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.
milesgooner wrote:Jumpers for goalposts - believe it or not I don't consider myself to be a an AKB, just someone that believes in treating people with a bit of decency. Like I say if AW does go at the end of the end of this season or more likely the next I won't be upset. I remember the George Graham years as a mixed bag - the original thrill of winning things followed by a few years of turgid football (rather like Saturday!). Let's not forget George's legacy was tarnished by this and the fact he took bungs, but he's still revered by most gooners. The same will happen with AW, his legacy in the short term will suffer but in the long term he will be regarded as perhaps the greatest modern day AFC manager ever. I just wasn't in favour of the protests during the game on Saturday. Any new manager will take over a team in the top 4 (probably). I don't think there are many opportunities that arise like that in world football.
Please, everyone was at it. George just got caught, which gave the board an excuse to dispense with his services as they could see we were in decline.
Wenger hasn't won a title in over a decade (nor ever will again), hasn't won a single European trophy (nor ever will) and yet we should sit passively while he pisses around, sitting on a mountain of cash, deciding when he thinks he should go?
Is that about right?
It is frankly absurd to think that this man has so much control, based on league and European performances that would have seen him booted out of every other major European side after two season max.
Office pest - that's exactly the point I was making.
AKBs are quick to point out other manager's faults but at the same time they will excuse any or all of Wenger's faults. Why is he judged by different standards????
George Graham was a bastard for taking those bungs and some of the football towards the end of his reign was turgid BUT he was still delivering major trophies. Compare that to Wenger who is dining out on achievements from over a decade ago.
Why is it right that George was sacked but Wenger is allowed to carry on and on and on??
George was caught doing what others got away with, it was a culture at the time..
There was no doubt it coincided with a horrible season for Arsenal where relegation was a live possibility nearly up to Easter. I often wondered if it had been 1991 or 1989 that allegations came to light would the board have reacted differently.?
No excuses he was wrong and paid the ultimate price, but while it tarnished the man it hasn't, for me,tarnished his achievements.
milesgooner wrote:Jumpers for goalposts - believe it or not I don't consider myself to be a an AKB, just someone that believes in treating people with a bit of decency. Like I say if AW does go at the end of the end of this season or more likely the next I won't be upset. I remember the George Graham years as a mixed bag - the original thrill of winning things followed by a few years of turgid football (rather like Saturday!). Let's not forget George's legacy was tarnished by this and the fact he took bungs, but he's still revered by most gooners. The same will happen with AW, his legacy in the short term will suffer but in the long term he will be regarded as perhaps the greatest modern day AFC manager ever. I just wasn't in favour of the protests during the game on Saturday. Any new manager will take over a team in the top 4 (probably). I don't think there are many opportunities that arise like that in world football.
Please, everyone was at it. George just got caught, which gave the board an excuse to dispense with his services as they could see we were in decline.
Wenger hasn't won a title in over a decade (nor ever will again), hasn't won a single European trophy (nor ever will) and yet we should sit passively while he pisses around, sitting on a mountain of cash, deciding when he thinks he should go?
Is that about right?
It is frankly absurd to think that this man has so much control, based on league and European performances that would have seen him booted out of every other major European side after two season max.
George may have got caught taking bungs of £400k but Le Fraud's moral compass encourages him to trouser a fortune by being a director of a well known (albeit legal) tax avoidance scheme. Jimmy Carr is also a named director & got pilloried in the press & yet Wenger deserves our respect.
Bradywasking wrote:George was caught doing what others got away with, it was a culture at the time..
There was no doubt it coincided with a horrible season for Arsenal where relegation was a live possibility nearly up to Easter. I often wondered if it had been 1991 or 1989 that allegations came to light would the board have reacted differently.?
No excuses he was wrong and paid the ultimate price, but while it tarnished the man it hasn't, for me,tarnished his achievements.
The latter years of Graham's reign produced the most boring football I've ever witnessed in 40 odd years of being a Gooner, and he turned us into a midtable team by the time he left. Far worse than the mediocre shit I was brought up on in the late 70s and early 80s. Hillier, Morrow, Selley, Jensen, McGoldrick etc were pale excuses of players and were it not for Ian Wright we would have finished even lower.
I remember the former Graham years more fondly than any others, but even wiping out the memory of the bungs, his last 2 years of football were the most underwhelming, boring years imaginable and he suffered the same Wenger trait of being a stubborn old bugger who wouldn't open his wallet !
I can buy the everyone was doing it line, however when you look at some of his buys there is also the question of was he buying players because he was getting bunged? I was lucky enough to play with Alan Smith on a golf day and he said eyebrows were raised by the Pal Lyderson deal in particular.....especially when they saw his ability on the training ground! As far as I'm concerned taking a bung was stealing from the club.
milesgooner wrote:I can buy the everyone was doing it line, however when you look at some of his buys there is also the question of was he buying players because he was getting bunged? I was lucky enough to play with Alan Smith on a golf day and he said eyebrows were raised by the Pal Lyderson deal in particular.....especially when they saw his ability on the training ground! As far as I'm concerned taking a bung was stealing from the club.
Based on performance, I'd say that Wenger was also stealing from the club - to the tune of at least £5m per annum.
For every Lydersen there's a Bebe or Falcao, or Pini Zahavi moving his clients to his mates. Like I said It was/still is common practice, George just got found out.
milesgooner wrote:I can buy the everyone was doing it line, however when you look at some of his buys there is also the question of was he buying players because he was getting bunged? I was lucky enough to play with Alan Smith on a golf day and he said eyebrows were raised by the Pal Lyderson deal in particular.....especially when they saw his ability on the training ground! As far as I'm concerned taking a bung was stealing from the club.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Sanogo, Kallstrom, Silvestre, Park Chamach, Sqillaci while you have raised the subject of questionable buys ?
Especially as Wenker is famous for scouting a player 1000 times before buying them and knows all about their mental strength as well as their "talent"
BTW I was also very disappointed with George, felt let down and betrayed but feel Wenker is stealing a living each and every season he stays on with no direction, no tactics, no change to our approach regardless of the opponents strengths and weaknesses.
George's £500,000 against Wenker's £8m for flapping his arms at the 4th official
Hope it was worth his while 
