Wenger REALLY isn’t a great Coach by PA
I do not consider myself an AOB or an AKB, I just call it as I see it. I am simply a fan who loves this great club and thinks the club should be greater than any one man.
It is a passionate game, we follow and the clubs we support can come to mean so much for most of us. So it is understandable when emotions heat up the debate and reason takes a back seat. But regardless of where you fall on the divide, AOB, AKB, or neutrals, the truth remains the truth no matter how much we wish otherwise.
In my last write up I suggested Wenger was a better manager than coach. A casual look at his coaching credentials should convince anyone. From 1996 to 2005 when the trophy drought began, Arsenal under Wenger won only three premiership titles and two FA cups. And this was when the Premiership was basically a two horse race. Only four seasons out of nine saw us finish with a trophy. When you add the drought years it becomes even bleaker. These are not the stats of a great coach.
With more competition from big spending Chelsea and Man City we totally lost out in the chase for titles. In that same period from 1996 – 2005 Sir Alex and United managed to win five premiership titles, two FA cups and one Champions league. I do not want to even compare him to Van gaal, Mourinho, Pep, Klopp, and Ancelotti.
These stats say something, even when we were winning titles under Wenger and playing scintillating football, we really were not a great team. We played exciting football but we failed to win titles, we did not win the champions league and we never successfully defended a premiership title. That is how the world measures success or greatness.
Let me give an example to show what I mean. The 2011 FA cup Quarter-final defeat to United. Ferguson fielded a United with 7 defenders and they emerged victorious. I do not think that any of Wenger’s Arsenal teams could emulate this feat. When his regular players are not available Arsenal suffers.
I do not think Wenger should be fired but I do think we should be allowed to show him our displeasure, if only to let him know he could do better. It really can be frustrating, we always seem just a step away from greatness. I truly wish this present Arsenal team could win a load of trophies while he is still manager, but it requires him to change and I think he is too old to change.
There is a lot we should be grateful to Arsene for. As a manager there is none quite at his level and we should all hope that when he gives up his track jacket, he continues to play an active role in the club’s administration.
Patrick