behaviour but let him be a positive input into the company? He may want the team to be filled with superstars and big names, he may be willing to pay for a few too….?
Its all good that Arsenal live in their own means but there must be room to embrace fans, Oligarches even with very very with deep pockets!
You ‘despise’ Wenger? Are you one of those people who uses words like ‘awesome’ and ‘literally’ when they really ought not?
Interesting. But I’m afraid I don’t know what a Dave is. Perhaps innocence is bliss.
It’s funny how quickly we forget The Arsenal sitting at the middle of the league. We go in cycles ever since our start as a club. Not a very good article as it ignores the true history of the club and makes me think that you are a fairly newcomer to the club. If you are not a newcomer please read the history before mouthing off. With the advent of blogs and the internet every fool can now pose as an expert.
Respect your views but the financial constraints that AW been working under are only just starting to loosen…….check the accounts. It would be interesting to see what AW can do now with a new owner more cash (finally). I for one don’t think he’s lost it. Having said that I can’t see him being given beyond next season to sort it.
Yesterday’s events underlined the reality for Wenger.Gazidis will know as a very commercial man that Webger is running out of road.It would seem to me that Arsene needs the right sort of influence at his right hand and since David Dein left he has not had it.Dein gave him the sort of kick up the pants when he dithered that noone does now.
Dein really did this from a fan’s perspective and this is where I doubt Gazidis can emulate him as he is a hired hand accountable to the Board and a smooth PR operator. Apart from the fact he wouldn’t do it can you imagine the cock ups and quotes Hill Wood would have created.
We all know that it is a big ask to win a trophy next year but we really missed a great chance last season when a manager with more balls and less ego would have ensured we got across the line by strengthening the squad.That is why the mood was so dark yesterday.Wenger would not have left with the move to the new ground imminent especially when he thought he could win the Champions League (and he nearly did!)Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Barney Samuel Thom…..another pseudo-fan living in the past. It is easy to write the critique above because you don’t have to support your conclusions with reasonable and valid arguments. Your blog is so full of typical histrionics, posturing, dross and false conclusions ¨supported¨by internet lies and misunderstandings spread by moronic wannabe pundits. For example:
1) a prisoner to his own policies – you mean he actually sticks by his principles and follows his strategy,youth development policies, Board directives and beliefs about the Arsenal…that makes him a professional not a failure.
2) every trophyless season is just another taint on his once so glorious name – is that your sublime opinion or just your despicable and whining Gloomer attitude? He is still one of the two most respected managers in the world (SAF-AW) and since your opinion is worthless, he will remain so long after you’ve given up and retired to your rock.
3) is no longer motivated to do the job to the highest standard – really, your vast experience in managing professional Football teams tells you this? Your motivation is clear….you are the vice-president of the moaners,groaners,gloomers and doomers, 6 year trophyless,Wenger-hating tribe that infest Arsenal and are trying continuously to demean and belittle both the manager and the team without the slightest understanding and appreciation for the actual events that brought the Arsenal to where it now is.
Step out of your time bubble and Fantasy Football Manager orgasms and find out where the REAL world of Arsenal Football is. Maybe we’ll actualy pay attention to your next blog.
Just a word to those blind AKB’s..is Wenger paid £6M plus to do the following??
1) Fail to address defensive organisation, esecially at set pieces.
2) Fail to make intelligent use of transfer windows, particularly in January when he knows the defence is underequipped-George Graham for all his faults realised that you can never have too many good centre-halves.
3) Arrogantly preen over his useless effeminate tappy-tappy football & look down his nose at other teams (Stoke for one) who..heaven forbid..play to their strengths against Arsenal.
4) A racist buying policy that favours mediocre French cast offs or 15 year olds from West Africa.
5) Claim that qualifying for the “Champions” League is a trophy-especially when he then messes up easy groups but not taking the away games seriously.
6) Continuously insult and abuse the Arsenal Captain’s armband by giving it to preening or unstable Frenchmen or wantaway disinterested Catalans.
7) Refuse to sign leaders or anyone with any balls to stand up to him either on or off the pitch.
I could go on..the fact that SAF though it pains me to say it has moved to strengthen the Man United spine already indicates that Wenger is unfit to lace his vintage red wine.
ARSENAL FC not ARSENE FC
Alright everyone, cheers for the feedback.
Let’s face it, none of us are experts on the subject, or we wouldn’t be sat commenting on a football blog.
I’m no new-comer to the game, or arsenal for that matter – I’m just one of many arsenal fans who wouldn’t mind seeing some changes at Arsenal after 6 seasons without a trophy.
All the best,
Barney
Its so simple since the english back 4 + goalie left so did winning trophies. Arsene can not defend his natural tactics are to attack. He should employ a defensive coach to drill the team like george graham did. The gaffs we saw this year would never happen then.
Get rid of Wenger ??? The only reason for replacing a manager is the side under performing regarding there respective chances or a better manager being available. So Has Wenger underperformed? – not with the financial constraints on him.
Is there anyone better available? Well seeing as he could walk into virtually any job world wide I guess its unlikely, a better manager is sat twiddling his thumbs out there waiting for Kronke to phone.
@Philbet Let’s see, I personally want Mancini from Wigan to manage Arsenal.
“in arsene we trust”
An elaborate con trick.
How refreshing to find a blog that is actually talking sense and sharing the views of the majority.
Too many fans who have been hand reared by wenger are terrified about life without the main man but arsenal were great before wenger and will be again after he has gone. As for an earlier post by jahman about remembering when we finished “mid table”, please remind me when that was.
Wenger is a spent force, he has had his day and it is now time for him to collect his coat!
Spotty yoofs with imaginary friends on their shoulders should put down the harry potter books find a bird and enter the real world…..we will never win the league again with the likes of eboue,diaby,song,bendtner,clichy, arshavin, rosicky and almunia amongst others in the squad.
we need a complete clear out and 2 or 3 years rebuilding with either van basten,brady or coyle at the healm. Wengers social experiment with youth and midgets hasnt and isnt going to work.
Barney, that was a surprisingly cheery and friendly comment coming from the bloke who wrote that hate-filled rant up top. Too late to walk it back now, though.
David18, it’s funny how even at the height of his success, there were always Gooners who hated the fact that Wenger was French, and that we were winning with French and foreign players. They couldn’t say anything at the time, of course. But now that we’re no longer winning trophies, all that stuff comes pouring out – “preening, effeminate, tippy-tappy Frenchmen and want-away Catalans”.
You know, it’s a total giveaway that you hate foreigners when you accuse Wenger of racism for picking… foreigners. What a stupid, xenophobic, macho, narrow-minded, ignorant comment that is.
I apologise to Barney and the site for picking fights in the comments. Some fights you just have to pick.
You must be high. Check out the spend v’s success ratios and then call a cab.
No Phil, you’re right there is no one better than wenger, at providing endless comedy, endless opportunities to mock, deride and ridicule him. It’s always fun to have a comical jackass around to laugh at.
I don’t support any club. I “follow” Arsene FC because quite honestly, I get alot of entertainment and enjoyment from this ridiculously run club and particularly from the clown jackass arsene wenger. I really hope he stays in the job for a long time. I know the laughs will never end with him at the helm.
Let me start with that everyone agrees that last season was crap. Birmingham, spurs, liverpool, newcastle games were “classics”, i’m just surprised that spurs hadn’t come up with a DVD or maybe it’s just becoming the new normal.
To be fair to Arsene, other managers would probably have walked out of the club given the financial constraints and the fact is that he could have walked into most big clubs in the world. He knew it was gonna be a challenge with the stadium, passed up the Real Madrid job and probably a few other national team openings. If he had left the job half done, leaving on a high as some has suggested, yes he will forever be a Arsenal legend and would not get the kind of criticism and insults that he’s currently subjected to.
But what would have happened to the new manager and Arsenal? The new guy would have peanuts at his disposal, and depending on who he is, may be faced with plenty of our players bought by Arsene wanting to leave. He would have an uphill task keeping the players, attracting new players with the limited budget and forever be compared to the Legendary Arsene Wenger who won the Double twice, went through a whole season unbeaten and left with a perfect record. Odds would be low if he could have made lemonade out of the lemons left so high chance everyone would be calling for his head and the return of Arsene who just spent 80m buying Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema, Ozil and rest of the World selection for Real Madrid.. Whether he would come back is a big question but Arsenal by then would have been a mid-table team I’m afraid..
Yes it’s Arsenal FC and not Arsene FC but i’m of the opinion that Arsene has sacrificed for Arsenal and he wants to do welll even more than the rest of us so he deserves our respect.
All that being said, i’m also of the opinion that no fan can go through a season like the last one again without burning the Emirates down. So let’s keep our minds open, see who the club signs and see how the next season turns out.
We won a total of 24 major trophies (not incl. charity/community shield and friendly tournaments) between when the club first officially took part in any competition (1889-90) and when Wenger arrived in 1996.
24 trophies in 106 years.
Between 1952-53 when we won the league and 1969-70 when we were crowned Fairs Cup winners, we were losing finalists in a couple of cup competitions and we won NO trophies! Our highest league finish during those 17 years was 3rd when David Herd was at the top of his game!
Between 1970-71 when we won the league to the famous league win in 1989, we won 1 FA cup, 1 League cup and were runners up in the domestic cups and Europe a few times. 2 trophies in 18 years.
Between 1980 and 1996 we had many highs and trophy wins(6 in all) but finished anywhere from 1st to 12th in the league.
From the 1997-98 season up until now including our most recent barren run of 6 years without a trophy we’ve won 7 trophies, reached the finals of 2 European competitions and a handful of domestic cups. 14 seasons and 7 trophies. Add Wenger’s first season which began in Sept. 1996 and you have 15 seasons and 7 trophies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C._seasons
http://www.arseweb.com/history/league_pos.html
While every comment made regarding this set of players not trying hard enough, not being in it completely, being mentally frail and not having the heart to win when the going gets tough is apt and seems to be very true based on how many easy wins we’ve thrown away and all the losing finals we’ve had in the last few years, I think those that say Wenger should go because of the lack of trophies needs to step back and view this with some perspective. We have always been a top team and we still are, but we’ve never been this season after season trophy winning team that people make us out to be. The facts are in our history. If you followed Arsenal from when Wenger arrived, he’s certainly given you a lot of reason to believe that a trophy every other season is the natural conclusion to our lovely style of play. But like I mentioned above, we’ve gone more than 15 years without winning anything, not had to move to a new stadium or have to make do with upcoming young players from the French league when those around us splashed the cash on top stars. Yet the club came through in the 70s, then the 80s and it will do so again now.
This lack of trophies is very frustrating but as an earlier poster said, unless there’s a ready made replacement available who can keep the club functioning within this self sustaining model that has made us a top club and benchmark for others around the world for 125 years, I don’t see why getting rid of Wenger will give us any better chance of winning a trophy in the near future.
Having said that, I still hope that he goes and signs at least 3 proven players and keeps hold of Fabregas. For the poster who criticized Wenger for picking Fabregas as captain….who else would you have gone for at that point in time?
And finally this player respect thing is a problem and that worries me the most about our club because except for one or two the rest are just here to get paid, play the game and go home. The fan disconnect is huge and I wonder how this can be changed….maybe we need more Carl Jenkinsons, but then he’s young and unproven…and judging by this article, most people aren’t prepared to wait for the good times to come back again.
I think Wenger needs to go back to maths class!
Last summer he said we needed at least 5 center backs because he/they(the managing team) noticed 4 wasn’t enough.
Now that said! He didn’t!
How can you say such a thing and not acting accordingly to your own sayings???
Well entering the season we lost Vermaelen… from that point I was disgusted by AW because he plays marketing his team instead of focusing on what his precise job is: getting points game after game.
He did managed a youth school that is an insurance in the future well trained and strong Arsenalists will come out playing full heartedly on the pitch.
Congratulations to him for that!
But! now that the time to spare money seem to be less of a priority at Arseanl…
Now is the time to understand that the increasing number of Gunners fans through recent years is
slowly but surely melting…
We deserve a strong team!
And by that I mean numerically … 5 cb is a minimum
another striker who can actually help lift the team and provide the mate up front Van Persie deserves
A winger in the mould of Ashley Cole to provide proper crosses and killer cut through…
There is no way fans would scream for a 4omillion buy
but buy accordingly to the success you fix as a target at the beginning of the season.
We know all … fans of Arsenal..fans of premiership.. fans of la Ligue 1 that Squillacci is really not up to the challenge.. why is he even still with Arsenal??????????????????????????
Can you answer that AW? YOu would surely say the opposite beacause you don’t like to be told that you made the wrong choice…
But men of value DO!
what are you waiting for?
We NEED absolutely English players .. they play the way the game is known how to play on the Great-Britain Island. And referee would be less tempted to see Arsenal of a foreign team in England
Well I hope … meaning I am not anymore confident… that Monsieur Arsène Wenger understands fans because I think the majority still want him heading this team… but NOW
WE WANT TO SEE YOU BATTLING WITH PROPER WEAPONS AND AMUNITIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELD!
May the words of wisdom hit the wooden doors of Wenger EARS!
Wish you a great summer to you all!
mikee
William, Gervinho, Samba and Cahill will be a step in the right direction. The Sqaud needs more depth especially upfront and Defence needs only a few added.
The summer has only just started and we wait for news and see what happens. For now just forget the blogging, the Wenger bashing and we are not signing names that we do not approve of. Just take a holiday, watch the tennis or cricket or Rugby League and forget about last season and where we went wrong and how things went wrong after the League Cup Final. You know what other fans of other clubs and enjoy the summer.
Wenger’s instinct is to not spend money and be frugal. It’s his personality. To him finishing in the top 4 is sufficient, and then he may be able to get lucky and win something. In the eyes of the team board, management and powers to be; the way the math works is, being in the top four and not spending money is better business than winning everything and ending up with no profits, etc. Even the players who are being talked about today for transfer targets, are either average on average teams, or youngsters. Arsene has so much personal capital built up with this team, that getting him out is almost impossible. So it is us fans who are left wanting, and nobody is going to listen to us. As you will remember, during the past few years when we sold off for big money there were never any replacements brought in. Even if Fabregas is sold for 40 million, his replacement will by Ramsey, its all profit to the management. Gazidis was full of hot air in his remarks. A team that cares for winning would have done something after Henri left, etc. The part that really upsets me, is that Arsenal has become and will be more irrelevant in the football world. Before, we aspired to catch up to Barca, Real, Man u, Inter, AC Milan etc. Now we are like Tottenham, and other similar teams. Its a shame.
you’ll be waitin at least another year!
a lot will depend if he needs to act in jan with the anc takin players – that’s where he’s successively fallen by not reacting in that transfer window – could be his ultimate downfall too.
Even if he does mess up, I’d hope he gets sporting director and his understudy managing grampus comes in……
Sorry if my response was a bit too ‘cheery’, just didnt see the point in coming back all guns blazing – effing and jeffing all over the place, i still stand by what I said. I’m just thinking, if we hired a new manager and still didn’t win anything, at least there would be an valid excuse for it (new manager at a new club, still getting to know the players ect.)
I say busy 3 players and keep Wenger
You say that every side in the league fancies themselves to take points off Arsenal. And yet, Arsene Wenger continues to keep Arsenal in the top four. Is that enough? Hardly. But does it justify “every side in the league” having that confidence in us? Not by a long shot.
The question that Wenger Outers like you never seem to be able to answer is, “If not him, then who?” The fact that most of the English managers have proven themselves to be idiots shows just how shallow the “Wenger Out” argument is. Seriously, Shteve McClaren leads Alkmaar to its 1st Dutch league title in over 80 years, and the jobs open up at Chelsea and West Ham, and you never know when the Spurs, Man City and Newcastle jobs are going to open up, and the best job he can get is at Nottingham Forest?
Load of crab … who replaces him ,,,, brain in gear ,,, mouth opens
I hate Wenger with a passion .. Everytime a goal is scored from a corner, everytime its a goalkeeping error, everytime a player refuses to shoot and we lose the ball I look at him with his arms out wide talking to pat rice and it makes me feel sick.
Why?
Easy I blame him for everything .. All the cheap crap signing , all the players we missed out on due to his penny pinching. All the times he stood by shite players like Almunia Denilson and Eboue we we all saw years ago that none of them were good enough. The way he uses the captains armband with vile disrespect and hands it to a player to keep them at the club like a cheap whore makes me cry .. Yes I blame Wenger for the way the current bunch of player turn to jelly. Yes I blame Wenger for our best players wanting to leave .. And I blame the so called fans who stick by this £7m a year hypocrite who refuses to reward top players for doing well because he says we have a limited budget but with the next hand he gets rewarded and a new contract for winning nothing since 2005.
Wenger is a cancer to this great club and the day he Walks the better.
Arsenal fan since 1968
Wenger should be in a mental asylum not managing a high profile football team, he used to have it, but has gradually lost it. Year after year hoping to uncover the new best player in the world, only to sell them at a cut price to other teams, this is the typical behavior of someone with bipolar, saying one thing and meaning another, trusting in players that are complete shit (Squilacci) and generally dicking about and treating Arsenal like he is on champ manager and that nothing will matter because he can just ‘add himself as manager’ again if he is sacked.
I am sorry Wenger this is no game, this is real life, and you are fucking with a football club which is not a toy like a yoyo, slinky or lego etc..
Buck your ideas up and sign some people or resign
Olly aged 4 from Luton
This is ignorant with the nicest meaning of the word. We simply don’t know how much money Wenger had to spend. However we do know that he did better spending nothing than Spurs, Aston Villa and many other sides who spent 10-30M more per season.
I think to some extent Wenger is a victim of the success he had when he did have money to spend, and when he didn’t. If he had finished mid table the last six years, everyone would be saying, “What do you expect?”
Unfortunately his youthful side have been inconsistently brilliant and given supporters hope that they could win something.I know many of you have made up your minds, but it is like a playground pickup where a team gets last pick every round. Every time Wenger is interested in a player, Man Utd or Chelsea just outbid us, every time one of our players gets good Barcelona or Man Utd start offering them lumps of cash to leave. There is no point in trying to out bid them, they can always go higher. Why do you thing Jones went for such a stupid number.
I do think Wenger has made mistakes, but I don’t think there is anyone who would have done a whole lot better, and we might be unlucky and pick someone who does a whole lot worse.
C’mon wenger time to pull a rabbit out the hat………..
haha! that’s a good one. wenger should be undergoing treatment in a mental institution instead of managing the biggest club in london. I would be 100% in support of that suggestion except for the fact that I would then miss out on the great fun and enjoyment of laughing at wenger and mocking him while he makes a complete and utter jackass of himself as manager.