Arsenal FC’s FA Cup defeat was a blessing in disguise… by ED
Crashing out of the FA cup, I believe, will serve as a blessing in disguise for Arsenal. The reality of the situation is that we are no longer in competition for any major piece of silverware… Yes we’re out of Champions league, the game at the Nou camp is merely a formality, putting 3 goals passed Messi and co, now that’s delusional!!
Point being I, for one, have had enough of the ‘season of false hope’, just because of a slightly strong finish in the Premier league towards the end when mathematically it became impossible to win it and we were playing for nothing. Because we won the FA cup it had us thinking that we could consider ourselves back as a dominating force in not only the Premier League, but European Football as well. The loss against Watford – although I was gutted, I am glad at the same time, because questions are going to asked, namely ‘why when we were in such a strong position at the beginning of the season did it end up so bad’ and, secondly, ‘with a year remaining on his deal is it really worthwhile keeping Wenger on?’
I said under Wenger we’ve flat-lined, a problem people who got caught up in the nostalgia of winning the FA cup can’t see for some reason. The thing is, the only reason we won the FA cup twice is because we had already screwed up our season twice by that stage. We were pretty much out of Champions league, meaning the only plausible bit of silverware was the FA cup, yet we celebrated it as if it where the opening of a new chapter for Arsenal, despite the fact that clearly we had been unable to perform in the Premier league at all and showed absolutely no sign of any improvement the following season.
I can guarantee you with the highest degree of certainty that the exact same thing will happen to us again next season should Arsene still be at the helm. But the one thing I will never understand is why some people refuse to believe this, it seems to me as if most people on this site may genuinely have ‘Stockholm syndrome’, because the fact that you say ‘in Arsene we trust’ despite the fact that the last 6 six seasons (I’m talking about the premier league only) have been a complete and utter catastrophe and in which he has done nothing but; completely ignore fans frustrations; fail to address squad needs on numerous occasions; ignored the advice from other footballing experts, and yet you still want him in a job. Quite literally the irrational feelings of affection despite being taken on the biggest ride of your life in which you have absolutely no say in where the team is going (being held captive) is the literal definition of the illness.
Eddie D
Arsene Wenger being sacked is the only blessing. Until then, nothing is positive. Yes, we may get a win here and there but overall the man is a total failure. TRUTH
I’m for a change now but who can we bring in as a manager all the good ones have gone or promised, unless we forgive Jose Mourinho, his first trip will be to the Arsenal Bank to make a huge withdrawal to buy all the best and expensive players in the planet and then destroy them after one season,
Diego Simeone?? but the board don’t want anyone aggressive or spender so it could be Steve McClaren?? he says yes to everyone, Sir Alex Ferguson looking a bit board in the stands???
Kroenke has said that earning money is more important than winning trophies as a majority share holder in arsenal, and thus wenger or other managers in arsenal will not get the title-aiming spending pants from the board. I still think wenger is at his end as arsenal manager, but it won’t change a thing until we get a board with ambition in sports rather than profit. With such a mentality, kroenke is killing the club, and I can’t be arsed to watch arsenal anymore. Same s#it, different season. Wenger had to be tight on the money due to Emirates before kroenke – now wenger has to be tight on the money because of kroenke. Wenger out? Nah… nothing will change for the better for as long as kroenke is a majority shareholder
you may have a relatively Low transfer fund Like Norwich’s…….. But a board as greedy as Arsenal’s…… Yet still go on to perform excellently like the foxes
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It all Lies with the nature of players, how the ball is kicked and tactics used
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We need a complete overhauL…..Board to Wenger to players!
That there is hopeful at it’s most. If that were really true well then we would have seen spu win titles. We would have seen sou wham cpal liv etc etc etc go on and show all that you need is hard graft and tactics. Wake up man, your anger for not seeing the success you want at Arsenal is clouding your judgement. It has been for years.
Following Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat at home to Watford, wenger said the continuing debate over his future at the club “is becoming a farce”.
He added: “What is going on at the moment is very, very difficult to take for the players, but judge us at the end of the season.
“We have come to the end of a very, very long run in the FA Cup, so it is very sad, but we want now to focus on the next game.”
“Arsenal has lost games before in history and we will lose again in the future.
“We will stick together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with complete belief.”
He also insisted: “Supporters stand behind the club and we want to fight until the end of the season for every single game.”
WORDS WON’T SAVE U THIS TIME Mr Wenger!
The axe fall on u…
Positives can’t dwell where there are a million Negatives
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Just Like “Light” and “Darkness” can’t agree!
Would a new manager really make a difference if Kroenke still owns the club? I think we’ve got the wrong man running the club and as long as he’s there i have a feeling the new manager, whoever he is, has to work within those limits. Pretty sad how much the fans are being taken for granted.
Wenger will leave anyway at the end of his term the latest. However, nothing will change as long as Kroenke will be the majority owner. The next manager will have the same restrictions and honestly, who wouldn’t want to be manager in a club happy to stay in EPL and make a $hit load of money? In the next 5 or so years Arsenal will win even if it finishes outside Europa places north of 100 million tickets, merchandise and sponsorship not included. Get used with it. But hey, maybe we will pull a Leicester, who knows. Or god forbid, a Tottenham.
@Budd
Whilst I agree that Kroenke is huge problem as well as Wenger, and that our next manager may face the same financial restrictions, one has to acknowledge that even with these restrictions, Arsenal are still better off than almost every other club in the premiership and have one of highest wage bills in the world. My point being, I think we can still be successful within these restrictions, just look at Leicester, West Ham and to some extent, Tottenham. These clubs are really punching above their weight, and in regards to the first two clubs I mentioned, they cannot compete at all with Arsenal on a financial level. Given the quality within our squad, one has to ask why Arsenal never punch above their weight!
None of us are privy to exactly what goes on in the board room, and what Wenger has been told in terms of a transfer kitty, we can only go on facts that we know. So we know Kroenke’s primary ambition is profit over success, which means Wenger didn’t have as much to spend as we all thought, but I don’t believe for one minute he was ONLY given £10 million to spend in the summer and nothing more. I don’t know that for sure, just my opinion, but that would be less than Bournemouth, I just cannot believe the kitty would have been that low. Another fact we do know is that Wenger is very loyal to his players, and ideally doesn’t want to get rid of any of them. Look how long he hung onto Diaby for example. Because Wenger didn’t want to sell, it meant extra funds from transfers were not incoming and wages were not being freed up, making life much harder for himself during the transfer windows. I feel it has been Wenger’s faith in his players that has been the real issue over the last six transfer windows, but yes, Kroenke is a major issue as well.
i think the whole world knows whats going on at Arsenal,
lets not forget AW academic achievements( undergraduate degree at the faculty of engineering and took a master’s degree in economics from the University of Starsbourg ) basically he knows his shi7 when it comes to economics so his not the village idiot and knows exactly whats going on and equally guilty with the board if there is a blame
YWenger did not get a single outfielder last summer. Kronke wasn’t responsible for that. That was sheer negligence or stupidity by Wenger. No top team in Europe did that. Even knowing that Welbeck would be missing half the season, Walcott was unproven CF, no back up to Coquelin, he didn’t get a single outfielder let alone a striker or DM.
Wenger’s stubbornness and arrogance and inability to change in a over a decade has been the cause of us not winning the Pl in 12 years
Defeat was a blessing. The 13/14 cup win papered over the cracks, last season’s victory papered over a giant chasm, and a cup win this year would have just papered over a super massive black hole!
Wenger has no paper left, and finally, some of his staunch supporters can see the truth.
You cant say success papers over the cracks of lack of success. I know you are talking about two different comps but the objectives are to win titles. The FA cup is one such title and we are the all time holders, you using it as a stick to beat Wenger with when he wins it and using it as a longer stick when he loses is double standards.
Either the FA cup meant nothing to some fans or else it did. If it didn’t, and you were belittling the achievements, well then you have no right to feel upset about losing it after the third season. Wenger himself picked up on this a couple of weeks ago when he heard AFC fans belittle it, he mentioned something that amounted to contradiction.
Your bang on the money there, while Kroenke is in charge we are F@cked
he is quiet literally killing the club as a sporting entity and noone is able to do a damn thing about it.
Wenger though is complicit in this as he should either stand up and say “I dont wanna just coast through to fourth spot, I want to win!!!” or he should just resign and expose the whole rotten mess but he does neither he lies like a log and blows smoke up all our ar$es with his attitude and implacable stubbornness.
the only way it may lurch in the right direction is if there actually was a home match boycott but the majority of our glassy eyed fans are niether true supporters or are just ground down by all the Bull$hit.
It sickens me that a true great of footballing culture is being run in the way it is one can only hope that something very fatal and unfortunate occurs with silent stan and the board as a whole, but I dont think given our “luck” as wenger calls it that this will happen either
If Arsenal manage to throw Barcelona out of the champions league, but don’t win either the EPL or UCL, what would you think?
A. Losing to Watford and losing the title to Leicester / Spurs still remains unforgivable. Thumbs up
B. We made Barca look like amateurs and that’s enough for me! Thumbs down
What would be the point of beating Barcelona if in the next round we bottle it against ie. Wolfsburg?
On the Moneyball!
Au Revior AW.
Most fans are missing the point here!
The club doesn’t have to spend billions to win the premier league, We just need a manager that knows what his doing!
Wenger has stagnated, He is like an old comedian,
Who has been telling the same old jokes,for over a decade!
@fatboy……… Exactly what i’m saying……… Give this kitty no matter how low it is….. In the right hands, it could buy u gems . Coupled with the method and tactics used on the pitch….. Expect to Explode!
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But they all think it’s all bout the money!
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They never wanna Listen to reason
No,Gents…. we do get it honestly. It’s not some quantum physics theory your offering up here!
Leicester City, their manager, owner and team have proved what is achievable with a good plan (manager), the right players to execute (in their natural positions) and a desire to succeed (Thai owners , the manager and through to the players).
Leicester city is Leicester city, there has only ever been one time this teams name came up in these arguments. But now you would have us believe its really this easy, well then why haven’t we seen it before. People should not be jumping to leaps of faith because of Leicester.
Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers
To name 3 that came up through the leagues in UK to win the top prize. Has happened happened Italy an Spain too before talking about other sides who weren’t newly promoted to the top division.
Did I say it was easy or a frequent occurrence? No.
Does it make a mockery of Wenger and th financial excuse? Yes!
Not Clever, Trevor!
When I said “we” I do actually mean us the fans. If I had known you were going to go way back in time to scour for an a odd tit bit? Well then I would of asked you to gather some info on Arsenal, and what we were like in the many bad times, so I could then use it to defend Wenger. I’m scratching my head to think why you do not use the same boundaries when being judgemental?
Your answer amounts to the equivalent of ..Well people have won the lottery before, so that makes my chances?
No sense their Trevor .
Fact remains Leicester with less resources in the period of 2 years Are doing more than what Wenger has achieved in 12 years (aka PL champs).
Keep the rose tinted on though.
i hope to see the black veil lifted over you when the time comes……… And u will be like “Budd reborn” L()L
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Until then, continue deluding urself
Nursery rhymes remix!
This old man… He played 10,
He tried to play tic-tac…. but failed again!
with a knick knack paddy whack,
give a Gooner … a bone (Premier league trophy!)
This old man … Isn’t leaving home!
Absolute Nonsense!
I knew this article will come up immediately after
Arsenal’s disgraceful loss to watford.
What happened to winning a double? (Epl and fa cup) we have done in the past.
Top teams win 2,3,4 major trophies without them giving excuses of one competition disturbing another.
Why do we always deceive ourselves that crashing out of a competition is a good thing?
Crashing out of the fa cup on sunday,and inevitably the ucl later this week is no gurantee to win all our remaining matches and become epl champions.
A lot needs to change in arsenal to make us the ‘top club’ we are practically.
We are arsenal!!!!! We can win doubles, trebles.
Hopefully we will in the near future, but first things need to change atthe club, from top to bottom.
Wenger leaving would be a step in the right direction. Even with this same squad I would think there are modern day managers who could do better.
(Simeoni, Joachim Low (?), Koeman, Ranieri (did better with a lesser squad but will be loyal to L City), De Boer, Bilic.
You don’t need a big buying fund to get players that want to play, you need a good manager to cultivate them, encourage them, to bring out the best in them and to coach them and I am sorry Arsenal do not have that person at the minute. Being an Arsenal supporter for 42 years I am afraid this is it for me, wenger has wore me down and I have hung up my red and white scarf. Yesterday was the last result I could take. It’s over till he goes. The rubbish I heard him come out with this morning has put the nail in the coffin for me. I have to agree with Scholes when he made the comment about Arsenal celebrating a 4th place and a FA Cup win he didn’t want UTD to do the same. No ambition, no strategy, no fn hope. I am done.