THE WENGER THREAD

[augie]

‘I bought (Alexis) Sanchez, I bought (Mesut) Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year.

‘The problem at the moment is finding the players who guarantee you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well.’

Wenger was referring to the £36m Manchester United spent to sign France youngster Anthony Martial on Tuesday night



What right does tight fisted Wenger have to comment on what other clubs are doing in the transfer market??? I hope this Martial kid bangs in a hat trick against us.

And as for the players he mentions above, that's 4 players in three years. And he fails to mention the dregs he brought in the 5 years prior to that...Bendtner, Sanogo, that bloke with the dodgy back (Kallstrom???). Doesn't even mention Wellbek with the above either. Probably forgotten we still have him.

I find it staggering that he still has so much support.

You got it folks - that's the only two extremes available i.e. do fuck all, or blow €50m+ on a young unproven player. Clearly that's the strategy that each and every one of the other top five league clubs in Europe did.

Honestly, the guy is insulting everyone's intelligence now. How about the 18 other PL teams who did manage to sign players at more reasonable prices to improve their squads? How about the £16m or so that would have secured Wanyama, who beyond any show of doubt would have been an upgrade on all of our CDMs. How about the £11.5m for Van Dijk to provide a better level of cover than Chambers. £16m for Welbeck who offers no upgrade whatsoever was fine last year though?

How about schniderlin, vidal, schweinstiger, Martinez, Miranda, bacca and kondogbia who did move, and the likes of carvalho, lars or sven bender, marco reus etc who are within our price range, are better than our current options and should def be attainable for a club of our size and stature. Fact is that our management and ownership are not committed to winning trophies and feel it is safer to not aim high thus minimising risk of failure - there is a losers mentality running through our club from the smarmy yanks at the top right through to the coaches and the young players coming through the academy

[OneBardGooner]

The horrendous and ugly truth is that they only think of Money now - Not trophies.....as long as they can afford top of the range Cars, Watches, Houses and all the other junk they waste money on tattoo's clothes etc etc...

They will happily forego silverware...

I do not include Alexis Sanchez in that btw...He is the only one with Winning and a Winners Mentality in the whole damn shytehouse

[DB10GOONER]

‘I bought (Alexis) Sanchez, I bought (Mesut) Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year.

‘The problem at the moment is finding the players who guarantee you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well.’

Wenger was referring to the £36m Manchester United spent to sign France youngster Anthony Martial on Tuesday night



What right does tight fisted Wenger have to comment on what other clubs are doing in the transfer market??? I hope this Martial kid bangs in a hat trick against us.

And as for the players he mentions above, that's 4 players in three years. And he fails to mention the dregs he brought in the 5 years prior to that...Bendtner, Sanogo, that bloke with the dodgy back (Kallstrom???). Doesn't even mention Wellbek with the above either. Probably forgotten we still have him.

I find it staggering that he still has so much support.

You got it folks - that's the only two extremes available i.e. do fuck all, or blow €50m+ on a young unproven player. Clearly that's the strategy that each and every one of the other top five league clubs in Europe did.

Honestly, the guy is insulting everyone's intelligence now. How about the 18 other PL teams who did manage to sign players at more reasonable prices to improve their squads? How about the £16m or so that would have secured Wanyama, who beyond any show of doubt would have been an upgrade on all of our CDMs. How about the £11.5m for Van Dijk to provide a better level of cover than Chambers. £16m for Welbeck who offers no upgrade whatsoever was fine last year though?

How about schniderlin, vidal, schweinstiger, Martinez, Miranda, bacca and kondogbia who did move, and the likes of carvalho, lars or sven bender, marco reus etc who are within our price range, are better than our current options and should def be attainable for a club of our size and stature. Fact is that our management and ownership are not committed to winning trophies and feel it is safer to not aim high thus minimising risk of failure - there is a losers mentality running through our club from the smarmy yanks at the top right through to the coaches and the young players coming through the academy

I might be totally wrong in this (wouldn't be the first time - I thought Spuddy was gay, turns out he's just a Hermaphrodite ) but I don't quite buy into the losers mentality argument. Not 100% anyway. I believe Wenger wants to win things, but not if it means surrendering what he views as his credibility/honour/vision. Wenger has a winner's mentality, the problem is his ego is driving it and he cannot see that he is wrong, that his winner's mentality is poisoned by what he believes to be right and by his stubborn attitude, which ultimately leads to failure. I also believe the Board want to win things - but not if it means surrendering short term profits.

I'm not saying we aren't set up for failure - we are. Certainly in the PL and CL. But I just don't buy fully into the idea the Board and Wenger have zero interest in winning things. I just think they have other priorities that dictate we can't win the big prizes. I think they look on winning trophies as being the cream on the cake rather than being the cake itself, a kind of nice bonus, but not at the expense of their primary concerns - pride/ego in Wenger's case and money in the Board's case.

[OneBardGooner]

So what you are saying mate is that it IS Profit (Money) before Trophies (Success). ?

[DB10GOONER]

So what you are saying mate is that it IS Profit (Money) before Trophies (Success). ?

Certainly "before", but not "instead of".

[OneBardGooner]

Sadly it has reached the point with Our Club now - that under the present (and seemingly immovable) regime it is difficult to differentiate....

[begeegs]

You got it folks - that's the only two extremes available i.e. do fuck all, or blow €50m+ on a young unproven player. Clearly that's the strategy that each and every one of the other top five league clubs in Europe did.

Honestly, the guy is insulting everyone's intelligence now. How about the 18 other PL teams who did manage to sign players at more reasonable prices to improve their squads? How about the £16m or so that would have secured Wanyama, who beyond any show of doubt would have been an upgrade on all of our CDMs. How about the £11.5m for Van Dijk to provide a better level of cover than Chambers. £16m for Welbeck who offers no upgrade whatsoever was fine last year though?

The problem is who is going to call him on his idiotic statements? John Cross? Any reporter?

We live in an age where reporters get frozen out for asking the wrong questions (remember Jacqui Oatley - what has she been doing since?) and where competition is fierce to be sitting there to begin with, so it isn't going to be a reporter.

The fans no longer have access either. All they can do now is the 'strongly' written letter which will do nothing. No one will protest because like it or not, we are in a minority. Boycotting isn't going to do much either as people will gladly pay up to watch our non-scoring team at the Emirates.

So like it or not, there isn't a lot that anyone can do. You even have ex-players who won't criticize. They know where their bread is buttered.

The only person who is actually saying something is Piers Morgan, who everyone seems to hate. Occasionally, an ex-player may say something like 'He really should have bought someone.', but shies away from actually dissecting his comedy statements (outside of Neville).

For me, I am just bored with it now. I am starting to be completely turned off to even watch a match. The man is only accountable to Kroenke, who isn't likely to get annoyed soon. When we finish in the top 4, Gazidis will go on about how we should really ought to do better and gosh darn it all, but will probably offer the clown a new contract. BORING!

[MrT]

The idea of having to watch Giroud lumber about like a fucking oaf and Walcott flitter on the periphery of games for the next 9 months makes me want to pour scalding wax onto my eyes and my brain.

Fear not, Welbeck to the rescue

Nope, just had knee surgery and will be out for months. Of course, this was known well before the transfer deadline ended and Wenger had time to bring in somebody in. They cynically delayed this announcement until 2 days after the window closed. Disgusting.

First week of September and this season is already a write off, happy days.

[xisstential]

I honestly believe that Wenger tried for years & years to NOT go the way of other clubs and buy success. He wanted to bring in virtual unknowns and build another "Invincibles" on a shoestring. He had a point to prove, to be the maverick, the standout, to show everyone in the world it could be done. He tried for years & years to achieve it, buying some absolute dreck in the process AND created a few stars as well, who subsequently buggered off the first chance they got (RvP, Fabregas...)
Eventually even he realised he couldn't do it so he,under enormous pressure, went out and bought Ozil (who he paid too much for) We all thought this was the beginning of big things but he has reverted to type, buying the odd player when the pressure reaches explosion point. He still believes he can have a few stars and build a team. And you can....BUT he needs BIG players who he can build around. Tough, forceful, take no shit types, like Adams, Keown, Viera. Instead we have Ozil, Ox, Wally, Ramsey,Arteta, Sanchez, Wilshire.... the list goes on & on. Which one of those are you going to build a team around. NONE is the answer. Wenger is NOT going to change.Everybody over there at the Emirates is drinking the Kool aid. Even ex players like Henry, Adams, Keown, all pull back from coming out and saying it like it is. Gary Neville was absolutely spot on and that was almost the final nail in our transfer window, you could almost feel the hackles rise and the stiffening of that stubborn old French neck.

Title race over by end Oct, out very early in the League Cup (beneath Wenger, he has loftier ideals),out in first round of CL knockout stages. Maybe one step further... No buys in January as there is nobody in the world good enough to strengthen the 4th placed team in the PL.

[BFG4]

‘I bought (Alexis) Sanchez, I bought (Mesut) Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year.

‘The problem at the moment is finding the players who guarantee you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well.’

Wenger was referring to the £36m Manchester United spent to sign France youngster Anthony Martial on Tuesday night



What right does tight fisted Wenger have to comment on what other clubs are doing in the transfer market??? I hope this Martial kid bangs in a hat trick against us.

And as for the players he mentions above, that's 4 players in three years. And he fails to mention the dregs he brought in the 5 years prior to that...Bendtner, Sanogo, that bloke with the dodgy back (Kallstrom???). Doesn't even mention Wellbek with the above either. Probably forgotten we still have him.

I find it staggering that he still has so much support.

You got it folks - that's the only two extremes available i.e. do fuck all, or blow €50m+ on a young unproven player. Clearly that's the strategy that each and every one of the other top five league clubs in Europe did.

Honestly, the guy is insulting everyone's intelligence now. How about the 18 other PL teams who did manage to sign players at more reasonable prices to improve their squads? How about the £16m or so that would have secured Wanyama, who beyond any show of doubt would have been an upgrade on all of our CDMs. How about the £11.5m for Van Dijk to provide a better level of cover than Chambers. £16m for Welbeck who offers no upgrade whatsoever was fine last year though?

How about schniderlin, vidal, schweinstiger, Martinez, Miranda, bacca and kondogbia who did move, and the likes of carvalho, lars or sven bender, marco reus etc who are within our price range, are better than our current options and should def be attainable for a club of our size and stature. Fact is that our management and ownership are not committed to winning trophies and feel it is safer to not aim high thus minimising risk of failure - there is a losers mentality running through our club from the smarmy yanks at the top right through to the coaches and the young players coming through the academy

I might be totally wrong in this (wouldn't be the first time - I thought Spuddy was gay, turns out he's just a Hermaphrodite ) but I don't quite buy into the losers mentality argument. Not 100% anyway. I believe Wenger wants to win things, but not if it means surrendering what he views as his credibility/honour/vision. Wenger has a winner's mentality, the problem is his ego is driving it and he cannot see that he is wrong, that his winner's mentality is poisoned by what he believes to be right and by his stubborn attitude, which ultimately leads to failure. I also believe the Board want to win things - but not if it means surrendering short term profits.

I'm not saying we aren't set up for failure - we are. Certainly in the PL and CL. But I just don't buy fully into the idea the Board and Wenger have zero interest in winning things. I just think they have other priorities that dictate we can't win the big prizes. I think they look on winning trophies as being the cream on the cake rather than being the cake itself, a kind of nice bonus, but not at the expense of their primary concerns - pride/ego in Wenger's case and money in the Board's case.

DB, at some stage, you have to accept that Wenger has a losers mentality. If Wenger had a winners mentality then 4th place finishes wouldn't be treated like success. Wenger treats it like winning the title. Everyone seems to think its poor old Arsene who is stuck in his ways, is it not likely that he is a corrupt bastard who is there to do the boards bidding and be paid handsomely for it.

[begeegs]

quality article this -

http://arsenaltruth.squarespace.com/ars ... -bank.html

[Bradywasking]

quality article this -

http://arsenaltruth.squarespace.com/ars ... -bank.html

It is but it is also preaching to the converted.

[foxinthebox2001]

"Theres only one Jeff Reine-Adelaide" does have a certain ring to it.

[augie]

‘I bought (Alexis) Sanchez, I bought (Mesut) Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year.

‘The problem at the moment is finding the players who guarantee you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well.’

Wenger was referring to the £36m Manchester United spent to sign France youngster Anthony Martial on Tuesday night



What right does tight fisted Wenger have to comment on what other clubs are doing in the transfer market??? I hope this Martial kid bangs in a hat trick against us.

And as for the players he mentions above, that's 4 players in three years. And he fails to mention the dregs he brought in the 5 years prior to that...Bendtner, Sanogo, that bloke with the dodgy back (Kallstrom???). Doesn't even mention Wellbek with the above either. Probably forgotten we still have him.

I find it staggering that he still has so much support.

You got it folks - that's the only two extremes available i.e. do fuck all, or blow €50m+ on a young unproven player. Clearly that's the strategy that each and every one of the other top five league clubs in Europe did.

Honestly, the guy is insulting everyone's intelligence now. How about the 18 other PL teams who did manage to sign players at more reasonable prices to improve their squads? How about the £16m or so that would have secured Wanyama, who beyond any show of doubt would have been an upgrade on all of our CDMs. How about the £11.5m for Van Dijk to provide a better level of cover than Chambers. £16m for Welbeck who offers no upgrade whatsoever was fine last year though?

How about schniderlin, vidal, schweinstiger, Martinez, Miranda, bacca and kondogbia who did move, and the likes of carvalho, lars or sven bender, marco reus etc who are within our price range, are better than our current options and should def be attainable for a club of our size and stature. Fact is that our management and ownership are not committed to winning trophies and feel it is safer to not aim high thus minimising risk of failure - there is a losers mentality running through our club from the smarmy yanks at the top right through to the coaches and the young players coming through the academy

I might be totally wrong in this (wouldn't be the first time - I thought Spuddy was gay, turns out he's just a Hermaphrodite ) but I don't quite buy into the losers mentality argument. Not 100% anyway. I believe Wenger wants to win things, but not if it means surrendering what he views as his credibility/honour/vision. Wenger has a winner's mentality, the problem is his ego is driving it and he cannot see that he is wrong, that his winner's mentality is poisoned by what he believes to be right and by his stubborn attitude, which ultimately leads to failure. I also believe the Board want to win things - but not if it means surrendering short term profits.

I'm not saying we aren't set up for failure - we are. Certainly in the PL and CL. But I just don't buy fully into the idea the Board and Wenger have zero interest in winning things. I just think they have other priorities that dictate we can't win the big prizes. I think they look on winning trophies as being the cream on the cake rather than being the cake itself, a kind of nice bonus, but not at the expense of their primary concerns - pride/ego in Wenger's case and money in the Board's case.

DB10, do you believe that wenker bought ozil and sanchez or do you believe that the board went over his head and bought them ? If you believe that it was his decision, then would you not agree that his honour/credibility/vision are already gone ?

Not aiming this at you as such, but many people have different definitions of what having a winning mentality means - for me a person with a winning mentality wants to win above everything else, but that is certainly not the case here. People make excuses about his stubborness or his principles or (in the past) his lack of proper transfer funds, but the reality is that they are all excuses for a man who has winning well down his list of priorities. A manager who wants to win is willing to play boring negative football and is willing to send his team out to rough up the opposition if need be if it brings home the 3pts. A manager driven by the need for success is willing to be a ruthless b*stard and get shot of average shite like almunia, instead of holding onto them (and making them captain on occasions) out of some sort of loyalty. A winning manager doesnt continually throw up excuses year after year abount injuries, calander year champions etc A manager with a winning mentality identifies players that are available to buy and that are better than his current players, and then he goes out and tries to buy them. He doesnt sit at home making excuses not to buy them. He doesnt not buy them cos they are not the best player in the world in that position, cos he knows that every position that he upgrades in the team will bring his team that bit nearer to success.

I could go on and on like this but suffice as to say that the man is a loser and has nurtured a losers mentality that continues to thrive in the club today - it is why our medical staff problems seem no nearer to ending, it is why our scouting team seem unable to identify quality players, it is why our coaching staff and academy hasnt produced a top quality player in years and it is why our players celebrate 4th place in geordieland like they were after winning the world cup

[Supagoon]

The problem here is not Arsene Wenger, it's stanley Kroenke.

Because if he had an ounce of independent soccer(football) education combined with ambition, he would have fired Arsene Wenger's arse by now!!

Stan is the most senior part of Arsenal FC and he calls the shots. Arsene was canny enough to install a man who ensure he could do what he wanted for as long as he wanted.

We're f*cked because we'll never go on a 9 game losing run or anything like that. We'll always do just enough.