Arsene Wenger points to Mauricio Pochettino troubles as an example of what he faced at Arsenal
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been discussing the troubles facing Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and has come to his defence.
Wenger is of the opinion that Pochettino has done well at Spurs but in doing so has raised expectation levels. The Frenchman also pointed out that top-four was not enough when he managed Arsenal but now it is seen as a success.
‘I think he [Pochettino] has done very well, what everybody acknowledges,’ Wenger told beIN Sport.
‘But when he came to Tottenham he slowly built them up with a very young generation. ‘Every year people want something more from you.
I experienced that at Arsenal. ‘We were 20 consecutive years in the top four but in the end it was not enough.
‘Today, if you get in the Champions League people are very happy.
You have to admit it, he has a very valid point. Now, Arsenal fans would be more than satisfied with a top-four finish but when Wenger was delivering that year in year out it was not enough.
The landscape has changed somewhat, now we have six teams fighting for a top-four spot and competition is fiercer than it has ever been. But Wenger is right to feel a little bitter because that is what it sounds like.
In fact, Arsenal is third one point behind Man City and judging by some comments on this site Unai Emery should be sacked.
Football is a funny game.
ION.. Arsene has finally admitted his coat was too long 😀
If only Wenger had left after winning the FA cup in 2014/15, then his legend is untarnished. Sometimes, it is difficult to make the right decision on when to give up, even for wise man like him.
I think every English football fan should thank Wenger for his first decade in England, but the second decade will be forever controversial.
@DiDi
Good to know you, or no one who thinks like you, get to decide how AWs legacy should be viewed…
In hindsight, he should have gone in 2010. Wenger is a legend, but it is a strange legacy, when you consider 14 straight years of no league titles or even a league challenge, and no European title in 22 years.
Le Prof has spoken, as he might be the right person to know what Poch is going through now.
Wenger trying to defend the second half of his tenure I see. The problem was never his top 4 achievements, it’s that this was the endgame goal for him. It was a trophy to him, but it was not to the fans. We haven’t been in an actual title race for ages, and the fans want to win titles. Not just to get to UCL and get smashed by a bigger club. Wenger’s standards slipped. I hope he acknowledges that some day. Top 4 is a target for us right now, but it is not the end goal. AW left us a Europa League team and we need to take the necessary steps to be competitive again.
emery won’t win EPL trophy either,he is also aiming top four…emery is a poor version of arsene….Wenger has many faults, but he was never a coward, he allows players to express themselves.. emery is like a kid afraid to face the future, too conservative, scared…Arsenal deserves better than that!!
I agree, I don’t think Emery is the answer either. Best case scenario is he gets top 4, but hierarchy still wants a change. Doubt they will move him on if he achieves 4th, but it’s clear to me he is no long term solution.
Even at his worst he equals emery’s best respect the man for what he did, we’ve become accustomed to average at the moment
The football is dire and the teams sheets are as predictable as our play
No money to buy good players is the main reason.
You say he sounds bitter?
I saw that interview, Are you aware Arsene Wenger works as a part time Pundit on Bein Sports?
Are you aware they were in the studio discussing issues surrounding clubs and he made an honest assessment about Tottenham?
Even in his job and analysis, you came to the conclusion he’s a little bitter all on your own.
Genius!! AdMartin!!
Brilliant!!
How many people on here would remember one of my articles last two seasons when I pointed out Arsene Wenger’s early success at Arsenal is the reason his later years were deemed failure?
Here’s a recap,
Arsene Wenger’s success raised the bar too much for even he himself, that Invincibles year and dominance raised a bar too high for him or any other coach. It wasn’t about going unbeaten, it’s about what fans expected after he pulled that Invincibles season. Arsenal fans tasted success in a way we never did before, so the feeling was too sweet too let go.
Yes, Wenger never won the EPL after that, he even lost the UCL final, but after that, every other thing he did wasnt seen as success by fans, especially the ones who will stupidly tell you winning the FA cup means nothing. The same cup he later won thrice in four years.
Fans called it nothing, called it failure and all sorts of stuffs all because we expected too much after tasting the success he brought at first.
Now the same fans would kill to have us in that top 4 they normally call Wenger’s trophy, the same fans would be happy for us to win even the Carling Cup and top Four this season.
I’m happy years later, he explained it just the same way I did years ago.
Spurs are calling Pochettino all sorts of names, will this be the first time we witness Spurs struggle?
No! Spurs were okay with having no trophy, they were satisfied as long as the kept improving and bettering us
But just because they got into the UCL finals last season. Expectations skyrocketed.
Now anything Pochettino does that’s below getting top four or a cup will means he’s a failure too.
Wenger just stated the obvious truth that so many fans are too blinded to see.
You saying he sounds bitter makes you the bitter one here, because everything he said was about Spurs and their struggles, Erikson and everything, why didn’t post the full interview and everything he said about Totthenham so everyone sees he was doing his job as a pundit.
I wonder when you guys will leave the man alone
I just saw the interview too, and he didn’t sound bitter or judgemental as this article and other headlines are trying to project..he was just honest and stayed facts.
Coming to the UCL finals in 2006, if only we didn’t have Jens going off with a straight red card so early in the game, it was anyone’s game and I still am inclined to think we’d have won it. Soon after that came the moving of stadiums and the huge loans to be paid, Kroenke, cash crunch, and also Wenger’s own parsimony to a certain extent, but he had youngsters coming through and built a team based on that philosophy and kept the team in TOP4, till the last two years.
Starting 2013 is when the purse strings were loosened a bit and it was mostly one big player a year👇
Ozil
Sanchez
Lacazette
Aubameyang half way through in 2018Jan
Contrast that with Emery getting 200million plus spread over 1.5 seasons, Wenger managed to overlook not just the game, but had an eye on the financials. Some numpty in here keeps saying Wenger left Arsenal in debt, forgetting to read the financials, as Wenger was largely responsible for the club’s self sustaining model. He had his weaknesses, but he wasn’t profligate with “buy buy buy” mentality, even after petro dollars entered the game. His famous quip was “how can a club fight a rich country?” while referencing Abu Dhabi buying ManC.
Is it any wonder that Wenger’s time coming to an end coincided with Kroenke taking full control of the club? American business model has no time for ethos and loyalty which Arsenal is based on, a philosophy that Wenger embellished in his 22 years. He took the club global and had fans joining the club in droves with his philosophy and beautiful game. In his last two years, despite all the backroom machinations and politics he kept a dignified facade and carried on till he was pushed to a corner and he walked away. Josh, Gazidis & gang have a lot to answer for this, and by brining in Emery, because fans worldwide are leaving in a trickle now and this boring football will make them leave in droves soon. The warning signs are there, so it is for the club to hire someone who believes in the Arsenal philosophy, not some namby-pamby “our way, our capacity” tripe.
@Viju Jacob
Another brilliant assessment… 👍🏿
Thanks NY_G, with fellow gooners like you I’m happy to opine.
Gazidi knew he had messed up the Wenger leaving and coming in of Emery, so he took the exit at first chance. He thought Mr Dein just did a guess; ummmh Asene = Arsenal, why not; Emery = Emirate.
They are now more dummies than the man they spited.
@Eddie Hoyte
Well stated Gooner. Check and Mate… 👍🏿
@Eddie Hoyte – well said! I feel exactly they way you feel. Our fans are fickle and lack true knowledge of the game what goes into making a good coach. Now, every manager just wants top 4, while we took it for granted. The man has won the most FA cups and, trust me, Arsenal under Unai or any other coach will struggle to get anywhere close to a cup. Well, I hope I am wrong, but our standards have really dropped in terms of playing style. We are watching drab, mediocre soccer from our team. When will people and fans acknowledge that Wenger was way ahead of every coach and fan with his knowledge of the game. Lets hope he can manage soon and show the world his true worth. Aman!
He’s pretty accurate, Poch’ had to build with young players with no money and made it to final as of CL as we did.
Cheap owners, cashing up…Budget he had this season brought him Ndombele… He deserved to have Dybala he asked for, in order to expect more…
We missed CL because of our cheap owners, Wenger made this club in many aspect, a strong attractive brand with international appeal. He kept us up there 20 years with no money
From 2006 to 2014 Wenger had no money for transfer, only one in 2013/2014 season was Ozil for 40M, Stadium paid for. 2015, he fought again to get Sanchez. He was on Suarez who wanted Arsenal bad, but allowed bid was 10M short, as ridiculous was to miss Kante who wanted Arsenal year later.
If we then miss top 4, it is his fault, while Kanté lifts Chelsea all the way up! We would have won EPL and CL with these 2 additions, but no ambition owners had Sanchez fed up as Vpersie before him.
Hope Ozil get on loan to Barça who are bit stupid, behind Messi, Suarez, Griezmann, Dembele, he will be n’est world’s Man he has been rated as and is; World class but needs to be surrounded that way in order to shine… He just didnt lose his football and saw how we missed Kante and Suarez before, Sanchez leaving as he should have to Barça for ages and hope he will in January, enjoy what he loves with respect due to him!
We bought Xhaka the same window Kante was available, and paid MORE for Xhaka. That was not the boards fault. And Wenger has said numerous times that no transfer gets done without his say. The rewrite of history is amazing. You can’t just blame the Stan for everything when Wenger WAS getting funds and the performances were still bad. Gazidis, Wenger, and Stan were a disastrous trio, and we are still trying to clear out players they brought in.
Kante wasn’t that expensive, Chelsea paid 30million while wenger paid 35million Xhaka, in case you forgot wenger preferred Xhaka to Kante, we bought Xhaka the same season Chelsea bought Kante, the simple truth is that Wenger didn’t believe in DM. And as far as Ozil issue goes I can assure you Barcelona will not even take him on loan, Barcelona is known to want there midfielders being the first defenders and ozil we know can’t defend.
Kante didn’t want to sign for us ,you can’t make a player sign just because he comes available
,he wanted Chelsea move and they wanted him ,that’s a non story which you have bought up twice already today .
Don’t let facts get in the way of your post though mate .
Mogunna, Wenger had a big say over transfers, so buying Xhaka was one of his mistakes. Buying players was one of his weaknesses, so we have to acknowledge that. He was a human after all.
He may have a valid point he may not have a valid point, who knows? The only thing that is known is that in his last years he destroyed everything he built and brought Arsenal down to a Europa team. Remember he said Europa was a reward for failure or something like that I can’t remember. The minimum requirement for Wenger was a top four finish and at some point he couldn’t even achieve that. Don’t get me wrong, I have utmost respect for the old veteran. But saying we would be happy with a top for finish is (I don’t know the word to use). Because he was the one who brought us down to that level. If he left like Sir Alex then that wouldn’t be the case.
“But saying we would be happy with a top for finish is (I don’t know the word to use).”
Eh I believe the words you’re looking for is *The Truth*??
@Ace
Lots of fans have been saying this if he left comment thing ignorantly.
He was not eager to stay either. He stayed BECAUSE Ivan Gazidis did not have any coach or manager, just any stand in ready to take over. Was there any whisper that Arsenal was interviewing any coach?
So he agreed to stay, was offered ONLY one year, he declined one, except TWO, with expectations of funding transfers within the two seasons. So Emery was sacked at PSG, fans were already on the edge with extreme Wenger out, and hastily, they hired just the available man with all selfish consideration and passive collusion of the LOUDER Wenger out fans, who wrongly thought they only were the ones who saw that Wenger going was necessary. Everyone was ready, even I dare say, Arsene himself, for the move on but timing and replacement was the difference. Arsene had stayed for his love to see to the conclusive end of the stadium project and the positioning of Arsenal brand as the original idea, because Wenger was one of ”collaterals”of the stadium loans.
These facts are openly available, they are not my imaginations
Yessir, but who is to read up about all this! All they know is to tar a goof man’s reputation.
All the big clubs came calling, but he stayed on because he was part of the collateral for the loans.
Wenger OUT forever!
1. Selling rvp to manutd
2. Not taking Fabregas back to the club
3. cos he had to push his goldenboy ramsey into starting 11, although we can see now even cleary how wrong he was (Willock and Ceballos are musch better even now then ramsey will ever be)
4. Transfer policy – look how many deadwood players we had to offload and still there are Xhaka and Mustafi and some others
5. Contracts expiring without selling players before they can move away for free
6. Almost never changed his style of play and specially during a game
7. I honestly think he went littlebit mad by the end of his era
8. there is much more for sure but have to go now…
9- only manager to ever go the season unbeaten
10 – record fa cups
11- puts together arguably the best team to play in these shores
12. – I’m sure there’s more but have to go now
13. – Produced the most entertaining football ever seen in England.
14. – Converted Henry from a winger to a striker turning him into one of the worlds best goal scorers ever.
15. – Signed Petit, Fabragas, Vieirinha, Henry, Anelka and more.
16.- There is much more….
17.- Got annihilated 8-2 by a direct rival that we still get roasted for to date.
18.- Humiliated 5-1 ×3 to Bayern Munich consecutively.
19.- pounded 5-1 by Liverpool
20.- Destroyed 6-0 by Chelsea
21.- Gambled with Almunia and Fabianski as goalkeepers.
22.- Signed Mustafi, Xhaka and countless other dullards
23.- Decided top 4 was more important than winning the league.
24.- Unable to pick up points away in his final season.
25.- Refused to address defensive side of the game, rotate the squad or adapt to any and all opponents.
26.- Refused to buy a DM.
27.- Refused to pick Ty’s phone calls.
28.- Am sure there’s more but have to go now…
UE to date, the one we are supposed to give more time too:
17. Got humiliated by the bottom club because we were scared of them
18. Humiliated in the europa league final 1-4 by Chelsea
19. Pounded 0-2 at home by manure in the fa cup
20. Destroyed 0-3 at home by spuds in the league cup
21. Gambled with Lechstenier and Sokratis ad defenders
22. Made Xhaka our captain and signed dullards such as luiz, sokratis, lichstenier
23. Decided the europa cup was more important than finishing in the top four – then lost the final
24. Unable to pick up the three points required to finish in the top four from his final six games
25. Refuses to address defensive side of the game, selects his favourite players and plays defensively to other clubs even if they are in the bottom three
26. Refuses to play the DM he has in that position and makes him a substitute more times than he plays him in the first eleven.
27. ????
28. This after just a season and a half, compared to twenty two seasons – havent even mentioned tactics and style, but have to go now….thank god for Wengers youngsters!!!
Wenger put a premium on loyalty and Cesc let him down after WC 2010 attitude, so under the Arsenal loyalty code, he WILL NOT HAVE CESC BACK, whatever the circumstances maybe. So you better be a loyal gooner to appreciate this.
Maks, let’s take your points one at a time.
1. Judas refused to sign a new contract, after keeping the club in suspense for 18 months and stated quite clearly he wanted to go to manure. AW gets blamed for trying to hold on to Sanchez and yet when he did this, he’s wrong again.
2. Fabregas held the club to ransom regarding wanting to go back to Barcelona…he disrespected the club…Wenger put him in his place by saying no player is bigger than the club – wrong again it seems.
3. Ramsey was the complete opposite to the two named above, he asked for what he thought he was worth and the club said no…instead of holding us to ransom, he played his heart out until his contract ended and, by the way, UE wabted him to stay!!
4. Every single manager that has ever existed has made mistakes – just look at UE’S:
LICHSTENIER, SOKRATIS, LUIZ just in 18 months. He has made Xhaka his captain, so that’s another one to add to the list.
5. Contracts? Well, we’ve already mentioned Ramsey, let’s see what happens with regards to auba, lacs etc in the next few months.
6. At least he had style – I’ve just arrived home after watching the most boring, tedious, numb defining game of”football” I have ever witnessed – no passion, no tactics, no pride nothing. Thursday night I witnessed Wen gers youngsters coming of age (thanks freddie) and then sat through the biggest load of tosh I’ve ever had to sit through – and UE hasn’t changed his style of play either during a game….simply because he hasn’t got any.
7. If you mean he had finally had enough of the abuse given to him by a small selection of fans, your probably right…after all he had done for our club, he went mad with frustration. ..at least 55,000 plus gooners gave him the send off he deserved.
By the way, before anyone starts crowing about our unbeaten run and being third, can I suggest they look back to last seasons unbeaten run AND where we were in the league with just six games to go – anyone who feels any satisfaction after that game on sunday has no idea whatsoever about how a game of football, with so many good players available, should be played.
Ken, my.maan.
Hope he gets appointed as Coach manager at MU, it takes someone as Wenger to step up carry such a club on his shoulder since Sir Alex left.
Mourinho couldnt deal with it, takes royalty , soon he puts that jacket with MU logo ,it will be soon Sir Arsène, classrysmatic and boss a club as MU needs.
They have all the money he can spend and have Academy shine as well, he is a strong brand as MU, makes great co-branding! Come on Sir Alex, call Arsène and make History !
Wenger will not go to any other EPL club, if I understand his ethos.
That’s true, but was Arsenal loyal to him? The fans still treat him badly after all his efforts to the club. Let him go to Man U, he will do greatly there
Nnam, his loyalty isn’t conditional, or that’s how I see him. He duels with equals to prove a point, not fans.
My only problem was Arsene, that sometimes you feel he is not trying yo improve the team. When you need a number 9, he buys a midfielder, when you need a DM, he buys a winger, when you need a fullback he buys a GK…etc.
Sometimes you would see, that a certain youngster is very talented but he barely gets an opportunity, but someone like Iwobi who need 3+ seasons gets a lot of chances.
He complicated things at times, he gambled too much and lost. You are facing a big team and you have defensive problems, you get an all out attack formation. At the end, he was driving me nuts.
I shared your frustrations back then too.
Ba, having spent £215,000,000 plus, have we solved our defensive problems?
The only defensive player bought in to solve this problem to date is Kierney (a super buy by the way) with the others already “deadwood”.
The likes of sokratis, luiz and lichstenier have made our defence even worse than ever and it’s AW’s youngsters like Chambers, Bellerin and Holding who will solve this problem ( along withKierney and Salibas (?) hopefully).
Although he resigned nearly two years ago, our future is still based on the forward planning of Le Prof – the game against Standard Liege is testimony to that.
Thanks Ken, for aligning my thoughts. Cheers!
Hello Ken1945, I agree, so far our defense has not improved. I was referring to match management in my second part but have not made clear. Thanks.
Defense is on of the things you can’t easily improve instantly by buying players, because its a shared responsiblity from back line and midfield, and it takes time for defenders to adapt each other. I have my analysis of what went wrong in Arsenal in that part but it is a long story. On summary, we had not decent fullbacks and/or defensive midfielders together for long, and we made unnecessary wrong changes sometimes.
It is interesting to compare how Man Utd and Arsenal have dealt with
the end of their respective Manager’s long tenures.
Utd after Sir Alex’s long tenure have spent 700m and are on their 4th manager
and into their 7th season are floundering in 10th.
Arsenals response post Wenger’s 22 year tenure has been vastly different.
When he finished Wenger had became a dictator + had complete control over player purchases.
That is why a new structure was deliberately introduced to take the power to
purchase away from the manager.
First it was Mislintat then he quit + Sanhelli took over buying players.
Emery has not bought any players.None. People who say that are lying.
What Emery has actually done is get rid of a pile of Wengers deadwood.
Adélaïde Akpom Asano Bielik Campbell
Cazorla Cech Iwobi Jenkinson Koscielny
Mertesacker Monreal Nwakali Ospina Perez
Ramsey Welbeck Wilshere Zelalem.
19 players in a little over one season is an amazingly quick clear out.
Emery also asked Ozil Mustafi Elneny and Mkhitarian to leave but they are
sitting on the fat wedge Wenger gave them.
Emery is a genius for getting Arsenal 3rd place especially with no central defense.
Emery has achieved more just 2 months into his second season than United did in 6 years.
It will take this season to move Wenger’s dross on and two more years to build his own team.
Judge Emery in May 2022.
Your statements didn’t include the “debt” Wenger left behind, I see. So much for the dross you put out.