THE WENGER THREAD

[DB10_TH14]

transfer windows never bring me any optimisim

[begeegs]

I am wondering how one can define Wenger's loyalty and principles. He seems proud that he has stuck to a contract without leaving and other things that he does seem principled in the public glare, which leads me to think that he is indeed protecting his employers from any stick. That being said, I am sure that there is a difference between being principled in public and what he does in private - one man cannot dictate the rules in which other clubs and agents operate.

Now, please don't think for a minute that I am apologizing for the awful purchases and tactics over the past 8 years, I am not, however, what seems to get me is that he is publicly ridiculed for selling our best players, but I wonder if he is forced to do this to cover expenses (or expand profits). With comments before selling Nasri and Fabregas, I tend to think that perhaps this was done for a matter of public record to show that he wasn't prepared to do this. Also, Fergie also reckoned that Wenger didn't have any money either - which he stated about one season ago. What does everyone here think about it?

I think that the talk from Piers Morgan got me thinking about that as well as his comment - if David Dein came back and replaced Gazidis, would you be willing to give Wenger another shot?

Personally, I wouldn't because I do think that although he is still a good manager, even in his prime, he wasn't tactically astute. He just had better players.

[flash gunner]

I am wondering how one can define Wenger's loyalty and principles. He seems proud that he has stuck to a contract without leaving and other things that he does seem principled in the public glare, which leads me to think that he is indeed protecting his employers from any stick. That being said, I am sure that there is a difference between being principled in public and what he does in private - one man cannot dictate the rules in which other clubs and agents operate.

Now, please don't think for a minute that I am apologizing for the awful purchases and tactics over the past 8 years, I am not, however, what seems to get me is that he is publicly ridiculed for selling our best players, but I wonder if he is forced to do this to cover expenses (or expand profits). With comments before selling Nasri and Fabregas, I tend to think that perhaps this was done for a matter of public record to show that he wasn't prepared to do this. Also, Fergie also reckoned that Wenger didn't have any money either - which he stated about one season ago. What does everyone here think about it?

I think that the talk from Piers Morgan got me thinking about that as well as his comment - if David Dein came back and replaced Gazidis, would you be willing to give Wenger another shot?

Personally, I wouldn't because I do think that although he is still a good manager, even in his prime, he wasn't tactically astute. He just had better players.

Why would he protect his employers from stick and take the rap himself? This is a manager that still could have pretty much any job in the world. If Wenger was out of work and the Barca, Real Madrid or France job came up his name would be first on the list, yet he takes all the shit to save the board, why? He is complicit with every decision at Arsenal, his vanity project has been allowed and the stubborn man still thinks it can be a success. It can't

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

I agree with Frank - when Wenger goes it has to be out, out, out. Given that he is dragging down the standards of the team beyond belief and overseeing some of the most boring, one-paced, losing, uninspiring football witnessed since 1994/95, why on earth would anyone want a new bloke to be 'groomed' by Wenger?

When he does go, around 2017 or so, the club needs to make a completely fresh start. No "Technical Director", "Director of Football" bollocks.

The only role Wenger should stick around for is the Finance Director job because he certainly seems more interested in that than he does overseeing any form of progression on the football side

The idea of him being Finance Director is even scarier somehow. He treats the club's money as if it's his own already,

It is .............he's on about 45 million a year now surely

[begeegs]

Why would he protect his employers from stick and take the rap himself? This is a manager that still could have pretty much any job in the world. If Wenger was out of work and the Barca, Real Madrid or France job came up his name would be first on the list, yet he takes all the shit to save the board, why? He is complicit with every decision at Arsenal, his vanity project has been allowed and the stubborn man still thinks it can be a success. It can't

The same reason that I was stating above - he is principled in how he goes about his job. During his time at Arsenal, he rarely criticizes his players and he always talks to the press about how things should be - in private - while in public, trying to persevere with a united front. He always comes out with the line (the Chelsea racism problem with the ref - the latest example) about how things should be dealt with out of the public glare.

Do I think that he is complicit with every decision? Perhaps reluctantly at times, which would be why he came out with the lines about the team cannot be considered ambitious if it sells it's best players.

I think that he will not sign a new contract because of selling Arsenal's best players over the past couple of years. Yes, he probably reluctantly complied, but I don't think that he necessarily wanted to ship out all of his best players over the past few years - remember that we would have been losing 30 odd million over the past year without Wenger selling RVP.

This is also why I am fully behind the BSM before the Swansea day and why it shouldn't turn into a Wenger Out march - because the board seem to divide and conquer the fans, perhaps that is what the fans should do in return in this instance.

[highburyJD]

we've broken even through selling players
that is only a 'sustainable model' if your hit rate is awesome in the transfer market

the 2014 contract renegotiations are supposed to be a commercial game changer
we used to have big name players who were synonymous with the club:
Adams, Wright, Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Fabregas spring to mind

our biggest names now have only domestic impact: Walcott, Wilshere and Ox are young(ish) England hopefuls and we only signed Ox last season
other than them Podolski, Mertesacker and Arteta are our biggest names, neither world starts nor longterm Arsenal men

If we want to take the next step, become 'competitive' with the self-funded big European clubs, we need to stop selling
and not just for on-pitch coherence,
we need to keep players to have any kind of identity at all

I hope and believe this is the long term plan - it seems inevitable that Sagna will leave
if we can invest well enough to win a trophy and stay in the CL, maybe we can keep him,
or at the very least make him the last of our close season big name sales...

[begeegs]

we've broken even through selling players
that is only a 'sustainable model' if your hit rate is awesome in the transfer market

the 2014 contract renegotiations are supposed to be a commercial game changer
we used to have big name players who were synonymous with the club:
Adams, Wright, Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Fabregas spring to mind

our biggest names now have only domestic impact: Walcott, Wilshere and Ox are young(ish) England hopefuls and we only signed Ox last season
other than them Podolski, Mertesacker and Arteta are our biggest names, neither world starts nor longterm Arsenal men

If we want to take the next step, become 'competitive' with the self-funded big European clubs, we need to stop selling
and not just for on-pitch coherence,
we need to keep players to have any kind of identity at all

I hope and believe this is the long term plan - it seems inevitable that Sagna will leave
if we can invest well enough to win a trophy and stay in the CL, maybe we can keep him,
or at the very least make him the last of our close season big name sales...

The only thing is what happens when the wheels do fall off, which they appear to be doing this year. Gazidis is saying that we will have to wait two years before Arsenal can compete with the likes of Man Utd, Real Madrid, etc, but if the wheels fall off, then what? Will it be 3 or 4 years? Also, if the fans do vote with their feet, which they will if we finish lower than 4th, how will that impact things? It certainly will make things interesting.

[highburyJD]

which is why I believe we'll see investment this winter

[begeegs]

which is why I believe we'll see investment this winter

I think that we will as well, but I am not convinced that who we buy will be be ready to be an immediate impact that is positive.

Can we afford to wait for an adaptation period? I don't think so.

[SteveO 35]

which is why I believe we'll see investment this winter

There has been only one January window since the move to the bowl when we've gone and shelled out serious cash for a 'finished product' player and that was when they stumped up £15m or so for Arshavin. Why? Because we'd lost 5 games by December and the top 4 looked under threat. If the same thing happens again, the club will shit themselves that CL qualification looks under threat and do the same thing. If we're in the top 4, ahead of Spurs and the challenge of some of the other fringe players is starting to fade there will be no investment. And we'll still be selling Walcott for no more than £8-£10m anyway, so the net investment will be next to nothing - less than £5m net outlay I predict

[ds]

which is why I believe we'll see investment this winter

Hasn't that been said every year for the past 6? Oh yes he's invested, but in bargain basement pieces of shit. Ever wondered why no one else seems to want the players we buy?

[ds]

which is why I believe we'll see investment this winter

Hasn't that been said every year for the past 6? Oh yes he's invested, but in bargain basement pieces of shit. Ever wondered why no one else seems to want the players we buy?

[highburyJD]

my feeling was there's been more competition for some of our winter buys
Reyes and Arshavin sprang to mind

[skizz_b]

I know a lot of you lot hate twatter, but......

https://twitter.com/onlyAKBs
he official twitter page of the AKBs. Join if you know Arsenal won't be the same without Arsene. Or if you hate Piers Morgan. Or the Gooner Forum.



discuss

[goonersid]

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger insists side can still win Premier League title despite being held by Fulham

Men in white coats needed urgently!

He says this every season around the same time, then around Christmas he will admit that it will be very difficult, followed by a mid January admission that we are out of the title race, but promising to continue fighting to finish as close as possible.
It's fucking groundhog day season after season, the touchline tantrums, refusing handshakes and the same old excuses, from injuries to bully boy opponents, to referees and downright bad luck. Wenger is a fucking embarrassment to AFC.