Arsene Wenger was totally honest to Arsenal fans in this transfer window

If Arsenal had been honest then would the fans have been so upset?

So let’s look at a few quotes direct from Wenger from a few months ago, shall we? On May 31st, Wenger said: “First of all, we have a very heavy squad at the moment so maybe we might lose some players. We want to keep the strength we have and build on that,”

“We will work very hard to find the additions of top, top quality.

“I believe that our squad is very strong and we will only look for top-class people who can strengthen our team now. The basis is there so we need the additions who will make a real difference.”

Now you cannot deny that Lacazette and Kolasinac were ‘top-class’ signings that could be massive improvements on who we had in those positions, can you? And he has definitely disposed of many players that were unlikely to play for us again. Exactly as promised.

Then, just a few days later in an interview on Bein Sports, Le Prof was asked how many signings he expected Arsenal to make this summer. “Between a maximum of two or three,” Wenger replied. “We cannot spend as much as many other clubs because some clubs have external resources that allow them to be basically unlimited.”

“We can spend money because we have managed the club well,” he added. “Let’s not forget the amount of money spent is not a guarantee of success. We have to be clear what we understand as a big signing. Is [Rob] Holding a big signing for you or not?”

That statement was made knowing that we were just about to announce the (free) transfer of Saed Kolasinac, and he is a brilliant signing, despite costing absolutely nothing! And regarding regarding Kolasinac and Lacazette, that is definitely 2-3 top-class signings, and if there had been a third it would have been Lemar. Honest yet again.

As for the contract situations with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, he clearly said in the same interview: “This summer, first of all they will stay at the club and hopefully we can extend their contract.” Obviously Wenger doesn’t think they will extend, but he made it clear they will carry on playing their best. When asked if either would leave, Wenger added: “I believe, at the moment, we’re not on that front. We’re focused on keeping the team together and to see how we can strengthen the team.

“When you sign a contract somewhere, you commit to give your best until the end of the last day of that contract. I would say ‘why should they not give their best?’

“The interest of any player is always to play football and well, even more so at the end of your contact. If you’re a winner, you want to win the game you’re playing.”

So this is what Wenger clearly said right at the start of the transfer window. Everything he said has come true, and every other rumour and speculation that we were served up by the media was nothing but eyewash, dreamed up to keep you buying their papers and clicking on their stories.

Please don’t say Wenger wasn’t honest again.

Sam P

61 Comments

  1. This is just a deluded article. You must have been sleeping during the whole transfer window. Honesty is much more that the words a person utters. You are just totally naieve. Wenger has been ‘dishonest’ for years. He is ‘honestly’ bringing your club to it’s knees. He is ‘honestly’ dismantling the club. Honesty is also a state of being and that is what Wenger is NOT.

    1. wenger is probably more honest than you will ever be.. but this comment of mine is like yours.. it’s useless cause it has got nothing to do with the matter on hand

      1. Whether wenger is honest or not the big problem. That is just a matter of opinion.
        For me it wouldn’t change the fact that he cannot organise our defence no matter who he buys or sells.In all my life supporting Arsenal…nearly 50 years I have never met so many gooners so disenchanted with the whole management structure at the club..even amongst usually pro wenger supporters..This week has been a total embarrassment to our club.Even the French players no longer want to join us.At least the top top players.I think all this will come back to haunt Arsenal and Arsene.Sadly all the other clubs are in a much better position than us.The complacency has been been sickening to many supporters and runs so deep now I fear years of mediocrity. I personally feel sorry for Arsene.I cringe when I hear him after games.No longer the great manager I remember .Just a ghost of the past.

    2. I agree. If you want your lie to sound convincing base it on the truth. Arsenal mgmt do this very well

    3. maybe we should steer clear from using the term “honesty”….much like when a country can’t divulge highly classified information publicly for obvious economic and military reasons, a professional soccer organization must keep certain things in-house so they don’t devalue a player, expose a weakness, provide info that could give an opposing club leverage in future negotiations and/or give them vital intel regarding a future match, but when dishonesty becomes the norm the relationship between cub and fan will surely deteriorate…in our particular case, our club has done an absolutely atrocious job when it comes to cultivating a healthy and honest relationship with the media or their fans, which has contributed greatly to our lack of success in the transfer market…along with poor decisions involving weekly wages, we can’t ever seem to get true market value for most of our outgoing players and other teams seem to squeeze every last cent out of us when we are looking to buy; why wouldn’t they, when you go to the table with such a openly desperate and dysfunctional team like ours, you have all the leverage; made even worse by the fact that who wouldn’t want to see our incredibly arrogant and thrifty manager squirm during the process…the real issue at this club is respect, a word that appears to be entirely lost on those within our hierarchy…this is the starting point from which all great relationships between club and supporters form…this doesn’t mean that a team can’t make mistakes along the way, that’s just human nature, it’s about how they chose to deal with these situations that will determine if this relationship flourishes or devolves..in the case of our club the powers that be sees us as a necessary evil…believe me if they could figure out a way to take our money without ever having to deal with us they would…instead they simply gauge our concerns then manufacture an aggressive PR campaign addressing said concerns so as to sell season tickets and the like…so whether it’s about Sanchez staying, transfer budgets, lengthy player injuries, club expectations etc…this team has treated us like a petulant teenager that should be seen and not heard, which is a completely disrespectful way to treat incredibly loyal fans who pay some of the highest ticket prices in the world…this is why this team doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt, this is why they don’t get a pass when they screw up and this is why they don’t deserve our respect when it comes time to show them the door…that time is NOW

  2. We have £150 million to spend said David Ornstein.

    Then it’s we don’t have enough money and the £150 mil includes the two new sightings wages!!???

    He is a lying scum mouthpiece for Kroenke and co and Wenger is complicit by association and the fresh new contracts he keeps signing even though he knows the underlying strategy.

    When we left the emirates 77% of revenue was spent on player acquisitions.. now in our shiny new stadium where they look to add capacity it is at 57%. Yes, 20% less. Nice additional profit for Kroenke ,his shareholders and Wenger.

    1. yes thats despicable from the board and we cant blame wenger for anything.. squad selection? absolutely.. but having a warchest to spend? only the board/owner should be accountable for that, not the manager..
      look wenger wanted lemar and the board didnt buy him for the manager.. the board cheats us and the manager

      1. Really?

        Everything on face value eh!;)

        Wenger if only for his incompetence in motivating and selecting a team should be long gone. The fact he is still here and in bed with Kroenke and his strategy is even more reason for his departure.

      2. Krish,
        Your just another Wenger fanboy who thinks he can do no wrong. He is bringing our club to its knees with his team selection and tactics . Wenger Kroenke and the board need to go . Wenger is just as much to blame as Kroenke cause he signs these contract knowing he is gonna be the mouth piece for Kroenke . He knows he is gonna take all the heat for the way Kroenke runs the club but doesn’t care cause he puts £10.5 mil in his pocket a year. Guilty by association

      3. Lemar didn’t want Wenger that’s the problem. At this point, most decent players don’t want Wenger.

    2. I assume that you meant to say “when we left highbury 77% of revenue was spent on player aquisitions”.

      We left highbury in May 2006. According to the accounts on arsenal.com for year ending 31 may 2006
      Purchase of players £23.7
      Sale players £11.9m
      Net spend on players £11.8m
      Income £137.2m

      So when we left highbury our net spend on players aquisitions was 9% of revenue not 77%.

      So arseovertit, perhaps you could explain where your figures com from.

    3. how does David Ornstein knows we got 150m to spend?

      does he works for Kroneke Entertainment and Sports?

      and even if we do, does Gazadis or Kroneke approve the spending?

      Wenger is not the banker and he does not do the legal paper work or negotiate with the agent

      He needs the approval before the money can be spend

    4. Orstein is a no nothing scum bag of the press not Arsenal. Like a lot of stuff, it’s click bait journalism at its worst.

    5. So you blame what DavidO said on Wenger?
      Idiotic!

      Wenger is not to blame for the transfers.
      If you want another stat then here is a good one.

      Gazidis 1st full season as CEO of AFC and we spend less than 1/3 of the season before where AFC and Wenger had no CEO.

      Gazidis was hired in Nov 08 by the old board when they wanted to sell the club for a big payday.
      Gazidis increased share value for them and he is doing the same for Silent Stan.

      Gazidis is paid more than Liverpool and Chelsea CEO COMBINED, only the spuds, UTD and City pay more for their CEO and look at how well they do transfers when compared to AFC.

      We all read Wenger go around Gazidis for his new contract, this tells us that Silent Stan undermined Gazidis in not backing the CEO.
      We read that Wenger had Silent Stans backing.

      So why didn’t AFC back Wenger in getting Lemar before deadline day? Why was we reading about Alexis offer accepted and funds from Ox and Alexis will fund Lemar if Gazidis was backing Wenger????

      You calime Wenger is in it for the profit but where is your evidence?
      Wenger wants to keep Alexis and lose profit, he wanted to keep Ox and that could have cost us the £40 mil that Silent Stan now has… Wenger wanted 2-3 top signings while keeping our top players but AFC sold the Ox who Wenger wanted to keep.

      Wenger has wanted to spend a bit more ‘now’ to save in the long run, just read the volume of articles about Wenger saying he missed this player or that player by a few million and they ended up TOP talents.

      How much could AFC have saved on Lemar (if he said yes) if we offered £50mil before they sold too many players? Wenger said he is still interested in him and wants him in Jan…

      Gazidis has been selling AFCs future for short term gains and he has been spinning BS to fans year after year while Wenger has been getting the blame.

      Wenger needs to go for tactics and motivation.
      Gazidis needs to go because he is selling our future.

      Who do you think will hire AFC next manager?
      Wenger was already manager when Silent Stan got involved, Wenger was hired by the CEO in the first place though and I get upset when thinking fans ignore Gazidis failures and we could end up with a failure to replace a has-been.

      You honestly think Gazidis will take a short term hit for the good of AFC in the long term? Risk his job by showing a loss on asset value for a couple years…

      Wake up please!

  3. Then why did he chose our “Top Signings” not to play against Liverpool. Trying to prove that his tactics are more important. He took unnecessary risk by benching the new signings and playing players out of positions. Dear wenger please learn to setup formation as well as Tactics before you talk about signings. Labeling player as top signing and then bench them. Seriously like WTF????!!!

    1. thats not the topic here.. the author makes a valid point and you bring in another matter to serve your agenda of 100% evil wenger

      1. They never listen do they?They want to blame the manager for everything as if they’re the only one’s who want him gone.
        When players leave they are called snakes but when they stay they are called deadwood.We always want things to be in our favour.I blame Wenger for all this.He should’ve left when he had the chance.He wouldn’t have had to put up with all this hate.

  4. Sam P you are right on all things but the people on here are blinded by their hate, they think that only their bashings are facts and as soon as somebody brings some perspective onto things and tries to be balanced he gets bashed.. i really hate this here that there is no room for open and objective discussions but only namecalling and bashings and the worst of them are ,and that my friends is a fact, the extreme haters of wenger, with them you cant talk, anything and everything wenger does is senile and wrong.. they dont seem to understand that every person does things right and wrong, but they close their eyes on the right things and if you mention something positive about wenger they bring other stuff into it which has got nothing to do on the matter on hand, like sean williams up there..
    what to do the most humans arent able to discuss intellectually and angry/aggressive haters and especially football fans arent known for their objectivity/intelligence

    1. Krish
      I feel sorry for you. There are many well put comments on Wengers failures by many. You seem abnormally defensive and and are doing exactly what you argue against. You are overly emotional in your reply and write nothing to support any argument. You are your own antithesis.

      1. look this is exactly what i mean xD i never even said that i accept everything wenger does, but because it wasnt a bashing comment of wenger here you are calling me emotional and blaming me ^^

        1. jesus I was hoping a bit of common sense was beginning to prevail but no its back to the same old 4th place junkiedom… if you think the following is a clear and honest statement I suggest you retake 4th grade … “I believe that our squad is very strong and we will only look for top-class people who can strengthen our team now. The basis is there so we need the additions who will make a real difference.”

          the basis for what? none of his other statements clarify this but one has to assume that for the seventh wealthiest club on the planet charging the highest average gate fees its to win the EPL and challenge for the CL .. if that is the working assumption then the man is clinically delusional; the bulk of this squad delivered 5th place last season .. we do not have a midfield that could compete with top teams last season let alone the stronger versions we are now up against and the defence was shaky even against mid table teams …that remains the case

          and what is top class for Wenger? … not holding that is for sure whatever we might think of him as a prospect (and the jury is definitely still out) … lacazette is definitely way better than welbeck or Walcott (whose hapless footballing skills ironically you have sadly failed to recognise over the years) but how much better than Perez we don’t know as Wenger refused to play the latter …

          and what does making a difference mean for Wenger? the main reason we achieved 5th place was down to a player who is desperate to leave because he recognises a lack of ambition in the club .. oh and winger’s understanding of contract theory is pitiful so maybe he should retake his masters as well … we added a left back who is better than the one that left but is not a proven top class player yet and certainly hasn’t made a difference in the opening games ..

          what is particularly annoying about articles by 4th place junkies is that they are desperate to say Wenger is not to blame and we need to focus more on the decision of the owner … which carries some truth … they then write articles praising Wenger for implementing the decisions he said he would take even when these are clearly insufficient to get the club back on track!!!

          you can’t have your “cake” and shoot it up too … get used to a prolonged period of cold turkey and stock up on the tomato soup

  5. Well if we want to be truthful to ourselves what he actually said was true but he’s been dishonest too many times in the past.Even recently we were promised change but I’m still seeing the same tactical rigidity I’ve been seeing for many years now.
    I’d be happy if he’s able to change that.He hates to tweak things in his system which is his main problem.Contrary to what people think I think with proper tactics,formation and mentality this squad can win the EPL.Many will doubt it but if these three things are checked we can win the EPL.The neglect of these three things is what has brought Arsenal’s failures over the years.The signs are there that it is set to continue.If Arsenal had gotten all the players we had needed we would still have been playing badly because of those three things being neglected.

    1. kev,
      I said on this site last year before we got Lacazette and Kolasinac that our squad was good enough to win the EPL with man like Allegri, Pochettino or Sampaoli in charge. Wenger used to be the man but he has lost it. It hurts me to write the thing I do about him these days but he is to stubborn to realise and leave off his own accord. He is ruining the legacy he built at this club. I’m affraid now if and when he leaves he will be remembered as the once great manager that didn’t know when his time was up instead off the man who helped build this club to what it is today. He should have gone after the 2014 F.A cup final perfect time to go, we would have built him a statue and every body would still respect him. Now if and when he leaves alot off fans will still have hate towards him instead .

  6. Arsenal has had a good transfer window.
    21 decent players.
    We kept 11 players who played most games.
    Kept all our top scorers.
    Sanchez 30 Walcott 19 Giroud 16 Ozil 12.
    Cech
    Bellerin Monreal Mustafi Koscielny
    Xhaka Coquelin
    Walcott Ozil Sanchez
    Giroud.
    Bench.
    Ospina Macey Holding Mertesacker Ramsey Elneny Iwobi Chambers
    Kolasinac free. Lacazette 50 mill cheap by today’s standards.
    The last 4 ?
    One assumes Wilshere and Wellbeck are quota players.
    Not sure why we kept Cazorla (injured) and Debuchy.
    Deadwood sold or released.
    Gabriel 9mill Gibbs 7mill Ox 30mill Perez 11 mill. Sanogo.
    57 mill in earnings which paid for Lacazette 50m.
    Overall a sound window.

  7. “The interest of any player is always to play football and well, even more so at the end of your contact.”

    I don’t agree. I’ve seen football players go on strike before.

    1. Why would Sanchez risk injury? He would lose millions if he gets injured whilst not having a contract for next year.

  8. Thats very fair and I dont think anyone can argue with that. BUT the bigger question is that he also either implies that the squad he has is good enough which raises three questions :
    1. Is the squad good enough?
    2. Why have they performed so poorly?
    3. Are they playing poorly because they dont believe in him?

    The fact that he hasn’t lied is not the issue. For me the issue is that we have had 3 montgs to get organiaed having clearly faltered last season and as opposed to starting strongly and addressed our frailties we have had a horrendous start..

    1. Actually the fact that he hasn’t lied IS the issue. Thats what the article was about. His honesty on the 2017 transfer window.
      The article proves he was honest on the 2017 window alone. Nowhere did the article suggest Wenger was a good manager or tactician.

  9. It appears freedom of speech is no longer allowed on JustArsenal..

    Perhaps Kroenkes tentacles may reach further than we could have imagined!?

    Anyhow if you want to learn about the protests and to get involved head over to the OnlineGooner where you can speak freely about such things as The regimes removal.
    Look in Wenger Out protest forum under ‘on the terraces’.

    Google ‘chris butler 2 justgiving’ too if you want to donate to the upcoming protests.

    1. Jeez, look mate, I have nothing against your message. I simply don’t allow people to post the same comments over and over its called repetition and its boring.
      I don’t allow freedom of speech? It sounds like you have a chip somewhere considering you have been allowed to post this at least 10 times so far, and 50 times last year… You should post a comment like that on one of our WengerOut posts (Isn’t there enough of them?) not on an article about the transfer window….
      JustArsenal is also here for people to discuss football you know. Remember that?

      1. Mmmm repetition of the same thing?

        Like 20 Alexis Sanchez articles during the transfer window?

        I have no chip. It’s not about me you see, but the club and its decline.

        I could post it in the buried wengerout post but who new to this site visits that. Trying to get the word out and the best place to do that is in current articles..

        Still. Won’t bother here anymore. Don’t want to rock the boat and all that..

        Let’s just talk about the wonderful football we are all witnessing and the fantastic regime who help better our club;)

      2. I think Krish has posted more repetitive articles and responses than Arseovertit. It is imperative not to just support those who seem to agree with you. I have always used this site because it is editorially fairl. I would drop it in an instant if it became selective.

        1. lol you are a joke, i have never posted an article and my responses are just that: a “response” and if the question is similar the response is similar too

          1. Krish
            Yours are articulations. They are not articulate they are repetitions….always. Wenger apologist

      3. Agree with Admin about the repetition, my mate GB has been binned and deservedly so for getting pissed and repeating bad comments!?

  10. “Totally” honest.
    No one in the world let
    alone football managers
    is “totally honest” 🙂
    Arsene is as honest as any Manager Mourinho Guardiola Conte etc.
    Arsene’s comments are very vague.
    We will “try” to find “top” quality.
    How hard will you “try” how much will you spend.
    “Maybe” we will lose “some” players?
    How many, who, for how much?
    There is no real disclosure and covers any amount of possible out comes.
    If he was totally honest he would say we want to buy the best players
    (naming them) at the lowest price(quoting the price)
    and sell our worst players (naming them) for the best price (quoting the price).
    Of course no manager ever tells those truths.
    As for Sanchez he desperately wanted to go.
    If Arsene told the truth he would say we told City
    we will sell Sanchez only if we can buy Le Mar
    but we left the sale till a few hours before a crucial
    W/C qualifier making it near impossible for the sale to take place.
    If he told the truth he would say “Perez and Gabriel were shocking
    panic buys I made and I off loaded them both at a loss.
    I kept Gibbs far too long and we lost on his sale and wasted wages.
    Sanogo was a ridiculous wild egotistical punt and we lost
    12 mill in wages on my flight of fancy.
    Ox is a decent player but after a 10 mill purchase 5 mediocre seasons
    for 20 mill wages we were damn lucky to hock him to ‘pool for 40m…
    We now have a side who is very likely to make top 4 but not good enough
    to really compete for the title which is exactly what
    Stan requires and to ensures my 8 mill salary.
    When it comes to honesty Arsene is just your regular football manager.
    He speaks constant riddles and endless generalized cliches.
    If the fans truly accepted honesty Managers would be honest.
    But fans do not want honesty. Fans want miracles.
    So Managers are masters at promising miracles and even more
    expert at justifying why there is often a delay in miracles arriving 🙂
    Football is about aspiring to glory and fame.
    Who needs honesty.

  11. Problem with Wenger is that he uses the words “believe”, “belief”, and “hope”, amongst others, too much. We’re fed up of hearing vague quotes all the time, that are open to interpretation.

  12. When was the last time Wenger won EPL. How many players contract will expire this season and next season. Did he replaced a captain like Viera to lead from front. Did he replaced a beast in Midfield. He is a manager who loves to live on good old days. He’s got many chance after chance to make u winners but he was adament not to sign. Simply he’s out dated. The trophy won’t come to you. You should go for it with the proper drive, attitude and hunger which is what Wenger is lacking now

  13. … Facepalm …
    Him being honest doesn’t bring any managerial improvement. So what you wrote brings nothing good for Arsenal in achieving glory. We’re a sinking ship that sinks faster under Wenger.

  14. The reason he says that because he has already been given his targets and squad to work with

    It appears that Gazadis may have already told him that no players will be sign till the squad has been reduced

    typical performance, budget and squad review prior to the start of the season….

  15. What utter delusional BS
    You can argue for Wenger success or his failures but his Lying is fact
    RVp won’t be sold -sold
    Sanchez won’t be sold – agrees a fee
    No quality players available, other teams but and win
    I could go on and on
    Sam P this must be a click bait article

    1. you are dishonest too as you just lie to satisfy your hatred.. if you were fair it should be read as: sanchez wont be sold – hasnt been sold
      i rest my case

  16. If you would have said Wenger has not lied I would have bought your argument. You have called him honest. You are stretching it a bit. Wenger has never been honest.

  17. Arsenal submitted a £92million transfer bid for Monaco star Thomas Lemar, Arsene Wenger has confirmed. This was never going to Happen they put the bid in an Hour or so before he was going on the field to play an International Game so there was no time for this to go through. Wenger and the Board knew this so for me it was just another one of Wengers stunt’s to appease the Arsenal Fans. In other words another one of Wengers Coulda Woulda Shoulda. A load of C XXXX.

  18. I am not going to waste my time looking though the internet, but I am very confident I could also find quotes that would state otherwise ans prove the point that Wenger and Company said they would bring in a few strong quality players with the loads of cash on hand.

    This is simple debate r-tactics, try to rationalize your position by picking out statements and quotes, which justify and/or lend credence to the position you are taking. Simple high school debate tactics.

  19. Well, In a way I agree, that calling Wenger all sorts of things is hardly reasonable.
    But the fact is, Wenger has failed in a big way over the last few years, and if he had true class, he would admit it and step down.

  20. no wonder wenger still persists as our manager… no matter what, there will always be fans supporting him… i wish my employer was as lenient as the arsenal hierarchy and fan-base

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