Lots of respect for Wenger as a manager but not half as much as I would have 10 years ago. He truly has become a footballing dinasour. Once the King of innovation he really has looked clueless for a while now.
Why didn't Wenger buy a world class centre back in the last 5 years ?
No one has mentioned how he ended up at a club that nearly had the same name as him. Surely that must have been the reason for his initial success.
Back in the 70's we nearly got Charlton Heston as general manager but when his NRA buddies couldn't get the contract for security he dropped the idea like a shot.
Behind SAF the greatest manager in English football history in my lifetime. Combined success with a great brand of football, loyal to an end and never stopped believing or working tirelessly. 10 titles in 22 years, not to mention all the other more individual achievements. Deserves to go out full of acclaim.
Arsenal missed a trick with such a flighty board that they did not work closer with him and offer him a DoF role when Klopp became available as he was the most natural replacement.
Arsenal fans will now find out exactly how green the grass ISN'T, most especially that thunderc**t Piers Morgan. No manager is irreplacable but some you have to replace very carefully and have to be willing to wait for the right replacement to become available, Wenger is one of those and I suspect he's picked this year to end it because he's fed up of the lack of support from more than just his board.
Name me a manager right now, on the market, who could ideally replace him and at least start to fill his shoes properly? Low, outside possibility, but he's not getting any younger and presumably they want continuity of a long-term successor. Next names I'm seeing on the list are Vieria (obvious neptomism), Arteta (wtf) and Dyche (great player developer but that job is simply too much expectation for him, will go same way as Moyes, if not worse).
Agree with all of this, but I will give you the name of a manager who could do a great job at Arsenal, though he is probably not a big enough name. (yet)
Marco Silva.
How big a name was Wenger when he took over? I'd never heard of him.
Behind SAF the greatest manager in English football history in my lifetime. Combined success with a great brand of football, loyal to an end and never stopped believing or working tirelessly. 10 titles in 22 years, not to mention all the other more individual achievements. Deserves to go out full of acclaim.
Arsenal missed a trick with such a flighty board that they did not work closer with him and offer him a DoF role when Klopp became available as he was the most natural replacement.
Arsenal fans will now find out exactly how green the grass ISN'T, most especially that thunderc**t Piers Morgan. No manager is irreplacable but some you have to replace very carefully and have to be willing to wait for the right replacement to become available, Wenger is one of those and I suspect he's picked this year to end it because he's fed up of the lack of support from more than just his board.
Name me a manager right now, on the market, who could ideally replace him and at least start to fill his shoes properly? Low, outside possibility, but he's not getting any younger and presumably they want continuity of a long-term successor. Next names I'm seeing on the list are Vieria (obvious neptomism), Arteta (wtf) and Dyche (great player developer but that job is simply too much expectation for him, will go same way as Moyes, if not worse).
Agree with all of this, but I will give you the name of a manager who could do a great job at Arsenal, though he is probably not a big enough name. (yet)
Marco Silva.
How big a name was Wenger when he took over? I'd never heard of him.
Exactly.
They don't necessarily need a big name, they need the vision to back someone who can lead the club forward in the same way that Wenger did.
For me, Marco Silva is a manager who will go right to the top in the game. He can be Arsenal's Pochettino.
Lots of respect for Wenger as a manager but not half as much as I would have 10 years ago. He truly has become a footballing dinasour. Once the King of innovation he really has looked clueless for a while now.
Why didn't Wenger buy a world class centre back in the last 5 years ?
I have a lot of thoughts on Arsenal as I have a few close mates who support them and used to sit on table full of em at work. I tolerate the club for my close friends, but deep down I think the whole set up has been a joke there for a longtime (relatively speaking before any of you point out RD).
By that I mean that as soon as David Dein left, actually, even when he was there, there has been very little accountability. The fact that Wenger did so well when he started led them to pretty much be run by him, and him alone. It’s all well and good when it’s going well, but I think all of us, even someone as great as Wenger have a blueprint that works and that blueprint will always be the thing you go back to. Some of you might argue it was the same with Man Utd and Fergie. But, Fergie saw the game changing a number of times in his time at Man Utd and responded accordingly. The one thing that didn’t change, and the one thing Wenger never had in a similar capacity to Fergie was that relentless desire to win at all costs, and it’s why Fergie could adapt.
Wenger’s brand when it arrived was revolutionary, but eventuallly as even the great Karl Robinson discovered when his trusted 4-2-3-1 stopped working, you can get found out.
I’m not doubting Wenger’s class, but any club, institution, organisation or business that has no accountability and is dictated to by the whim and the direction of one man who cannot adapt, will eventually fail or stop being as successful.
There are countless examples for me of what I see as a lack of discipline and ruthlessness that was needed to instil a bit of toughness in what actually was becoming a soft club, masked over by some very talented footballers who wanted to play the beautiful game.
I remember them beating Dortmund a few years ago in a CL group game away. This was in September and afterwards there were fucking selfies and celebratory photos for God’s sake. A CL group game, and you’d have thought it was the invincibles all over again. The year they came from behind to beat Leicester with a last minute winner at home, the season Leicester won the title. Again, celebrations like they were bringing home the trophy. Leicester, yes Leicester City went onto win the league that year. Not Chelsea, City, Liverpool or United. Leicester. If Leicester can win the Prem, then the excuses start to wear thin.
And there were tons of excuses toward the end. I sometimes wondered whether he believed the shit he use to spout about some of those players truly being good enough.
And for me the biggest joke was the arrogance of their football. They truly believed they could walk the ball into the net, and they were still playing this way with each year that passed, with worsening personnel. Fine to play that way under Henry, Pires & Viera, not the same with Welbeck, Xhaka and Ozil. It was arrongance beyond belief imo. No wonder his nose got put out of joint when the likes of Bolton and Stoke used to do them
And because they steam roll someone like Norwich at home 7-0 or something and Jonathan Pearce is cleaning himself with ott commentary, doesn’t mean you’re winners.
I think the most telling and sad statistic of a man that clung on far too long is that qualifying for the CL for the billionth year in a row and then qualifying for the knock out stages of the CL is the term that pretty much every reporter says when they mention Arsenal. For me that’s says it all. That’s how I think he’ll be remembered
That being said you don’t go 22 years as a manager of a club like Arsenal without deserving a proper good send off. I hope he gets that between now and the end of the season
Lots of respect for Wenger as a manager but not half as much as I would have 10 years ago. He truly has become a footballing dinasour. Once the King of innovation he really has looked clueless for a while now.
Why didn't Wenger buy a world class centre back in the last 5 years ?
I have a lot of thoughts on Arsenal as I have a few close mates who support them and used to sit on table full of em at work. I tolerate the club for my close friends, but deep down I think the whole set up has been a joke there for a longtime (relatively speaking before any of you point out RD).
By that I mean that as soon as David Dein left, actually, even when he was there, there has been very little accountability. The fact that Wenger did so well when he started led them to pretty much be run by him, and him alone. It’s all well and good when it’s going well, but I think all of us, even someone as great as Wenger have a blueprint that works and that blueprint will always be the thing you go back to. Some of you might argue it was the same with Man Utd and Fergie. But, Fergie saw the game changing a number of times in his time at Man Utd and responded accordingly. The one thing that didn’t change, and the one thing Wenger never had in a similar capacity to Fergie was that relentless desire to win at all costs, and it’s why Fergie could adapt.
Wenger’s brand when it arrived was revolutionary, but eventuallly as even the great Karl Robinson discovered when his trusted 4-2-3-1 stopped working, you can get found out.
I’m not doubting Wenger’s class, but any club, institution, organisation or business that has no accountability and is dictated to by the whim and the direction of one man who cannot adapt, will eventually fail or stop being as successful.
There are countless examples for me of what I see as a lack of discipline and ruthlessness that was needed to instil a bit of toughness in what actually was becoming a soft club, masked over by some very talented footballers who wanted to play the beautiful game.
I remember them beating Dortmund a few years ago in a CL group game away. This was in September and afterwards there were fucking selfies and celebratory photos for God’s sake. A CL group game, and you’d have thought it was the invincibles all over again. The year they came from behind to beat Leicester with a last minute winner at home, the season Leicester won the title. Again, celebrations like they were bringing home the trophy. Leicester, yes Leicester City went onto win the league that year. Not Chelsea, City, Liverpool or United. Leicester. If Leicester can win the Prem, then the excuses start to wear thin.
And there were tons of excuses toward the end. I sometimes wondered whether he believed the shit he use to spout about some of those players truly being good enough.
And for me the biggest joke was the arrogance of their football. They truly believed they could walk the ball into the net, and they were still playing this way with each year that passed, with worsening personnel. Fine to play that way under Henry, Pires & Viera, not the same with Welbeck, Xhaka and Ozil. It was arrongance beyond belief imo. No wonder his nose got put out of joint when the likes of Bolton and Stoke used to do them
And because they steam roll someone like Norwich at home 7-0 or something and Jonathan Pearce is cleaning himself with ott commentary, doesn’t mean you’re winners.
I think the most telling and sad statistic of a man that clung on far too long is that qualifying for the CL for the billionth year in a row and then qualifying for the knock out stages of the CL is the term that pretty much every reporter says when they mention Arsenal. For me that’s says it all. That’s how I think he’ll be remembered
That being said you don’t go 22 years as a manager of a club like Arsenal without deserving a proper good send off. I hope he gets that between now and the end of the season
Well put, i have always followed Arsenal. Dad is an Arsenal fan and i used to be until i started going Charlton regularly with my stepdad, when i was 12 btw. Well summarised there, they are a shambles and most of it is down to Wenger. I would say similar to Curbs to an extent with us, i have always felt when he left us he was part to blame for the following couple of years as left us alot of duds. Probably controversial on Curbs front.
He certainly stayed there too long but i'd hardly say they are a shambles. Won the FA cup last year, top 6 and in the semi's of the europa. Ok it's not what their fans would want but they're hardly heading for relegation.
A new manager needs to overhaul their defence (similar to what Guardiola has had to do at City) and buy a new keeper and a decent holding midfielder and they'll be on track again. They still have Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Mhkitaryan, Lacazette and Aubameyang.
Lots of respect for Wenger as a manager but not half as much as I would have 10 years ago. He truly has become a footballing dinasour. Once the King of innovation he really has looked clueless for a while now.
Why didn't Wenger buy a world class centre back in the last 5 years ?
I have a lot of thoughts on Arsenal as I have a few close mates who support them and used to sit on table full of em at work. I tolerate the club for my close friends, but deep down I think the whole set up has been a joke there for a longtime (relatively speaking before any of you point out RD).
By that I mean that as soon as David Dein left, actually, even when he was there, there has been very little accountability. The fact that Wenger did so well when he started led them to pretty much be run by him, and him alone. It’s all well and good when it’s going well, but I think all of us, even someone as great as Wenger have a blueprint that works and that blueprint will always be the thing you go back to. Some of you might argue it was the same with Man Utd and Fergie. But, Fergie saw the game changing a number of times in his time at Man Utd and responded accordingly. The one thing that didn’t change, and the one thing Wenger never had in a similar capacity to Fergie was that relentless desire to win at all costs, and it’s why Fergie could adapt.
Wenger’s brand when it arrived was revolutionary, but eventuallly as even the great Karl Robinson discovered when his trusted 4-2-3-1 stopped working, you can get found out.
I’m not doubting Wenger’s class, but any club, institution, organisation or business that has no accountability and is dictated to by the whim and the direction of one man who cannot adapt, will eventually fail or stop being as successful.
There are countless examples for me of what I see as a lack of discipline and ruthlessness that was needed to instil a bit of toughness in what actually was becoming a soft club, masked over by some very talented footballers who wanted to play the beautiful game.
I remember them beating Dortmund a few years ago in a CL group game away. This was in September and afterwards there were fucking selfies and celebratory photos for God’s sake. A CL group game, and you’d have thought it was the invincibles all over again. The year they came from behind to beat Leicester with a last minute winner at home, the season Leicester won the title. Again, celebrations like they were bringing home the trophy. Leicester, yes Leicester City went onto win the league that year. Not Chelsea, City, Liverpool or United. Leicester. If Leicester can win the Prem, then the excuses start to wear thin.
And there were tons of excuses toward the end. I sometimes wondered whether he believed the shit he use to spout about some of those players truly being good enough.
And for me the biggest joke was the arrogance of their football. They truly believed they could walk the ball into the net, and they were still playing this way with each year that passed, with worsening personnel. Fine to play that way under Henry, Pires & Viera, not the same with Welbeck, Xhaka and Ozil. It was arrongance beyond belief imo. No wonder his nose got put out of joint when the likes of Bolton and Stoke used to do them
And because they steam roll someone like Norwich at home 7-0 or something and Jonathan Pearce is cleaning himself with ott commentary, doesn’t mean you’re winners.
I think the most telling and sad statistic of a man that clung on far too long is that qualifying for the CL for the billionth year in a row and then qualifying for the knock out stages of the CL is the term that pretty much every reporter says when they mention Arsenal. For me that’s says it all. That’s how I think he’ll be remembered
That being said you don’t go 22 years as a manager of a club like Arsenal without deserving a proper good send off. I hope he gets that between now and the end of the season
He certainly stayed there too long but i'd hardly say they are a shambles. Won the FA cup last year, top 6 and in the semi's of the europa. Ok it's not what their fans would want but they're hardly heading for relegation.
A new manager needs to overhaul their defence (similar to what Guardiola has had to do at City) and buy a new keeper and a decent holding midfielder and they'll be on track again. They still have Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Mhkitaryan, Lacazette and Aubameyang.
Coquelin did well for us then went straight back into their team as the holding midfielder.
He fell out of favour and left, but has never actually been replaced. Indeed have Arsenal ever replaced Vieira?
From an English football point of view I would like to see Howe given an opportunity but it may be too soon without any experience or record of success at a larger club than Bournemouth.
Plus their muggy supporters will expect and want a bigger name than him and whoever gets the job is going to have them on his back if they don't immediately go a 10 game winning streak anyway. I expect they'll be looking for another manager after the next by Christmas.
Ah, Mr Wenger. Caused myself and the N17 lot 22 years of pain and distress (and counting...you watch them get a result against Atletico Madrid on Thursday!)
An absolute visionary and changed the face of English football forever. Training, nutrition, he brought the lot.
He pinched one of our best players on a free transfer. That took some proper balls. His team played the best brand of football bar anyone. The invincibles took the p*ss. Henry beating about 6-7 Spurs players, put the ball in the back of the net in front of the North Bank and then he ran 100m up towards the clock end to celebrate in front of us.
Titles. Doubles. FA Cups... so much pain!
Backed his players 100%, so much he didn't see their misdemeanours on the pitch, could never admit Spurs were the better side when we beat them 5-1 at WHL. He drove you bloody insane but there was always a begruding respect. We would have killed for a manager of his calibre.
As I've said on here before, I've almost felt sorry for him last couple of years for the amount of abuse he has suffered. Some warranted I know, some not so. He deserves an awful lot of respect.
Enjoy your send off Arsene, you deserve it.
(Would piss my pants laughing if he went to PSG and won the Champions League next season!)
If somebody wants to argue that 1 + 1 = 3 then it is pointless wasting your time on them. likewise it is pointless arguing with anybody who doesn't appreciate that Fergie and Wenger were the greatest managers in premiership history. He was a bad loser (a good trait in a manager) and was famous for what he didn't see! But he was well respected by all fans.
I recall when we lost 5-3 at Highbury and he was full of praise for us. The next season we went one better and won 4-2 there and he just couldn't bring himself to praise us. I liked that and it didn't lessen my respect for him.
Comments
They don't necessarily need a big name, they need the vision to back someone who can lead the club forward in the same way that Wenger did.
For me, Marco Silva is a manager who will go right to the top in the game. He can be Arsenal's Pochettino.
By that I mean that as soon as David Dein left, actually, even when he was there, there has been very little accountability. The fact that Wenger did so well when he started led them to pretty much be run by him, and him alone. It’s all well and good when it’s going well, but I think all of us, even someone as great as Wenger have a blueprint that works and that blueprint will always be the thing you go back to. Some of you might argue it was the same with Man Utd and Fergie. But, Fergie saw the game changing a number of times in his time at Man Utd and responded accordingly. The one thing that didn’t change, and the one thing Wenger never had in a similar capacity to Fergie was that relentless desire to win at all costs, and it’s why Fergie could adapt.
Wenger’s brand when it arrived was revolutionary, but eventuallly as even the great Karl Robinson discovered when his trusted 4-2-3-1 stopped working, you can get found out.
I’m not doubting Wenger’s class, but any club, institution, organisation or business that has no accountability and is dictated to by the whim and the direction of one man who cannot adapt, will eventually fail or stop being as successful.
There are countless examples for me of what I see as a lack of discipline and ruthlessness that was needed to instil a bit of toughness in what actually was becoming a soft club, masked over by some very talented footballers who wanted to play the beautiful game.
I remember them beating Dortmund a few years ago in a CL group game away. This was in September and afterwards there were fucking selfies and celebratory photos for God’s sake. A CL group game, and you’d have thought it was the invincibles all over again. The year they came from behind to beat Leicester with a last minute winner at home, the season Leicester won the title. Again, celebrations like they were bringing home the trophy. Leicester, yes Leicester City went onto win the league that year. Not Chelsea, City, Liverpool or United. Leicester. If Leicester can win the Prem, then the excuses start to wear thin.
And there were tons of excuses toward the end. I sometimes wondered whether he believed the shit he use to spout about some of those players truly being good enough.
And for me the biggest joke was the arrogance of their football. They truly believed they could walk the ball into the net, and they were still playing this way with each year that passed, with worsening personnel. Fine to play that way under Henry, Pires & Viera, not the same with Welbeck, Xhaka and Ozil. It was arrongance beyond belief imo. No wonder his nose got put out of joint when the likes of Bolton and Stoke used to do them
And because they steam roll someone like Norwich at home 7-0 or something and Jonathan Pearce is cleaning himself with ott commentary, doesn’t mean you’re winners.
I think the most telling and sad statistic of a man that clung on far too long is that qualifying for the CL for the billionth year in a row and then qualifying for the knock out stages of the CL is the term that pretty much every reporter says when they mention Arsenal. For me that’s says it all. That’s how I think he’ll be remembered
That being said you don’t go 22 years as a manager of a club like Arsenal without deserving a proper good send off. I hope he gets that between now and the end of the season
A new manager needs to overhaul their defence (similar to what Guardiola has had to do at City) and buy a new keeper and a decent holding midfielder and they'll be on track again. They still have Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Mhkitaryan, Lacazette and Aubameyang.
He fell out of favour and left, but has never actually been replaced. Indeed have Arsenal ever replaced Vieira?
Plus their muggy supporters will expect and want a bigger name than him and whoever gets the job is going to have them on his back if they don't immediately go a 10 game winning streak anyway. I expect they'll be looking for another manager after the next by Christmas.
An absolute visionary and changed the face of English football forever. Training, nutrition, he brought the lot.
He pinched one of our best players on a free transfer. That took some proper balls. His team played the best brand of football bar anyone. The invincibles took the p*ss. Henry beating about 6-7 Spurs players, put the ball in the back of the net in front of the North Bank and then he ran 100m up towards the clock end to celebrate in front of us.
Titles. Doubles. FA Cups... so much pain!
Backed his players 100%, so much he didn't see their misdemeanours on the pitch, could never admit Spurs were the better side when we beat them 5-1 at WHL. He drove you bloody insane but there was always a begruding respect. We would have killed for a manager of his calibre.
As I've said on here before, I've almost felt sorry for him last couple of years for the amount of abuse he has suffered. Some warranted I know, some not so. He deserves an awful lot of respect.
Enjoy your send off Arsene, you deserve it.
(Would piss my pants laughing if he went to PSG and won the Champions League next season!)
I recall when we lost 5-3 at Highbury and he was full of praise for us. The next season we went one better and won 4-2 there and he just couldn't bring himself to praise us. I liked that and it didn't lessen my respect for him.
Liverpool they wasn't