There was masses of discussion, protests and meetings at the end of last season about whether Arsene Wenger’s time as Arsenal manager should have been extended or not, and even Le Prof himself admitted that the delay in the announcement may have caused problems for the team’s performances in the last campaign.
But that delay also caused many other problems, with contract talks being delayed for many players, including Ozil and Sanchez, due to the uncertainty of which manager they would be playing under. So would things have improved this season if Wenger HAD left, and a new boss brought in to shake up the side and deal with the contract rebels? Perhaps it would have meant that Ozil and Sanchez would have been sold and the funds reinvested in new players?
One person who does think Wenger should have left after winning the FA Cup is the Gunners legend Lee Dixon, who said the other day: “You nick a cup but don’t challenge for the big honours if the balance is wrong. I honestly think after the FA Cup, after that amazing performance against Chelsea, it was time for him to go: ‘you know what, I am going to step back from it.’
“I am a big fan of his. I played for six years under him. I like the man as a human being and what he did when I was there was brilliant for me.
“He had a structure and he brought all that flair on top of what we did as a defence. But the mentality has changed. It has flicked into a more attack-minded, less defensive-minded team, and the balance is all wrong.”
The balance is definitely wrong when you consider the ages of our defenders and the amount of goals Arsenal have conceded this season.
What else could have a new manager have done that would have put us in a better position this season?
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Give Koeman a 6 month contract
Thank you…but NO!
in 2015 wenger said holding back is over arsenal can win league by 2017! where r we now?
and now we r also spending money still nowhere near winning league
You could fill a book with Wengers Nostradamus inspired comments, which invariably are wrong. He’s a master or spin if nothing else anymore.
Most likely short term and definitely long term
I’d like to ask Jon Fox that question
I think he should have walked away after the fa cup win
You know the answer to that question and it is a definite YES. With a new manager we would probably be in the same position or worse but the manager would know that he was brought in to improve the club and therefore work hard to relieve the pressure. But Wenger will never be or feel under pressure. As usual we expect victory one weekend and defeat the other. Eventually the season will end with a sour taste, with the departure of our best players the last nail on the coffin.
Well done Arsene and your supporters for running down Arsenal F.C !!
Without doubt, he’s ruining/ruined his legacy and it’s only going to end badly now.
It wouldn’t matter who came in and replaced Wenger if the board continue to use AFC as a cash cow. I’m Wenger out but whoever the board replace him with will have to make them money. So what high calibre manager would take on a job where they are told not to spend money, that the players we have are good enough? The club from top to bottom is rotting! Unless wholesale changes are made from the very top to bottom we will continue as a rudderless ship.
The board and Wenger have always maintained that there is cash available. Wenger continues to tell us he is being careful the way he spends the money. When he does spend, often its on poor buys. Either way, the club has the required funds and any manager worth his salt understands that those funds will need to be spent carefully to achieve set goals. Where the manager shows his usefulness is deciding which is priority, the sporting goals set or the money. Wenger seems to prioritize the latter, I believe there are lots of managers out there who will prioritize the former
Wenger definitely should have gone. A large part of the problem is he has no targets; it is all too easy for him just bumbling on knowing that he has a job for life.
For me the manager, as with all employees everywhere in the world, needs to have targets. Initially the target should be to still be seriously in contention with only a few games to go. We have not done that in how long? 13 years?
Domestic cups are a nice extra but as we all know the serious business is the league or Champions League.
It’s not just Arsenal that would have been better off, football in general would be
We will never win the premier league again and Champions League with Wenger. It’s that simple. He is arrogant, stubborn ie set in his ways. He will not spend decent money on a defensive midfielder or a proven quality central midfielder but will risk £35 million on an unproven player like Xhaka. He makes bad decisions. We’ve needed a top striker for years. If he had got one in 2015 maybe we could have beaten Leicester to the premier league title.
We haven’t replaced Viera yet. Over a decade now.
If we had got rid of Wenger last summer, it’s possible we would still have a bad season this season or even worse but that’s not a big deal. United had a bad season with Moyes. But again at least there would be hope for a better future. With Wenger we will not win the Premier league. That is guaranteed. He doesn’t do what it takes. He doesn’t sign the right players.
I think the referees would welcome it, possibly even more than the Arsenal fans.
I think you are right. He has embarrassed himself a lot over recent years.
should have packed it in after 8-2 humiliation!
And if he was still considering it, the 6-0 drubbing by Chelsea should have cleared his mind.