THE WENGER THREAD

[the playing mantis]

Hang on has wenger actually signed a contract extension yet? I think he's gonna move on at the end of the season. PSG or the french national team might be tempting. He's clearly in need of a new challenge and how often can he live the groundhog day that has been the last 6 seasons.

hopefully with pelligrini winning his first trophy in 10 years it can inspire wenger to achieve the same.

No way. It's signed and sealed. Ivan said as much. They just delayed announcing it as they thought they would do on the back of some ' fuck you' wiv success. They were as dumb as the akbs as it's gone pear shaped since and they are scared to announce it for now. Should we scrape fourth they will paint it as a success and do it on the back of that. Should we get fifth, they will claim he's signed to get us back where we belong.

[1989]

No. Gazidis said and I quote, "Wenger will be extending with us". He didn't mention anything being signed.

Source here: http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/16946 ... al?cc=5901

[p206ab]

Tomas Rosicky: “Arsene Wenger wants me to stay, he wants our co-operation to continue. I want to stay."

Rosicky to PSG too?
Three more years, three more years...

[remigardeshair]

Since we last won a trophy - liverpool (three times), wigan (twice), birmingham, west ham, portsmouth, cardiff(twice), stoke, spuds (twice), sunderland, swansea and bradford have all been in finals. we made two.

Without wishing to be pedantic, we've been in three.

And don't forget, none of the clubs you mention have ever won the Emirates Cup (winky winky)

[I Hate Hleb]

good balanced article from the Graniad - which also makes a mockery of Wengers "we always finish strong if you look at the stats" lie :

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... sean-ingle

"The impression of Arsenal withering under pressure, of allowing another title to slip away, is unfair. That does not mean their fans' frustration is not understandable, given the price of season tickets and the lack of trophies. Their club has turned into the equivalent of the speed dater who repeatedly gets told he has a nice personality but ends the night without a phone number."

[clockender1]

Since we last won a trophy - liverpool (three times), wigan (twice), birmingham, west ham, portsmouth, cardiff(twice), stoke, spuds (twice), sunderland, swansea and bradford have all been in finals. we made two.

Without wishing to be pedantic, we've been in three.

And don't forget, none of the clubs you mention have ever won the Emirates Cup (winky winky)

how'd that Emirates cup go this year ?

i forgot about Paris - so the mickeys have been in FIVE to our three, if you include Europe....

[clockender1]

Hlebby- the next time an AKB talks about us being top this year is progress - staple this to their bottom lip face up :

This season they led the league almost continuously from mid-September to late January. But that run, albeit impressive, was misleading. As Prozone's Omar Chaudhuri points out, the Gunners have had the easiest schedule in the Premier League, based on the average points per game of their opponents, adjusted for home and away fixtures.

[remigardeshair]

I guess a Champions League final against Barcelona is easily forgettable compered to a League Cup final against Birmingham

[DB10GOONER]

Hlebby- the next time an AKB talks about us being top this year is progress - staple this to their bottom lip face up :

This season they led the league almost continuously from mid-September to late January. But that run, albeit impressive, was misleading. As Prozone's Omar Chaudhuri points out, the Gunners have had the easiest schedule in the Premier League, based on the average points per game of their opponents, adjusted for home and away fixtures.

One of the best (for "best" read "funniest") defences of Arsene on here was the one that went something like "we won 5 games out of the last 6 - that's title winning form!" This was of course after we had blown any chance of winning that year's title and were possibly something like 18 points behind the winners.

Can't remember who it was but I think I eventually banned them for WUMing... maybe Iceman?

[DB10GOONER]

I guess a Champions League final against Barcelona is easily forgettable compered to a League Cup final against Birmingham

I dunno...

I mean there were similarities after all - it was a stupid fucking goalkeeper that ultimately fucked us in both...

[clockender1]

I guess a Champions League final against Barcelona is easily forgettable compered to a League Cup final against Birmingham

i'm in denial about it - 1-0 up with 17 minutes to go against Barcelona in the European Cup Final with only 10 men and we keep the World's Greatest Player on the bench while Barca bring on a past-it has-been taken-on-a-free-from-celtic Larsson ....

Imagine if we'd bought Bergkamp on for Freddie or Hleb while we were 1-0 up and he'd scored or put TH14 in...

but no Wenger waits until the 70th minute, swaps Cesc for Flam. Barca score two and THEN wenger pulls Hleb for Reyes when we're 2-1 down with minutes remaining.

i should of realized then that we were doomed to failure. weak, meek and reactionary rather than proactive, no change in tactics, hoping to hang on rather than looking to hit them on the break with pace.

that decision to keep Hleb on rather than pull him for Bergkamp and play Freddie out wide to protect the wingback, haunts every big game we have.

i'm just going off to have a little cry now. thanks.

[Lee1]

My doomsday scenario - Ozil (who I don't think wants to be here) fails, Wenger signs new contract - the spending big project evaporates with a smug gallic 'told you so' and we look forward to a further era of spend small/nothing on utter *****, ripping the fuck out of the fans and 'virtual' bollocks. Rest my case, I thank you

[monkswell]

Just to spell it out, here's what AF won in the second 9 years of his reign (1995-2004) -

PL titles 6, FA Cups 3, Community/Charity Shields 3, CL titles 1, Intercontinental cups 1 (Total 14)

And in his last 9 years (2004-2013) -

PL titles 5, League Cups 3, C/C Shields 4, CL titles 1, World Club Cups 1 (Total 14)

Now If AW's third 9 year total also matches his second 9 year total.....

[g88ner]

I guess a Champions League final against Barcelona is easily forgettable compered to a League Cup final against Birmingham

i'm in denial about it - 1-0 up with 17 minutes to go against Barcelona in the European Cup Final with only 10 men and we keep the World's Greatest Player on the bench while Barca bring on a past-it has-been taken-on-a-free-from-celtic Larsson ....

Imagine if we'd bought Bergkamp on for Freddie or Hleb while we were 1-0 up and he'd scored or put TH14 in...

but no Wenger waits until the 70th minute, swaps Cesc for Flam. Barca score two and THEN wenger pulls Hleb for Reyes when we're 2-1 down with minutes remaining.

i should of realized then that we were doomed to failure. weak, meek and reactionary rather than proactive, no change in tactics, hoping to hang on rather than looking to hit them on the break with pace.

that decision to keep Hleb on rather than pull him for Bergkamp and play Freddie out wide to protect the wingback, haunts every big game we have.

i'm just going off to have a little cry now. thanks.

Are you being serious?

1-0 up, backs to the wall and down to 10 men with 17 minutes to go against Barcelona in the European Cup Final and you would have taken off a hard working midfielder (Freddie) and put on a 34 year old forward and played 2 up front?

Really?

If we'd done that and we'd gone on to lose, you'd be here saying it was the worst decision in history and proof that Wenger's an idiot for being so reckless when we had a chance of winning. I'm sure you would! - and if you wouldn't say it, most people would!

[northbank123]

Also I imagine if he would have put TH14 in he'd have fluffed it. Again.