Back in 2003, Arsenal were not to know that almost a decade of trophies and dominance under the managerial reign of Arsene Wenger were coming to an end. We had just finished second to Man United the previous season and were about to go and record the amazing achievement of not losing a single Premier League game all season.
But that was to be the last title for the Gunners and the end of our hard fought rivalry with Ferguson and his United team. Another thing happened that summer that could have had a massive effect on the two club’s differing fortunes in the future, the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a report by the Daily Express, Arsene Wenger admits that failing to sign the Portuguese teenager that summer is his biggest transfer regret and that it still hurts, especially as joined our fierce rivals and helped them to lots of trophies, including the Champions League. That was just two years after our own heartbreaking final defeat by Barcelona.
Wenger said, “My biggest regret, I was so close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
“And not only did I not get him, but he signed for Manchester United.
“That, of course, still hurts today.”
Who knows what would have happened if Wenger had gone the extra mile to sign the double Ballon D’Or winner, but there is a good chance we would have won that final and other domestic trophies as well. Also, the £80 million that Real Madrid paid for him would have come in handy.
Wenger has had plenty of success in the transfer market as well, but it is about time he came up with another superstar. Could Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, or even Mesut Ozil, be that player?
Yeah. We missed out on Ronaldo, Ibrahimovich and yaya toure. Imagine if we had gotten them all.
I remember Kolo pleading with Wenger to get his brother on board… he turned a blind eye!
No. He played with preseason and his performances were average. He developed later into the player he is today.
Wenger’s biggest failings are not just particular names, is forgetting to buy players to specific positions.
How is it possible that the manager of Arsenal does not buy cover for defense and leaves the team with 6 defenders including a 19 year old?
Is there one expert, one pundit or one fan out there that does not think that we need a new , powerful DM for the last few seasons? So why after a half a dozen transfer windows we still dont have one?
What manager would allow that to happen? We are not broke, we have plenty of money, most of the players in the world would love to come and play for us, so what is the problem?
Does anybody have any idea what could be going through Wenger’s head when he decides not to fill those positions window after window?
I am at a total loss. There is no reasonable explanation.
This light at defense is trash.. We don’t have ‘six’ defenders…
RB – debuchy, chambers, bellerin, coquelin
CB – mert, Kos, chambers, Monreal, Hayden, coquelin
LB – Gibbs Monreal, flamini
Our third choice CB barely got a game last season let alone our fourth. We have the required depth to cover and rotate, it just doesn’t boast the big names people wanted to sit on the bench…
How many chambers do we have?? How many monreals?? And flaminis??? Man this b**lsh!t, multiplying players in so many positions does not make up for the numbers, and wait if we really means business how can you consider using some of your listed player? They are mediocre. Grow up man grow up
@muda There are still 10 defenders in that lineup so your outburst is just silly and childish – you knew exactly what josh37 meant but chose to try to be clever. And no doubt other equally childish people gave you thumbs up! So, in your own words: ‘Grow up man grow up!’
@ josh
Im pretty optimistic and i like to stay positive and support the team but we are light at the back to deny that makes you sound not credible. Im not saying were screwed but wenger took a chance and to me it comes down to bellerin making the adjustment.
If bellerin steps up and handles his own (bar no more injuries) then wengers gamble will pay off (granted we get our shi*t together and tighten up at the back) but we will find out soon enough.
If he had bought Ronaldo, I doubt Ronaldo would be the same player he is now. He would have been more of a passer, and the type looking to work the ball into the box. Look at our present team, it’s almost as if they aren’t trained in taking shots and crossing the ball.
I say Ronaldo was right joining man United.
Ronaldo would be on the bench rotting, go out on a few loans and then sold….
just look at Campbell….he could have easily play for Benfica or Milan…
hes now playing for the u21…
Just a thought but don’t you think it might be a good idea for Campbell to get used to the rough side of the prem before he gets thrown into the first team and u21 might help with that. I might be wrong but that’s what I thinks happening
I don’t care about your hiccup 10 clucking years ago Wenger. Face our current problems. What are ya gonna tactically change with our squad? What are ya gonna do to stop us from conceding? What are ya gonna to make sure we beat Aston Villa confidently?
Stop dodging the cannon and FIGURE IT OUT
I think 3 factors have influenced
Arsenals failure to win big over
the past ten seasons.
1. Chelsea Man City and Man Utd.
2. The stadium build.
3. Wenger believing he was better than everyone else.
The result is that the 4th place or top 4 (it sounds better)
became the accepted “sustainable model” by Management
coaches players and most supporters.
To be fair this has been achieved bang on for many seasons
We have lurched between freebies
Chamakh Sanogo +Flamini
to 10 mill Giroud Girvinho 15 mill Arshavin
30 mill Sanchez and 42 mill Ozil.
We bought the likes of Park Squilacci
Santos and kept Bendtner Djourou
Vermaelen and an always injured Diaby.
Should the club have slipped from title contenders
to 4th place holders. So many players left
because they believed they would not win
a Premier medal here including Fabregas Cole
Cliche RVP Nasri Adebayor Toure Song?
And why were the vast transfer fees wasted on dross?
At last this season there has been a decent transfer window.
Still a defender short but very few deadwood are left.
Sanchez Chambers + Campbell are good signings and replacements are ok too
Wellbeck Debuchi + Ospina. In fact the wilderness years may well be behind us.
But just why it took a decade to find a way out
of the wilderness remains a murkey mystery.
Has a lot to do with the arrival of Stan Kroenke, the departure of David Dein and the building of the new stadium.
Stop regretting and fix the team.
wenger & AKBs are always living in the past.
we do not need that now: we need a manager to take us well into the future.
Yes they do, but the AOB only come out the woodwork when we have a “bad” run of games,
Sorry I am always here no matter win or lost.
Spend some money!!
NO! Save the money for next coach. Don’t waste any more money until we get a new coach.
OK I’m confused. You want to save the cash for our next manager, which won’t be for at least 3 years. So your saying you want to go another 3 years without the chance of winning anything?
Don’t let him divert our attentions from the current pressing problems. He is a con artist who is always trying to fool us. What’s the point of talking about things 10 years ago when we have to face the problem of not having enough players to play Aston Villa this week!
It is time to boycot games and merchandise, untill a change happens at the coaching position. Wenger should not even be allowed to handle transfers, since he can’t put together a roster that’s competitive or complete. We have a bunch of small midfielders, and almost every team has figured out how to prevent us from creating chances, even the small teams from the championship (Blackburn, bradford anyone?). Predictably, we play the same way with no adjustments, especially at halftime. With all the creative forwards we have, one would think that we should easily score 3-5 goals a game. We only manage to create a handful of chances, barely scraping through games. And don’t even get me started with all this boolshet about i almost signed Ronaldo, So, who’s fault is it? The man in charge. Arsene Wenger. Fire him already
Pipe and slippers time Arsene and watch your overseas accounts swell.
From his repeatedly fielding the same team, late or no substitutions, eternal one way of playing style, transfer market dilly-dally , I can’t help but gather that Wenger is a coward, he’s afraid of changes , risks, the unknowns etc.
And he multi-tasks too much, he’s the financial manager, football director, transfer negotiator, pundit, charity referee, coach etc etc , he should just concentrate on being a good coach, I doubt he ever sit down & think of any playing tactics at all with such a multi-tier portfolio.
Fielding the same time I hope its to build more chemistry and then once we see it he’ll start rotating in the “lesser” games again I hope.
He’s timing of sub’s really annoys me a few game I think if he made the sub’s a little bit sooner we might of won. But saying that a couple of games have been won by players that clearly needed to be subed.
Playing style I agree with it wouldn’t hurt to change to a 4-4-2 or 4-4-11 in “lesser” games to change it up a bit
All in all I agree with he’s afraid but I think its a fear losing the arsenal way
As for doing everything himself I’m not sure he does it just seems that way. But if it is it might have to do with a lack of trust with anyone. The last person Wenger trusted was dein and look what we did with that trust in place
@Tony, u told me to retract my comment when I said Wenger won’t change at 64 & he won’t buy anymore player after Chambers, should u retract your comment now ?
Well he did buy someone after chambers didn’t he. I will happily retract any comment I’ve made when I’m proven wrong. If I’m right I said somewhere along the lines of Wenger will spend he will buy 3 to 6 players so 4 counts. And will challenge this year please correct me if I’m wrong. But I didn’t tell a asked you
Welbeck was not his intention, Wenger himself said very clearly in interviews, Welbeck happened was becos MU bought Falcoe, Wenger didn’t even bid for Welbeck until our 2 captains called him in Rome.
As for your previous comment, u told me u r very sure Wenger will continue to buy many more players after Chambers & I should retract my comment.
This is a free discussion column, u have every right to disagree with anyone’s comment , but going to the extent of asking other users to retract their comments is not right , more so now that u r proven wrong saying Wenger has intention to buy more therefore I think that u should retract your own comment.
I didn’t tell or ask I asked if you would take it back if you were wrong. That’s all if that’s what I said then I retract my statement. But I sure I said 3 to 6 players and regardless of welbeck being the target or falco the fact is he still brought a player after chambers I doubt I said menu more it doesn’t sound like something I would say
One task he just forgets – as a football manager/coach on the game day!
Your comments are exactly the excuses Wenger will use to defend himself.
If lack of trust with anyone makes him too busy doing all the multi-tier jobs & neglect the urgent need of strengthening the team during this Summer, then he’s clearly not a good manager !
I’m not blaming the trust I’m saying it could be a reason if he does do everything I think he needs to focus on the team and giving names of targets and then step aside and let his team get them. But everyone only focuses on Wenger’s failures. And to stat Wenger isn’t a good manager is just insane
If it’s becos of Wenger’s character traits such as stubbornness, doing too many jobs at one time & not spending enough time & effort on improving the team that resulted in Arsenal’s embarrassing defeats, he has to be blamed, he’s being paid 8m per annum that’s more than some CEO ‘s pay !
Losing games is not a problem, becos this is part of football, but it’s the embarrassing way Arsenal lost , how we lost is the problem !
If u don’t consider all the trashings 6-3, 6-0, 5-1, 3-0 etc embarrassing , then we r not at the same level & I have nothing more to say to u.
Are you seeing things when did I say it wasn’t embarissing and I’m sure I agreed with you that he should just stick to managing the team. But I don’t consider Wenger to be a bad manager. Bad choices yes. But a bad manager no
Bad choices = bad results = bad manager
Good choice+good results+won a cup= good manager.
So good manager to bad in a few months.
tired excuses…wenger the only top flight manager who makes these kind of statements
Man Utd have one bad season, and they get onto the problem and fix it straight away. Arsenal have 10 bad seasons (I suppose it depends on what you define as “bad”), and we are still just carrying on, season after season, no one (besides most fans) has a care in the world…
It just shows how at Man Utd, losing is not an option, that’s ambition! Arsenal need to get that kind of grit and determination back, and unfortunately I don’t think that we’ll get that with Wenger… With that said, the only coach I can see replacing him is Jurgen Klopp.
Time will tell if Man U have ‘fixed their problem straight away’ . . . their defence is not the best and I think our Academy team is capable of beating QPR.
That’s history that can never be changed!!! Sort out defence now and in January, no more excuses or regrets.