THE WENGER THREAD

[cameron326]

Sadly the real state of the domestic/global fanbase is probably more evident on places like the Guardian blogs than here. One routine win sees the biard dominated by Wenger fans rolling out every single lame excuse for this failure of a season in the book. Primarily among them "finishing above Utd, City, Chelsea and Liverpool is a SUCCESS". And "INJURIES". And "We played so many more games than Leicester".
There cannot be a big club with a more easily satisfied and complacent fanbase in world football. The thought of a change of manager is poison to them, they'd take him and his 4th place literally forever, until the sun burns out at least. They're more like Kroeneke's minion accountants than passionate football fans. We can't win, we just have to sit it out until he goes of his own accord. It's like a cult.

[Bradywasking]

Well I think that pretty much proved the point that fans can't affect the situation. Thousands of empty seats and he just says he has no idea why!

You have to admire the nerve of the guy! He actually almost looked like he was stifling a smile.

Yes he was probably trying to stifle a smile because he feels fully vindicated by beating WBA.. In his world all was always ok, external forces conspired against him but last night it came right.. He has an army of disciples out there that believe everything he spouts.. He is here for as long as he wants.

[Gunner Rob]

having been there last night I am now totally depressed with the whole situation.
he will definitely be there next season and I now fully expect him to sign a new 3 year deal.

the vast majority of those in attendance I feel would go along with that.
I think the only question now is how long Ozil and Sanchez will hang around for. I think Ozil will be gone in the summer to be honest.

[Jumpers For Goalposts]

The biggest problem we face is that we're not shit enough. As long as Arsenal (with our £190 million wage bill) can beat enough teams to scrape into 4th the crowd will never turn on him and the owner is happy. It's a never ending circle of shite.

I was whingeing to 2 colleagues at work yesterday, saying how much I despise Wenker and whilst they agreed with 99% of my arguments - one of them supports Newcastle and one supports Charlton. Both of them said they'd love to swap their problems for our problems which pretty much sums up why Wanker is still in his job.

Once the contract extension is signed I will say goodbye to the Club that I have loved for nearly 40 years.

[Supagoon]

He will spin anything. If he were the captain of the Titanic, he would spend his last moments asking everyone 'whats wrong'?

“May I remind you that for the first 2500 miles the ship did not sink.”

“Icebergs are better organised these days.”

“I built this ship.”

“Do you have 30 years’ experience in sailing? No? Then how can you tell me that it is sinking?”

"if you look back at the history of this ship, you'll see that it has often sunk"

"the lifeguards showed tremendous mental strength and spirit"

fucking hell you could go on

Indeed.

“We cannot compete with the iceberg-doped North Atlantic.”

“I would take sinking near our destination for the next 20 years.”

“If you gave me an unsinkable ship, I would give it back.”

If we replace captain Wenger how do we know the next guy will not only sink the ship, but blow a hole in the sea bed due to incompetent anchoring, so the ship sinks and goes through the earths crust and passes out through the other side of the planet then out into outer space to be relegated into deep space forever.

Be careful what you wish for...

[SPUDMASHER]

The biggest problem we face is that we're not shit enough. As long as Arsenal (with our £190 million wage bill) can beat enough teams to scrape into 4th the crowd will never turn on him and the owner is happy. It's a never ending circle of shite.

I was whingeing to 2 colleagues at work yesterday, saying how much I despise Wenker and whilst they agreed with 99% of my arguments - one of them supports Newcastle and one supports Charlton. Both of them said they'd love to swap their problems for our problems which pretty much sums up why Wanker is still in his job.

Once the contract extension is signed I will say goodbye to the Club that I have loved for nearly 40 years.

There's so much truth in that.

I work with supporters of other clubs and they'd all take Wenger tomorrow in a heartbeat. It's only within our club that we see the events/ hear the bullshit on a daily basis. The view from outside is very different. So many of them tell me how we don't know how lucky we are to support a club that consistently does well!!!!!!!!!! They can't believe it when I tell them all how desperately unhappy we are with the manager and how we want him out.

Last night there were a lot of empty seats around the stadium and it had 0% impact. I don't know what the answer is. I don't know what it will take for him to go. I definitely don't think fans can affect it and last night only convinced me more that is the case. I honestly believe it is in the hands of the playing staff. I think it has to start there but sadly I'm also quite certain that it won't.

I guess we have to accept that we're stuck with this dictator until he says otherwise.

[Redarmy]

Grahame Souness said on Bein Sports last night -

"if you want to qualify for the champions league Arsene is your man but if you want to win the Champions League Arsene is definitely not your man"

TURNIP OUT

Every point is vital he says....Yeah to him so he gets 4th place keeps Stan happy and pockets another £8 MILLION

Very depressing he just is not going to go......same old Arsenal for next season....starts with all the players we are to buy.......

Everybody will be fit again so he will be looking down at this fairly large squad with an even larger wage bill.... no need to strengthen. Then we will have the Euro injuries and the pre season training injuries leaving the squad decimated by the end of September. Then he will ruefully say at his presser .... who could have foreseen... and on & on &on & on the circus will rumble.

I feel like crying

I am seriously at the end now....so many AKBs don't think they will ever change now....depressing

[Kvltman]

Like a few others I will take a hiatus from the club until Wenger is gone. Easier said than done, I guess it will take the right mental level for me to stick to it!!!

I literally cannot take anymore of the smug self satisfied git and his army of disciples.

[NickF]

Whilst people have ultimately got to do what they think is right, for me not buying tickets anymore is not really helping.

All that happens is the fans who actually care get more and more diluted. Yes there maybe empty seats at meaningless end of season fixtures but earlier on in the season when we are supposedly competing, the stadium will be just about full.

We need fans inside and outside the stadiums make their voice heard, we may not be able to save next season but hopefully we may be able to stop a new contract being offered.

[Gunner Rob]

as has been mentioned the empty seats/boycott whatever does not work.

up until recently I was also of the view that season ticket holders should not renew their season tickets.
however after making a couple of rare visits to the Emirates in the past month I have now been convinced that this wont work either.

basically the opposite needs to happen, but I fear it is probably too late.
the season ticket holders need to actually renew and then actually turn up and protest, that is the only small chance for Wenger to go.
What I guess has happened though is that they are not turning up because they know the cause is lost.

I read the back page of the programme last night which had an interview with an Arsenal "fan"
He was an American "fan". He starts his interview with "my favourite sporting franchise is Arsenal"
He had been to one Arsenal match in his life (v Watford earlier this month) which he pretty much said was one of the highlights of his life

this is the kind of fan the Arsenal are now aiming to attract. they will attend Arsenal like a tourist will go to the British museum.
because it is such a rare occasion for them, they will then spend loads in the club shops and have photos of them eating an Arsenal Hot Dog.

there has been a disconnect between the fans and the players for quite a while.
last night I felt that I had a disconnect between myself and other Arsenal fans, and that is hard to take.

[Wilson]

Just on the 'be careful what you wish for' brigade. I dont see why they think Arsenal would fall off a cliff without Wenger. All Man United had to do, was avoid appointing someone so far out of his depth, and they would have been right. Them appointing Moyes, would be like us appointing Martinez or Brendan Rodgers - were just not going to do it.

Even is Simeone or Low was unavailable, Koeman would be ours in an instant if we wanted him. There are other options flying under the rader like De Boer with DB as his assistant. Unai Emery is making a name for himself at Sevilla. Even Roberto Mancini - he wanted to win at City at all costs, and that alone is an upgrade on Wenger.

I promise, if we sacked Wenger, hired a competent tactical manager who doesnt neglect the defensive side of the game, who is a pragmatist and doesnt hold holier than though beliefs in their own self-righteous 'philosophy', and spent money when appropriate, we would start competing, and the likes of John Cross would say to themselves' F'ing hell, it can be done (Arsenal be a highly competitive team).

And speaking of philosophy. Some have hinted the next manager needs to continue Wengers philosophy. I couldn't disagree more, the next manager needs to clean house and discontinue almost all of Wenger's methods.

[rodders999]

Last night there were a lot of empty seats around the stadium and it had 0% impact. I don't know what the answer is. I don't know what it will take for him to go. I definitely don't think fans can affect it and last night only convinced me more that is the case.

I would have to disagree with that. There's no way the sight of swathes and swathes of empty seats being broadcast around the world last night went unnoticed at board level. Even with the malaise surrounding the club under Wenger that's got to set alarm bells ringing and the more it happens the greater the sound is going to be. Hopefully there are similar scenes at the Norwich and Villa games because once you've lost the fans it's game over.

[augie]

Last night there were a lot of empty seats around the stadium and it had 0% impact. I don't know what the answer is. I don't know what it will take for him to go. I definitely don't think fans can affect it and last night only convinced me more that is the case.

I would have to disagree with that. There's no way the sight of swathes and swathes of empty seats being broadcast around the world last night went unnoticed at board level. Even with the malaise surrounding the club under Wenger that's got to set alarm bells ringing and the more it happens the greater the sound is going to be. Hopefully there are similar scenes at the Norwich and Villa games because once you've lost the fans it's game over.

A game like last night was always going to be hard to organise a "walkout" simply because of the amount of regular match going Gooners that were absent. Organising a protest before, during or after a game is much more feasible for a Saturday or sunday game and we shouldn't give up on it now - that being said, I too am crushed that the protest didn't happen on the scale that we wanted last night.

For what it is worth, I have long since argued that an organised late entry by thousands of Gooners would be a much better plan, and one that would receive a lot more media attention - when fans leave early, it can be argued that they had trains to catch (or other travelling issues) or are going for a piss, and tbh loads of fans leave early all the time so how would anyone notice the difference ? Arriving late en masse like Dortmund did (and maybe chanting outside the ground during those 15 minutes) would show that the fans feel strongly enough about the need to change, that they are willing to give up prime time action (as opposed to the last 15 minutes when the game is often settled)

Anyway, please don't give up on the protests lads

[xisstential]

Wengers response to the stay away.

So what did Wenger have to say about it?

'My message to the fans? Come and support the team. If you love football, you go out there, and I think you see the quality,' he said.

'That's what we try to give to our people. You look at the table and you know that for us, every point is important.

'We are under permanent pressure for everything again so it is important to have the focus on the way we want to play football.'

So basically if you stayed away you don't love football.

[SPUDMASHER]

Augie, I feel your pain mate but you've got to remember two points:-

1. the seats were paid for even if they weren't occupied, and
2. we're set to achieve the owners requirement, a top four finish.

Kroenke got what he wanted last night, money on the night and the increased chance of a further windfall at the end of the season. So why would he sack the manager?

Add to that the managers blind ignorance routine about the empty seats (I actually think the deluded old goat believed his own shite about it being a Thursday) and you've got all the ingredients for another year if not three!

We've all got to accept that sadly he is staying exactly where he is for the foreseeable future.