Wenger did not deserve the abuse from Arsenal fans – We will never again see the like

Arsenal fans have hurt our greatest manager ever... by Dan Smith

When I woke up on Friday, suddenly I felt very old. Like lots of my fellow gooners I grew up with Arsene Wenger. He’s a staple of my childhood. The man to provide me with so many memories. The idea of looking for a new manager is alien to me, the moment we become just another club, one who will now change head coach every couple of years.

My opinion on the ‘Arsene out’ debate has often been that it would only be when he left we would realise just what an amazing job he has done. How hard it is to work for such an unambitious board who refuse to spend like our rivals, despite us being one of the richest clubs in the world.

If there is any justice in the world, then we will now win the Europa League. A man who has given so much for over two decades deserves to go out on a high, not finishing 6th having been hounded out of the club. Arsene Wenger deserves to win the Europa League but I’m not sure some of our fans do.

Never again will we be managed by a man who can truly loves the club and yet look how some fans have treated the greatest manager in our history, they have been an embarrassment to all of us.
A man who loved us has been verbally abused, just so people could get a few Youtube hits or to make a name for themselves on radio stations.

A legacy forgotten as some fans had a black and white attitude, pointing out how many years have gone by without a title. Ungrateful supporters taking FA Cup finals for granted, something other teams envy us for. So no, some of my fellow gunners do not deserve a 4th trophy in five years, they hardly savoured those moments.

this is why in his statement this week he cited the wish that ‘we follow the values of the club’.
He echoed the same thing before the last FA Cup Final, saying he would never forgive the abuse from the stands.

I’m sure if he he knew that the day would come where banners would be held up opposing him he would have thought twice about the times he turned down some of the biggest offers in the game, a fear of leaving Arsenal in the lurch while we went through financial uncertain times. His loyalty was one way.

Perhaps he gets the last laugh. Maybe he goes to PSG or Real Madrid and wins the league with them. Then he can rub it in our faces while we are stuck with Brendan Rodgers but he’s too much of a gentlemen to ever do that, he loves us too much.

That’s what hurts the most. Someone who has shown us so much love you know will be hurting. Despite the face he puts on for the public, this is a man who’s life is football, he has nothing else. He will be hurting.

Be careful what you ask for Gooners – because now we have got it.

67 Comments

  1. After long trophyless seasons, back to back FA Cup followed, he really should have left then. He put his prestige and legacy on the line. He did not deserve all the abuse but he did bring it on himself.
    I wish him well in his future endeavours
    He was great for us while at it, so he deserves some good send forth

      1. I am really happy he is leaving, I was tired of him being our manager, I just feel for him

  2. Glad he will be leaving, sad it is on these terms, but he made his bed and must now lay in it.

    I do feel for him, I hope he goes elsewhere and wins trophies, but this is good for Arsenal.

  3. 100% agree. The media bleat and the morons follow. Arsenal are losing one of the greatest managers of all time and it’s because people in the media( you know the one,s not good enough to do the job but are intent n telling everybody how it,s done) have convinced the vocal minority that arsene must go. I truly wish these people will stay away from Arsenal in the future . They are not wanted or needed at Arsenal. Go support spurs they,ve won loads of trophies

  4. We won 3 FA Cups in 4 years…they’re called trophies dick head.

    And believe me this is not going to be good for Arsenal. We’ve signed several world class players in the last couple of seasons, 3 last season and not including Ozil renewing his contract. These players came to Arsenal because of Wenger and Ozil re-signed because of Wenger. Just how many of them do you think we will keep now mate? There could well be an exodus of players over the next couple of seasons and a lack of top quality players willing to come to the club. Hope you’re all really happy. We’ll wait and see who you turn on next and drive out of the club.

    1. Unless a manager like Allegri or another top manager steps in. You honestly believe we will no longer attract top talent without Wenger?
      What a baseless, biased, and untrue statement.

      I suppose you excused 8 years without a trophy under Wenger, but if new manager finishes in top 4 next year i bet you will complain. You’ll give Wenger endless excuses for underperforming, but new manager better deliver the quad next year, aye dick head?

      Besides, John, suddenly you are concerned about regressing next year with a new manager? Last year and this year regressing didn’t concern you?

      1. 7 F A cups,3 champion leagues , a whole season without loosing , not to mention
        charity shield wins, and a brand new stadium paid for, not bad for 22 years, that is a trophy just over every 2 years, think about, what have you achieved in the last 22 years

  5. Thank God he’s gone now. In his later years he was destroying what he had built. Good riddance

    1. You are a shame! I will like to know what you achieved in your life ever talk less in the last 4 years. Arsene is great…he will remain great but for you…..it’s obvious where you belong. You can as well go support Spurs…we know in how many finals they played and how many trophies they have won in the last decade. It is called zero!

      1. Here here! No understanding of football or any ability to ever put in context what Wenger did for AFC. Shameful plastics and kids who know nothing about global football finances or the history of our great great club.

  6. Please give it a rest…no doubt he was the one of the best manager we ever had till 2006. After that he was just a stubborn old fool who discarded the invincible squad and refused to change his ways!
    Don’t forget George Graham was successful before him and he left the best disciplined defence which Wenger built much of his success on him. Last Few years were completely wasted please save your emotions for next manager!

  7. Wonder what you will say if new manager gets us into CL, past round of 16. Or wins a PL title?

    Almost sounds as if you want new manager to fail reading your article. If Wenger went to one of the clubs you mention how long would he have lasted?

    Ancelloti at Bayern with his trophies didn’t last, Real and Barca change managers like people change knickers. Only at Arsenal would he last 8 barren years.

    Wenger was great for the Arsenal, our best manager. The club was great for him; paid kings ransom for decades with minimal pressure until last couple years.

    1. You are pointless. They don’t pay king’s salaries for nothing. The board will let you know what other boards are paying for the trophies they have. I respect Clubs values and what AW stands for.

  8. Yes Wenger is a true legend. He can only blame himself for this sort of exit. He was so stubborn an never changed the changes when it’s required. Until shifting to the new stadium he didn’t have a proper budget to invest in players and has to sell his best be players year after year during those years. Then comes the tour policy, core of British players and so on. Decline of a manager in Wenger started during those days. Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, Coquelin, Gibbs all are more of grandchildren for him rather than football players and he wasted more than a decade with his grandchildren. Never signed a proper defender and defensive midfielder. A bloody mistake he never wanted to correct. it is Wenger who said there are no outfield players available in the market and decided to sign checks only. It was him who decided to sign an injuried karlstrom on a six months loan. Fans patientily waited a decade for the change in signings which will take us to further heights and the result was negetive. Now after a decade long waiting only they decided to boycott the home games as a part of their frustration which was an eye opener.
    Now if Wenger signs for another club I am sure he’ll get the sack in a period of 3 to 6 months because of his stubbornness. If Arsenal is in his heart let him retire now before getting the next sack.
    Wenger cannot be compared to the successful reign of Ferguson because Ferguson stepped down as a EPL winning manager and this poor Wenger will be finishing 30 plus points below to the champions without CL football.
    In the end he’s a true football legend for his first half of arsenal years and that’s all

  9. Wenger chose this path. No point in feeling sorry for him. Lots of people do their job and don’t get thanked for it. They get what they deserve which is their remuneration.

    That’s exactly what he got and gave. He deserves respects yes but let’s not get carried away. He hasn’t said his piece yet and when he does there is no doubt that it will be someone else’s fault because let’s be true and realise this isn’t the dude that will be saying ‘sorry guys I ****ed this up’

    1. Please mate change your name and stop abusing Iwobi.Wenger is now gone and you already have found someone else to abuse…Pathetic

      1. Pires even YOU can not defend Iwobi after THAT performance today.Just face it He is useless and only Wenger could continue playing him.I hope he f**ks off with that Frenchman when he leaves

  10. If he was so honourable, why didn’t he resign five or ten years ago? Why wait till he knew he was going to be sacked? I tell you why, it was 9m he was getting. Good riddance

    1. I’ll never understand why fans ignore the fact these managers get paid millions every year. It’s hardly something to cry about. A decade of under performing, yet the pay rises continued. Spare me.

        1. so bringing up his salary is disrespectful? It’s the truth. Other comments telling fans who didn’t want Wenger that we should go support Spurs and we aren’t welcome, yet I’m disrespectful for not worshiping Wenger. He’s just a manager and Arsenal have had great ones before and we’ll have great ones after. Onwards.

    2. You are a shame! I will like to know what you achieved in your life ever talk less in the last 4 years. Arsene is great…he will remain great but for you…..it’s obvious where you belong. You can as well go support Spurs…we know in how many finals they played and how many trophies they have won in the last decade. It is called zero!

  11. Arsenal should sign Luis Enrique. Also we need a Proper DM. The shortlist for Wenger Successor should be reduced to 3 candidates. Enrique, Allegri and Simeone. The Next Arsenal Manager should be announced next month. Let us move on.

  12. Cry me a riveeeeer. Never forget he did not do things for free. And no one in the world is free from abuse and critisem. No one. Even god deserve hell at times for being a C…t to the world. So lets move on and focus on Atletico and let a dead horse be a dead horse.

      1. Why? For what he did a decade ago? He hung on to a job that he was not good enough for anymore due to his past success. Because everyone respected his past achievements so much, he got away with bloody murder in the last 10 years. He should have left 5 years ago after the FA cup. The fact that he stayed and pocketed almost 50M in the last 5 years while we slid from runner up, to top 4 to top 6 is criminal neglect by the board and senile ego by him.
        Now let’s clap him off the field with smiles and flowers while most of us will be whispering good riddance under our breaths.
        For one second imagine if he and the board changed their minds and he decided to stay, what would happen to this veneer of civility we are all showing right now.

        1. Mate. You said he should have left five years ago. Well so did the writer in the article. Read it again and read the sentence after it please….

          1. Mate my reaction was to your insistent demands for us to show some respect, which without looking at things with rose tinted glasses and a sense of nostalgia, he doesnt really deserve.
            If he had left on a high like Fergie did, if he had not way overstayed his welcome, then and only then would he get my respect. But after so many years of a downward trend and his inability to accept his failure to effect change, coupled with the fact that he did pocket 50M Pounds while we circled the drain leaves me with just happiness that he left.

      2. Respect out of pity is no good. I like him as a person but i wanted him out for the past years and his time has come at last.

    1. Be very very careful what you say mate. It’s not worth all the swearing and blasphemy on here. I mean, it’s only Wenger innit?

      1. I am fine mate, thx for the concern but as far as i see this i am in the right. Wenger is more to me then a man. I wish him well still and do hope that he will continue and spend his rest of his days in happiness. He is a legend and still has much to look up to. All the best and now lets look forward. With god will buyaka.

  13. Sure he did not deserve the abuse, just the £9M a year. The man brought it on himself, going on telling us how great 4th place is and how we should be happy with the “values” of the club..whatever those are. Glad he got sacked, another year of his mismanagement and we would have been on our knees fighting for 10th with Everton. GOOD BLOODY RIDDANCE!

  14. whats done is done. No it wasn’t a pretty end and the fanbase is still pretty fractured, but it was necessary change. Hopefully by start of next season we can get behind this new manager. I’ll be the last one telling people what to do though since I full well know I’ve been very Wenger Out for years and I have absolutely no regrets. Bring on the change!

  15. I don’t know why but this makes me quite emosh…. I mean don’t get me wrong I have wanted a new manager for a while now, but it is actually happening!! I’m not sure what to expect after. Wenger is all we’ve known for nearly 22 years!! That is a really long time.
    Yes there have been some glorious highs over the years & some devastating lows…. I just hope whoever comes in can take us back to those glorious highs!
    Thank you Arsene for the 3 league titles & 7 days cups & last but not least.. The Invincibles!!!
    Ooh to.. ooh to be.. ooh to be a gooner ?
    Love you Arsenal ❤

    1. Don’t worry Sue life goes on, we’ll bring in another manager and a new era begins. My first manager was George Swindin, an ex goalkeeper who had no success at all. Then came Billy Wright, an ex England centre half and captain, the first England player to receive 100 caps, a big name at the time but again, no success. After Wright, the biggest surprise of all, probably just as surprising as when Arsene Who? joint the club, this was Bertie Mee, previously the club physio. Everybody was saying, what chance have we got with a physio in charge. What followed was Arsenal first European trophy, the Inter Cities Fairs Cup, a competition that had a lot more prestige than the current Europa Cup and consisted of all the runners up in the leagues around Europe. Bertie Mee was suddenly looked upon as Arsene Wenger was after winning his first trophy. Straight after that the League and FA Cup double, so you can see how quickly things change. a few other managers followed with limited success until Bruce Rioch was surprisingly given the job for one season. Bruce got us qualification for the EUFA cup with a sixth place finish but without doubt his biggest achievement was the signing of Dennis Bergkamp then Arsene arrived. I think you know the rest of the story.

      1. Sorry about leaving out George Graham’s fantastic tenure before Bruce Rioch’s short stint. George was without doubt one of greatest managers if not slippery and a bit light fingered in exes department.

        1. Kenny, I’m glad you corrected your omission! Hopefully in the future George Graham (“Stroller”) will be forgiven for managing spurs and get the stature he deserves for his service as a player and manager for the Arsenal.
          As far as your reference to his taking a “bung” from a player manager on a transfer, from what I understand he was not the only manager at the time guilty of such activities, including others of high profile. It was a convenient excuse to sack Graham, when Arsenal’s performance was waining.

          1. To Ozziegunner, got the horrors when I realised I’d missed George out. wouldn’t expect any true Gooners like yourself to let me off such a bloomer and your absolutely right about a drink for yourself being common practise in those days. However as we know, Arsenal have always been a club with the highest standards but you can be assured that any other club in the country would not have sacked such a successful manager after such an event and to Sue, work to much in the Chelsea area of London to carry my colours although I’ve worn a club shirt on occasions after our many succeses.

      2. Cheers Kenny…. Yes life does go on… just a big change (even though it’s one that I’ve wanted for some time!!) Wow you’ve seen a lot of changes, and I love how you remember everything & tell it in such detail…what a true gooner you are!!
        Do you have any Arsenal gear in your black cab?!

          1. Sue, many people say that it was David Dein who done the business but I’ll remember Bruce, if only for the signing of Arsenal’s greatest ever player, Dennis Bergkamp

  16. we do not have to cry now. merci wenger, but your ideas were knew by our opponents, and a manager who only sits out matches and gets up to moan with the fourth officials means his days are gone. gooner = for ever

  17. Arsene made a rod for his own back, with his incredible early success. He won the Double in his second full season, for god’s sake. That made bandwagon “fans” jump on board. They believed our success up till ’06 was normal fare for Gooners. When it stopped these Playstation warriors wailed like kids who have had their lollies taken away. I started supporting Arsenal in the mid 70s and never seriously expected to see us win the league. When I finally did it was the miracle at Anfield in 89, which made it all the sweeter. But many new fans don’t know what it means to truly support a club. They’re not interested in the journey. They just want glory now. Arsenal had only won three titles in 45 years before Arsene’s arrival. He matched that in half a dozen years. Our first era since the 1930s was only sabotaged by the financial doping at Man Utd and Chelsea. The fact he made us competitive with them at all was extraordinary. Both clubs could and did pay players double the wages we could afford. History will judge Arsene Wenger much more kindly than these spoiled new “fans”. They have no idea about our history and what he actually achieved with us. Merci, Arsene. We older fans know what you have done for us. And we love you for it.

    1. Nige, as well as Arsene Wenger and Herbert Chapman, please don’t forget Bertie Mee and George Graham’s contributions to Arsenal’s record.

  18. the new manager will find it easy as our attack is strong….

    and the new manager would only have to strengthen the defense…that would depends on how much kroneke is willing to release the funds

  19. No true to say some of it was vile.
    But Wenger I sense has a bit of martyr in him.
    Through thick and thin he took the flack for players and the board, for that could have been one of the problems but also should be massively admired.
    I for one can’t wait to read his book! I hope it all comes out!

    Off topic for those on here that follow world football and particularly serie a I’ve just watched 6 in a row champions juventus get beaten at home for only the 3rd time in 54 games by the blue Arsenal, (I wish!) Napoli.
    Marizio Sarri for next Arsenal manager?
    Be happy for him to come and take some of the likes of hamksik, insigne, calleon, Mertens, jorghino and koulibaly with him!

    I can dream 🙂

  20. Mark my words though even winning Arsenal fans will also argue aggressively about something.

    When the new manager is appointed the arguing will start!
    Whatever type of manager is picked I feel people will say it’s the wrong one.
    But football is a fickle game if we start winning and keep winning well all start smiling again. Coyg!!!!

    1. It will take two or three managers later for Arsenal fans to completely leave AW behind, for shore the first one he will get a lot of stick if he don’t perform from his first half of the first game, good luck to who ever is going to manage us

      Regarding disrespect to AW from the fans, I have to say unrest started picking up very slowly years ago and he should of known five years ago when it was common knowledge that we had money in the kitty to buy or keep players or at least not to sell them to our rivals, he should of known that top four was not enough for us, he should of for the love of Arsenal get the board to splash the cash or threatened to leave, and he should of supported the fans which he fails to do for so long, he was not honest with us but we the majority still have a lot of respect for him a lot more then he thinks but it was time to say au revoir

      1. mourinho is currently the 3rd manager at man utd

        its takes time.to forget wenger and fans will.forget about him.with time

        1. John, although I have wanted Arsene Wenger to leave some years ago, I appeciate and respect what he achieved, particularly in his first 8 years as manager.
          I don’t believe that any Arsenal fan will ever forget Arsene Wenger’s contribution to the history of Arsenal FC.

  21. I think many of our fans live on Mars otherwise they would be seeing managers who flop regularly but they are not treated the way Wenger was being treated by some of our fans. Just yesterday Tottenham surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose to Man U in FA semi final at what is currently their home ground. There were no placards demanding Mauricio Pochetino leaves yet he has never won any trophy since he came. He has only been in top four twice and some of our fans label him a great manager yet they castigate Arsene Wenger who was in top four for twenty consecutive seasons on top of winning three EPL trophies, seven FA cups and seven Community shields. Despite Jurgen Klopp spending three Seasons at Liverpool he hasn’t won any trophy yet our fans are full of praises for him. What kind of double standards are those? Arsenal fans style up and stop a hate campaign against Arsene Wenger. Let us appreciate the good work Wenger has done and wish him well wherever he goes. Instead of wasting time on Wenger’s failings we should now be stressing our preference for the new manager and how he can be helped to succeed.

    1. The Spurs team now is significantly better than us on a relatively modest budget and with Pochetino making less than half of Wenger’s salary.
      You really can’t say anything g about them this year as they continue to build. The are finishing well above us and got to CL quarters with some impressive performances. They maybe a couple players away from been a legit title contender. In addition they are deeper than us ,better defense
      and do not need to rebuild 3/4 of the squad. This from a manager that is a legend?
      Wenger although able to attract some players does not have the ability to win anything substantial
      with the current team he build.
      As far as Liverpool since you mentioned it , they beat City 3 times this year!!
      How close to that did we get? And they are in CL semis.
      Sentimentality is sinking in with everyone and including me , we should all recognize Wenger’s
      contribution to the club the good and the bad!!!

      1. Let us cross the bridge when we get to it. It’s true Liverpool is in the CL semi finals, but let’s see how they perform before admiring them for that. Why don’t you mention Arsenal’s three FA trophies in four Seasons? How about Arsenal’s possibility of winning Europa and getting automatic entry into Champions League and perhaps winning the winners cup? Do you now see the folly of working on ‘ifs’? By the way when did Liverpool win a trophy last?

  22. @davidrusa
    Factually of course you make a very good point about spurs. 8 failed fa cup.semi finals is not good at all.
    I think it’s more the style of play, team spirit and ability to motivate on a shoe string wage budget and modern day acumen that fans like in Poch.
    But as you said success wise they’re lacking but also they’re coming, stadium built soon, revenue increased more money to spend on players and wages etc.

    1. If it’s being competitive on a small budget then Wenger did it from 2006-2013 and still remained in the top four. So where is Pochetino’s magic?

    2. Sure and now spuds will implode. Kane, Ali etc won’t be hanging around if they don’t pay the money. If they do then the won’t have funds to buy. Pochettino will go to Real. Spuds are no comparison, they are a decade behind Arsenal and as the financial demands kick in with the new stadium, it’ll fall apart. You could go back to any of Wengers 22 years and barely find a spuds team that’d compare.

  23. Not getting enough money back for the board for a second year in a row cost him his job, not fans.

    We haven’t lost this many games away from home under his reign, lack of DMF was big factor, in this.

  24. What are you on about? Arsenal seats are practically booked out but people are no attending. plus attendance is still considrred pretty high.

    I believe Arsenal asked him down because it was written in his contact that finishiny below 4th place woule automatically cost him the job. Statisticallt we were out a few weeks ago, it only make sense.

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