Wenger has to win the title now or just leave Arsenal for good. by KM
Hello folks. International breaks. I mean what a dull time for all football fans. I literally have zero friends who think it’s a good idea to have those breaks now. Everything is pretty much decided and we hope to survive the international injury storm. But that does not mean we have no topics to discuss.
Leave Arsenal for a second and look at the league. Arsenal are just 2 points off Manchester City who started the league with 5 straight wins and looked like clear front runners. Fast forward to week 7 and you have a Manchester United squad full of dodgy players with a 19 years old striker already marked as the new Henry top. And if it wasn’t for Newcastle’s complete capitulation in 15 minutes, who knows if we wouldn’t have been top of the league.
Liverpool sacked Rodgers, which shows you the reality of this league. He had one almost-champions season but that’s not good enough. He lost his best players in two successive years and failed to replace them accurately despite spending nearly 300 millions. The decision is spot on and Klopp will be announced by Friday. He build a fantastic project in Dortmund for peanuts and dominated Bayern for two years which is an immense achievement.
The pressure is on for him now. He’ll get immediate support from the media and the fans for his charismatic personality and his fast-paced football, but the jury is still out if he can do it under the expectations that will come with him. But we already have a manager that fails to live up to the expectations and that’s the special one – Jose Mourinho, who is the next candidate for the sack.
Carlo Ancelotti has been spotted in England and I have a sneaky feeling he might make a return to the Bridge when Mourinho goes. Anyway though, in this roller coaster of top clubs searching for their identities, Arsene is sitting here with 200 million in the bank and more years managing in England than the rest of the top 6 clubs managers have COMBINED!
If we fail to win against Bayern at home, what the Skysports pundits said after the United game makes sense. Just sit with the owners, tell them we are sacking the champions league and going for the title. I mean those 200 millions that as a member of the Arsenal board (not me) said would bring “any player other than Ronaldo and Messi” to the club, would surely cover the loss of money from the CL. But Wenger is immune to the sack so that conversation might not be necessary.
The stage is set for Arsene to do it or let the job to someone who can. Beating United was great, fantastic, but it doesn’t remove the fact we don’t have a backup option for Coquelin, and Bayern Munich will be a reality check for our dodgy defense, as well as our new striker Theo Walcott. I love Theo and against some oppositions it works. He works hard for the role, harder than I’ve seen him ever before.
Anyway though. The excuses are dried up now. Wenger finally has all he can ask for and failing to deliver can only go down to his own inability to do so. He simply has to win it now. That’s me done for today. Have a great day.
Konstantin
Your Opinion: Wenger simply MUST win the title ‘OR’ step down
My Opinion: Wenger simply MUST win the title ‘AND’ step down
If anyone would have told you ten years ago that ‘in the next 10 years, Arsenal will not win the BPL title’ …would you have believed the person?
Don’t get me wrong. Wenger is an awesome coach. The best we’ve had. However, he has started ruining his long standing legacy. Jamie C, and Thiery H referred to Arsenal as a ‘Near Miss’ for the seasons past. I pray Wenger wins this seasons BPL, and leave while the ovation is still high, so that our final thoughts of him are great thoughts.
So my opinion remains: Wenger simply MUST win the title ‘AND’ step down
@Arsenal007
So what happens if the next manager doesn’t win anything? Do you shout for his head as well? Just asking.
Of course he will. But he will not acknowledge the fact that he was wrong for calling the previous coach to be sacked. He will blame the board. Why is not doing this now? Because he does not have any clue how a club is run.
Anyway, don’t worry. It is just a “fan” on justarsenal. You should visit all other arsenal blogs. Even the renowned ones (like le grove) for being anti Wenger have a much better comment quality than here.
@Budd
Nice one.
I agree I don’t know how a club is run… 😀
One thing I know is that a team of Arsenal’s magnitude has not won the BPL in a decade, and can only boast of one UCL final. If you think that’s good enough, then…good for you.
I’ll ask you this honest question though: How long do you want Wenger to stay as manager before you deem it fit for him to leave?
One thing you should realize is that one way or another, Wenger will leave…we’ll get another manager who’ll be expected to win us trophies…but Arsenal still remains.
And why are Arsenal at such a magnitude? Oh, Wenger. ………..that’s right he has made them what they are.
This old mantra that “it is good for you” is getting boring. Beats me how someone can actually believe that a fan wishes his team to lose a game, a championship, a cup etc. I don’t know if you understand how ridiculous you sound when you actually say that.
To your question: why would I care? No one will actually listen to what I have to say at the club. I am also looking forward to the day Wenger will leave but not because I believe Wenger is doing a bad job but because of sheer curiosity. Who is going to be the one replacing a legend? Will he be successful in the first year? Will he win UCL for us? Is he a known coach? Is he a hungry one?
@Budd
LOL…you are a funny one. 😀
Of course I’ll say ‘good for you’ because we are all entitled to our opinions. I think you’re the one sounding ridiculous if you think that I wish Arsenal to lose a game…because I’ve neither said or insinuated that (please point it out to me if I have).
One thing I will agree with you is that ‘No one will actually listen to what I have to say at the club’. That’s the reason we share our various opinions here.
I’ll be the first to praise Wenger anywhere…and as I said earlier (since you chose not to notice it) I want to remember Wenger’s final moments as a victorious one…therefore I’ll want him to win this BPL and leave while the ovation is high.That’s what Sir Alex did…and you simply can’t beat that.
@NY_Gunner
I never said I was a soothsayer. We would never know the performance of the next manager if he/she is not appointed.
Would you prefer Wenger to take another 10 years to win another BPL?
Has it occurred to you that in the history of our great club, we have only reached the UCL finals once?
Please tell me how much time would you prefer Wenger to stay manager before you think it’s time for him to leave?
Another food for thought for you…In the past 6 years, Man U, Man City and Chelsea have won the BPL twice each. I really do hope it’s our turn now.
@Arsenal007
“but Arsenal still remains”
This is all that matters. This is the only constant. All else are just expectations and speculations.
When he goes, he goes. He will be remembered as one of our greatest managers.
At the moment he is in the “seat” and I feel no need to speculate what might be or not. Nor do I feel the need to continually compare what he hasn’t recently done to what he has ever done…
Win, lose or draw…
@NY_Gunner
Good that you agreed with me on something.
However, in the corporate world, there’s something called appraisals. Even though my opinion might not count…I can’t just accept stuff as they happen…or ‘feel no need to compare what he’s done to what he’s not done’.
Wenger, the Board and Players have to be appraised (whether our opinions count or not).
We have a world class stadium and fan base (check good)
We have a healthy cash deposit (Check good)
We have some world class players (check good)
We are still short of player additions and didn’t sign any outfield player in the summer (check bad)
We have not won the BPL in a decade (check bad)
We have only a UCL final to boast of (check bad)
NY_Gunner…nothing ‘just happens’. let’s not leave it to chance.
@Arsenal007
I also agree with your “appraisal” of AFC, with the signing of any outfield players the exception.
I stand behind AW in his decision not to buy. And I accept his reasons for not doing so as well…
@NY_Gunner
I respect your opinion on agreeing with Wenger…and also respect the way you argue (Very honorable and respectful). 🙂
But I beg to differ. I believe we would have been a stronger team if we had 1 or 2 additional quality outfield players…this has been our undoing for over 10 seasons.
I however love the fact that Wenger keeps faith with his present crop. I hope the players return the faith by turning up and getting counted each game.
As an AOB (are you?) I think you’re fair enough. You still want the best for Arsenal under Arsene and honor AW legacy to the club. You’re a bit like me. Other AOBs will rant out every lost (off course), deem down every won, not celebrated cups, and completely disrespect Arsene. They’ve lost the joy of watching football and, I hope I’m wrong, they watch every match but expect Arsenal to loose. Funny thing is, it’s the same thought every time I watch ManUre, ManShit, L’pool, Spuds, and my fav Moaninho boys, even when they faced underdogs. Make sense if at this point, I suggest that AOBs to cheer other club who they think better than Arsenal. Fair enough? AKB or AOB? I’m someone in the middle. I’ve 100% anger at every lost but 150% joy when we have won.
@dragunov762mm
Awesome Comments.
On the grounds of AKB or AOB, I’ll say I’m SAR (Support Arsenal Regardless) 🙂
As you rightly said, my grounds of wanting Arsene out is not because he is useless (He definitely is not). It’s so that he doesn’t completely ruin his good legacy at the club. It will be nice to remember him as the best manager Arsenal had.
I agree with you pal..100%
My Opinion- Arsenal simply MUST win the title this season, and win it again next season!
I very much like that to happen. Will it, though?
@Budd
And why do you question and or doubt it happening.
Just asking. 🙂
Now, that’s should be our quote of the day. Right there!
#G rud;
I gave thumbs up for Arsenal to win EPL for the next 2 years, but please don’t be naive or stupid like Budd NY_Gunner that the man who failed to win EPL for a decade, and only in final of ECL once all of the sudden wins it twice in row!!!. Baer in mind that the team lacks top class striker, NOT solid CB, and no back in DMF. Not to mention that the he failed intentionally did not buy an outfielder last summer while there were lots of options for him to do. At the end he comes to media and claims he could NOT find quality striker better Giroud!!! Where is Giroud now? Sub for Walcott.
WENGER OUT ASAP
I love it if we can surprise every one and just go ahead and win against bayern, and draw the other game against them, revenge against olympia and zeg. #COYG this football. Strange things happens, who knows??
One game at a time…
Not going to happen if he qualifies in UCL. You all know the drill. Besides, discussing about Wenger to basically getting the sack when team is playing good football shows people have no clue what they talking about.
It just shows that some people view the bigger picture, not just the last game. Need i point out the 4 defeats we’ve suffered somehow? Or did you not watch them to see how the team played then?
True talk @Disturbance.
In the world of the blind the one-eyed man is the king.
So what? In sport you win, you lose. This is how it goes. I am not against Wenger to leave. I just don’t see any good coming out of it especially if the one leaving is just Wenger. Want a revolution? Start in the back room. Anyway, Wenger will see his contract through, I am fairly sure. If he does win UCL (which is a far strecth now) probably he will announce that this is his last contract. Not sure why I don’t believe that either, the man breath football and he will probably freak out without it.
@Disturbance
Please, explain what this”bigger picture” looks like. Just asking…
The ‘bigger Picture” is simply a lack of trophies and a lack unfulfilled potential. The stadium build that has hampered us ( and did not have to btw) is long done. But still we are missing players in key positions. For years our transfer policy has been mostly naive.
Tactics, player selection, motivation have all been lacking.
But mostly, there is an air of ” i know better than anyone ” attitude, and if that was right, we would have surely won more.
Now, I am not claiming that I know better than Wenger, but I am not paid 8M a year to know better.
All i know that anyone who is paid such a princely sum, such be judged and only judged by achievements.
@ Budd is right above when he says” if you want a revolution the whole backroom has to go” and I agree. Arsene is not the only problem at Arsenal, the board and the executives are also to blame for lack of ambition the club has shown.
What a year to challenge for the Championship, with Chelsea and Manu out of the picture or at least not in top form. We only have City to contend with. If we had 2 more quality players in the team, I think we would all feel more positive about our chances.
Just putting it out there but how good would it be to win the FA Cup again. We would be the first team since Blackburn Rovers, 130 years ago to win it three years in a row.
If wenger steps down, whome do you think will replace him. Klopp is joining Pool.
Would not be easy to find a proper replacement
…who knew Wenger before he joined Arsenal.
That’s to say, a replacement will be available.
Wenger can’t stay manager forever. One of these options will be met:
1. He completes his tenure and steps down.
2. He is relieved of the position (sack).
3. He remains manager till he dies of old age.
Either way, he’ll leave…and what will we do then?
When Wenger decides to step down, it will not be a new face to replace him but it will be Steve Bould. Mourihno will not be happy about this because he really likes this job.
You know Arsene’s favorite words, continuity, cohesion.
you forgot his all-time-favorite
Mental Strength
And the ultimate statement words,
“strong enough squad”
All this talk is mad coz AW will go when he is good and ready. We do need players and MF MA and 5 more could be sold to make way for new players. We need a play maker that can do a job to rest our stars. Look at A S he has a groin strange and he has gone home to play? This is where the club should say no we pay you not tbem. Don’t think AW needs to go I think we need a number 2 that don’t sit there sucking his thumb. AW can’t do it all. We need a team of let’s say coaches that watches games and can make plans for AW to look at. We need another dean or better get him back. Lots of changers needed to the back room staff and a few German players in
says who….one bloody fan on justarsenal; get real dude
I think throwing the CL to prioritize the BPL is a cop out punk move. It signals to the players that they’re not good enough.
Many on here as well as those tv talkin heads don’t think we’re up for the task either. Fact is, no one can predict what will happen.
But for us to lay down without giving it a fighting chance is as punk a**ed as it gets.
@NY_Gunner
i agree..CL is what big players dream of winning.An early exit doesn’t necessarily mean you have a better chance at winning league..Why cant we play for both..Hell i’d rather we try to win and loose then loose before even trying..
@Gunner
Exactly…
spurs beat mancity 4-1, they thought they were now real title contenders..Arsenal bet manu 3-0, they think they are now title contenders..relax pals, wait till we repeat the same for some 4-5 matches. As at now, Wenger is still a letdown and should leave end of season
I agree with you @Pi
I want Wenger to win this BPL with all my heart…However, I think it’s time he left.
He could move up the Arsenal hierarchy if he wants.
Your logic is always entertaining. So now after Spuds beat City they should consider themselves title contenders. But hey, who knows. Maybe you really mean it.
Really Konstatain, do you mean this or is some sort of a Joke? Tell me, how much is £200m that is said to be in Arsenal’s bank account. You just said Brendan Rodgers spent £200m in the last 2 transfers widow, and he did not meet the high expectations of the owners of Liverpool FC and thus got the sack for squandering the club’s financial resources on transfers without matching it with the commensurate results on the field of play. If to clear any doubt, the Boss spent some £100m to bring some new Gunners into Arsenal FC last season. Right? And he has to see how rewarding his investing of £100m will turnover profit, before investing on new recruits again. Because to manage a top football club like Arsenal Holding Plc; is a profit oriented business and not only for passion. And for these my 2 aforementioned reasons, Arsenal will not jettison their qualification quest for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Neither will they forsaken their efforts to win the Premier League title this season as well to satisfy the yearnings of their supporters who desperately want to see the League trophy in Arsenal trophy cabinet again. And that’s also include me who already have the belief that Arsenal will go the extra mile to completely win the fifthruple this season. Konstatain, this could be Arsenal’s season to win the Ucl. Because they Arsenal never know which particular year will be theirs, they have to keep the banner flying until victory is achieved.
Wenger’s job is to sufficiently used club’s resources and make it profitable. The only way to do that sufficiently is to keep the club on the top four. As long as Wenger did his job, he will continue to manage Arsenal. Throphy is just a bonus. Top management is gutless and ambitionless.
Signing out.
So if Wenger wins the Champs League, League Cup and FA cup but not the Premier League he has to resign eh?
Also Ancelloti was in London for an award and Klopp will be confirmed as L’Pool’s manager Friday.
Well Wenger has forgotten How to win the title
Him not getting any outfielder for our first team squad this summer is tantamount to sabotage
No top team in Europe did this.
He has forgotten that you need a Top CF to win the trophy, not to mention increasing depth. He forgot about getting a top DM too.
He has been in experimental mode for a loNG time and extremely stubborn and arrogant while taking home a £8 millon pay check every year
The most difficult thing to do in a discourse is to respond to an argument that is: not based on facts, that lacks logic and perspective, and that is stereotypical. This article by Konstantin fits the bill. The writer is bent on seeing Arsene out of Arsenal, and the rest of his writings are folklore aimed at driving that idiosyncratic view. He tries to twist everything that happens under the sun to back his idiosyncratic views about Wenger. If Theo scores a hattrick with the England national team he will use that story to perpetuate his views that Wenger must leave Arsenal.
While Konstantin’s obsession is non of my business, what cannot be allowed is for him to twist facts at will. Konstantin and like minded fans’ favorite point of reference is the period since Arsenal last won the league title. My response will be confined to that. We all know that Arsenal last won the league title in the 2003/04 season, and went for eight years without winning any trophy (2006-2013). Critics have used this period as proof that Arsene cannot cut it at the top level. Phantom arguments like: Arsene lacks tactics, Arsene is content with top four finish, Arsene is content with making money for the board, Arsene is a miser, etc, emanate from the fact that Arsenal had a trophy drought over that period.
In life people pursue realistic targets and get satisfaction out of that, yet the Konstantins of this world want Arsenal and Arsene to chase fantasies. The period 2006-2013 saw the club contending with losing its best players season after season, which they could not replace because they lacked financial capacity to do so. The reason for the financial incapacity was Emirates Stadium. Some clubs that embarked on such projects had to be relegated, go into administration, or both. That Arsenal managed to deliver a magnificent stadium, while maintaining top four finish and doing relatively better in Europe is a testament of astute management all round the club.
On the field Arsene had to rebuild a team season after season with players of lesser quality and/or experience, yet the team remained competitive. Managers tasked with rebuilding teams are given 3 years on average to start delivering on the field. In other cases they get upwards of 5 years, re: Ferguson, to start delivering. With Arsene rebuilding season after season you would not have realistically expected him to achieve much yet he took Arsenal to the CL final, two League Cup finals, and led the team to title shouts in 2007/08, 2009/10, and 2010/11. Give the squad Arsene managed during the period of austerity to any so called top manager and see if they will achieve the same.
The end of austerity measures coincided with onfield success. The club has won two FA Cups and Community Shields in a row, while finishing third in the league last season. As we speak the team stands second on the log just two points behind the leaders despite some atrocious officiating in two matches that we dropped points. Admittedly our performance in the champions league has not been at the level we wanted. However, if matters are put in perspective it becomes apparent that this has nothing to do with the capacity of the team to mount a title challenge.
During the incvincibles season Arsenal were bottom in their CL group after three matches with only one point to show for it. In the 2008/09 season when we struggled heavily in the league, we managed to reach the semi-final of the CL. In the first nine years of Arsene as Arsenal manager, performance in the CL was dismal compared to performance in the league, with only 2 quarter finals finish as the club’s best record. So to try and overemphasize our performance in Europe at the expense of performances in domestic competitions is arguing without perspective. This has become Konstantin’s turf.
No one knows what will happen at the end of the season but we all know that winning the league title will not be easy but not impossible. What is important is to argue with facts and perspective.
Amen brother!
Come on, Konstantin, tell us how you really feel about Wenger… 🙂
On a serious note, I begin to suspect that it’s actually something personal. The guy just spews Wenger hate left and right, and doesn’t even stop for a second. It’s actually quite sickening and disturbing. He’s truly obsessed with our manager for whatever reason, and I would strongly recommend seeking professional help.
Good luck!
P.S. Perhaps next time you can write about something else. Just think puppies and butterflies…
Can we have someone proofread these articles before posting them? I mean, it was like a case of deja vu. Several paragraphs were posted twice. I mean, I’m all up for reading/watching something more than once if it’s good, however it’s not the case with KM’s stuff.
Same manager same team…one loses to a Greek team at home and one beats the league leaders at home handsomely….what was the difference between the 2 games? No manager in the world has scored or conceded goals in the field of play. It’s the men out there. The professionals we pay big money to turn and do their thing. So you think changing a manager would have changed the results?
Frankly i think too many on this site know shite about how to get a team to play well together…you may know your football and “world class” players by name but certainly not about teams and team cohesion and belief (in your team mate and the team potential). I have said before…the most important plays on a pitch are off the ball and not with the ball carrier….and here’s another thing…80-90% of the difference between a good player and a great player is in his head. The confidence and belief that they can execute what they want to, when they want to…confident, clear decision making with basic skills to execute.
In any team sport you must have trust and belief in your team-mate…you must have buy-in on the tactics. Everyone must buy-in and do their job. It breaks down when there is doubt.
The question we need to ask is why are some players “turning up” some games and not others? Look at Chelsea, pretty much the same team and same manager…why the different results? What’s changed?
Before we go advocating a change..let’s make sure we understand which variable to change.
And yes..I have successfully coached/managed teams – in field hockey, rugby, football/soccer. You just don’t know how each player is going to turn up for each game….no matter how much prep you do. Players are human beings and not machines…they can’t perform precisely each time…the are subject to human frailties.