THE WENGER THREAD

[Herd]

That interview suggests he has called the Gazidis Bet, now we will see if the backroom shakeup ,tech director ,catalyst for change was just a Bluff.
It is clear that he will not accept any impositions on his tenure ,it's his way or the highway.
It's high risk but Wenger is canny ,he won't have done this without weighing up the odds very carefully .
Unfortunately he so clever I think he's already won ,his comments "superficial" where a definite 2 fingers to Gazidis
If he gets a new 2 year deal without restriction ,I can see Gazidis being forced out and for me that's not a good thing as I think he wanted to start his own dynasty !

[DB10GOONER]

Fined for failing to nominate a captain for the second half against City

Any sanction for not having one for the last decade?

Stat on today's paper says Arsenal's actual captain has started something like 86 out of the last 280 games...in other words Arsenal's captains have been injured for 2/3 of all games in that period.

By totally devaluing the once great, proud role of the Arsenal captain he increased his own off field power and tightened his death grip on the club. That's dictatorship 101 right there.

Nobody to question him, nobody to challenge or overrule him on the field.

Wonder who'll wear the armband tonight? Tim nice but dim Walcott or Sir Flicks a Lot would be ideal. Someone beige anyway, fuck knows there's enough to choose from

Huh? What are you old bastards talking about? WTF is this "captain" you speak of? Ha you old guys and your ancient pointless shit. Next you'll be talking about winning leagues and all that old pony.

[northbank123]

As much as the board don't care for the fans or the club and I still don't believe that there is a realistic chance they will effectively sack Wenger, I do think that they will have to sell a contract renewal alongside some meaningless shake up to the structure.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Wenger stringing everybody along is because he is pushing for a better deal (albeit retaining more control/autonomy rather than necessarily money).

[Herd]

As much as the board don't care for the fans or the club and I still don't believe that there is a realistic chance they will effectively sack Wenger, I do think that they will have to sell a contract renewal alongside some meaningless shake up to the structure.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Wenger stringing everybody along is because he is pushing for a better deal (albeit retaining more control/autonomy rather than necessarily money).

One thing the Club and it's directors have been remarkably consistent in the 45 + years I have followed them is that they have never, given a single flying fuck about the supporters !

The Gazidis coup has failed ,the King is in the Palace and all is well !

I expect the head of Ivan on a stick by morning !

[flash gunner]

Has he gone yet?

[rodders999]

Apologies DB10, I could caught up in the small stuff there. From now on I promise to concentrate fully on the stuff that really matters.......like our property portfolio

[Theoperator]

You really couldnt make it up the whole article sums up what a total joke we are , no captain material , blaming the French team for kos injury. Its not the hard ground you fool, its the soft cotton wool you play on at Colney .

Im amazed even 15% of the AST voted that he should stay.

When asked who became Arsenal’s designated skipper after Koscielny left the field, Wenger said he could not remember, having failed to elect a new captain at half-time.

“No, it is a good question. Nobody asked me who is captain,” he said, speaking ahead of his side’s meeting with West Ham United on Wednesday.

With Koscielny ruled out for the visit of the Hammers and Mertesacker short of full fitness, Wenger is short of captaincy options, and added: “I will have 24 hours to think about that.”



According to the Premier League regulations, the captain of each team must “wear an armband provided by the League indicating his status as such.”

Any club in breach of this rule will be liable to pay a penalty of £300 for a first breach. The fine is doubled to £600 for a second breach and doubled again, to £1,200, for a third.

Koscielny, who reportedly commands a salary of £75,000-a-week at Arsenal, would earn enough to pay the fine in approximately 40 minutes.


The centre-half was criticised by Gary Neville following Sunday’s draw not playing through the injury, with the Sky Sports pundit suggesting Koscielny “always goes off” and could have stayed on the pitch.

Wenger, however, denies that Koscielny had that option having aggravated a long-standing injury while on international duty with France.

“I think he had an old Achilles problem that he maintains here by working,” he said. “He had that many times. When he goes with the French national team they work on different grounds, sometimes in hard surfaces and that made it worse.

“He came back with a little Achilles problem and it made it worse in the game. He wanted to play and stay on and he couldn’t.”

[Blade]

http://www.dessosports.com/hybrid-grass

Cloney and Emirates have this hybrid pitch installed.

It's a very hard surface.

[Nos89]

Wenger has played a blinder in showing up his players lack of commitment to the club in this no captain lark.
Not one player stepped up to take the captain's armband. That's shameful.
Given the criticism Wenger has taken, he's simply left it to the players. Wenger continues to show his passion for the club but where is the passion from the players? For the first time in 20 years Wenger appears to not be protecting his players, because in fairness, he's taken the hits whilst the players continue to pounce about the pitch. Such a sad state of affairs.

[rodders999]

Wenger has played a blinder in showing up his players lack of commitment to the club in this no captain lark.
Not one player stepped up to take the captain's armband. That's shameful.
Given the criticism Wenger has taken, he's simply left it to the players. Wenger continues to show his passion for the club but where is the passion from the players? For the first time in 20 years Wenger appears to not be protecting his players, because in fairness, he's taken the hits whilst the players continue to pounce about the pitch. Such a sad state of affairs.

We've had the captains who all pissed off - Vieira, Henry, Cesc and JVP. We had the situation where chav Gallas, just in the door, was given the role over Gilberto one of the famed invincibles. We're now in the era of the non playing captain - Vermaelen, Arteta and currently the BGV.

Christ even Gibbs and Walcott have both worn the armband this season , the whole concept of the Arsenal captaincy is dead and buried. He may as well make Gunnersaurus captain and be done with it once and for all.

[Blade]

Asked if he could work with a sporting director, Wenger only replied: "I don't know. We play tomorrow against West Ham, and we speak about 2025."

Wow..

[rodders999]

The last time the club captain started a PL game for Arsenal was on November 22nd 2014 (Arteta v Man Utd)

[Retro Gunner]

Wenger has played a blinder in showing up his players lack of commitment to the club in this no captain lark.
Not one player stepped up to take the captain's armband. That's shameful.
Given the criticism Wenger has taken, he's simply left it to the players. Wenger continues to show his passion for the club but where is the passion from the players? For the first time in 20 years Wenger appears to not be protecting his players, because in fairness, he's taken the hits whilst the players continue to pounce about the pitch. Such a sad state of affairs.

Couple of points here :

1. If the Old Fraud has stopped protecting them, it's because at the moment, he's only concerned with protecting himself. Primorac, Bould, the players, Gazidis, the tea lady and the boy from the post room, will all end up under the bus if that ensures the continuation of Il Duce's reign.

2. One of the first rules of management (in any situation, not just a football club), is that the buck stops with you. You are responsible for those that report to you. If someone fucks up once, have an explanatory word with them, if they fuck up in the same way again, bollock them properly, but if they keep doing it thereafter, then it's your fault and it's weak / poor management. If, as you say, the players are "continually poncing about the pitch", it's the man who's paid 8 million a year that we should be looking at. I don't remember too much poncing about on the pitch at Old Trafford when Alex Ferguson was at the helm.

Likewise, Wenger reports to the board ( I know, I know) and they are culpable for his perennial failure. This is exactly why the Club is fucked, there is no effective management structure from top to bottom. It has become the feudal fiefdom of the deranged French demi-god.


Bottom line, don't buy the load of old pony being sold by the akb and the pundits. It is not the fault of the players, constant failure can't be their fault, whatever you or any of us may think of them....at it's heart it's the fault of weak and piss poor management.

[postmanPat91]

Fined for failing to nominate a captain for the second half against City

Any sanction for not having one for the last decade?

Stat on today's paper says Arsenal's actual captain has started something like 86 out of the last 280 games...in other words Arsenal's captains have been injured for 2/3 of all games in that period.

By totally devaluing the once great, proud role of the Arsenal captain he increased his own off field power and tightened his death grip on the club. That's dictatorship 101 right there.

Nobody to question him, nobody to challenge or overrule him on the field.

Wonder who'll wear the armband tonight? Tim nice but dim Walcott or Sir Flicks a Lot would be ideal. Someone beige anyway, fuck knows there's enough to choose from

I like back-heels and I can-not lie

[augie]

The last time the club captain started a PL game for Arsenal was on November 22nd 2014 (Arteta v Man Utd)

That cant be right can it ?