What my Dad’s Uncle told me about Wenger (4/11)

[gooner.ed]

http://www.onlinegooner.com/exclusive/index.php?id=822

usual thread starter… It’s a point that has been made before, and it’s as valid as ever. Last season though, we couldn’t even manage a runners up spot in the league or a cup, despite the situation before the Birmingham collapse. Wenger doesn’t help his chances of being thought a winner by sacrificing the FA Cup. Just wait for the anger this season if we go out of that fielding a weakened team.

[highburyJD]

hmmm
fergie's another 'nearly man' then - when his teams dont win they come 2nd

[g_man_london]

I dont think someone who has achieved 2 doubles....3 titles and other trophies can be classed as a nearly man....poor article with no backup...

yes we are hurt and yes we are emotional....but have a little faith....theres a long way to go yet...

just look at the sad state of affairs in N17

they drew against us...won against liverpool...celebrated like they had won the world cup and yet are still bottom

we have drawn and lost...in a 'DEEP CRISIS' and still fourth...in all competitions and 6 points from the top...

time to get real Arsenal fans....we will bounce back and be stronger than ever...

[xDAVEYx]

we have drawn and lost...in a 'DEEP CRISIS' and still fourth...in all competitions and 6 points from the top...

time to get real Arsenal fans....we will bounce back and be stronger than ever...

what you fail to mention is the level of teams we have dropped points at:

fulham - escaped relegation on goal difference last year
sunderland - last year, newly promoted, finished 15th
hull - nuff said
scum - bottom of the table
stoke - nuff said

we are yet to play a team - perhaps with the exception of everton - that are expeceted to challenge for european places, far less the champions league or the title. personally i dont feel the club is in crisis and i would suggest the term 'rough patch' is more applicable. at christmas i think we will know the extent of the damage that all our lack of spending, lack of steel, lack of depth and all those new arsenal clichés that hansen and lawrenson love to lavish on us in what i feel is a very liverpool-like situation.

i think the main point of the article is to highlight the reputation that wenger has OUTIDE arsenal and england where he is seen very much as a messiah of good football, of revolutionising the game and all those points again, that hansen and lawrenson love to lavish on arsenal when we're winning and winning well.

it is by no strech of the imagination, saying wenger IS a nearly man because that is a lie, he has won things and won things well. all that it is saying is that the man is fallible and is by no means the greatest football manager in the world.

i love the man, im young and i have known little more than wenger's arsenal. i have been spoilt by wonderful football, some epic contests at home and in europe, some lows and loads of highs and some epic bragging rights over my oldest friend who happens to be a spurs fan. but i know the man is not perfect, i know he is not the greatest in the world and i know he has a real ability to provide breathtaking football and results, only to fall at the final hurdle, the crunch if you will.

personally i think the article is provocative and therefore extremely effective, especially with regards to what wenger had at his disposal with the likes of the invincibles and the lack of silverware they attained. take nothing away from the 49 run, that was incredible, just imagine what red-nose might have achieved with those players....

[QuartzGooner]

He has won enough in England to not be called a "Nearly Man".

I do not think we can judge him as a stand-alone boss for the years 2004-2008, because the club diverted funds to the new stadium.

From this season on, will be a crucial period in his footprint on football history.

If by end of 2010 - 2011 season he has failed to win the League or Champions League his reputation will take a knock.

His legacy though, will be immense.

A talented squad of young players to come through for the next boss, and a new stadium and two training grounds, plus dietary and training revolutions throughout the game.

[Bring Back Pires]

I dont think someone who has achieved 2 doubles....3 titles and other trophies can be classed as a nearly man....poor article with no backup...

yes we are hurt and yes we are emotional....but have a little faith....theres a long way to go yet...

just look at the sad state of affairs in N17

they drew against us...won against liverpool...celebrated like they had won the world cup and yet are still bottom

we have drawn and lost...in a 'DEEP CRISIS' and still fourth...in all competitions and 6 points from the top...

time to get real Arsenal fans....we will bounce back and be stronger than ever...

Why the fuck would we want to compare ourselves to Tottenham Hotspur?

If you bothered reading the article that this thread relates to, you'll see that the author didn't even mention a 'deep crisis', so what you're waffling on about, I don't know.

As for the poster that referred to Alex Ferguson as a 'nearly man' - you're missing the point. In Wenger's ten Premiership seasons, he has won the league three times, and lost out eight times. He has a 27% success rate.

Since the Premiership was invented in 1992/93, Ferguson has had 16 years in charge. In that time he's won the league ten times, and missed out six times. So 63% of the time, he's won the league.

When it's 27% vs. 63%, I know who I'd refer to as the 'nearly man'.

[tony.macaveli]

Your's Dad uncle?? My grandmothers half sisters son in law told me Wenger was a winner. Who to believe??

[highburyJD]

my mums hairdresser told me Elvis lives in Catford

[6OONER PETE]

tony macaveli's grandmother's half sister's son in law obviously hasn't been watching Arsenal for the last three years.

[Lethal]

Eboue told me......

[jarodri2]

I have kids of my own and sometimes they play against the big boys.....on some days they are absolutely brilliant and win with a huge margin. Some days they lose.....but I realised long ago that they are still kids and like all kids they are still a long way from being seriously competitive.
Wenger needs to understand that there is a competition for kids ....no matter how good they may be, they will only show sporadic brilliance in the EPL, which is a competition for hardcore players. Arsene is suffering under the ALex Fergusson era, where SAF has acheived more than he has. So what does Wenger want???? He wants to be remembered as the manager who won the EPL with a bunch of kids.......like SAF did with Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Giggs etc etc etc....what wenger does not realise is although this is possible....it needs a lot of hair driers....which he does not have. And so in every transfer window he refuses to buy players who can promise to deliver.......he wants to be thrifty but we all know that in general one gets what one pays for..... players are expensive because they have proved their worth. If Wenger wants to still try his theory of winning with kids then good on him.....let him move to the kids section of Arsenal FC and manage the youth team. Win the Carling Cup and the FA cup and prove to the world that it can be done. Dont muck about with the EPL and Champions league with experimentation. The losers are going to be us!!

[tony.macaveli]

In fairness gooner pete we were very unlucky to lose the champions league in 2006 and did very well in the league last season and i dont care who's uncle says that proves wenger is a nearly man. We were all blown away by some of our play last season. The challenge now with united and chelsea's money means its probably the most difficult it has been ever to win the league. I personally believe we have the talent and things will get alot better

[djhdjh]

He was only a nearly man in France because his rivals were buying referees. The tag would be more appropriate to now. We have been one or two pieces in the jigsaw away from a great side for 3 years. Either way, he has been a great manager and will hand on an awesome legacy.