As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Mdavey wrote:I agree with every other Arsenal fan, the lack of transfer activity has been extremely frustrating. But I'm still more than happy for Wenger to be managing the club.
The main thing to look at would be who would you replace him with?
In answer to you question would take anyone but Wenger. Literally anyone.
I would rather drag a tramp in off the street to be our manager than stick with Wenger. And I am quite serious about that.
I'd even consider an animal of some kind ahead of Wenger. A gibbon for instance. And I am quite serious about that too
I must admit I like the idea of seeing a Gibbon in the trademark Wenger sleeping bag coat! But come on.. the guy isn't that bad.
Ancelotti is a good shout, certainly not afraid to spend money! But are you looking for a long term successful manager or just someone to come in have a quick flurry of cash, have a successful first season and then a poor second then leave? (which seems to be a common trend of his). To be fair if he won us the Premier league and/or the Champions league then I wouldn't have a problem with him leaving after a couple of years..
Welcome mate
I would definitely take Ancelotti . And as you say, I wouldnt mind if he did only stay a couple of years if he delivered in that time.
I think the importance of longevity in a manager is overstated. It is only acceptable if the manager is performing to the standards of the club he is manager of. Longevity for any other reason is not healthy. Ferguson was only at Man United for 28 years or whatever is was because he continued to be successful. There's no way he'd have been allowed to stay without challenging for the title for over a decade like Wenger has.
For me and I am sure many others, its about time Arsenal FC started acting like the big club we know we are. From a football perspective the club should be far more demanding of their employees performance. If the manager is not challenging for the top honours then replace him. If the replacement doesnt perform, then replace him too.
Im not talking about a new manager every season, they would need to be shown patience and given time to do their job. But Wenger has taken this time and patience thing to an extreme.
I dont think the Wenger of the Emirates era is a hard act to follow at all in terms of achievement. Even overall I would start to question it. For instance if somehow we knew our next manager would stay for 20 plus years but only winning 3 titles in that time would that really have people desperate to appoint him?
Clash wrote:I dont think the Wenger of the Emirates era is a hard act to follow at all in terms of achievement.
any manager who came in...added a competitive edge where we don't lose our bollox against our top competition and showed a tactical edge with said tactics changing and winning games would be whooping le frauds ass at this point!!!
Ive said it before..Maureen for all his faults I do believe would make our squad league winners!!Le fraud would head to Chelsea and destroy them from the inside out..like he's doing to us right now.
Wenger will have a huge say in who succeeds him..... Dragan Stojkovic come on down!
The whole "who would replace him argument?" is an easy out for pro-Wenger fans to be honest. Anybody who has had success at more than one club - short-term option. Anybody who has had continued success at one club - won't tempt them away.
Mdavey wrote:I agree with every other Arsenal fan, the lack of transfer activity has been extremely frustrating. But I'm still more than happy for Wenger to be managing the club.
The main thing to look at would be who would you replace him with?
When I look at Liverpool for example who have struggled to find a long term manager, they've floated around with quite a few managers over the last 5 years all having very little success, and have also spent quite a lot of money. Fair enough Brendan Rogers has done ok, but I'd choose to have Wenger over Rogers any day.
The second example would be Man U, obviously had one of the most successful managers of all time and are struggling to replace him after trying David Moyes and now Van Gaal. Obviously Van Gaal has had a very successful managerial career, but he doesn't look like he'll do the business this season. Again over those managers I would still choose Wenger.
The only potential realistic replacement I can see is Klopp who had a great time at Dortmund, but after his final season there would he be a bit of a gamble? It's a tough one.
I'm interested to know what managers people would think could replace Wenger? and whether after really thinking about it would show him the door, even if he does continuously make you when the transfer markets close.
also to note.. I'm very happy with winning the FA cup for the last 2 years!
Let's be realistic, the lack of transfer activity was nothing to do with no one being available or clubs not wanting to sell, it was due to Wenger knowing that we don't need signings to finish top four, and that sums up his mentality. Your pleased with Wenger to stay on, what does he achieve? We haven't won a league title in 11 years,and haven't even finished in the top two since 2005. It wouldn't be too hard for another manager to do better.
I think you'll be in for a shock. Whilst I think Wenger needs replacing, I'm under no illusions that when the time comes, the current board will appoint someone massively below expectation.
Just because people post about how much they'd like Ancelotti, Guardiola etc etc makes no difference. The reality is that we won't be after any of them IMO.
So if we appointed Steve Bould would you still think it would be easy to finish top 2/champions?
The reason Wenger is still here is because he qualifies for the money league and helps to line Silent Stan and co. Pockets. The board mightn't give a fuck about success, but I'd guess they care enough about the money league and how rich it makes them to not risk it on someone like Steve Bould.
OK, they go for a "name" manager - do you not think that manager would then want to spend a bit of money to bring in the players they want? given what you think about lining pockets, you think they'd be given a load of cash to spend? I just don't see it. If they are given money, it might be an initial blowout but that's it. It won't be like Chelsea where every time a player has a bad game they are splashing 25M on the next man as soon as the transfer window opens.
The best we can hope for with a proven manager is that they really want to manage Arsenal regardless. I look at United with Van Gaal and hope we don't end up like that. Isn't Van Gaal supposed to be on more than Wenger?
Kiwomya - I don't think Wenger is the only issue at the club, however I think he is a major part of the problem. My comment about the board lining their pockets means that the board only see the positives of finishing 4th/3rd, and little else, but I still don't think the board are the ones refusing to buy in the transfer window, this is all down to Wenger. I'm not under any illusions that a new manager would suddenly be successful, but I'd be pleased with a manager who understands the need for tactics, identifies the need for new players and doesn't haggle over the price, and a manager whose training methods aren't so pre-historic that we end up with so many crocked players every season. I'd be pleased with a manager who makes a genuine attempt to win the title, not a liar just happy to bullshit his way into 4th with his loser mentality.
Kiwomya - the revenue of the top PL clubs now is outrageous. We can now afford to do what Chelsea were first doing under Abramovich - we can afford to go out and net spend tens of millions each transfer window without having to 'balance the books'. Limiting a new manager to an 'initial outlay' isn't required - why? So we can stockpile more cash? Granted it's hard to say how much the board will break their habits when Wenger is replaced but we won't know until we find out.
I see Steve Bould has been mentioned - has everybody now accepted that he isn't this noble silent sufferer and actually just sits there like a fucking mute, raking in his cool million a year and deserves to be tarred with the same brush that everybody else at the club seems to be? I don't give a fuck what he did as a player, the bloke is a part of the problem and how he seems to escape all criticism is beyond me.
northbank123 wrote:
I see Steve Bould has been mentioned - has everybody now accepted that he isn't this noble silent sufferer and actually just sits there like a fucking mute, raking in his cool million a year and deserves to be tarred with the same brush that everybody else at the club seems to be? I don't give a fuck what he did as a player, the bloke is a part of the problem and how he seems to escape all criticism is beyond me.
Mdavey wrote:I agree with every other Arsenal fan, the lack of transfer activity has been extremely frustrating. But I'm still more than happy for Wenger to be managing the club.
The main thing to look at would be who would you replace him with?
When I look at Liverpool for example who have struggled to find a long term manager, they've floated around with quite a few managers over the last 5 years all having very little success, and have also spent quite a lot of money. Fair enough Brendan Rogers has done ok, but I'd choose to have Wenger over Rogers any day.
The second example would be Man U, obviously had one of the most successful managers of all time and are struggling to replace him after trying David Moyes and now Van Gaal. Obviously Van Gaal has had a very successful managerial career, but he doesn't look like he'll do the business this season. Again over those managers I would still choose Wenger.
The only potential realistic replacement I can see is Klopp who had a great time at Dortmund, but after his final season there would he be a bit of a gamble? It's a tough one.
I'm interested to know what managers people would think could replace Wenger? and whether after really thinking about it would show him the door, even if he does continuously make you when the transfer markets close.
also to note.. I'm very happy with winning the FA cup for the last 2 years!
Let's be realistic, the lack of transfer activity was nothing to do with no one being available or clubs not wanting to sell, it was due to Wenger knowing that we don't need signings to finish top four, and that sums up his mentality. Your pleased with Wenger to stay on, what does he achieve? We haven't won a league title in 11 years,and haven't even finished in the top two since 2005. It wouldn't be too hard for another manager to do better.
I think you'll be in for a shock. Whilst I think Wenger needs replacing, I'm under no illusions that when the time comes, the current board will appoint someone massively below expectation.
Just because people post how much they'd like Ancelotti, Guardiola etc etc makes no difference. The reality is that we won't be after any of them IMO.
So if we appointed Steve Bould would you still think it would be easy to finish top 2/champions?
If Bould did get the nod ( not sAying he should mind) he would know he won't have the luxury of several poor seasons, so..would spend the money that is available ( should.be a kings ransom by then ) as his tenure will depend on results pda.
Plus he might actually have some ambition to win a title !!
Bould will never ever get the nod once Wenger packs it in.
I have said it before, but I think that Gazidis will want to get this right as it will be his first appointment. It must be infuriating knowing that you have a manager who is more or less unaccountable and not answerable to you when you are the CEO. I expect that the next manager will be a smart pick and one to keep the season ticket holders at the Emirates.
Begeegs, i'm not so sure i agree with all you said but i understand where you're coming from, a shrewd CEO would be looking ahead now and seeing what Managers will be available, which should be just about anyone with what we can offer as a club, when AW's contract is due to end.
The problem Ivan has is twofold, one i don't think he's particularly shrewd and two, most importantly, i don't think he has a clue when AW will decide to go
flash gunner wrote:Can we lock this one too so that just the Mods can write pervy stuff in it to annoy em all especially Augie like all the other locked threads, come to think of it like every thread ?
Welcome mate
when the transfer markets close. 
I think you'll be in for a shock. Whilst I think Wenger needs replacing, I'm under no illusions that when the time comes, the current board will appoint someone massively below expectation. 
