The poor start to the season from Arsenal has once again piled a whole heap of pressure on the shoulders of Arsene Wenger. But just last week the chief executive Ivan Gazidis highlighted the fact that the club hierarchy are scared about replacing the Frenchman, mainly because they are not confident that anyone coming in could do a better job.
But Ronald Koeman may have changed all that, by coming to Southampton and taking the Premier League by the scruff of the neck. The Dutchman has a long season ahead of him, of course, but he has already started to show that he has all the right qualities to prosper and thrive in the English Premier League.
Wenger has said many times in the past that he would step aside if he thought it was the best thing for the club and as he is now 65-years old, that is a prospect that is growing every day. Koeman at Southampton has already shown that he wants to play football in the right way and the way he has got a cobbled together bunch of players to gel and succeed must surely make him a strong candidate to be the next boss of the Gunners.
If we don’t snap him up soon, then somebody else will, so do you think that Koeman could be sett to replace Wenger as the manager of Arsenal?
Now, Koeman is indeed doing a good Job at Southampton, but so was Moyes at Everton.
And so as Pochettino before him – great at Southampton but already flop at average team like Spuds. Managing mid-table Southampton who plays one game a week is one thing, managing Arsenal who play in CL, with pressure to win titles is another thing.
Next article please.
*Off topic/On topic*
********Why Wenger must leave*******
So, I’d like to dissect and reveal the actual meaning of Sir Keswick’s revelatory comment about who really runs Arsenal:
1“Don’t let’s be in a muddle about who calls the shots about football at Arsenal…”______ there he is saying people should stop speculating and pointing fingers aimlessly, Wenger “calls the shots” at Arsenal, no one else. So, blame Wenger for everything that goes wrong at the club.
2. “If he has a plan, we back him…” ____notice he uses the word “If”. He’s saying Wenger doesn’t necessarily have to have a plan, but when he does, WE (the board) do not question his plan(s), we just back him, no matter what.
3. “If he doesn’t have a plan, we keep quiet.” _____here he is still stating the obvious. It’s more like saying, “Wenger is the absolute one, we dare not challenge his decisions. If he has no plan, together we remain clueless with him and there’s nothing wrong with that becuz we all are a bunch of mugs under no pressure, since majority of the fans are AKBz.”
4. “Our board backs him 100 per cent.”___as u can see (perhaps only none AKBz can see), here Keswick is saying, “In everything Wenger does, we back him 100%. When he decides to sell our best players and replace them with average underperformers, or when he decides to buy injured players, or when he decides to sell and not buy at all, or when he plays players out of position, or when he plays players until they are drained and suffer terrible injuries, or when he makes very poor and silly team selection, or when he keeps bad players on the pitch while better ones rot on the bench, in every nonsense, even when we get raped by other teams time and time again, WE THE ID*OTIC BOARd MEMBERS, together with our loyal AKB zombies, we support Wenger 100%.
So, there u have it, it’s all about Wenger and until he leaves, Arsenal has no glorious future.
This comment just shows how much you hate the man.
Glorious future? An top class stadium like the Emirates? A team that contribute 6 players for England international squad. A team just won an FA Cup. Is glorious future mean we have to win titles every single year like Real, Barca, Bayern? It is EPL not lower quality league where 1,2 team dominate year in year out.
Yeah, the media and a lot of fan who do not really know things had asked for his head for some time. People always want whatever change when things does not happen, regardless what is the change. Please come up with a good name to replace him that can do much better than him in this situation. Criticise is easy, no one is perfect enough to be free from criticism.
People who work closely with Wenger like his players, ex-players, the board and even some top managers (like sir Alex, Klopp, …) all say good things about him.
He just won us a title, and deserve some time more than 8 games into the season.
DESERVES SOME TIME!
FFS.
He has had 18 years, his glory years came with the string backbone of George Graham’s team.
From 2006 the team and everything about it was Wenger’s.
In case you didn’t notice that was when we stopped winning.
FA Cup? We scraped that in the 109th minute it was no walk in the park.
Wenger should have stepped aside before now, his 1000 game rape by Mourinho was proof positive of that!
Don’t mention George Graham, too many Arsenal fans don’t realise that Arsenal existed before Wenger!
George Graham was also a cup specialist (FA, League) but you failed to say that the man was a thief and that is why he was sacked. He was banned for one year by FA for accepting bribe from a Norwegian agent. If that would have happened today hew would have been banned for life.
Great coach, small character. He could have been a legend because of all the trophies he won for us but the greed was too big.
How long did he spend in prison, I didn’t realise a court had convicted him of any thing like theft.
Inland Revenue were the ones raising the issues because the amounts came on the paycheck. Since taxes were paid there was no reason for civil prosecution. Basically Graham fu cked only Arsenal FC and not HM Inland Revenue. A theft is a theft no matter from where you steal or how you steal. That’s why he does not have a statue because anyone with his achievements at AFC fully deserves a statue. I grew up as a gooner with George Graham and it hurt at the time to read this:
(1) Transfer of Paal Lydersen
On 10 September 1991, there was a series of meetings in Oslo in relation to the proposed transfer of Mr Paal Lydersen from IK Start in Norway to Arsenal. The first meeting took place at the SAS Airport Hotel between Messrs Stallemo, Hansen and Gillmuyden, representing IK Start and Mr Hauge.
Mr Hauge left this meeting to pick Mr Graham up from the airport. The parties then reconvened at the Cecil Hotel in central Oslo. There was a brief meeting between Messrs Hauge, Graham and Lydersen. This was followed by a meeting between Messrs Stallemo, Hansen, Gillmuyden, Graham and Hauge during which the transfer terms were negotiated.
An agreement between IK Start and Arsenal dated 6 November 1991 was signed by Messrs Hansen and Friar [Arsenal secretary, Ken Friar] on behalf of their respective clubs. The relevant terms in the agreement are that Arsenal agreed to pay IK Start pounds 500,000, with an additional pounds 50,000 if the player made 50 First Team appearances.
Under an agreement dated 12 November 1991 between IK Start and Interclub Limited (a Guernsey based Company registered in the British Virgin Islands in which Mr Hauge told us he had a third share of the ownership), the club agreed to pay to Interclub pounds 310,000 “out of the transfer fee of pounds 500,000”. By a letter dated 5 December 1991, Arsenal instructed Barclays Bank, Finsbury Park branch, to transfer pounds 500,000 to the account of IK Start at Pluss Bank in Kristiansand, Norway. This was received into Pluss Bank on 9 December 1991 and a payment of approximately pounds 308,500 was made out of the account on 13 December 1991 to the Barclays Bank Guernsey account of Interclub Limited.
(2) Transfer of John Jensen’s registration
We had considerably less evidence in relation to the transfer of Jensen. An agreement between Brondby and Arsenal dated 14 July 1992, signed on behalf of their respective clubs by Messrs Bjerrghard and Friar, contains the terms of the transfer of Jensen’s registration. Arsenal agreed to pay pounds 1.57m. By a letter dated 22 July, Arsenal instructed Barclays Bank, Finsbury Park branch, to transfer pounds 1.57m to the account of Brondby at Inter-Bank in Copenhagen, Denmark.
(3) The payments to Mr Graham
Mr Graham admitted in evidence that a few days before 23 December 1991 he received pounds 140,500 in cash at a meeting with Mr Hauge in the bar of the Park Lane Hotel in London. Mr Graham also admitted to having received in the post at some time shortly before 19 August 1992 a banker’s draft in the sum of pounds 285,000 payable in his name under a compliments slip from Mr Hauge.
(4) Disclosure and payment to Arsenal
Mr Graham did not tell anyone connected with Arsenal about the payments until a meeting with Messrs Friar and Hill-Wood [Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal chairman] on 19 September 1994. Mr Graham transferred to Arsenal on 1 December 1994 the sum of pounds 465,500. This represented the total received by him from Mr Hauge together with interest.
A letter from the Inland Revenue dated 22 April 1994 to Arsenal’s accountants raised concerns about evidence that “… coaching staff have received payments or moneys… which have emanated from transfer fees paid by your client”. This was discussed at a meeting on 26 April 1994, at which Messrs Friar, Graham and Burtenshaw (Arsenal’s chief scout) were present. Mr Burtenshaw admitted at the meeting to having received money from Mr Hauge.
@SaveArsenal, I did not even have to read ur comment, ur name alone tells me u will always say somefin meaningful about our functionally indisposed club.
@Ethangooner, everyone has been saying it, including ex-players, we need quality reinforcements. Even Koscielny called for a worldclass striker to be bought, Arteta also said, last season, that with quality additions, we can win the league this season. Yet here we are, still on the same frozen page. It might be too soon to jump into conclusions, but our performances so far are a preamble to finishing 4th.
Pal, u ask me to give u names of any good manager that can replace Wenger, right? Is that supposed to be an excuse why we should not replace an underperforming manager? Ok, I must now shamefully admit that there’s no one in the world that can replace the best manager football has ever had, Wenger. Therefore, when he retires or leaves the club on his own (something he should do without being told), Arsenal FC will seize to exist. The club will go extinct becuz none can manage it like Arsene Wenger.
I agree – if Wenger’s level of control is such that the board has no expectations for the club other than to make champions league qualification every year then the future is miserable and bleak.
And lets be clear here – Wenger is a football team manager. He did not design the new stadium. He did not raise the monies to build the new stadium he is just a football manager and thats it. He is not god.
He can easily be replaced.
All we need is a manager who can get us to third and deliver two trophies in ten years and we are there.
Lets get a grip on reality here about Arsene Wenger….
Rubbish call a cat a cat are we d 1st to build a stadium or are we the only club dat provide players for national duty……Wenger’s performance have been bad for 10yrs now for a top club if its a middle club dat can b accepted but a top Club like our great Arsenal its a big failure and Wenger has long over due his welcom At Arsenal he should resign now d ovation is a little up
Raphael Benitez would be the spot on choice for a replacement.
You for real Bob?
How many games have you got to see then that wasn’t on a big screen in some New York bar?
big screen is cool. some spicy chicken wings and a large pitcher and I am ready to watch Arsenal in every american bar. You don’t know what you miss.
So he can’t be a fan because he doesn’t live in the UK?
I am an expat, that mean I can’t be a fan?
You the football expert because you watch MOTD on the BBC or watch the match on a TV in a ‘pub’ eating jellied eels and go to the occasional match?
@You
1st off dude. As I’ve stated numerous times before, I have been following/supporting AFC since 1985/6 and have been living in N. London for the past 15 years. During this time I have been to 15 matches at Highbury and so far 5 at the Emirates. And it doesn’t matter where one watches the matches or what country they come from. Because I’m sure there are a few hundred thousand Gooners world wide who’ve never even been to London, save an AFC match. Distance doesn’t negate the level of team loyalty/support.
Next time know what you’re ranting on about before you press enter. MUPPET…
Flavour of the month?
Jurgen Klopp is most likely in his last Dortmund year, prepare yourself to hear the name alot in the 2nd half of the season.
Pep Guardiola for me, and the sooner the better.
Pep Guardiola is a pansy, and i would rather have him in a theater than football field. The hysterical way he behaves when a decision is given against him is mindlessly amazing.
He will teach our players to cow the ref and ask for a card, each time a player is fouled.
Also, i don’t want our manager refusing to shake hands after losing a friendly match in the US.
ya i agree pep is the definition of a b*tch
Pep Guardiola style requires a top class team, Barca and now Bayern. Not yet convince that he will suit us.
The grass on the other side is not always greener.
Dortmund is struggling much worse than us, 8 games only 7 points, 14th place and they did not even play against Bayern yet. Now Klopp no longer looks interesting does he?
Last year many of the people here crying for younger manger like Pochettino, what have he done for Spuds this season?
Diego Simeone is doing better than Klopp, but nothing speical, Atletico is at 5th spot and scored only 4 goals from open play, the other 10 goals are from set pieces.
We do not get result at the moment, that is hard fact, and Wenger as the manager should carry a big part of the responsibility. On the other side, there’s certain positive things that we fan should notice as well, things are not all doom and gloom. All our summer signings are doing well, we are much better than last season going forward (although more suspected in defence)
The official hate us – at Everton now Hull, 4 more points -15 total and things would be completely different, that’s how close it is. The media hate us (yeah their baby Man Utd also just managed a draw last minute after spending hundred millions in the summer), dont let the media fool us and make every single lost or draw like a crisis.
Back the team, we are only 2 signing short (DM and backup CB) from being a complete squad, with most main players entering their peak years. They do not hit top form so far this season but that will come as long as we keep the team in tact for a season (no more big player leaving). The Liverpool team of last year is so much better than the one the season before – that’s how much thing can change in just one season.
Have faith and support the team. Can’t wait for tonight match, the team will be back in winning way.
@ethangooner, this is exactly why we need pep, he knows how differentiate average players from world class players. We dont average players to our wage bill high without delivering major trophies. Which player does not want to play for pep
dont need average players to make wage bill high
Give the dude some time. See now how Rodgers’ short comings are being exposed at Liverpool after doing so well at Swansea.
rogers has always been a sh*t coach I’ve said it since day 1. he didn’t do anything at swansea it was martinez who got them started.
Martinez would be one of my choices to replace Wenger. Knows EPL now like his own lawn. He shows that he can step up the game and he’s rather young. I like the man a lot since the Wigan time.
We dont need Koeman, we need managers like Pep, Carlo Ancheloti and Klopp who can instill winning mentality to the team. We need managers that players can respect
Pep will never come to Arsenal unless the team is already gel and primed for a trophy. Ancelotti probably would but he will be shocked seeing how less the board is willing to pay for players compared with Chelsea or Real. Klopp sounds very reasonable and the man is not afraid to work. If Klopp could come then I believe he will bring some Dortmund players with him. Otherwise I would be very happy with Martinez.
@Bud, Martinez is so married to 433 system, he also puts players out of position. Look at Lukaku, he is being played on the wings
I don’t believe coaches pick a system and stay with it. I believe the squad depth, the players at your disposal give the formation.
@jogon
You’ve clearly never watched Everton or Martinez, Martinez loved his 3-5-2 then switched to a 4-2-3-1 at Everton they’ve literally played a 4-3-3 twice this year in there big games cause they’ve been leaking goals
@Goonsquad8 I watch almost every Everton match, in most matches its 433. That is his main tactic
True but only if klopp wants to come..while laying all the blame on weneger, we conveniently forget to look at our board..a manager can only spend what is available..are we sure there is money available to spend for the likes of Ancelloti and Klopp.
At present whether we like it or not, Arsenal is a step down both for players and for coaches!
I say give wenger a chance… we were top of the league for ages last season until injuries hampered us… if we can stay in or close to the top four by the time january comes, we can mount a title charge similar to what liverpool did last year. Have faith and show some support… COYG
De boer of ajax can be good option. Atleast we can see db10 as his assistant
Diego Simeone – led A Madrid to league glory against Barcelona and Real Madrid and to the CL Final.
Brings steel to the team as well as attractive attacking football.
Also De Boer and Bergers would be a popular choice.
Anything is better than what we have now…
we need to spend big…..barca, bayern …pep next role should be at city or chelsea….ready made…
even average enrique is doing well at barca
jurgen klopp he will be perfect for us
Podolski vs. Giroud in the PL:
Minutes: 3244 — 5499
Goals: 19 — 28
Mins per goal: 171 — 196
Assists: 11 — 11
Mins per assist: 295 — 500
No. Wenger forever. In Wenger I trust
He has brought us so many PL titles and FA cups.
Koeman…are you having a laugh? Im sorry but the guys got about 3 months experience in the pl if that..We should be holding out for the legend that is…Pep! (if we can get him)
@kingbong10
Pep is a damn bluff. Everywhere he’s went had a ready made team. Now he’s ruling the roost in a 1 team league where his team is the top dog who buy up all the league talent in order to neuter the competition.
True..have more respect for Martinez than Pep..isn’t a coach supposed to make a team? at least he has to try..messi at his peak would have made anyone look good (in fact it was messi, iniesta and xavi at their peak i should say) !
Our fans are a joke.. It’s always flavor of the month. Martinez, Klopp, simeone, laudrup, Pochettino etc.. I remember when Owen Coyle first brought Burnley into the PL then moved to Bolton, oh my goodness “Wenger needs to go upstairs and Coyle to take over”. We want Coyle blah blah, where is he now? The Klopp one is dying slowly due to his poor season so far in the German league. And even AVB when he was doing so well at Porto. Now Koeman?
Glad fans are not the directors, we would be in deep doodoo.
@GOONSTER
Spot tha F**K on dude…
michael laudrup then?!
well, fans aren’t always correct, but the consensus that Wenger needs to go is pretty clear i think.
and since arguably, Wenger has been failing miserably already, i don’t think it’s as hard to fill his shoes as Moyes filling in for Fergie.
Also in defense of Pochettino, he isn’t flopping. same points as us in the table, and with a weaker squad. He also has to clear the mess up that was done by AVB and Levi, who bought a whole lot of players but not know what to do with them.
the fact that Chadli is slowly playing back into form and that you start to see there is a method in their attack is already an improvement from last season.
I’m not sure if Koeman can motivate our players as well as he did to Southampton, but what is apparent is that pretty much any PL manager right now has better tactical knowledge than Wenger.
And let me say this upfront, ANY manager coming to Arsenal after Wenger will need more than 1 season to fix our problems, because it isn’t one that is as simple as buying players.
the whole training scheme and method is off and outdated, and there’s much to do to catch up so that we can utilize our players better.
And I do understand the fans frustration with Wenger, he is refusing to address the obvious weaknesses in the tea. Season in season out. He has a very big Ego and undeniable Sturbornness, I am his biggest fan but I too sometimes feel like getting a hold of him and shake that ego out of him.
Looking at clubs like City, Chelski, how many mangers have they been through? The only thing making them not look like a joke are the unlimited funds for players, new and sacked managers. At Arsenal that’s not philosophy, we want to win out of our own money as that is so sweet, more enjoyable and gives one pride.
Look at Spuds, how many managers have they been through? Liverpool a Yoyo club, how many managers have they been through? Brendan Rodgers might not even survive this season, Suarez made him look good.
Look at United, the turmoil they are in, due to manager change, still have not played the likes of City, Spuds, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool but have 12 points.
I am not saying that Wenger is Arsenal, but also this notion some fans have that if we appoint Klopp, Martinez, Simeone, Laudrup, Koeman etc then we will be competing or running away with the title is a bit naive.
Pep guardiola or calor Acoletti over wenger any day
People seem to be making the assumption that a ‘top manager’ would be happy to come to Arsenal. The reality seems to be that a ‘top manager’ expects to have a very large budget at his disposal every season, and he will likely leave after for 3-4 seasons when his luck runs out and/or starts to believe his own publicity.
Due to Kroenke’s approach to sports club ownership being one of “it’s a business that is there exclusively to make me money” (unlike Abramavitch’s approach being “I will invest in Chelsea because I want to see them win) Arsenal are not an attractive club for these managers. Can you really see Moanrinho coming to Arsenal knowing the budget he would be given? Ancelotti? Van Gaal? Guardiola? All the same as Moanrhino. These managers are not stupid – they know repeatedly winning trophies is built on a large pile of cash EVERY year. Man City are piling in the cash because they need success to build a global brand – which in turn they hope will pay back the investment and produce a profitable company they can sell or take dividends from. Investing to win the PL and CL is high risk, especially with 2 or 3 other clubs doing the same – there can be only one winner every year. Kroenke is happy to sit back and take a reduced risk – his strategy is to invest relatively small amounts, but enough to produce a top 4 finish every year. At the moment to him success is a top 4 finish. Wenger has done exactly that for years, and at times done so by spending less than he has made on sales in a season. To someone like Kroenke it is as if Wenger has been sent to him by God. If Arsenal drop out of the top 4 for a couple of seasons, and the value of Arsenal plummets, Kroenke will have to review his strategy. But until that happens, he will stick with Wenger or anyone else that can give him that same ‘success’.
Koeman may be interested in Arsenal. The club is a step up for him, and he’s not used to having much to spend every year. Kroenke may be happy with someone like Koeman, even if he cannot produce a top 4 finish every season. Kroenke paid about £11,750 each for Fiszman’s shares in 2011, and today they are valued at £14,625. A nice 3 year return for minimal risk, and this is why a drop in share price (if Arsenal finish outside the top4 for a number of seasons) may still make it a sound investment for Kroenke. Arsenal is an very saleable club, even if not in the CL.
So, don’t expect any ‘top manager’ to be in the Arsenal dug out, and don’t expect Arsenal to sign any world class player whom their club wants to keep – remember, Ozil and Sanchez where not wanted anymore by their clubs. Arsenal does not pay big money to the clubs, and they don’t offer to the players the chance of regular trophy success.
You know Familiarity Breeds Contempt.I have this sneaky feeling that AW has been overtaken by these kind of emotions in a way.Tell me how for umpteen years you cant fix a leaky midfield,suspect goalie(granted, maybe Ospina may steal the show sometime in the future!) and defence,less than razor sharp forwardline.Arsenal is a big a** world class team that should be handled as such. What I see now is the stark opposite, no va va voom,possession football with hardly anything to talk about.Just the Same Old S*** (SOS) season in and out. Wenger should have turned winning(read: tiltles) for Arsenal as a perfect art form by now.Arsenal and its fans should demand nothing but the absolute best,for all the money they pay to watch.Not this mid-table mentality,devil-may-care-laissez-faire-broken-ass-attitude! All said and done I love the Arsenal to the core,its bigger than anybody at the end of the day!!