Arsenal went through a mini-crisis last season, with the contract uncertainty of Arsene Wenger, as well as all the players that were running down their contracts while ostensibly waiting to see whether Le Prof was still going to be manager after the summer. Wenger managed to pick the team up with a consistent run to the end of the campaign, and although we won the FA Cup we failed to reach the Champions League for the first time under Arsene.
The Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke is still happy that he went against the protests from Arsenal fans to remove Wenger, and instead offered him a new two-year contract, and the Silent One is still of the opinion it was the right decision although it was difficult to decide at the time. “Arsene is strong, he’s focused and I think he showed through all that,” Kroenke told the Daily Mirror. “We always evaluate, and it’s fair to look at all the factors involved.
“But when you make decisions like that, you are weighing lots of different factors, but you hope that you weigh them correctly and come out with the right decision. I think we did.
“It’s easy to change coaches and people do it all the time. But the hardest thing is to replicate success and remain competitive.
“You have to approach it with clear-headedness, calmness, thinking for the long term rather than the short-term.
“An easy answer is it’s easy to do something. It’s harder not to do something.”
After 21 years, we all know about Wenger’s long term thinking, but ultimately a lot of Gooners believe that we need a breath of fresh air breathed into the club as we don’t seem to be progressing season on season.
But now we are back up on the heels of the Top Four, with Ozil, Alexis and Lacazette clicking, was it the right decision by Mr Kroenke after all?
Sam P
We’ve had a generally good run of recent performance and luck lately. Let’s not get carried away with things beyond that. If we can keep the form as against Everton for a good run of matches, then start crowing a bit. Meanwhile, fans have had more than enough of Stan’s nonsense and he should really have the sense and even decency to STFU until he’s done something of real merit for improving the club. Re. Arsene, he has made a few good calls recently, but I continued to be puzzled by certain things like repeatedly starting Elneny at center back. Even if we desperately need rotation and players like Chambers and Bielik are not available, sending out a youngster who at least has years of proper training and suitable skills for that role would make more sense to me. If when we have more of our defensive backs available and less congested schedule if Wenger still keeps going to Elneny at center back I’m going to get a little pissed. And let’s not forget some of his very strange choices early in the season like sitting Lacazette & Kolasinac against Liverpool or playing Bellerin at left wingback. It’s a pattern going back for at least several years now, sticking players in strange situations that don’t ideally suit them.
Yeah like Thomas Vermaelen at Left Back…we all know how that turned out!
Vermalen started his career as left back….
Yeah…..it’s luck, 2 FA cups; 2 Community Shields – all in the last 4 seasons. Thank you luck. I hope you can switch over to Spurs where they play well and dont have luck to win a trophy in 9 years. Big investment zero trophies….
Luck as in playing Elneny at center back but having the good fortunate not to get killed by it, such as not getting a red card v Norwich. Luck as in opposing players missing great scoring chances. I’m saying Stan attributing our recent good results to the manager is not at all representative. And YOU switch over to Spurs, I’ve been following Arsenal for 40 years and have no plans to switch.
Wrong facts! Actually three FA cups, not two, and Community Shields are bogus trophies only, claimed only as silverware by pathetic fans clutching at straws for real silverware , and also by Mourinho, who probably counts his first swimming a width badge as a trophy. For the information of dullards: The Community Shield and formerly Charity Shield are just pre-season friendlies played at Wembley . If anyone actually thinks a one off pre season game can truly be classed as a trophy, they must also think Monopoly money is real money. It is not , so grow up, thickos!
@lexymal
When is the last time Arsenal got a draw at Berbabeu ?
The group of players and manager at Spurs as much as I hate to admit is significantly
better that what the mess at Arsenal is.
Arsenal will not win the PL as long as Kroenke is the owner.
…and/or Wenger.
so my comment was deleted after it was posted ,Shame we are not aloud to express our views ,but the writer is aloud to post utter crap on this website .nice 1 admin
Maybe Kroenke should consider question of how come we have one of the highest wage budgets in the PL when considering long term planning?????
For years we can’t sell players as we have some kind of socialism rather than meritocracy!
If we didn’t pay so much to players like Jenkinson, Coquelin, Cambell, Walcott, Wilshere, etc we could have actually renewed Sanchez contract at a time he would have signed the damn thing…..
Always hear that we don’t spend so much money but hey – we are spending lots on wages!
Who can truly say that Sanchez would have renewed his contract anyway? It’s my understanding that Sanchez has never stayed more than 3 seasons at any club. I doubt things would have been any different if we offered him a new contract after his first season. He probably would have still wanted to see how we did by the end of his second before weighing up his options.
We won’t know until the season ends, but as of now, it’s proving to be a terrible decision renewing Wenger’s contract.
1 – We’re already a whopping 9pts adrift of City, and it’s not even November! We’re also away to City very soon, which means we could 12pts off the top if we lose, and that’s likely given Wenger’s awful record against top teams, especially away from home.
2 – Played two, won none, scored no goals against top teams so far this season. Wenger’s poor record continues against top teams.
3 – Terrible transfer YET AGAIN! Issues within the squad not addressed, so problems roll into another season.
4 – Almost November and Wenger hasn’t once picked his strongest line-up! People may have thought that was it against Everton, but Xhaka shouldn’t be in the starting lineup, and proved it yet again with a costly mistake.
5 – Almost November and Wenger is yet to start a game with players in their natural positions.
6 – We’re yet to see any real change in tactics, and style of play. Just the usual relentless sideways/backwards passing.
Everything that I’ve mentioned is hardly a surprise, just you’re standard Wenger season so far!
…and what about team selection (Liverpool) and substitutions (Stoke&Watford)?
Why don’t you thumbs down explain yourselves?
But lets mentioned some positives – buying Lacazette & Kolasinac, Chelsea performance, Nketiah substitution, Nelson and away victories in Europa League with many youth players performing well.
We actually have ok records v Chelsea and v City lately. Spu turned the tables 1 v 1 lately and Liv we used to have a handle on but they are tormenting us lately and I’m not overly confident of facing Mours Manu. Anyway bring em all on.
I usually totally agree with your regulary realistic and refreshing comments and this one is no exception. You, unlike so many dreamers on this site, always get to the plain truth and call a spade a spade. Which it is, by the way! If i am being truly pedantic though, I might quibble with “we won’t truly know until the season ends ” etc. Personally , I knew as soon as the news he had signed it was released. We have known for ten years past and waiting for a few games after he signed, will not and has made NO difference at all to his unfitness to manage. He should not even be in charge of a whelk stall! Thatb some dullards on here still want him to stay, suggests either insanity OR that they are closet Spurs fans!
Wenger kroenke and gazidis out…
We will never win the PL again with Wenger and Kroenke in charge
There is nothing to suggest that the team has moved forward from the fiasco of last season. There are still issues that date back years which Wenger once again has ignored and carries on playing in a way that is boring to watch and doesn’t get results regularly.
There’s always going to be issues. If we win a title the following season will likely have issues, the one before the win will have issues, and even in the title winning season there will be issues right up towards the finale.
Yes. We have moved on from the fiasco of last season and have a new fiasco this season. That is almost guaranteed with Kroenke and Wenger in charge
Bulls**t evaluate evaluate on wat grounds its like we are the epl defending champions ooooh yeh we are top of champions league group topping epl with 12 points advantange …. As long us kroenke forget about ambition half our players have less than a yrs contract summer exodus on the cards and u r talking about RIGHT DECISIONS.
We all better get use to the Kroenke’s SNR JNR and what comes after them its clear that they are here to stay unless fans constantly protest against them and sooner or latter they will get pissed of and move on,
However do agree with Stan on one thing, there are better ways to earn Mooney then football, Stan can now sell his shares and walk away with 1.5 billion or more GBP he can generate 10% return on that money which is around 150 million GBP while his not earning anything now only the Value of the club is going up and i fear that what with the new prices and salaries of football players i can see a decline starting in a few years, so is he good for us in the future? only time will tell.
150 million a year*
If Reiss doesnt learn to defend
he will end up becoming a Ozil that doesnt defend
or
Xhaka who doesnt know how to tackle…
its good for his learning development to play as RWB too
The biggest load of dog sh1t ive ever read .the kid IS NOT A DEFENDER ..
No, he si not a defender. But modern football dictates the whole team need to defend, when the opponents have the ball, and this is exactly where Arsenal (Wenger) has failed for years. He doesn’t see it, he doesn’t require the players to work like that, and they are certainly not coached in defending in a proper way. Unfortunately, you can also see it in our youngsters.
Spot on comments and we all know why they are true; because in Wenger we have a manager in charge who has a phobia about the word defence. He has never coached it (and has no idea how to ). For many years he relied on the George Graham defence who DID thoroughly know how to defend BECAUSE they were coached intensely day after day, year after year, by a manager who understood, like Mourinho and Pochettino also do, that defence is a crucial part of winning games. Remember how Grahams side defended a one -nil lead for seventy minutes against a far superior Parma side in 1994 to win the Cup Winners Cup, even without key players and Ian Wright esp. They COULD DEFEND. All I can credit Wenger for is prolonging the careers of Adams, Bould, Keown, Dixon, Winterburn by his ,THEN, new and visionary dietary and stretching exercises, which the world and it’s dog have long since copied and overtaken. Oh, and he brought Sol Campbell to the club and we won the title, as ancient history books prove in print. A manager who dismisses defending, as Wenger has done for well over a decade, is and can only ever be half a real manager.
Expect him in goal and Weed Walcott as CDM next week. With Wenger anything , except true success, is possiible!
Take it or leave it We will never win the PL again with Wenger and Kroenke in charge, I will continue saying it. Football improved every season and each team improved every season but arsenal team Neva improve at all not to mention competing for major trophy . wneger and Kroenke is a scarm. I don’t disturb my self again on arseanl game so I don’t watch our again.
Kroenke is a scumbag who came to Arsenal to make money and for no other reason. He will not leave whilst he continues to do so. He does not care about success as we see with the continued failure of every one of his clubs. So long as fans buy shirts and tickets and Sky hand over money he is going nowhere.
Whilst Kroenke is at the club Wenger is going nowhere either as he is a good corporate man.
Ivan! Great comments BUT YOU HAVE A RATHER UNLOVELY NAME FOR A GOONER! Ever though about changing it ? Maybe Dennis, Thierry etc. If I had a moniker shared by that creature Gazidis, I would be down the solicitors signing a deed of name change, in a heartbeat
That thing Gadzidis does share my name and I hate it but what can you do! This is why I only refer to him by his surname.
As for Gadzidis himself I just wish he would f*#k off. Unfortunately like Kroenke and Wenger he will go nowhere whilst he is able to help himself to vast sums of money from the Arsenal fans and of course Sky.
I owe you an apology as I was of course teasing you but did not make that clear. I have a female friend named Myra who has always hated it because of Myra Hindley, the murderess, now dead, which is equally irrelevant. Clearly the ghastly Gazidis has nothing whatever in common with you( except your first name, which is of course, not relevant) I was wrong to tease you and I apologise. However it is re-assuring to see that you share the revulsion of practically all Gooners against the ghastly GAZIDIS. In any case, first names are used mainly for friends talking to each other. On that basis GAZIDIS , having no friends among Gooners, has NO first name and deserves to be called by his surname , which is smarmy, lying, snake oil salesman Gazidis. I actually always think of him as “the creature”.
As usual there is a distinct lack of specifik sporting goals from Kroenke. Because what is “success and being competitive”. Before that is established, you can’t really evaluate Arsenal or Wenger.
If you think Arsenal first and foremost should be a contender for the PL title, Arsene and the team are failing big time. We haven’t been close for years, and this year we look to be even further away.
If you think it is succes to contend for the PL places around no 4-5 and adding a cup win regularly, we are doing just fine.
Personally, I am for the first bit, and I think it is proven Wenger can no longer bring that.
AGM taking place now and will be interesting to know the outcomes, if any.
We were destined to me a mid level team with Kroenke in charge, based on all his other teams, and that’s exactly what we are. Kroenke can deliver all the Blue Sky thinking he wants, but actions speak louder than words.
Of course they do, esp when all the words are LIES!
It is rather unfortunate that us fans suffer from not winning any major trophy over the years.What Leicester did was just one off, it will not happen for the next few decades.Football is all about investment, to win u have to invest well with some luck.Everton did look at where they are now.We are not at the level of Real, Barca Manu u name them.The big clubs invest heavily and still get some return on their investment.Arsenal will not spend like city or chelsea or PSG.We will go down like Leeds.Let us be honest with ourselves,if u were the owner of this club u will never sack Wenger.He brings u lot of money year in year out.
Actually any owner wanting to grow the business would take a long term view and as the world’s 6th richest club would likely demand competitiveness in the EPL which would put Wenger at risk.
Sadly we have an owner who has put nothing in the club and just wants to maximize the money he can take out even though the club slowly deteriorates.