Why Wenger is still managing Arsenal by DN
The question of whether Arsenal are better off with Arsene Wenger as the manager has been a matter of some debate and discussion among Arsenal fans for some time now and I am sure that it will continue to be so for at least another year or so.
After the long serving Frenchman managed to lead the Gunners to an FA cup final last season however, there were not too many dissenting voices heard when Wenger signed a three year extension to his contract, as we all thought that after last season and a decent bit of transfer business, we would really be able to push on and challenge for the coveted Premier League crown this season.
As we know, that has not really happened and we are left fighting for a top four spot again, but I reckon that Wenger is just as disappointed as the rest of us about the way things have gone. In fact, I think that the boss was fully focused for the Gunners to win it this year.
I actually think that he was planning to do a Fergie and win the title one more time and then step down. That is why he was allowed to spend the big money on Ozil and then Alexis, just as Fergie took van Persie to United to ensure the title.
Unfortunately for Wenger and the Arsenal fans who want rid of him, things did not work out according to plan. But I blame that on the shocking injury situation and if we can finish this season strongly, I think that Wenger will go all out to make sure he has the squad to become champions of England again next season. That could mean more big money spent in the transfer market this summer.
I don’t think that Wenger really wants to see out the three years of his current deal. I think he wants to end it on a high note though, so that probably means at least one more season with the Prof. Unless we win the Champions League that is…..
we’re at least 5 players away from winning the title. 2 dm 2 cb and top top ST
reckon we could do it with 3: CB, DM and top-top-striker. even tho everyone has been discussing CB and DM (and rightly so since they are urgent fixes), people have forgotten that to truly reach the next level we do need that clinical WC striker. unless AW splurges in summer to try to win PL and retire, i dont see a top-top striker coming to arsenal. i think you make statements with your signings and AW’s signings makes the statement that he wants to maximise return-on-investment – spend as little as possible, try to make it to the CL. the 2nd possiblity is that he truly is delusional and expects he can win PL with his current squad + maybe a middling CB or DM. [w/o top-top striker we cannot win PL]
Without this top striker arsenal have the 3rd highest amount of shots on target per 90mins
Story for the gods, typical AKBS
There is nothing any fans can do to remove Wenger. Fans are not on the Board, fans do not own shares. Wenger has a contract. Kronke loves Wenger. Kronke is an ABSENTEE owner. He shows up once a year to check the books. Kronke knows that he can go away with three strippers for a year and return and find Wenger has Arsenal humming along in the black with nice profits.
Wenger is coach/manager/and CFO. There is no one in coaching with those credentials. NO ONE.
I believe(opinion not fact) that Arsene recognized last season we needed two season to rebuild. Hence, Ozil, Sanzhez and Debuchy. This coming summer we will have a full team. Why? FFP will curtail City and Chelsea from big purchases unless they sell.
The man has a plan; 3 players per season. Injuries wiped out the first half of our season. This season was to improve on the last. Next season we can bloom. I still think FA Cup and Champions League are long shots if injuries don’t kill us.
The Spuds and Liverpool bought and bought; where are they? Man U spent 150MILLION, where are they? One point ahead.
One CB in January, three players in summer.
Be careful what you wish for. Think Newcastle, they cant even find a DAMN COACH.
What a stupid thing to say, Newcastle have interviewed at least 4 coaches and are debating which one to choose.
That ‘there are no managers’ nonsense crack me up.
This is Arsenal, who wouldn’t want to manage the club!
Review my statement.
“Wenger is coach/manager/and CFO. There is no one in coaching with those credentials. NO ONE.”
Just to clarify, are you highlighting this because you think it’s impressive?
“This is Arsenal, who wouldn’t want to manage the club!” If we feel it is our right to force AW out unceremoniously then I think the list of interested parties will shrink. I reckon there will be lots of managers and coaches looking at the abuse Wenger gets and thinking they could do without some of the plastic supporters. Like it or not there are a lot of top coaches who rate Wenger as a football person and are shocked by some of the treatment meted out to him. You could imagine Klopp looking at his Dortmund supporters and then look at our lot and shake his head.
Perspective. Let’s agree to disagree and here’s why…
When Wenger bought Ozil we didn’t start that summer thinking “we need a CAM, let’s hope for Ozil”, we needed (unsurprisingly) a star ST, DM, and a top CB. Bales purchase led to a Real player getting the boot…..we scooped Ozil. 43million on a position where we had Cazorla and Jack, while there was 0 spent on a star ST, DM, and CB. That money could have been used on Schneiderlin and Howedes except we didn’t have a transfer strategy, and instead reacted other moves to get an apparent bargain.
This window was the exact same, who earmarked Alexis before the summer opened? Most wanted the DM and ST we didn’t get in the last window. Same story played out and this time we got Alexis as a Suarez makeweight. Another class player, but not what we set out and targeted….although this one has paid off (more luck than judgement?). The there was Welbz, didn’t we only get him once United felt they had Falcao in the bag? Tell me we set out targeting Welbz pre-window.
So no, I disagree Wenger has a transfer vision. I actually think he’s lost touch with transfers now he’s not got the French market in his back pocket like before. I say that because Lloris (15m), Cabaye (5m), Sissoko (1.7m), Lacazette…..are all players we could have bought at this point, but we have/had Almunia/Flamini/Diaby/Welbz. And as I’ve said, the stars we’ve bought weren’t what we wanted, more what was available.
I doubt any managers have “transfer visions” – there is just too much outside of their control to make a predictable plan. Most clubs (bar Real for example) react to availability rather wasting time trying to tap up players. “And as I’ve said, the stars we’ve bought weren’t what we wanted, more what was available”. Sorry, don’t really understand that; you can only buy what was available. Are you say Wenger didn’t really want to spend £80M on MO and AS. Possibly the worlds best No.10 and a world top ten striker don’t turn up on the market too often.
But you boys with your grand theories, shining a retrospective light and revealing nothing. Ozil a £42M panic buy to appease the fans after one loss? Come on, you have to be REAL dumb to think that why it happened. No-one really believes it, it is just an argument of convenience to bash Wenger with. He would be buying a £30-40M player every other week if he wanted to placate the shouty ones. If we could have bought him and didn’t then we would still be hearing about it now. The AOBs would make a big deal of it either way. And JW as the Ozil No.10 alternative – purrr-lease. And try not to forget the fact that Santi has about 400+ games under his belt playing anywhere but No.10, and scored a dozen and assisted half a dozen from out wide in 2012-13. He is is doing a job more centrally now but don’t pretend that it has always been that way. And if you want to offer the Sanchez success as perhaps being “luck” then it sort of shows that you are on a one way road with a single agenda. You must be in a sad place to be so begrudging. Is he a “makeweight” for old Gnasher Suarez? Only time will tell – but Luis is struggling a bit out on the right at Barca; 2 goals in domestic and UCL since October. So we never set out and targeted Sanchez, or so you say and I assume you have that on excellent authority, but looks like we may have gotten a 30 goal a season forward and you choose to whine. No we probably didn’t target Welbeck – but he only became available at close of play. So what? Decent squad addition IMO. And Schniederlin – his bandwagon wasn’t rolling with everyone on board in Sept 2013 – I remember folk on here even half way through last season still giving it large about Pogba, Vidal, Khediera etc and even occasional mentions of MS were shot down (“we want/deserve WC” and all that marlarkey).
You doubt managers have transfer visions? Yea maybe cos you’re blinded by the sun shining out Wenger’s arse. We have a shocking transfer strategy, and to deny it is just blind faith to Wenger and absolute refusal to critique the man. I’m a huge Wenger fan despite your need to claim I’m some disgruntled fan with an agenda….I just see our strategy for what it is. Nonexistent.
We’ve needed a DM since Gilberto left and the nearest we got to “buying” one is bosman flamini. Your mention of ‘reacting to availability’ has an air of truth for everyone…however for successful teams like City/Chelsea they react to who’s available in the position they need to improve. Please explain the rationale of needing a DM and ST, yet spunking 43mil on a CAM. Explain why buying a 20mil DM and a 20mil CB wouldn’t have improved us more. Then tell me why a man making 8mil a year to make such decisions can be led astray from OUR needs just to get his hands on a brilliant player we could do without.
“No we probably didn’t target Welbeck. So what? Decent addition” – sums up almost all I need to know about your outlook. Happy to pay 16mil for a guy we didn’t even have on the radar just because he’s a ‘decent addition’. Not sure why I bother with such easily placated fans. Another reason why Wenger leaving could be good for us, it will burst the bubble for many and open your eyes to where we actually stand these days.
Why does everyone keep making out like we got ozil last summer? He was a last minute panic by the season before and not what we needed….if wenger really wanted to win the league he would take his head out of his arse and listen to what we need!!!!!!! Mert is not a title winning cb and arteta is not a title winning midfielder
I want Wenger to see out his contract.
This season top 3 finish will do a good.
Next summer transfer window is what can make us a title contender.
We must take Morgan Scliderine, he is as good as matic if not better.
Jenkisnson will come back from his loan spell,
Weitan Reid(must get him in Jan) and one more top top CB.
Morgan Scliderine,- 25 mil
Reid 3 mil in Jan, free in summer.
CB- 30 mil
That is a total of 55 million.
If we can sell Poldi for 15 to 20 mil, then we can buy some one like Higuine who is perfect finsher.
We need a striker who can finish moves a we create lots of chances.
This team not needed a complete overhaul, just needing 3 to 4 players to challenge.
So my point is although we are not challenging for Pl this year, it is there for every one to see that wit just 2 to 3 right addition, we can become PL contenders definately.
Wenger must get credit of bringing Sanchez for 30 plus mill,.He worth 70 mill
“this team needs just 3-4 players”: and thats the most frustrating part. it has been that way for 2 years (at least). like charlie said, we got ozil when we needed ST/DM/CB. next year we got sanchez. we still need world-class ST, a v.good DM and a v.good CB. and we’re all set. we’re not that far. but its too far for monsieur wenger. he’s always just a little bit short or slow or stubborn in the transfer market. he basically sucks at getting the job done in the TW. and unfortunately, thats a huge part of being a manager nowadays.
Would you all be surprise if wenger stays longer?
“surprised” is the worng worde
why not juz end it now….klopp and simone guarantee titles and spending…
we are 8 players away from.winning the title…
. . . and you are 8 brain cells away from having none!
Klopp? Dortmund might be in 2. Bundesliga next season.
“there were not too many dissenting voices heard when Wenger signed a three year extension”
Something wrong with your head?
The majority of fans, at that point, thought Wenger should go out on a FA Cup high.
There were plenty of dissenting voices and only a few weeks later you couldn’t find an online poll of fans under 70% wanting him out! Some were as high as 85% but then there are always plastic fans with liquid conviction.
Man can’t compete at the top level anymore and ever year since 2006 he has made serious errors in the transfer market, since 2010 his grasp of tactics has been mind numbing, resulting in some of our heaviest defeats ever.
i passed a dog in the park this morning and even he, I am sure, knows we need a spine for the team of bigger tough players.
Le Coq has been a revelation, partly because of his skills but also because we simply had no one doing his job in the team.
We still need a Striker, big strapping Box to Box with defensive skills (Wenger will never buy a DM) and a couple of CB as Kos’s injury is the type that will flare up if he is overplayed.
I don’t care how he goes, for the good of Arsenal he simply needs to go.
Show me a stat where the “The majority of fans, at that point, thought Wenger should go out on a FA Cup high.”
How many Arsenal fans are season tickets holders?
How many Arsenal fans go to a game ?
How many Arsenal fans exist worldwide?
What you have are skewed counts from sites(1? 2?)where angry people answered an online survey. I did not answer the survey and MILLIONS of Arsenal fans did not answer the survey.
How many of the worldwide Arsenal fans answered that survey. You don’t know. You cannot tell.
That is like a having an survey on Arsenal.com and declaring that all of Arsenal fans have spoken.
My peer group of Arsenal fans are older; many 30 year and 40 year Arsenal fans. None of them express “Wenger out”
So I will suggest that you have an online group of younger disgruntled fans. A miniscule amount of you are season tickets holders, a very tiny amount of you ever get to a game. A small amount have ever bought Arsenal gear and contributed even in the tiniest way to Arsenal revenues.
You are loud and online, but NOT the majority.
I meant “That is like a having an survey on JustArsenal.com and declaring that all of Arsenal fans have spoken.”
wenger out!
sign them all make everyone happy!
He should leave at the end of this season, I cannot stand another transfer window with Wenger in charge.
I certainly think we should consider Ronald Koeman as our next manager.Here’s why:
1.He has ambition. Something wenger lost in 2005
2.Great tactician.
3.Not afraid of the big teams.Wenger can’t beat anything in a man utd jersey or Chelsea jersey
4.Eye for talent. Evidenced by the signings of Mane,tadic,pelle
5.Gives youth players an opportunity. Reed,Gardos,Targett
6.Knows how to replace players. He has certainly improved Soton despite them losing their best players
7.He has the edge over wenger in previous meetings, including his time at psv
8.Add more
Wait ! first it was Klopp, then Simeone, now it is Koeman. Whoever is the hot flavor of the week? Next week Ancelloti?
Who is the we in ” we should consider Ronald Koeman as our next manager” ?
GK: Szcz + Ospina.
LB: Gibbs + Monreal
LCB: Kos + Signing.
RCB: Per + Chambers
RB: Debuchery + Bellerin + Jenkinson
DM: Signing + Coq.
B2B: Ramsey + Wilshere
ACM: Ozil + Cazorla
LAM: Alexis + Rosicky + Campbell
RAM: The Ox +Gnabry
CF: Giroud + Welbeck + Theo
Thats a 25 man squad.
Instead of looking to buy 4 or 5 players again Wenger can look at getting 2 quality players to complete the picture, Wenger spent £80mil in the past transfer window and if we use that as a guess for next window then it means we can compete for Hummels at end of year ^.^
Hardest part tho is keeping them fit :'(
we need a world-class ST, a v.good CB and a v.good DM and ST: same as it has been for 2 years. not replacements: but additional. no teenagers, over-age, free, broken or ligue 2 please.
Koscielny was a ligue 2 player too and now he’s our best centre back. If he finds one with great potential like kos he should sign him up.
You cannot honestly think Wenger thought he could win the title with 6 defenders covering 4 positions, no DM and no 25-30 goal striker. You cannot honestly think that, because this is the same man that had an invincible squad, he is fully aware of what is required to win a premier league title so this whole article has been a waste of time. How can you blame injuries? Before the season started I complained about the number of defenders we had saying two injuries and we’re done. People here said it was farfetched (given our injury history I didnt understand that), Koscielny and Debuchy got injured and there was turmoil. If our manager doesnt have enough foresight to get the squad required to see us through a title winning season thats on him and no one/nothing else.