DB10GOONER wrote:Sean, that's an excellent post. Hits all the nails square on the head.
The only bit I'd disagree with is your reference to 1999 - and I note you do say "could" add it to the other years of failure. I think we gave it everything that season and were unlucky not to do back to back doubles. So many little things had huge consequences; Bergkamp missing that penalty, Dicko and TA6 not just chopping down the hairy incest-fiend Giggity Giggs, relying on the vermin to get a result on the last day against the manc. We fought right to the bitter end that season, and did our bit on the last day beating Villa. I remember when the vermin/manc result came through I thought, "Fuck it, we gave it a real shot, I'm so proud of Wenger, the players and the club - we'll be back next year".
Of the years you list, the ones that still grind my gears are 2008, 2014 and 2016. The first two because we collapsed through Wenger not strengthening in January, and the last one because he didn't build the team in the summer leading into the most winnable PL there has ever been (and of course he compounded that by again not strengthening in the January).
Fair dos, DB
We tried our best and lost out. I know that people point to that game at Leeds being where we lost it. We were so close to winning it all ourselves. Back in the days when we bothered to fight for the title, eh?
2008, 2014 and 2016 were bad seasons to lose the title, especially last season, but for me 2011 is scandalous. You may have seen me post a few times here that we dropped 21 points in the last 11 games, finishing 12 points behind the champions. That, with the 4-4 at Newcastle and bottling the League Cup to Birmingham should have seen the bastard sacked that summer. Instead we get the 8-2...
Then 6-0, 5-1, 6-3. Bradford, Blackburn, the Anderlecht 3-3, Sheffield Wednesday, 3-2 against Manure reserves...
DB10GOONER wrote:Whilst I mostly agree with both of you, I would add that Rednose was a dictator at the manc also. It's arguable that the greatest managers are usually dictators to some degree or other. I think the major differences are that Rednose (and most other top managers) was pragmatic enough to see when he got it wrong and wasn't ego-obsessed enough to not seek and listen to others' advice and do whatever he had to do to make changes. Rednose also only concerned himself with the football side of his club, he didn't have the deathgrip on every aspect of the club that Wenger has. Wenger as we have seen can never accept he has gotten anything wrong, even stooping to blaming his failure on the fans... and his deathgrip on every aspect of our club is there for everyone to see
GG was a dictator too, but he was more like Ferguson than TOF. Thank fuck.
the playing mantis wrote:but fergie wasn't under apparent financial constraints as you claim wenger was...
which is as your fergie argument is completely irrelevant.
you set yourself up by saying wenger was hampered by financial constraints.
Arseofacrow challenged that with all the wages wasted on clearly not good enough players who got extensions and played a lot of first team football, showing that if wenger was constrained why did he waste that money he did have.
You counted with fergies duds.
but fergies duds are irrelevant as he wasn't under supposed financial constraints.
your defense makes no sense!
The austerity was a LIE. Let us make that very clear now.
TOF had about £30M a season ringfenced for transfers from 2006 onwards. He could have started spending big in 2010, with all the added revenue we had from sales (Toure, Adepaymore). We have made a fuck-ton of cash that we mostly spunked on wages for the likes of Denilson, Diaby, Squillaci, etc.
If not for his insane Project Youth failure and the Socialist Wage Policy. We should have been title winners several times over in this past decade. Fuck, we had about five good chances even with TOF's ball and chain, self-imposed 'rules' and dismal sideways football.
One word to sum up the last decade; Waste!
Wilson wrote:I also think Fergusons interests outside of football helped. He would get away and distract himself with his race horses and golf ect.
Wenger by his own admission doesnt have any hobbies and simply focuses on football.
Such focus is not healthy. To not be able to walk away from the game and recharge physically, mentally and psychologically.........now wonder Wenger looks so frail and a constant nervous wreck.
Wenger goes on about all the work he puts in, about how he concerns himself with the football, the financial, the corporate aspects of the club, as if its a good thing. Its not a good thing for one person to constantly work, and do so many jobs. Any top university MBA would never endorse such a practice as good for the entity. Its just another example of Wenger ignorance. Where he thinks he should be given credit for doing all this work, the reality is most fans wish he would fuk out the boardroom and simply focus on football, and stop worrying about the clubs finances.
Great posts, mate
TOF is shit scared of retiring - he had admitted this himself, because he really has fuck all else in his life. With his wife now gone and his daughter at university. He has nothing else in his life, but to piss off Gooners with his myopic ways.
Apart from shagging rappers, of course
Wilson wrote:'Financial constraint'.
Its only handicap if you allow it to be. Didnt stop Leicester City, or Atletico Madrid. Yet some see it as a valid excuse for Wenger. \
Plus, Wenger says every transfer window that money spent isnt indicative of quality, so he cant keep being allowed to change his principles like the wind, simply to make life comfortable for himself with excuses for why he hasnt competed for the major honous.
Start of the year "Spending big amounts of money doesn't guarantee success'
End of Year "We didnt compete because we dont have the resources of the other clubs"
Principles my tits. His principles change for his convenience sake.
The bloke is a serial bullshit artist. It boils my piss that the press give him such an easy ride.
