In the last 12 years since Arsenal were the Premier League champions there have been a lot of things blamed for the club’s failure to add to our 13 league titles. Injury problems and the financial restrictions caused by the move from Highbury to the Emirates are two of the biggest, but by far the main source of anger for Arsenal fans has been the man in charge Arsene Wenger.
Not everyone has laid the blame at the feet of the Frenchman, with one prominent member of the football media usually backing Wenger and defending him from his many critics, but now the Arsenal supporting chief football writer for The Mirror John Cross is struggling to keep his belief in the boss after what he describes as a shambolic summer in the transfer market.
Cross told Sky Sports that he feels Wenger has made a number of big mistakes since the end of last summer and it seems that his frustration is all the more because it seemed as though we would finally see the Gunners step up and challenge the big hitters like Man City, Chelsea and Man United.
He said, “I think the worry is for Arsenal and for Wenger is the disconnect between the manager and the club and the fans is growing ever deeper. I’ve always been a huge admirer of Wenger, but he really has lost me over this window. I think he’s been an absolute shambles.
“I think it’s been poor management, poor planning and I do think Arsenal fans have every right to be fed-up, frustrated and to voice their concerns.
“It’s been a disaster for Arsenal this transfer window because I do think at the end of last season there was a bit of a talk of a revolution with talks of three or four out and three or four in, major changes, and they fell short.
“Yes, they were second in the table but to actually challenge and, particularly with the Manchester clubs bringing in two superstar managers, major change and major surgery was required.
“You go through the summer and their only major signing has been Granit Xhaka and it’s just not enough. They need a striker, they started the summer by needing a centre-half and why-oh-why every year, do Arsenal go into August, something of a mess, a bit of a shambles, trying to drive a hard bargain on August 31.
“It looks like Wenger’s tenure is coming to an end and it’s been a wonderful 20 years but football has moved on and Arsenal and Wenger have been left in the past and this summer illustrates that.
“It wasn’t too bad yesterday and drawing at the defending champions as a one off result, you have to say isn’t a bad return. It’s in the wider context of things that Arsenal fans are fed up with.
“We were told that they were moving to the Emirates to go and compete with the big European super powers and as such, that just hasn’t happened. It is so clear that Arsenal needed an experienced, top quality centre-half and a striker and they haven’t addressed that issue.
“It is all well and good for Wenger to say he is on a one-man crusade against the transfer market escalating prices and that is very admirable, but actually it is poor planning because if you had gone out and got someone like Shkodran Mustafi at the beginning of the window, he wouldn’t be under this pressure that he is now.
“People look behind the scenes at their scouting and people making the transfers and trying to make deal, I don’t think it’s particularly their fault. I think it all comes down to the manager being dithering.”
Well if that is how one of his firmest long term supporters is feeling, how cheesed off are the Wenger Out Brigade right now? And how long can the prof stay on in the face of this ever growing tide of criticism?
Bob.
Did you guys know that the Arsenal players did not even get bonuses after the FA cup triumphs? The players even booed Gazidis when he walked in the dressing room. Stan Kroenke recently move the famous NFL teams in NFL to LA from St Louis which is causing outrage by the fans. At the same time, he bought a 520k acre ranch worth $725 million ish while the city of St Louie still had a debt of $35 million which was used to build a stadium for Kroenkes team. Kroenke owns 66% of Arsenal.
In fact, majority of the shareholders did not want to sell their shares to Kroenke including Bracewell-Smith and Fiszman. Few years ago, Moshiri (Usmanov partner) sold his share to Usmanov so that Usmanov has better power over the club. Even Usmanov who has 30% share on Arsenal claims Kroenke lacks ambition, a comment made by the russian following a lack of desire to invest in the team. Its worth noting that Kroenke has a history of boosting a clubs revenue in a short term, which would explain Arsenal strong financial perfomance in recent years.
I would like the Arsenal fans to take a moment and research Arsenal board memebers and corporate. Its really obvious there are conflicts inside the shareholder between Usmanov vs Kroenke. Its well known Usmanov is a true Arsenal fan, while kroneke is tough investor. You can blame Wenger, but he knows whats happening, hes still under Gazidis and Kroenke in regards to transfers or policies. If Wenger leaves, Arsenal will still fail to sign anyone, for sure.
I would also like to advise Arsenal fan to research Kroenke other sporting franchise. It appears to me that NON of the other sporting franchise Kroenke own is challenging for the title regularly, in fact I see NO improvement (competitively) in any of the sporting franchise Kroenke own.
Kroenke is a business men, he is driven by profit!
With all the frustration from this transfer window, l now feel as if it is harder to be an Arsenal supporter than to be in a marriage. It’s times like these l so wish I was not in love with Arsenal but there’s nothing I can do than to soldier on. They say whatever that doesn’t kill you will make you stronger so hopefully after all is said and done l will be a hard gooner. I hope to look back and laugh in the near future when I tell my grandkids about the Wenger fellow and what he put us through.
Some Arsenal supporters, myself included, are predicting ,and in some cases encouraging, the down fall of Arsenal in order to get rid of the upper echelons of management, not just Wenger.
The only way to rid ourselves of a tyrant like Kroenke is to starve him of money or hope he falls off the twig. In the name of traditional values and down right decency I implore those with the money
to buy their season tickets elsewhere or better still, not at all.
What is shambolic is the noise coming from inside the club. Comments like the Holding one yesterday are just insulting everyone’s intelligence. He wasn’t a big money signing for a reason. That reason is that the week before he was lost. He is a very good player when paired with Kis which lets face it is one of the best defenders in the league. Without that he is a liability. So saying sorry he didn’t cost £55m or whatever is just insulting people’s intelligence.
Same with Lacazette. Firstly why go for him and secondly why do it so half heartedly. There is obviously a striker that is available that tickles your fancy. It’s just not paying what he is valued at that is the problem.
I’ ve been Wenger out for like 4 years now because it’s clear how he’s been operating. We need a new younger manager. I suspect they’ll look for a yes-man though. Worrying times
Each year you are crying and saying that Arsenal is going down, and each year Wenger and the team prove you wrong.
People this days don’t have patience any more.
That’s why a lot of clubs fire their managers after just several matches.
What team in england has been as consistent as arsenal in the last years. All years in top 4 and in champions league?
Support your team or move to another.
Everyday i enter here and i see you crying around. Grow up some patience and confidence into the team and the manager.
This atmosphere is not helping the team.