THE WENGER THREAD

[Belfast Boy]

Neville didn't have so much to say when Paddy Vieira marched into the United dressing room at Highbury and told him if he wanted to put himself about with the likes of Reyes he would have him to answer to. As I recall he went and hid behind Keane

Would have loved to have seen that. Neville is a mouthy little shit but Vieira was fucking hard as nails. Would go to any ground in the country and bully the fuck out of them with physicality, athleticism and footballing ability.

During those glory years when we were the better side, all they would try and do was kick us off the park first half hour of every game. Never worked with the likes of Vieira in there, apart from when Mike Riley put in the most biased refereeing performance in PL history of course.

still makes me angry now....that game and referee

Will carry that grudge like no other until the day I die.

Literally makes my stomach churn when I think about it, I can't even watch that infamous 10 min YouTube vid, we were never gonna be allowed to win that game EVER, the level of corruption displayed that day illustrates why Utd won so many titles, was it no pens at Old Toilet for 8yrs in all comps and 10yrs in the league or somethin like that??? and to think even when he retired from the pitch he was in charge of which referees officiated at which games!

[rodders999]

The question I’d like to pose to Martin Keown or John Cross or Gary Neville or any AKB would be as follows –

If Arsene Wenger is such a messiah of a manager and him leaving would spell impending doom for the club, why then, with just 3 months left on his contract is there not one other club, not one, expressing an interest in him?

Surely a manager who's that good and of that magnitude would be courted by Barca or Bayern or Real or Juve? You’re having a laugh aren’t’ ya?

And don’t for one second buy that PSG story that does the rounds every once in a while, that's just pure BS and lazy journalism linking a French manager with a French club. PSG’s owners crave winning the European Cup, do you honestly think that the man they reckon is perfect for that job is the guy who’s failed at it 20 times in a row?

Me neither.

[DB10GOONER]

Manchester Mike Reilly is one of the lowest forms of cuntbag known to science. He is human excrement dipped in septic blood and pissed out through a dead winos cock.

[Perryashburtongroves]

There's a reason why Neville has changed his tune. Last year he called Wanker "either arrogant or naive" and was getting stuck in. Now, he's going on about him being a great manager. Why this sudden turn around? I reckon it's because Wanker had a moan to the club about the way he was being questioned on the telly and the club got in contact with Sky and whoever else to say that unless the tone was more supportive, the club would make access to players and interviews difficult for them. For the broadcasters, access and information are gold dust. Take it away and they're fucked. Neville knows that this isn't acceptable for the club and he knows Man Utd or Liverpool or Chelsea or whoever else wouldn't tolerate it but yet he tows the line as he has had order from above. Looking at that clip yesterday or him and Quinn and the bindipper sitting there, it was obvious that the other two know Wanker should be fucked off but Neville was having none of it. In fact, he was digging himself further into the bullshit the longer he went on. Somebody should ask him whether he thinks this would allowed at any other club.

I've not read so much drivel for a long time.
Sky pay a lot of money for coverage and the club get a lot of money everytime we are shown. The club will not risk losing money, it is what they love.

Drivel or not, it's what Fergie was renowned for for years at Manure. He would threaten to ban reporters, radio stations and tv crews when they didn't toe the line and would tell them that he'd refuse access to the players for interviews. It wouldn't surprise me if the Arsene FC press department have done the same thing. Why had Neville gone from having a go at Wenger to now calling the fans idiots and pathetic? Has he had some reawakening after that failed spell at Valencia and now suddenly thinks that the only decent manager is Wenger? He's been got to somehow and by someone.

[VoiceOfReason]

There's a reason why Neville has changed his tune. Last year he called Wanker "either arrogant or naive" and was getting stuck in. Now, he's going on about him being a great manager. Why this sudden turn around? I reckon it's because Wanker had a moan to the club about the way he was being questioned on the telly and the club got in contact with Sky and whoever else to say that unless the tone was more supportive, the club would make access to players and interviews difficult for them. For the broadcasters, access and information are gold dust. Take it away and they're fucked. Neville knows that this isn't acceptable for the club and he knows Man Utd or Liverpool or Chelsea or whoever else wouldn't tolerate it but yet he tows the line as he has had order from above. Looking at that clip yesterday or him and Quinn and the bindipper sitting there, it was obvious that the other two know Wanker should be fucked off but Neville was having none of it. In fact, he was digging himself further into the bullshit the longer he went on. Somebody should ask him whether he thinks this would allowed at any other club.

I've not read so much drivel for a long time.
Sky pay a lot of money for coverage and the club get a lot of money everytime we are shown. The club will not risk losing money, it is what they love.

Drivel or not, it's what Fergie was renowned for for years at Manure. He would threaten to ban reporters, radio stations and tv crews when they didn't toe the line and would tell them that he'd refuse access to the players for interviews. It wouldn't surprise me if the Arsene FC press department have done the same thing. Why had Neville gone from having a go at Wenger to now calling the fans idiots and pathetic? Has he had some reawakening after that failed spell at Valencia and now suddenly thinks that the only decent manager is Wenger? He's been got to somehow and by someone.

In many ways, the anti-Wenger argument is basically, 'We don't want financial success, we want silverware'.

But Sky doesn't promote that sentiment. It's all about striking it rich by qualifying for the CL, and the race for top four. Sky's all about the money, in every sense, and they probably don't want it's fans/viewers questioning other methods of success.

[OneBardGooner]

Manchester Mike Reilly is one of the lowest forms of cuntbag known to science. He is human excrement dipped in septic blood and pissed out through a dead winos cock.

. . .

[Midz]

Manchester Mike Reilly is one of the lowest forms of cuntbag known to science. He is human excrement dipped in septic blood and pissed out through a dead winos cock.

Not too fond of him then?

[Redarmy]

The question I’d like to pose to Martin Keown or John Cross or Gary Neville or any AKB would be as follows –

If Arsene Wenger is such a messiah of a manager and him leaving would spell impending doom for the club, why then, with just 3 months left on his contract is there not one other club, not one, expressing an interest in him?

Surely a manager who's that good and of that magnitude would be courted by Barca or Bayern or Real or Juve? You’re having a laugh aren’t’ ya?

And don’t for one second buy that PSG story that does the rounds every once in a while, that's just pure BS and lazy journalism linking a French manager with a French club. PSG’s owners crave winning the European Cup, do you honestly think that the man they reckon is perfect for that job is the guy who’s failed at it 20 times in a row?

Me neither.

very good point...

[OneBardGooner]

Listen and Enjoy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04s3vh6

[rodders999]

The question I’d like to pose to Martin Keown or John Cross or Gary Neville or any AKB would be as follows –

If Arsene Wenger is such a messiah of a manager and him leaving would spell impending doom for the club, why then, with just 3 months left on his contract is there not one other club, not one, expressing an interest in him?

Surely a manager who's that good and of that magnitude would be courted by Barca or Bayern or Real or Juve? You’re having a laugh aren’t’ ya?

And don’t for one second buy that PSG story that does the rounds every once in a while, that's just pure BS and lazy journalism linking a French manager with a French club. PSG’s owners crave winning the European Cup, do you honestly think that the man they reckon is perfect for that job is the guy who’s failed at it 20 times in a row?

Me neither.

very good point...

I've been on here 9 years, it was bound to happen one day

[Bob Bayliss]

First the Ox likes the Arsenal Fan TV clip calling for Wenger to go, now Kosh questions team selection

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ns-9769946

He is losing the dressing room - the fat lady is at long, long last warming up her tonsils.....

[GoonerMuzz]

First the Ox likes the Arsenal Fan TV clip calling for Wenger to go, now Kosh questions team selection

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ns-9769946

He is losing the dressing room - the fat lady is at long, long last warming up her tonsils.....

I said a few weeks ago during one of the match threads i thought he'd lost the dressing room with the way the players were bitching and moaning at each other, I think Sanchez is only going through the motions, i think Ozil has lost any interest he had, Kos is the same, Monreal has been making mistake after mistake unlike last season, players who should be getting a game on merit/effort are being ignored for his favourites, that has to cause ill feeling.

I genuinely feel that the atmosphere in there must be getting pretty toxic at the moment and is only going to get worse after the Bayern results, i feel when the one great hope of our best players is once again flushed down the pan and the only thing they have left is the FA Cup things will get truly bad

[Nos89]

Feels like 1983 and an era coming to end at Arsenal. It's going to be a painful few months. Disharmony between players and management.

Hope Wenger wins a 7th FA cup and retires.

[Wilson]

Anyone seen the Mirror - they have asked their writer and pundits to say whether Wenger should stay or go.

This is a quote from John Cross: "And why would anyone risk finishing eighth by sacking the most successful manager they've ever had? A change won't guarantee improvement."

Neville said something similar on Sky. So I guess this is the new talking point. It used to be 'who else would you replace him with', or 'be careful what you wish for'. But now the new narrative is 'do you want to finish 8th'.

Its the old straw man argument, with wikipedia's definition as follows: A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent. One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man".

They attach 'finishing 8th' to sacking Wenger, as a way to de-legitimize genuine criticism of Wenger. They always attack sacking Wenger to eithr finishing 8th, or ending up like Man United's David Moyes. However, who in the media ever talks about how Chelsea sacked Mourinho and got in Conte when it became apparent Jose's time was up? Neville brands Arsenal fans idiots, and John Cross and Darren Lewis always take the moral high ground, however, its only they who are engaging in straw man arguments and telling horror stories in an effort to scare Arsenal fans into blind support. Its the media and pundits supporting Wenger who are the irresponsible ones. Its they who cant have a conversation about Wenger without attaching some bullshit horror story about finishing 8th or ending up like Moyes Man United.

[northbank123]

Wenger spent 80m this summer on Mustafi, Xhaka and Perez. He's just pissed that money away on a few bang average players who have made next to no difference (if any) this season.

Compare that to Chelsea two years ago who clinically identified the weaknesses in their side and went and spent 60m on the two players who won them the title.

As Rodders says, if any other clubs actually rated Wenger there would be a huge queue trying to sign him up.

It's a sign of desperation that the argument in favour has essentially been reduced to "a new manager is no guarantee of success". Of course it isn't and I've not met anybody stupid enough to think that is the case. But one thing is for sure - not changing manager is a guarantee that we won't bhe challenging for the title any time soon.

In the gym this morning they had Football Gold on sky - beating Chelsea 3-2 in 1997. After Winterburn scored that screamer in the 89th minute Wenger was jumping up and down on the edge of his area screaming at the players to stop celebrating and concentrate on seeing out the game without a hint of a smile on his face. How times have changed.