THE WENGER THREAD

[mcdowell42]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog ... mediocrity

[Wengerball]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... h-for.html

So, farewell Arsene Wenger. Not yet perhaps but soon, very soon, if the pack has its way.

Defeat at Bradford City, in what some of us still call the League Cup, was apparently the last straw.

It seems that the Arsenal manager must fall on his sword. Failing that, he must be shown the door.
Troubled times: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under fire

Troubled times: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under fire

Either way, he has to go. Don't take my word for it; listen to the people.

One red-top tabloid, which knows a bandwagon when one comes clattering by, organised a highly scientific opinion poll.

This 'damning' exercise revealed that around 60 per cent of respondents believed that Wenger's time was up.

Considering it was taken in the hours after Bradford, and plainly included a hefty cargo of drunks, comedians and Tottenham supporters, some might think the manager came out rather well.



Yet the weight of informed opinion was against him.

Somebody called Tim, who is apparently a spokesman for the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, announced: 'His inability to delegate or seek help from others has resulted in a stale environment where best practice is no longer to the fore.'

We must wonder how 'Tim' can speak so confidently of such private matters.

But in the current climate, even impertinent middle-management clichés find an audience.

Which takes us, quite seamlessly, to Stewart Robson, who played for Arsenal more than a quarter of a century ago.

Robson declared himself 'embarrassed' by Wenger. 'In my view,' said Robson, 'it was time up for him three or four years ago … Tactically Arsenal are all over the place, they are under-prepared defensively and he doesn't understand the game well enough.'

Now, most will acknowledge that losing to Bradford was mildly disgraceful, that a good many of Arsenal's displays this season have been sub-standard, that the performances of players such as Gervinho, Chamakh and Santos are incomprehensible and that the manager's recent transfer dealings are heavily at odds with his glittering track record in this department.

And Wenger must know that he has made enemies.

He is not 'clubbable', he has never sought membership of that managerial cabal which likes to gather after matches to swap cosy anecdotes, curse grasping players, endorse amenable agents and slurp expensive red wine.

A frosty winner and a graceless loser, the Arsenal manager has offended most of his contemporaries down the years with his distaste for conspiratorial small talk.

He will expect no mercy in these mean and trying times.

Yet Robson's portrayal of Wenger is clearly an absurd caricature.

The man who 'doesn't understand the game' has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

That same inadequate innocent has secured Arsenal a place in the Champions League for 15 consecutive seasons.

Think about it: not since Tony Blair's first administration was in its opening year have Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe's major competition and even then they played in the old UEFA Cup.

The consistency is staggering, the achievement extraordinary, especially when we reflect that he has also effectively built a glorious stadium and encouraged his sides to produce some of the most enthralling football the modern British game has seen.
Staggering consistency: Wenger with the FA Cup and Premier League trophies in 2002

Staggering consistency: Wenger with the FA Cup and Premier League trophies in 2002

In recent memory, the teams of Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, back to Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira have set standards of excellence which speak of inspired coaching and sensitive development.

Yet this is the man whose head is currently being demanded by an avenging posse.

Loud of voice and short of memory, they seek a manager who will take them to 'another level'.

Well, in a spirit of helpfulness, I have compiled a random list of men who may be open to offers of employment.

Assuming that Pep Guardiola is unavailable, it includes the likes of Avram Grant, Roy Keane, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Shearer, Iain Dowie and Mark Hughes.

These may not be the kind of candidates who would slide snugly into the shoes of Arsene Wenger.

Clearly, I have no stake in this particular argument.

But we are considering the future of an authentic visionary, one of our most brilliantly accomplished football managers.

And so I say to the avenging mob: be very careful what you wish for.


Where do you even start with this

[QuartzGooner]

I have noticed that pro-Wenger people comment on Forums and give the following as evidence for him to stay:

- He won a lot of trophies up until 2005.

- He built the stadium.

- He built two new training grounds.

- He developed unknowns into world class stars.

But they ignore:

- Seven seasons without a trophy.
Henry, Pires, Vieira were a different era!

- Recent "unknown" signings have not developed so well or played consistent good football; Gervinho, Santos, Traore, Nasri, Song, Squillachi, Chamakh, Adebayor, Park etc.

- New stadium does not make Wenger a better team manager.

- Repeated poor defending.

- Season ticket holders giving up tickets in droves.

- Failure to challenge for the title since 2008.

- Ever increasing ticket prices.

- Star players leaving every year.

[falkirk goon]

This made me laugh One Arsole Wanger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDxOo8sH ... yw&index=6

[skipper]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... h-for.html


Where do you even start with this

Apart from usual Daily Hate's contempt for anything and anyone working class, one thing that annoys me regarding defenders of AW is this air of intellectual superiority that they so readily use.

Just imagine Nazi Germany in 1943/4...those sober enough are realising end of Reich is near and are trying to replace Fuhrer with someone more sensible. But NO! There is whole this legion of HKB's saying stuff like: "Those cowardly, ungrateful, shallow fools are claiming that OGL is incapable of defending German soil and leading us to ultimate glory, BUT this is the man that conquered France, Belgium, Austria, Chechoslovakia, Poland...there is simply no one better to lead us to final victory...etc etc etc..."

We all know what happened next.

And for the record, I'm not comparing Wenger with Hitler, just saying what happens when blind loyalty murks the common sense.

[SteveO 35]

I think this little song belongs in here too, just to get everyone in the mood for contract extension time

At Bradford we’re out
The players don’t try
You better not shout
Hill-Wood’s telling you why
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town

He's making a list,
Checking it twice;
He’ll only sign them, if they’re the right price.
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town

He sees our defence sleeping
He knows we’ve got no pace
He thinks the Virtual Trophy should
Be given out for seventh place

With little midgets and lots of French bums
Dropping us points, we’re in the doldrums
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town

He sees Per is not leaping
He treads on the same rake
Whether Lukas is bad or good
Its the same change, that he’ll make

You better watch out
In springtime you’ll cry
The contract extension
That he will sign
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town
Arsene’s not leaving
Arsene’s not leaving
Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town

(Not leaving town)
Arsene's a busy man but he’s got time to say
“You’ve not worked in football, one single day”
(Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town)
(Leaving town)
(Arsene Wenger’s not leaving town)
(Leaving town)

[Henry Norris 1913]

both patrick barclay and ratface manc *word censored* neville spouting same old "Arsenal are ran sensibly etc, and play beautiful football etc".

WE DON'T WANT BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL YOU *word censored*
WE DON'T WANT TO BE RAN LIKE A FUCKING SELF SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC COFFEE SHOP YOU *word censored*

[SteveO 35]

both patrick barclay and ratface manc *word censored* neville spouting same old "Arsenal are ran sensibly etc, and play beautiful football etc".

WE DON'T WANT BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL YOU *word censored*
WE DON'T WANT TO BE RAN LIKE A FUCKING SELF SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC COFFEE SHOP YOU *word censored*

We'd become the first club in the country to charge £5 for a coffee

[DB10_TH14]

we dont even play beautiful football anymore

[SteveO 35]

we dont even play beautiful football anymore

Exactly right. That last remaning pillar of defence for Lord Wenger disappeared a good couple of years ago too. Some of the games this season have reminded me of the Don Howe era, especially Norwich away and Schalke at home - boring paceless football. The quality of the passing game has deteriorated beyond belief

City's passing game for the first 30 mins of yesterday's game was how we used to play i.e. at a high tempo with incisive forward passing and quick movement dragging the opponents all over the place.

[DB10_TH14]

we dont even play beautiful football anymore

Exactly right. That last remaning pillar of defence for Lord Wenger disappeared a good couple of years ago too. Some of the games this season have reminded me of the Don Howe era, especially Norwich away and Schalke at home - boring paceless football. The quality of the passing game has deteriorated beyond belief

City's passing game for the first 30 mins of yesterday's game was how we used to play i.e. at a high tempo with incisive forward passing and quick movement dragging the opponents all over the place.

exactly, its just a lazy assumption by the press, we have the odd games here and their where we play good football generally against teams who are poor like liverpool at anfield, against the saints who where utter dross, perhaps at city i think was our best performance all season. the attacks are slow, lazy and lethargic, this also comes from having lesser quality players who cant see the right pass at the right time

[StuartL]

we dont even play beautiful football anymore

Nope and we often get outplayed by teams who shouldn't be able to compete with us and all our dosh - Wigan last season and Norwich at the Emirates, Swansea away last season and this season at home.

We also can't outplay competitive lower division teams such as Ipswich, Leeds and now Bradford.

We haven't played "beautiful football" for about 4 seasons now

[1989]

both patrick barclay and ratface manc *word censored* neville spouting same old "Arsenal are ran sensibly etc, and play beautiful football etc".

WE DON'T WANT BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL YOU *word censored*
WE DON'T WANT TO BE RAN LIKE A FUCKING SELF SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC COFFEE SHOP YOU *word censored*

Gary Neville must be secretly loving our predicament. He wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire, rat faced twat.

[franksav63]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... h-for.html

So, farewell Arsene Wenger. Not yet perhaps but soon, very soon, if the pack has its way.

Defeat at Bradford City, in what some of us still call the League Cup, was apparently the last straw.

It seems that the Arsenal manager must fall on his sword. Failing that, he must be shown the door.
Troubled times: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under fire

Troubled times: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under fire

Either way, he has to go. Don't take my word for it; listen to the people.

One red-top tabloid, which knows a bandwagon when one comes clattering by, organised a highly scientific opinion poll.

This 'damning' exercise revealed that around 60 per cent of respondents believed that Wenger's time was up.

Considering it was taken in the hours after Bradford, and plainly included a hefty cargo of drunks, comedians and Tottenham supporters, some might think the manager came out rather well.



Yet the weight of informed opinion was against him.

Somebody called Tim, who is apparently a spokesman for the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, announced: 'His inability to delegate or seek help from others has resulted in a stale environment where best practice is no longer to the fore.'

We must wonder how 'Tim' can speak so confidently of such private matters.

But in the current climate, even impertinent middle-management clichés find an audience.

Which takes us, quite seamlessly, to Stewart Robson, who played for Arsenal more than a quarter of a century ago.

Robson declared himself 'embarrassed' by Wenger. 'In my view,' said Robson, 'it was time up for him three or four years ago … Tactically Arsenal are all over the place, they are under-prepared defensively and he doesn't understand the game well enough.'

Now, most will acknowledge that losing to Bradford was mildly disgraceful, that a good many of Arsenal's displays this season have been sub-standard, that the performances of players such as Gervinho, Chamakh and Santos are incomprehensible and that the manager's recent transfer dealings are heavily at odds with his glittering track record in this department.

And Wenger must know that he has made enemies.

He is not 'clubbable', he has never sought membership of that managerial cabal which likes to gather after matches to swap cosy anecdotes, curse grasping players, endorse amenable agents and slurp expensive red wine.

A frosty winner and a graceless loser, the Arsenal manager has offended most of his contemporaries down the years with his distaste for conspiratorial small talk.

He will expect no mercy in these mean and trying times.

Yet Robson's portrayal of Wenger is clearly an absurd caricature.

The man who 'doesn't understand the game' has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

That same inadequate innocent has secured Arsenal a place in the Champions League for 15 consecutive seasons.

Think about it: not since Tony Blair's first administration was in its opening year have Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe's major competition and even then they played in the old UEFA Cup.

The consistency is staggering, the achievement extraordinary, especially when we reflect that he has also effectively built a glorious stadium and encouraged his sides to produce some of the most enthralling football the modern British game has seen.
Staggering consistency: Wenger with the FA Cup and Premier League trophies in 2002

Staggering consistency: Wenger with the FA Cup and Premier League trophies in 2002

In recent memory, the teams of Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, back to Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira have set standards of excellence which speak of inspired coaching and sensitive development.

Yet this is the man whose head is currently being demanded by an avenging posse.

Loud of voice and short of memory, they seek a manager who will take them to 'another level'.

Well, in a spirit of helpfulness, I have compiled a random list of men who may be open to offers of employment.

Assuming that Pep Guardiola is unavailable, it includes the likes of Avram Grant, Roy Keane, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Shearer, Iain Dowie and Mark Hughes.

These may not be the kind of candidates who would slide snugly into the shoes of Arsene Wenger.

Clearly, I have no stake in this particular argument.

But we are considering the future of an authentic visionary, one of our most brilliantly accomplished football managers.

And so I say to the avenging mob: be very careful what you wish for.


Where do you even start with this

Is there anything in the world more fucking boring than hearing, reading the most cliched, hackneyed sentence ever than ..... ''be careful what you wish for''? an expression that gets overused by lazy journalists, they can fucking stick this John Cross phrase up their fucking arse, SIDEWAYS!!!!

[augie]

Not saying that it is relevant or anything but last night huub Stevens was ousted as manager of schalke after a 3-1 home loss to Freiburg - yes that is the same manager and team that turned us over in our own backyard a few weeks ago before then being generous enough to allow us a 2 goal lead in the return game before doing enough in 30mins to draw the game and then revert to 2nd gear It seems that the club and fans have been very dissatisfied with results and performances of late which is understandable really cos they are in 7th place in the league, 17pts off top spot and 5pts off 3rd place - just to put that in context we are currently in 8th place a full 18pts off first and we too are 5pts off 3rd spot It's hard to tell really, which club has a history of winning trophies and the ambition to be successful again versus the club that are happy enough to be rambling on hanging on the coat tails of other clubs whilst bigging up the supposed quality of its playing staff