SteveO 35 wrote:
And look what happened to the pair of them on the back of UEFA Cup success. McClaren became the first manager to fail to get England to qualify for a major tournament since 1994 and currently has Wolfsburg sat 11th in the Bundesliga, and Hodgson is showing the same traits that got him the boot at Blackburn (when they actually had money to spend)
Which proves my point exactly. I would take Moyes's record in the PL over a period of several years ahead of some one-off cup run in a competition that most of the major entrants treat as an opportunity to try out their reserves.
At the moment some of the teams topping the Europa League groups are
Lech Poznan, Bayer Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb and BATE Borisov. If one of them manage to go on and get a run to the final while the likes of Man City, Juve and Liverpool rest their players does that mean that their respective managers are more worthy of a chance at a big job than someone likes Moyes
Not sure where you're going with this one Magic ?
but they got the jobs whereas was Moyes linked with Ajax and 2009 champions of Germany? McClaren should not have got the England job, way too early for that but he is a Dutch champion and only in his first season at Wolfsburg, we will see in the long term. Hodgson should have been linked with Liverpool based on his records in Italy, the Nordic countries, international football and so on but the press and boards ignored that. I wouldn't write off Hodgson just yet, his start was far slower at Fulham and look how that ended up
Given those managers would be on a list alongside some bloke called Jose Mourinho and other famous managers, I think the manager's standing would get a big boost.
There are plenty on here - Magic Hat a good example - who put across a good case for the defence of Wenger without doing it in the style you seem to enjoy so much.
and I'm merely saying don't sack him till the summer
It never used to be like this, ive never been angry with a fellow gooner and its all becuase of Wenger.
Maybe you need to stop blaming another person for your actions and look at yourself? Wenger isn't holding a gun and making you insult people, several people have managed to cope with Arsenal's troubles without flying off the handle days after a game.
The scum will get better and better and buy more and more important players to add to the team.
Yes, it is Wenger's fault that Spurs have a lot of money, a good manager and good players. What next, Wenger to blame for global warming or world hunger? As G88ner says
You can blame him for our decline if you want, and you can blame him for the shower of shite we saw in the second half on Saturday, but blaming him for Sp*rs' rise?? - not really.
On the Wenger go now or not debate:
My stance is partly from the belief that unless things are unbelievably horribly wrong, ie we were 11th or something like that right now, managers should be given the season. I don't think we can win the title unless something drastic happens to tighten up our defence over the course of the season but I do think we will keep in the top 4, possibly by skin of our teeth though.
I think Wenger will, once time has passed, be remembered as a legend for the glory days and getting us through the difficult parts that came with the new stadium. I also don't think Wenger has lost his strengths: The ability to gain the support of his players, the ability to find someone and greatly improve them, his eye for a player, buying cheaply and selling high, the ability to get attacking players that will flourish in the system, finical prudence.
I have no issue with his deflecting criticism in press conferences, I have no idea what he says at half time beyond the old "he leaves till last moments" most of the time. I accept his stubbornness with players, I admire and support his commitment to attacking football, keeping within the club's means and working on the youth system. His prudence has turned towards being miserly of late though, the second bid for Swarzcher wasn't just miserly but downright rude to Fulham and completely stupid, talk about ensuring we didn't get a player! His judgement between form player and first choice player is quite poor as well. This weekend, Kolo Toure over Senderos, any number of keepers, Flamini over Diarra...
I know a lot here will disagree but I think we have a very good squad, it doesn't need an overhaul in players though of course, it can be improved with buys. I honestly believe that Wenger's principles of "attacking football, use of youth and finical prudence" can be kept, with the majority of this squad and we can win things. The problem is, I can't see it under Wenger, not unless he does something that I suspect he won't do. Simply someone with the ability to reorganise the defence and knows his tactics, obviously while using the money he would get in the summer well, I believe that is all the club needs to go to the next level.
The problem is Wenger's weaknesses (tactical, defensive organization) are being exposed and, while not condemning the likes of Pat Rice, Wenger hasn't done what Ferguson did and find someone to bring into the coaching staff to cover for him. Nothing wrong with Wenger having weaknesses but those weaknesses have to be identified and countered at best as possible. If a manager is inexperienced, he tends to appoint a veteran assistant, if a manager is a hands off coach then he appoints a hands on one, if a manager lacks ability to keep in budget then board keep a tighter rein, manager lacks long term vision, get a Director of Football. Wenger needs a coach to organise the defence and an assistant to help with tactics, he hasn't done that so far and I don't see it happening so this summer will be the time he has to, sadly, leave for me.
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