THE WENGER THREAD

[QuartzGooner]

Aside from the fact that Suarez is a primadonna and a really nasty character that I'd have felt uncomfortable watching in our strip, how would he have fit in to the squad this season? The areas of the pitch in which he does his best are already covered by our attacking midfield - having him might have helped when the injuries bit, but could you see Suarez wanting to move just as a stopgap measure when he was already a must-have player in Rodgers' squad?

And with my friend, you show your true colours.

Surely one of the most idiotic statements I have ever read on this Forum.

You are on a Wind Up.

[turricaned]

And with my friend, you show your true colours.

Surely one of the most idiotic statements I have ever read on this Forum.

Instead of insulting me, how about explaining where I'm wrong?

[QuartzGooner]

turricaned

You are sailing close to the wind here.
There is a difference between a genuine poster and Wind Up Merchant.

In attack Suarez or Giroud?

Do me a favour!

And if you wanted to play Suarez in attacking midfield, then he would be an automatic pick for our team too.

[Henry Norris 1913]

there are actual gooners who think giroud has had a good season.

none of them have attended any games mind you and they certainly weren't around me when he was getting fucking slated by us in the everton match. but they do exist, mainly limited only to the interwebs

[begeegs]

That being said again - Wenger still falls down tactically

When and where (outside of the three defeats already discussed, which were more psychological than tactical SNAFUs)? He seems to have done fairly well this season, all told.

You don't need specific examples because the following should be pretty familiar to you and everyone here.

We set up exactly the same with the same times of substitutions nearly every game with the notable exception of when we are chasing a game and occasionally when we are trying to shut up shop. When we don't play quick passing, our attacking play becomes pedestrian - Cardiff at home was a prime example this year and it was against lowly opposition.

I wouldn't pin the heavy defeats as psychological because that is absolving Wenger's tactics. Notably - the ridiculously high line that we played against pacey wingers and strikers. Psychological would be the games immediately following the heavy defeats - the 0-0 with Utd (which was also tedious) and the 0-0 with Chelsea (ditto) when we were trying to keep shape and not lose the game. As we have no width due to no natural wingers, we have to bomb our fullbacks on. This is fine against teams that are further down the table, but not against the big boys. Against better teams, we get hit on the counter because managers know this and it is easy to combat against because Wenger never varies in his approach.

That is what I mean by lack of tactics. Even with injuries, we lines up exactly the same. Now look at Tony Pulis (I am not saying that we should have him), but here is a quote from him recently when he took on the Palace job - "We looked at what qualities we had and struck on a system. There were lots of meetings about what we were trying to do, but the most important thing was ironing everything out on the training ground so everybody knew their role. Wherever the ball is they know where they should be, they have to be there and if they're not there it will cause problems."

Do you think that happens at Arsenal?

[armchair]

Shouldnt the question be Suarez or Sanogo fitting into the squad?

[OneBardGooner]

And with my friend, you show your true colours.

Surely one of the most idiotic statements I have ever read on this Forum.

Instead of insulting me, how about explaining where I'm wrong?

I don't think it is a case of you being "wrong" but of your not understanding something very straightforward.

Had we bought Saurez last summer, I truly believe we would now be the Prem Champions...some might argue that it would not and will not happen under a manger whose grasp of tactics and the ability to be fluid in each game are non-existent.

Saurez is not only a game changer and game winner - he is the best striker on planet earth at this time....and with our passing game and the mid-fielders we have with the rare gift to pick a pass....I honestly think he (Suarez) would have passed the 40 goals in a season mark.

But Hey Ho! that's something we'll never know, because Wenger didn't sign him - Yes he made a tentative (pathetic some might say) derisory offer - But didn't flash the cash when he should have...Wenger bottles it again. Now how many times have we heard that!?

[armchair]

Theres no excuse for opening up our defense like he did at those heavy defeats this year

As I said, you might want to ask Steve Bould - after all, I'm pretty sure that's why the club (and by extension AW) hired him for the coaching squad.

Funny how earlier Stevie Bould was being blamed for the mentioned defeats. Now it seems to be psychological...?

When and where (outside of the three defeats already discussed, which were more psychological than tactical SNAFUs)?

[OneBardGooner]

Shouldnt the question be Suarez or Sanogo fitting into the squad?

I bet Saurez couldn't post a letter like Sanogo can!

[Clash]

However, saying that the board prevented him is disingenuous.Wenger chose to buy youth because it was cheaper to do so.

Arguably, once the Grove project was decided on, it was the only thing that might have stood a chance of working. Not only that, but once the project had been settled, there was no feasible way of going back. Remember that in 2003-4, Abramovich had yet to make his mark on Chelsea, and City were still languishing somewhere between the Premier League and Championship. Man U had buckets of cash to spare, but there were no "plastic" clubs as we know them today.

...

begeegs is right to say you're being disingenuous. Wenger has CHOSEN not to spend, there is no proof that he was prevented from spending by the board!

But as you have an answer for everything, perhaps you can tell me why did Wenger did exactly the same thing he has been doing at Arsenal when he at Monaco? They had not build a new stadium and they were not financially restricted. So what was the reason?

My answer to that is that Wenger has always WANTED to be a development manager. That side of the game appeals to him. He gets a kick out of playing a part in a players career and takes pride in seeing him go on to bigger and better things. He has said this himself and he shows no resentment towards players who have left the club. On the contrary he has a little joke with them at half time when they have just scored a goal against him.

Normally you wouldn't get a chance to do this development at a club as big as Arsenal but with the stadium move it seems Wenger saw his chance and he didn't hesitate to take it. In my view, he has fucking abused the trust and patience shown to him. That is why so many fans I know resent him and want him gone. He has been taking the piss for years.

What he is doing is using ARSENAL for his own agendas but dressing it up as some kind of self sacrifice for a club he loves. It makes me want to vomit. If Wenger and Arsenal were as good as Klopp and Dortmund have been at spotting and developing talent then maybe more fans would have accepted it more but he isn't. Wenger has had long enough to make it work but he failed.

Two or three years may have been acceptable for him to try this but not this fucking long! Yet he gets away with it because UEFA financially reward mediocre 4th placed teams with a place in their elitist competition and because fans buy into the myth that Wenger has worked miracles.

Loaning lots of money from a bank and using it to build a stadium is not my idea of a miracle but there you go.

[turricaned]

I wouldn't pin the heavy defeats as psychological because that is absolving Wenger's tactics. Notably - the ridiculously high line that we played against pacey wingers and strikers.

Did we "play" a high line, or did we just lose cohesiveness and focus in general? Both Chelsea and LFC have been caught out doing the same thing this season.

Psychological would be the games immediately following the heavy defeats - the 0-0 with Utd (which was also tedious) and the 0-0 with Chelsea (ditto) when we were trying to keep shape and not lose the game.

And yet we managed just that against Liverpool in the Cup match.

As we have no width due to no natural wingers, we have to bomb our fullbacks on.

I'd say the classic "winger" role has fallen out of fashion in the PL in general.

This is fine against teams that are further down the table, but not against the big boys. Against better teams, we get hit on the counter because managers know this and it is easy to combat against because Wenger never varies in his approach.

Except when he does - the goalless draws against Chelsea and Man U were in part down to playing a defensive style ourselves. Our squad this year was built around an attacking midfield, which doesn't lend itself so well to that kind of play, but it can be done and has.

here were lots of meetings about what we were trying to do, but the most important thing was ironing everything out on the training ground so everybody knew their role.
...
Do you think that happens at Arsenal?

It shouldn't need to, as our squad is technically far better. Come to think of it, we beat Palace twice, which is more than Chelsea and LFC did.

Look - folks can project their views of AW onto the guy as much as they like, but it doesn't make it right - developmentally-minded or not, no manager wants to lose either games or players. I didn't see him waving Cesc and RVP farewell without a fight.

[Henry Norris 1913]

no need for training or preparing for opposition, because we are technically better.

thats some arrogance there, but who could it possibly come from

[OneBardGooner]

However, saying that the board prevented him is disingenuous.Wenger chose to buy youth because it was cheaper to do so.

Arguably, once the Grove project was decided on, it was the only thing that might have stood a chance of working. Not only that, but once the project had been settled, there was no feasible way of going back. Remember that in 2003-4, Abramovich had yet to make his mark on Chelsea, and City were still languishing somewhere between the Premier League and Championship. Man U had buckets of cash to spare, but there were no "plastic" clubs as we know them today.

...

begeegs is right to say you're being disingenuous. Wenger has CHOSEN not to spend, there is no proof that he was prevented from spending by the board!

But as you have an answer for everything, perhaps you can tell me why did Wenger did exactly the same thing he has been doing at Arsenal when he at Monaco? They had not build a new stadium and they were not financially restricted. So what was the reason?

My answer to that is that Wenger has always WANTED to be a development manager. That side of the game appeals to him. He gets a kick out of playing a part in a players career and takes pride in seeing him go on to bigger and better things. He has said this himself and he shows no resentment towards players who have left the club. On the contrary he has a little joke with them at half time when they have just scored a goal against him.

Normally you wouldn't get a chance to do this development at a club as big as Arsenal but with the stadium move it seems Wenger saw his chance and he didn't hesitate to take it. In my view, he has fucking abused the trust and patience shown to him. That is why so many fans I know resent him and want him gone. He has been taking the piss for years.

What he is doing is using ARSENAL for his own agendas but dressing it up as some kind of self sacrifice for a club he loves. It makes me want to vomit. If Wenger and Arsenal were as good as Klopp and Dortmund have been at spotting and developing talent then maybe more fans would have accepted it more but he isn't. Wenger has had long enough to make it work but he failed.

Two or three years may have been acceptable for him to try this but not this fucking long! Yet he gets away with it because UEFA financially reward mediocre 4th placed teams with a place in their elitist competition and because fans buy into the myth that Wenger has worked miracles.

Loaning lots of money from a bank and using it to build a stadium is not my idea of a miracle but there you go.

HOW DARE YOU! SAY SUCH A THING ABOUT OUR GLORIOUS LEADER!!!??? - H e barely pockets £7 million a year, he struggles to cope with all the pressures of a zip up sleeping bag disguised as a coat and And AAAAAND he has to stay up till 3am each pre-match eve to invent new sayings that he knows MUST confuse the hell out of journo's, pundits and Gooners alike...Whilst baffling yet Spell Binding all the AKN Sheeple. The man is a genius I tell you a feckin' (very rich) genius - You show me anyone else in the world getting paid £7 million a year and not being gaoled for abject failure and I'll show you a jewel heist tea leaf!...or something similar!

[TeeCee]

I actually find it harder to believe how many people are answering the WUM on here than someone saying Wonga will spend 100m in the summer!!
Unbelievable!! Guys, don't answer him and he'll go back to playing with his X-Box FFS!!

[turricaned]

Funny how earlier Stevie Bould was being blamed for the mentioned defeats. Now it seems to be psychological...?

No, I mentioned Bould because as assistant manager he knows a thing or two about defence, which would be a logical reason for his having that position (as opposed to the supposedly tyrannical AW insisting he could do it all himself).

Regarding the Suarez talk - when the guy was on the verge of throwing his toys out of the pram last year he said himself that he'd be interested in a move to Real or Barca, not elsewhere in the PL. Derisory or not, we did sound him out with an offer, and the ensuing silence was deafening.