The everlasting question which has been on every Arsenal fan’s mind this season is whether Arsene Wenger will extend his contract this summer, and a neutral has kindly offered his opinion on the subject.
I have heard many Arsenal fans call for Arsene Wenger to leave the club this season, as well as seeing the banners being held up for all to see during the live matches, and I cant help but think that these fans have expectations beyond some realities.
One fan even claimed to have been a fan for 15 years, and was insisting that Wenger’s reign was simply unacceptable, which I had to laugh at. My team were never challenging for the Premier League title when I began to follow them, and the joy I would experience when they would reach an unlikely cup final was immense, so I’m sorry if I don’t feel any remorse for a fan who only followed a team when they were one of only two top sides challenging year on year, before enjoying an unbeatable Invincibles campaign in only his third term of supporting the side.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not disagree with those fans who call for change, as the running of the club does appear strongly for business purposes, instead of for the fans and the glory as Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City seem to be focused on. The reason I don’t believe Wenger should be that change however, is simply that he is doing as he is asked, and meeting the club’s realistic expectations.
Every summer, each club’s board of directors will sit down and discuss their objectives for the coming term, and outline how they will aim to achieve those targets, and I don’t believe that the Frenchman has ever arrived at this meeting, and been told that he is expected to win the division.
In my view, Wenger had pre-season targets of challenging for the league title up until the Manchester City and Chelsea revolutions, and has since been ordered to keep inside the top four, which have all been met. The Frenchman has been ordered to sell a number of key players in order to fund the state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium, which he has accepted whilst still keeping the club in the Champions League. Upon completion of the bulk of the financing of the stadium, the club has emerged with one of the biggest incomes in the world, but the owners have so far failed to use that wealth to invest in the squad, although it could be argued that splashing out would not guarantee a title win regardless.
Can Arsenal outspend Chelsea, City or United? No they cant, so why should their fans expect them to outperform them?
Yes they should be able to outperform their neighbours and Leicester City, but they are also cursed by a vast amount of injuries year upon year, and I can’t blame those on Wenger either.
From a Neutral viewpoint, Wenger is not the problem, and further on from that, with your club’s continual failure to challenge for the big players in the transfer market, the decision to let him go this summer will see your side enter some seriously dark times. Not to mention the strong reality that his exit this summer will likely be followed by Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
My respect for Wenger and love for the Premier League leaves me wanting the Arsenal boss to extend his stay, in hope of another seriously strong top six for the new season, while my hate for some Arsenal fans attitude leaves me smug at the prospect of his exit.
I firmly believe Arsenal need a change in ownership before you will ever see them challenge for the PL title in post-Wenger times.
Does this supposed ‘neutral’ fan make any valid points? Is he wrong to assume that the budget is above Wenger’s control? Do us fans have unrealistic expectations with such big-spending rivals?
Pat J – Neutral view has asked to remain anonymous
Sidenote, can you guess which team he supports?
How can anyone be ‘neutral’ about whether a dope remains on as manager of Arsenal for another year. Isn’t it high time that the needs of Arsenal FC are put first.
Neutral you said? What if Wenger leaving is just the first step?
Such articles are just more brainwashing of the deluded ones. We don’t need Arsene. And his exit will only put this point out right! He spent 90 million this summer. I’m not sure Chelsea spent more, but they are cruising it! Leaving Sanchez out? Look at the teams attitude… We’ll be crushed by Bayern again. There is 0 desire and fight in the squad and that doesn’t come to money. Such articles don’t prove any point. We need change and change starts with Arsene, the only other constant to Arsene is failure. Everything else has changed but that!
no one ordered the man to build a strike force around walcott and giroud or to put a quid on suarez`s asking price or to bring in nogo and park (or perez for that matter) or to sell gnabry and play iwobi regularly or to have ramsey playing in every position bar goalkeeper or to take 7 years to work out how to get the best from Ox or to believe merteshaker was alright for the epl when he was way past his international sell by date or to forego a world class DM for 5 years and then plonk down 30 odd mill on an average swiss international or try out a series of makeshift right backs and hope bellerin would maintain his earlier form and fitness … stan n`chips and co are certainly a shocking example of contemporary football ownership but on the pitch its all down to wenger and his delusions
I put the blame of the Suarez bid at the feet of Gazidis.
He was hired to take over many roles that Dein had at the club.
Dein use to do the transfers and contract negotiations.
If it was Wenger who made the Suarez bid then why didn’t he do what he did with Nasri when he wanted to buy him? Pay for him. Or Arshavin… the record transfer we made while paying off debts before Gazidis took over. Just pay for the player. Just to point out, Nasri signed a new contract so Arsenal would have to pay more for him which we did… Would that have happened with Gazidis?
Lets see…
Have a look at Cazorla, how we missed out on him 12 months prior due to bidding a couple million too low.
I wont defend Wengers tactics but I do feel the board is a big BIG issue and like Dominos… That is the 1st one to be toppled to cause the chain reaction.
I am afraid our problems go beyond Wenger leaving but of course his departure would trigger the much needed change at our club.
OUT:
– Wenger
– Bould
– Nacho
– Theo
– Coq
– Ramsey
– Jack
– Sanogo
– Zalalem
– Chuba
– Debuchy
– Jenks
IN:
– New manger
– New assistant manager
– New LB
– New DM
– New B2B
– New ST
– New RW
– New LW
– Keep Sanchez
Last season to step up
– Last season Giroud
– Last season Ozil
– Last season Gibbs
– Last season Ox
– Last season Welbeck
– Last season Cech
We need fresh blood in this team from top to bottom.
Of course Wenger is not the only problem. But if you think Conte, Pep, Mourinho couldn’t do better with the same squad you are deluded. Wenger sets his team up the same way every game does nothing different, next to no tactics, same mistakes for a decade. How can you justify him staying? The only reason I hear for him staying is that we will be bad without him. Well we are bad with him and have been for a while. These are people who are afraid of life without Wenger and think he is the club. Us fans need to wake up and start wanting success again, instead of glorifying Wenger. Arsenal will continue on long after AW leaves. You have to be willing to take a few steps back to move forward sometimes. I’d rather rough it out for a couple of season instead of watch this ridiculous slow decline with Arsene Wenger.
@RSH
Agree, give Conte, Pep, Mourinho the same squad and see the players mentality change. Wenger constantly gets his tactics wrong esp against big teams. SAF didn’t always have the greatest of stars, infact he sold alot of them (Beck, Ronaldo, etc0 and still managed to win the leagues/cups. Wenger’s tactics is just too predictable.
Would the board get a manager of that quality and be able to keep them for more than 1 successful year?
While I agree that tactics and team selection is Wengers area and he appears rather poor in those areas now, I do think we should now be looking to get the staff in that will allow us to not only get a great manager but to also fully support them when they take over.
Better now then after the new manager arrives and leaves from frustration.
I think this not so neutral “hider” raises a few old but valid points.
1. The owner is more to blame than Wenger for what is currently happening at the club. An ambitious owner (Usmanov?) would have made changes years ago.
2. Kroenke is not asking for a PL title and not interested in doing what it takes to win one.
Were Wenger fails is in accepting this mediocre standard. Many before him Cesc, Nasri, RVP, etc were ambitious enough to depart once the reality of Arsenal’s lack of ambition set in. If Wenger had half the drive of Pep or Mourinho he would have left the moment he was told that top 4 was all that was required.
Instead, he joins the club in misleading the fans and media by consistently talking as if he fully wants and expects and is expected to win a major trophy when in fact this is not true.
Finally whatever his mandate, he underperforms in dramatic fashion. He has one of the best squads in the PL and manages to make them look average and heartless.
youre so on point
I do wonder if it would have been best for Wenger to leave when Dein did.
He didn’t and from what I can guess it is because he loves the club.
We moaned at Cesc, RvP and Nasri (poor lad) for being ‘mercanaries’ and when someone who loves the club stays through the bad then the fans claim he thinks he is the club.
I will blame Wenger for poor team selection and tactics along with subs. Liverpool lose was his fault. A new manager could get our players to step up even more but will the board get that type of manager or a manager who will see the business side more than the footballing side?
Wenger does have a lot to answer for BUT I do not want to be in this same situation again in another 10 years time because we do not get good enough managers or able to keep them. Wenger is not the factor here but the board, we all know Wenger isn’t immortal and probably wishes to die in the dugout in many years time… sooner or later we will have life without Wenger. Why not do everything we can to make sure life without him will be good rather than the same old cr@p?
I’ve been saying this for years now.
All this blaming the board and not wenger is utter garbage , yeah the board are clearly happy with 4th , but if wenger isnt equally as happy as the board , why does he keep signing contracts ?
If arsene truly wants more and isn’t being given the money / tools / support from the board he needs , then why does he keep signing contracts ?
I will tell you why , it’s because kroenke just needs champions league qualification for arsenal to prop up his other teams he owns and arsene is getting very well paid to deliver mediocrity to a fan base that pay the highest ticket prices in the league.
I gave up my ticket 2 years ago , I haven’t stepped foot in the place since , I have no intention of again until us fans start getting our ‘Value for money’ !
This is not a neutral point of view. The writer is biased towards Wenger.
@ Pat J
I am not sure it’s even possible to be neutral in our current situation, and I don’t think you are, having read your article. Maybe you’re not a hardcore AKB, but you’re certainly a Wenger sympathizer in regards to your comments, especially when you said “Wenger is not the problem”.
Of course I agree with you, that Wenger is only doing what he’s asked to do from the board. But why cannot Wenger defy those expectations? If I was told by a University that I only a C/D grade to get in, should I not challenge to improve myself by getting a B, or even A anyway? Should I not have a fighting mentality to push myself, and get the best grade possible, even if it’s not needed? Everyone in life is different, but Wenger has been given the opportunity to coast through each season, and it’s HE that has taken it…no one has forced this on him.
You have touched on the financial restrictions, and I am surprised you have, because it has now been proven, without doubt, that it is not a viable excuse anymore. First of all, if it was a decent excuse, then Leicester wouldn’t have won the league, Atletico Madrid wouldn’t be performing so well in recent years, Wigan wouldn’t beat money bags City to win the cup, Porto never would have won the Champions League, and so on, and so on… Secondly, and most importantly, why haven’t Arsenal improved then, if success is all down to finances? Arsenal are the fifth richest club in the world, have one of the highest wage bills, Wenger’s kept his best players for the last four years, has brought in WC talent, and had a net spend in the summer of almost £100 million. Nearly £100 million spent, and we’ve dramatically regressed! I accept, that limited finances, coupled with losing your best players makes it tougher to win, and compete, but not impossible, as you are making out.
Clearly you believe we cannot be successful after Wenger’s exit, and maybe you’re right, maybe you’re wrong, one one see the future. But to say success can only come with a change in ownership is just plain wrong! I hate the board just as much as you, but they really backed Wenger in the transfer market this season, and where has it got them? What you need to realise Pat, is however bad the board are, the main issues steam from the manager, and it’s so obvious, that I shouldn’t have to point this out, but clearly I need too. Their effect on results/performances is indirectly, whereas Wenger directly effects things.
The board do not ANY involvement in:
Instilling a strong/winning mentality into the squad
Picking the starting XI
Making substitutions
What formation to play
What tactics to use
In game management
Training methods
Injuries
Usually, any board’s involvement would be more associated with signing players, contract renewals, and the selling of players. But as we know, Wenger wields more power at Arsenal, than any other manager in the world at their respective clubs. All the deadwood STILL at the club, is 100% the manager’s wishes. Wenger could have spent a lot more in the transfer market, but it’s HE that refuses to sell. I think we’ve brought in less than £40 million via player sales over the last four years or so. That is an incredibly low figure, especially when compared to other top clubs.
You think until will change ownership, we cannot be successful, and that is purely conjecture. But one thing is factual…Arsenal are not with Arsene Wenger anymore. It doesn’t how much money you through at the problem…as we’ve seen for the last four years!
A few little typos in there, sorry people! My belated New Year’s resolution has to be to start proofreading before hitting “Post Comment” Haha.
I also believe that Wenger wields more power at Arsenal than other managers at other clubs but I see that an issue that the board needs to sort out.
All the deadwood at the club still part.
While I agree we have a lot of players who need to step up or get sold, to put it kindly 😛
I also wonder how much Wenger can do as a manager to arrange all of it to happen, we have seen how Jenks didn’t get sold and Wenger has made it perfectly obvious he isn’t wanted.
The more time Wenger has to spend on transfers then the less time he is spending with his players.
If you was the owner then wouldn’t you slap Wenger across the face and tell him to just give a team of transfer specialists a list of names to buy/sell? Save his time for focusing more on tactics and such stuff he does fail at… and in a new managers case, hopefully give the manager more time to work on the areas they are good in?
Even with a new manager…
Do we not want the manager to have less power at the club so we do not repeat this cycle?
No you’re an absolute muppet! So-called fans like you are part of the reason we are in this predicament as a club! You’re as delusional as Wenger with his “I built this club” – no you didn’t!!
I’m 36 years old. I’ve been a fan all my life and I remember Steve Burtenshaw, Stewart Houston, George Graham and Bruce Rioch – these were managers before Arsene for those of you too brain-washed to realize! There WILL be managers after Arsene! This club was founded in 1886 – 131 years old!! AW has been managing OUR club for 20 years and it’s long over due. He’s not welcome any more, the fans need to speak up, act up and reclaim OUR club! Enough is enough!
So you should know the biggest difference is the loss of Dein.
We all know Wenger isn’t immortal and some point there will be a new manager, when? I don’t know and not my primary concern right now as a Arsenal fan who is also in his 30’s.
If you are as much of a fan as you claim then you should know that the old owners done everything to boost share prices at the cost of this clubs ambitions, the 1 person who fought against it was Dein who said we needed an investor to keep investing in the club and as such he sold his shares to Usmanov in hope we could keep spending as a club!
Dein was fighting to try and allow the club to spend and fails.
Club stops spending and Wenger gets known as tight fisted?
Wenger was never a managerial god but the combo of him and Dein was a winning combo.
Dein joined us in 1983, have a look at us for a decade prior to him buying shares and then from 1983-2007. Notice a change?
Now don’t you wish we had him back?
If not him then someone else that passionate?
New board, new manager, new team, ‘nough said.
1st comment I can agree with.
A change from the top down.
Lets get some ambition in the club!
It’s not even an argument that needs to be had, Wenger is past his sell by date and has been for some years now. It’s obvious.
That he doesn’t see that is a big failing. Too long in ANY job and people get set in their ways.
It’s embarrassing that we all deludedly expect to win anything with him in charge.
Big time Charlie players who when it comes to the crunch are found wanting (with the exception of a few).
And this tired line of ‘if my club were top 4 and near winning a trophy I’d be very happy’ is pointless. It’s all relative. When your club has been top 4 and never getting past the champions league early rounds EVERY YEAR anyone would get frustrated. WE all see things from our perspective.
Of course Sunderland/Boro/Hull fans would be happy with top 4. Of course the perennial mid table teams feel the same, but I’d argue it’s more frustrating being the ‘nearly’ team every year and seeing no end to that status.
He needs to go, like he has needed to go for the last 4-5 years, but he is too close to it all to see the truth that is staring him in the face.
Maybe win the FA cup and go…with at least some grace. Or, come 6th in the table, lose the cup, and get slaughtered by BM and have little to no recent legacy..
If he stays, it will be laughable.
So instead of moaning at the board to show ambition, you are moaning at Wenger to not sign a new contract that has been offered?
We need a board that shows ambition and then that ambitious board will be strong enough to make the tough call of sacking Wenger and getting in a top manager and backing that new manager fully so they can convert this current Wenger team into their team.
While the board are taking easy profits from the fans then I can not see a change and moaning at Wenger just makes it that much easier for the board to let time pass and profits to collect.
In any other club, Wenger would have left the job 5-10 years ago. It’s perfectly NORMAL for coaches and clubs to part ways okay??
Look, Ancelloti won the champions league, he was sacked.
Mourinho won the EPL, he was sacked
Ranieri won the EPL he was sacked
I can go on and on. When a manager is sacked it doesn’t mean he’s useless, it simply means the club wants to try a different way of doing things. I admire Wenger, but the time is up.
RM board shows ambition.
Chelsea owner shows ambition.
The foxes are showing more ambition since being bought.
Arsenal board is happy with profit.
Do you see a critical difference in the goals of the clubs?
The board haven’t sacked Wenger and they do not appear to show enough ambition to make the tough calls.
A spineless board.
Maybe if we had an ambitious board then they would be ok with making the tough decisions?
https://youtu.be/WwoQdf85qjM
Have a watch of this Gooners
trash trash and total trash, I don’t believe for a second any neutral said this trash, this is another means the AKB’s use to gain support or consolation, every crazy tortoise knows wenger is our problem, I have a question
wud mourinho, guordilar or conte remain a team that purrs no ambition and wiliness to win tittles..the answer is no, we have seen coaches through out history that resigned just cos the club couldn’t meet their ambition, they didn’t resign cos their cheques couldn’t be met or paid,wenger is a stupid money grabbing basterd, the 30mil year salary he was said to refuse was just an attempt from his PR stuntsmen to allow him seem valuable and get higher pay than he already is, I repeat any fan that doesn’t seem to understand or see the conspiracy behind wenger acts and the board is a fool, who named him le’prof, prof of what????…failure?????…I cant see how an old man like wenger has become so selfish self centred and greedily shameless that he possesses so much pride that he doesn’t wanna step down….m so m determined in my heart that wenger wud never make me decamp arsenal, the fact is we barely or don’t have a player like adams who wud have raised to crys of the fans to the board or high heavens, when I see less strong hearted or die hard players like ramos, keane, adams at arsenal, I feel so ashamed, we don’t have any player with passion in our team bar sanchez…I look at players like ramsey giroud and I see cowards, rather have an ambitious player leave the team than a well seated and comfortable player like these remain..
red till I die…
The nickname “Le Professeur” (French for “The Professor”) is used by fans and the British media to reflect Wenger’s studious demeanour.
Such ignorance from you deserves to be listened to instead of reason.
And more AOB echo chamber comments to follow…
Wenger issue apart from a second. Have anyone seen Alexis post in instagram today? as follow: The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him. ?⚪️ Let ‘ go Gunners. ” The only failure is not trying.”
leave it for your own interpretation. mine? This is a fighter, a winner, someone who givs every drop in the pitch, someone who cares about our team. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED AND IF HALF OF those around him have the same passion or show guts . arsenal football club and we the fans will be enjoying top of the league and competing against Bayern tomorrow without fear. of course, he’s gonna be pissed, i will seeing the likes of Ox ,ramsey, theo to mention few getting same amount of money and never showing hunger and same work rate game in and game out as Alexis. stop trolling the fella. he’s the closest best player we got since the king left. Be careful what you wish, suarez was similar to Alexis and look POOL since he left. Leave it to your own opinion but mine is For Alexis to remain we need change and 3 more WC players around him. Glory days will come for sure.
yeah I saw the post on instagram..guess the hated one is wenger and few of his lazy team mates..
the ones behind him are the fans,,,,
do arsenal players really train at all…I mean have you seen their training picds, they look like models who are just there to promote the puma brand, how can one perform extensive training while wearing a beard that reaches the ground-giroud, or leggies looking like a woman-ozil, and they smile, laugh and crack jokes all through out…what a pity…,coaches like capello would have shot some players dead
It’s the Manager who gets the sack when the team isn’t performing and not the players, board or owner.
As for hoping for a change in ownership, I read today that the owners son will take the Raines and apparently he wants Henry to replace Wenger.
As for guessing which club the anonymous supports, Only a Spud would want Wenger to stay on ??
Lifelong Arsenal fan and I am more concerned about the board showing ambition.
I was supporting Arsenal before Wenger, I support the club enough to care about the politics at the club and as such I can not ignore the Dein factor.
Losing Wenger will not cause the same amount of pain for me as when we lost Dein.
Dein wanted the board to show ambition and ended up feeling like he was forced to sell his shares to someone who has the financial power to do what he believed was needed, investment during the stadium move and not being tight fisted.
Here is the guy who done everything he could to force the board to be more ambitious and he couldn’t get the inherited board members to invest, instead they wanted to up the share price and sell!
“Look at the profit we make and we have made a pact not to sell”
“Ooops never mind, Silent Stan offered enough and his sports teams are never to brag about but been profit on his portfolio”
And now people blame Wenger?????
How can we expect to get a top manager and keep them when the board shows so little ambition?
Wenger was never a footballing god but he had support from Dein and that made him a winner.
When a new manager comes in then do you not want that manager to have the support they may need in selling the driftwood in the squad and to help them buy players to make the squad theirs instead of Wengers?
I hope the manager will have enough support so they can focus on the players and teams preparations for the upcoming season and not spend all that time talking to agents to agree on a fee etc… let the board do that and moan at the board till they get a top support team in.
The article has some valid points.
I have been saying for years now that AFC needs better support for the manager, even if a new manager comes in… We have been going downhill since Dein left.
When we had a board member, a share holder who was a fan and gave his heart to it fully, then we could compete with Chavski and City. Not while we have Ivan, Silent Stans Yes Man is in charge of the spending.
I will hold my hands up and say a new manager may have different tactics and for a short while we may turn things around… If they are that good though then PSG or Juve will just come in and pinch them while offering greater sums of money to spend. If the manager turned out to be the best manager in the world then you think RM will not step in and offer them a job while also offering to spend close to £100mil per marquee signing, WTF would the arsenal board do?????
I know I will get down rated for this but the issues at Arsenal are deeper than just the manager.
Seriously have a look at Arsenal with David Dein and without David Dein.
Dein joined us in 1983.
Prior to him joining the board we had won next to nothing for a decade, 1 FA cup.
While Dein was at Arsenal and leading in ambition..1983-2007
5 title, 5 FA cups, UEFA cup winners cup, league cup.
Since 2007. 2 FA cups.
Dein got us George Graham and he got us Wenger, he did try for SAF before UTD got him.
That was showing ambition.
What we got now is not worth spit compared to Dein and I do fear the type of manager will may end up with is a manager with the current ambitions of the board.
WE NEED A BOARD THAT SUPPORTS THE CLUB.
I’m sorry but I totally disagree with most of the article. Wenger is not the be-all or end-all of Arsenal. Arsenal will survive, possibly even flourish after Wenger goes. There will be a massive mess to clean up once he goes and I pity the next manager that comes in. 20 years mate, we just all want to see a change, something fresh, a manager with new ideas, that doesn’t use the same excuses for losing, players playing with enthusiasm and that mental strength that Wengers teams have lacked for the last 12 or more years. He is well beyond his used by date, it’s time to move on.