So the Arsenal season is finally over except for our FA Cup Final, but although we have got more points than last season, and the highest ever points total for a 5th place side, the protests about Arsene Wenger are still gathering pace.
This is the first time in 21 years that Arsenal have finished out of the Top Four, and although it’s a fact that Wenger has been a big factor in making the Gunners into one of the top sides in Europe there is a growing faction that are calling for Wenger’s head. But there are still a lot of support for Le Prof, and one of those that has come out in his favour is his famous long-time rival, Sir Alex Ferguson, who says that he feels very sorry for the Frenchman. Ferguson said: “At the moment, of course, with the ridiculous situation of the pressure Arsene is under, I just wonder if they realise the job he’s done.
“The most amazing thing about him is this: he has come through a forest of criticism for months now, and has never bowed. He has seen it right through, he has shown a determination, a stubbornness. I think when you look at that, it’s a quality, and I’m not sure they’ll ever get another manager like that.
“It’s quite easy to say ‘Get rid of him’, but who do you get? Who do you get in to keep that club the way they are for the next 20 years?
“I really feel sorry for him because I think he’s shown outstanding qualities, and I think he has handled the whole situation. I don’t know many that have done that.”
There are very few managers that stay in one job at the top of the Premier League nowadays, and the ex-United boss is worried that Wenger may be the last one of his kind. “I hope not,” Fergie responded. “because I think that stability that a manager like Arsene Wenger has brought to Arsenal, and Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, myself at United… there’s no evidence that sacking a manager brings success.
“But there is evidence, through myself, Clough and Wenger, that you can gain success with long-termism.”
It would seem that the Arsenal fans have now had enough of great financial success without a Premier League title, and are looking for an injection of new blood. But considering what he has achieved for our beloved team, surely you have to feel a little bit sorry for the way he has been treated this season?
Sam P
I would feel srry for him if his wife would left him and the old fella would have nothing else to live for besides managing arsenal alone..uuupsiiiii poor guy cry cry cry
I wouldn’t watch Arsenal if he’s the manager next season!
This season, I stopped watching after the Everton defeat.
Over the years, I have watched arsenal play even after the chances of trophies are gone, i.e. to the end.
We are in a abusive realationship with the club and we all will keep on watching, haha.
Brian clough won two European cups back to back after having brought the team up into the 1st division.
Ferguson and maurenho won Europeans and leagues also.
I don’t want another baron13 years without a premier league nor 21 more years without success in Europe.
And who to get? ALLEGRI if we can get him.
Managin Arsenal is a dream job as almost every great manager can do a better job than Wenger at Arsenal, where he can not do it somewhere else, therefore him insisting to stay at Arsenal as leaving the club means his time as a manager will be over forever
Like who would say no to 8mil a year, like seriously?
You forget the arsenal board is not giving any transfer budget and won’t change the stupid wage structure to keep the best players. Dream job is when a team give you unlimited money to buy players.
The sad thing is he says he said that if can retain 90% of the team and add 1 or 2 players they will be ready for next season, yeah right. Who accounts for that 10%, if it’s Ozil and Sanchez and your going to get quality less than that then theres no point in continuing.
The same man comes out at the start of the season and says, ‘Walcotts best years are ahead of him’…’this year you will see a different Walcott’, these are after his purple patch early season. Then when a run for top 4 starts the veteran is dropped just like last season. If he doesn’t get rid of Walcott this summer, he never will.
I definitely feel sorry it has come this far because his story at Arsenal should have come to an end on a positive note. I don’t see that happen now.
Having said that, managing Arsenal should be a privilege and not a burden which gives you credit and rights to go on forever. Wenger didn’t bring us a PL title ever now and again. We have won not major title in 3 years. Even Liverpool won the CL in that time frame. The only thing he can point to is keeping us in the top 4 and it is debatable if there is no one else who could have done that. Wenger can not be mentioned in the same breath as SAF.
I respect the class and loyalty and dignity he brought to the job (although some of that has been fading as he ages) but equally, he was lucky to be paid handsomely for a job which proved unrivaled job security and low demands. Rightly or not, there would not have been a major football club this loyal to its manager if you ask me.
So, yes I feel sorry but mainly because Wenger has not been protected against himself. I don’t blame the fans for not wanting to put up with a manager who so obviously has passed his best time but does not want to see it.
I hope more than anything (in football) that Wenger proves me and all other fans like me wrong by winning the PL during his next contract but I really don’t think it is worth giving him a new contract over. I also find it sad that I should be impressed if he get’s us back to the top 4 next season but I know it would be impressive. That tells me how far we have fallen and that frustrates me because it means top 4 really would be like a trophy to us. I for one definitely rate it miles above the FA cup.
PS: Next seaon would be a lot more palpable for me if I don’t have to watch Giroud or Ramsey again. Sick and tired of watching the same stroy repeat itself with the same charachters. If we are going to repeat the season at least bring in some different charachters.
Our quality of football was so bad this campaign. We played the best football in the last few weeks of the season.
There is no clinical edge to the team ‘overall’, not just finishing but easily giving the ball away, it happens to often. Look at the top teams, they hardly give the ball away unless they are tackled or attempting a very creative ball.
yes , i have 8 million reasons to feel so sorry for the fraud each season . how lonely it must be . master of all he surveys , but with only a bank balance for a friend .
Is Ferguson talking about the same Brian Clough who ended up getting Forest relegated? Methinks he wants Wenger to stay for his own pernicious reasons.
“…there’s no evidence that sacking a manager brings success.”
Erm… What about Chelsea? Man City have done alright with different managers. Leicester have done much better since sacking their manager. Tottenham bringing-in Pochettino? I could go on and on….
Many clubs have improved by bringing-in hungrier and better-suited manager to fit the times. Fergie is living in the past. And besides, which Man U, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs fans wouldn’t want Wenger to stay? Not many I reckon.
I hear we’re in talks to sign Henry Onyekuru. Top goalscorer in Belgium. Looks like a real talent.
Sorry for arsene ? About what ? Are you serious ?
I was sorry for him when he lost the CL final against Barca 2-1.
You should be sorry for the fans buddy….
Specialist in failure
Arsenal are in talks to sign Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru from A Belgian club. He is 19 year old and scored 24 goals and 10 assists according to SKY Sports?
Yes he did. In the second dvision of Belgium…
Still worth a look
No thanks, he’s Nigerian, if he’s any good we’d lose him for nearly two months every two years.
Sam P grow up life’s not fair but with 8 million comes a little bit of criticism I’m sure the old one will get through it and finish off ruining the club. You can then go back to supporting spurs
I’m an AKB, but exactly sorry for what do I have to feel for Wenger? I don’t think the amount of abuse he’s getting is justified, but he’s a manager of Arsenal FC, getting paid handsomely for what he does, so it comes with territory so to speak.
In my openion, the killer blow for arsene came actually last season when licester won……because the Italian old man succeeded in the thing that arsene wanted for himself: winning PL with a team having no superstars…..he wanted to do this so that he faces the fans and say that he was always right and the rest of the world is wrong. Now, he can’t even look to achieve this….what can you bring us arsene ?
Good observation.
My sympathy and all the sorry in the world goes to arsenal fans. They are divided and this has shattered my heart. What you should feel sorry is for those fans who still cling and support wenger and see no future with him. I really feel sorry for them and wonder if they have ever tasted hope? I feel sorry for fans paying the most expensive tickets in the world and yet defend a underperforming manager and say it is a one off. Then let the club slash the ticket prices even half a season will they? I feel sorry for fans who hve given there sweat,blood to the club and have no right to show discontent damn if you do then you are one ungrateful fan who is a glory hunter and you should move to real or barca. I feel sorry that i am in love with arsenal and i see my bp at risky levels.
I do feel sorry for him. He has tainted heavily if not ruined his early legacy.
Sometimes you got to know when to quit and it’s usually while your ahead.
Let’s hope he sees sense and can have some self introspection and come up with the only sensible conclusion (to leave for another project if not to graze)
I have known for many a year he was no longer the man to be at the helm but he could be my dad so I will never tell him to F’off. Only to leave with dignity.
I like the man but he is not the one to take us forwards . Its a shame that the season is over and we will know after fa cup come on whats all that about? If he was going then they could have said it but looks like they are throwing the future of the club in our bucket the fa cup. We win and they start it’s only one season out of 20. This is just a blip bla bla and wenger signs a new contract. We loss maybe fans become furious and hopefully the club sells out i think we really need usmanovic to but those shares we are a mess.
You can feel sorry for the fans and Arsene Wenger. For some its like Wenger is the devil himself or the second coming. I hate this, rationality has seem to have left many fans this year, we really did deteriorated to the levels of rabid beasts. Sad reallty, and it’s not all wenger fault, we cant blame everything wenger, the fans should take responsibilty for how they’ve treated one another
I think Ian Wright on motd had it spot on.
If Wenger is staying anyway would it help to damn him on national tv? Not really.
When asked should he leave his answer ‘I’d like to see him supported more’. No guesses who that was aimed at Kroenke and the silent board.
I do feel he’s isolated but he’s brought this on himself by not delegating or trusting others in coaching planning, transfers etc.
He’s a control freak and he even believes that the board can do no wrong, maybe he’s protecting them? Why?
I think from the interview the other day he looked like he’d had enough suspected with injuries and bans that we’d likely lose next week and with that even if he wanted to stay how could he, he couldn’t could he?
A guy of his age 8m or not should not go into a high profile long season with the negative start he’d encounter. Somebody for his benefit please persuade him to accept his statue, key of the Emirates etc and leave now disappointed but with some memory of what he did,(my memory goes back that far) for our club.
A new start is needed from Usmanov down to the person that makes the tea.
#shake things up and feel alive again
@ddog.
Agree with you. We aggressively needed a stance a voice and change but the low point for me was the game where the fans kept the ball and booed the players. The shots of bellerin and ox consoling each other made me realise that the game makes them hyped incredibly well paid yes superstars.
But they are human beings and most of them kids!
That was too much, reality check needed.
Problem is most fans had no voice and felt this was the only way.
With high ticket prices comes an expectation and efforts required at least and we never that.
The rumoured training ground bust up is when we crumbled. Something happened that rocked the camp big time!!
It’s a nutritious season for any mouth to talk. Right time for diversities of thoughts; but one thing we must put on count is to accept the true decision that will enhance our club on trail than forcing decisions will comprecate everything sin the name of change . have noticed for long time now fans here do not comment to change things anymore; I have reckoned anger have dominated the fan base. We are more deluded as the management itself, and that changes nothing. As a supporter you have to love and bring in potential thoughts that can change things in a positive way; we all know insulting, braming , and abusing cannot bring positivity. We know board will never bow because we can insult; if we can do anything to change things is to stand together and bring in a logical method for the management to hear and evaluate. We can even stand together at once boycott marches of which even the louder talkers don’t do. If the boycott can be noticed in 3 to 4 matches deliberations will start to mount and strategic change will happen.
But look from where we started speaking sarcastic word; what changes have been made? We are just waisting our time money airtime without a change. The whole system is faulty and we have to encourage change, we must support Usmanov tirelessly to increase his bid for Kroenke to easily change his mind on other hand. No single individual is enough to change things at Arsenal be mindfull.