Arsene Wenger has outlined in broad terms what it takes to be a successful manager touching on the challenge of creating squad harmony, the importance of positivity and his quest to find players who are consistently motivated.
Speaking at a question and answer session with Japanese business leaders ahead of his side’s 2-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds, the boss spoke in depth about his managerial philosophy (transcript by the Mirror’s John Cross).
“When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation,” said the boss when asked what he looks for in a new player.
“You have many people who start diets on the January 1. Some of them last until mid-January, some give up mid-June and some of them last. We are interested in the ones that last because that makes a successful sportsman.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean successful sportsmen are happy people, but it means they are determined and they are ready to hurt themselves to be successful, and that’s the type we are looking for – the people that are very demanding with themselves, and each other for a long time.
“That consistent motivation is applicable to football, business, anything you do in life.”
As a man who created a team who went 49 games unbeaten, Wenger’s reputation for forging success in a high-pressure environment precedes him.
Quizzed on the key ingredients of a winning team he identified key positions on the pitch before ruminating on the necessity of clear rules so that his global stars adhere to a common culture.
“You can’t have any weak positions. You need players who can make the difference. You need a team who can stop the other team from scoring goals – so a good goalkeeper and good defence – and you need to score.
“You need one guy who can pass the ball – the quarterback – to one guy who can score the goal – the receiver.
“Once you have a guy who can give passes to score, you will always have a chance to win football games. The rest is based on teamwork and attitude.
“It’s important to have clear rules and everyone knows and agrees with it.
“For example, being on time isn’t the same for a Japanese man as it is for a Frenchman – when a Frenchman arrives five minutes late, he still thinks he is on time. In Japan, when it’s five minutes before the set time he thinks he is too late.
“That means you have to create a new culture and identify how we all want to behave and create a company culture. That way, when someone steps out of line, we can say, ‘Look, my friend, that’s not what we said.’”
Of course it’s not all corporal punishment with Arsene, a man who time and again attempts to play up the positives when faced with negative headlines.
“We live in a life where everyone tells us what we don’t have. Most of the time, I remind my team and my players of the qualities they do have.
“None of us have all the qualities in life, but the good thing is that we can all be successful without having all the qualities. Players shouldn’t forget the qualities they do have.”
All very pleasant from Arsene, although Arseblog News isn’t quite sure how these pep talks went down with some of the players he’s recruited down the years.
We’ll assume the reason he doesn’t talk like this in England is that follow up questions from local hacks would likely rip the veneer from his philosophy like a scab from a grazed knee…
“So Arsene, what positives did you stress in Igor Stepanovs’ game?”
I love this man.
Good one there, i’ll suggest we go to japan for press conferences before and after every game we play in the premier league.
I love him too but he is really putting his legacy in jeopardy the longer he refuses to spend the money needed to make this squad competitive. Whether thats down to the board or him I will never know, but from the look of things now, its up to him and hes not doing everything that he can. 4 weeks and counting signings are needed before the season starts, now they will have no pre season if they join. No more excuses.
If I want to buy a jacuzzi, and I have the money to buy a jacuzzi, then what am I supposed to do? All that is left in the shop is a bucket, because Monaco, PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Manchester City have bought all the display jacuzzis and the shop is keeping the rest of the jacuzzis in the stock room and denying they are for sale in case any of those teams come back with their millions to get another jacuzzi. The only jacuzzi that is on sale is a dirty one in which a… Read more »
Thats not the right analogy, because you’re missing out the bit that everyone enters the shop at the same time and can only start to buy things at the same time. You do your market research before you enter and have a plan of what you want to buy knowing very well everyone is after the same things. You can’t complain thats its unfair everyone had more money but everyone has the same amount of time. I think hes really screwed up this time missing out on Higuain, he would have added depth to the squad and improve the team,… Read more »
I’ve a strange urge to research this utterly life consuming Jacuzzi market you’re speaking of. If only there were more bathroom furnishing based websites that splurged lazy journalistic insights into retail, something like the Daily Mirror would be an appropriate site name.
Been a hot day and too hot to be working, I will take the jacuzzi analogy further. AW has a collection of lame jacuzzis, loyal and hard-working, but not good enough to win any of the jacuzzi competitions, what with him having sold off all the world beating jacuzzis, in previous years. He also seeks to congratulate himself that he will not be selling off any more of his stock this year. That’s right Arsene, because anything worth buying has already been sold by you. Arsene then pretends to make a purchase of a jacuzzi at Scouseland Jacuzzis (We’ll even… Read more »
ckmma I think youre more interested in saying that wenger has screwed up rather than genuinely being concerned about the squad or transfers. sounds as if you like throwing around the “no excuses” one-liner…… higuain may well have added to the squad but whether he would improve it we don’t know…..its a guess…yet you word it as if youre certain he would improve us. What if he couldn’t cope with the weather ? What if he didn’t like it here at all and did a hleb? finally at what cost would he improve the team? for 15 id buy him… Read more »
Thanks Arsene. This surely makes this transfer window more bearable.
Sometimes I think he’s too smart and sophisticated for football.
Yeah, his recent trophy haul proves it.
Being smart and sophisticated at something doesn’t mean one is going to succeed all year every year, especially when you need to manage the £20m per year needed for the stadium.
well said anon. apparently the jerks who complain have forgotten old pete saying in agm ’10 meeting that manager needs to generate a 25m surplus per season…mainly through player sales.
Just to get one thing straight :- ‘success every year’ is just that “every year”. We are currently on eight and counting (i.e. seven more than ‘every year’). Didn’t Bayern Munich move to a new stadium in recent memory ? How come they manage to win things but we don’t ? We already have one embryonic David Brent in Ivan – ‘we’re the new Barcelona, in fact make that the new Bayern’ – Gazedis, without Wenger chucking in his’ two penneth’ as well. They’re a brain-dead pair of bozos, like the Chuckle Brothers but without the intelligence and currently extracting… Read more »
You sound silly, and confused, and for some reason certain that we won’t sign a striker this summer. Further, your comparison with Bayern Munich is so simplistic it’s funny. What a completely myopic viewpoint. Why not try contextualizing the leagues, the status of each club in those respective leagues, and the financial status of the competition in both leagues, before implying that Arsenal should have been expected to win consistently post-stadium build just like Munich. People like you will always find a reason to bash Wenger. It’s funny that the recent mega-bid for Suarez (one I think we’ll increase this… Read more »
The ‘silliness and confusion’ is all yours because I didn’t make the initial comparison between Arsenal and BM, your hero Ivan did. But you are right that I do ‘bash Wenger’ and have cause to season after season as he turns up empty handed, trailing feeble excuses most of which have worn thin years ago. This move for Suarez is a hoax designed to con the gullible into thinking Arsenal are prepared to spend money. They are not. Stan prefers it in the bank where he can use it’s presence to good effect – for himself. But come September 2nd… Read more »
you do realize Bayern has the highest commercial revenue in Europe, even higher than RM (and leagues ahead of MU)? i mean, your entire post reeks of cherry-picked comparisons to support your illogical claim, it’s a wonder you’re able to use a computer.
I can use a computer but you can’t read.
I didn’t make the original comparison with BM – Gazedis did.
But seeing as how he’s so keen to raise the point, it’s more than justified to note the differences rather than the similarities.
Comprende ?
@Rob,
I guess what I don’t get is why you’re angry about a situation that has yet to happen. You ended your first comment with “if you’re happy with that, I’m not.” But what is “that”? You’re not happy about a “that” that hasn’t even happened.
NONE of us would be happy if we ended the transfer window with only Sanogo, and I’m sure our frustration will be here for you and all to see. But until that happens, I’m not going to go around insulting Wenger and Gazidis or the fans who are still hopeful of big signings.
Bayern didn’t have to pay for their stadium…it was a gift by munich council and Allianz….learn a few things before talking please. thank you
Just ask yourself who has won all the recent Champions Leagues and Premier Leagues. They were all clubs funded by billionaires (or Man United with their well advanced commercial side and a pretty bloody brilliant if cunty manager). We are fighting a war against giants. It isn’t as easy fighting billionaire clubs as fighting Megatron. You can’t do it on a shoestring, and despite our increased funds we are on a shoestring compared to these other clubs. We are lucky to have a manager that has kept us as the best of the rest, and hating him for being in… Read more »
way too sophisticated for the simple folk who see everything through the win/lose prism and give him shit for not winning titles when the club is still repaying its stadium
That’s what defines football – winning and losing.
Because if you lose enough you go down and if you win enough you might get a trophy. That’s why great team and great Managers ‘win thing’s. And bad teams and bad Mangers, don’t.
If that’s what defines football for you, then you’re being completely illogical by supporting any team that doesn’t win stuff.
You seem utterly baffled by what’s staring you in the face, namely that fans support clubs for reasons other than winning and losing, and their devotion is rarely if ever contingent on the vagaries of circumstance or personnel.
That’s what defines the outcome on the pitch Einstein. Who you support or why is another matter entirely. When the results are read out it’s defined by goals scored, as is the League table and how if at all, progression is made in knockout competitions. What draws people to support a Club is another matter entirely. From a Manager’s point of view – and I’m thinking of your dear little hero Mr MaGoo here – the outcome, as defined by goals scored, is crucial. If post match he states :- “Sorry we just lost 2 – 8 but Banburylist still… Read more »
What draws people to support a Club is another matter entirely. === Not for you, it isn’t. Your hatred of Wenger and Gazidis is based solely on results on the pitch without any consideration whatsoever of the effects of the stadium build on our financial model coinciding unfortunately with the massive influx of cash-rich owners. You call those “tired excuses,” whereas I call them “valid reasons.” You say they’ve been done to death, whereas your point of view has also been done to death. I think your lack of consideration for context is extremely unfair on the club. There’s a… Read more »
stop talking shit Rob’67. You saying that the finalists ( not the winners) are bad teams with bad managers and bad players?
football for the fans is defined by memories
for the players by money and medals
for the clubs …football is defined by profits
youre not a player and youre not an owner ……so stop acting like one. just watch and enjoy and if you aint enjoying then don’t watch. very simple.
hey rob what drew you to Arsenal then?…don’t tell me the trophies…not that much or anything to brag about…….from 1953 to 1989 …which is 36 YEARS…the club only had a double to show for…….
is this what drew you to Arsenal then? Haha…
Maybe your Arsenal was defined by them lads who lost the saragosa final due to a 50mtr lob….?…. or according to your words and since they didn’t win it…they were bad players and coached by bad manager.
But the club has made it abundantly clear that the manager has ample money to spend. So why do you keep trotting out the ‘stadium-debt’ argument?
The club has made it clear we have money to spend this year. The reason people keep “trotting out” the stadium debt argument is because it’s valid. Up until this year, we have not had extra funds for transfers.
Based on your comment, it appears there are still some astonishingly stupid people out there who think “stadium debt” is a fairy tale made up by the evil Wenger and his sidekick Gazidis.
nice one bunburyist!
There are some managers that appear to know everything about football, except how to win a football match. Can’t say that about Arsene though, which makes me wonder why I replied to your comment.
so what happened to chamakh? his diet finished january 2nd
Park January 1st, Squillaci January 2nd, Santos january 3rd, Arshavin January 4th, Gervinho January 7th, Bendtner finished January 10th, Eboue January 20th,Denilson January 21st and on and on..
When did Thierry Henry’s finish? Or Denis Bergkamp? Or Robert Pires? Patrick Viera? Tony Adams? Ray Parlour? When do you think Santi Cazorla’s will end? Laurent Koscielny? Per Mertasacker? Bacary Sagna? Cesc Fabregas? Robin Van Persie?
you obviously don’t see the joke, don’t worry
the joke wasn’t obvious…sounded like a moan….
The part about motivation is something that really inspire me. A really great man and proud to have him as the manager.
I quote Rowan Atkinson from Jonny English: ‘Such class…such distinction’.
I like the quote – its not just motivation, its constant motivation.
You could sub ParkBendtnerChamakh for Igor Stepanovs to get the right perspective.
Thanks to your post I’ve realised you can condense those 3 names to Park Bench! Days happiness fulfilled!
No, you actually got my name wrong.
I feel a lot of Wengers view on football can be applied to life in general. top man, still don’t understand why he passed on Higuain though. sorry to go off topic.
Blogs, you did allude to ‘stuff that you do know’ regarding our transfer business this summer on twitter ( yeah twitter stalker me, lol).
i know you don’t do the ‘itk’ thing, neither do I, but i respectfully ask if you would write a blog post on ‘what you do know’ once this window has closed and the season proper begins? please………
the way I see it is that Higuain was worth whatever we had bid (and had accepted). Once RM raised the price, the deal was less economic, especially in the light of Higuain being more similar to Giroud than other potential target(s) (viz Suarez).
It’s always a gradient – you’d take every striker for 0 fees and 0 wages (squad disharmony and other factors aside), but as the price keeps going up the relative values change.
“so a good goalkeeper and good defence”
The irony of that statement…..
Second best defence in the league last season. I fail to see the irony.
He’s building a solid defence. Now he just needs to add backup for the solid defence. INJURIES have haunted us in the past
Yeah Wenger. blah blah some of it abit insightful but still blah blah.
I wish he answered transfer news with this so much detail. all this “we are not close to signing anyone” is not to my taste.
If he did I suspect that you and me wouldn’t be the only people taking note of it. Not to mention the fact that he’d be pretty unusual in doing it. No other club in Europe tells anybody their strategy for strengthening. It gives too much information both to your rivals and the selling clubs. Barcelona and Real Madrid do talk a lot about who they want, but that is what classless clubs do. I am pissed off with Arsenal for telling the world we had more money to spend than we have had for years. Our business should be… Read more »
I woke up this morning and remembered that in last nights drunken haze I had bet a tenner that Arsenal would win the league. Poor misguided overly optimistic drunken me. I was reading Arsenes piece above on what it takes to be a success in life and I note that nowhere does he mention anything about falling around pubs or putting on drunken bets as being the habits of successful people. Damn.
Yes, yes, he’s a nice man. Terrible at his job now, but still a nice man.
He’s a little like me. Without the “nice man” part.
People too caught up in the ‘cult of personality’ to realise this man’s days as a top level coach are slowly drawing to a close.
you really don’t know what youre talking about. This top level you talk of…he created it. to beat him you need to spend 4 times what he does.
hes nothing like you, you’re a dipshit
It was supposed to be a joke – i.e. I’m terrible at my job, and a really shitty person to boot. Hence the whole ‘please click here to see this abortion of a comment’! bit.
Still though, thank you, fellow Arsenal fan, for standing by me during these dark times. Truly you are a bastion of… oh whatever. Fahk ahf, ya dick!
“None of us have all the qualities in life, but the good thing is that we can all be successful without having all the qualities.”…So much class!
Getting £7million a year just to finish in the top four is certainly success alright.
After creating the invincibles, winning the double twice, being part of the team to move us to a new stadium, champions league 16yrs in a row, on a tiny sponsorship deal while paying off the debt and leaving us (I still hope he doesn’t) all the wile fending off much bigger offers from “bigger” clubs …. Absolute untouchable class
*leaving us (I still hope he doesn’t) with a truly great football club with class and history, all while ….
Therein lies the source behind a lot of the Wenger-hate. He earns a lot of money that they think he doesn’t deserve because they truly believe they could do his job.
Well, it’s like thinking you could be a brain surgeon because obviously it only involves standing at a table and cutting and sewing stuff.
Haha..top quality comment !
Don’t care. It makes it all the frustrating that we all know that Wenger is a very intelligent man. But the shit he does defies reasonable logic. Why doesn’t he apply the same level of clarity on signing some fucking players?
Him and the board simply don’t know what they’re doing anymore. People are blinded by his pseudo intellectualism.
If I scroll down further, have you moaned like a little bitch on every other post down there as well?
You’ve made your point, so give it a fucking rest you whiny little boring cunt.
DoubleDoubleDouble
Dont call anyone on here a cunt if its not a spud. People are entitled to their own opinions you fucking ****.
I have no issue with people having opinions, just with people who drone on and on about them.
It’s football, it’s supposed to be entertainment, and a distraction from the shittier aspects of life, like me not being able to get into the pants of the receptionist at work.
Think what you are doing wrong is you need to take them off before you try get in them or may be easier to buy a pair for yourself, less chance of public humiliation
If I bought my own, then they wouldn’t be hers, which would somewhat defeat the point of it.
Though you have given me an idea – perhaps I should find out what brand she wears and test the elasticity, to see what wriggle room there is.
hey arsecrew what if their opinions are …shit? can we not tell them off?
It all seems fun now, but when Blogs gets home we’ll be thowy.
The reason why Arseblog remains the #1 Arsenal blog of choice among many fans is because of its perceived neutrality. Blinded negativity will turn this place into Le Grove, while fostering a Wenger cult of personality will turn this place into an irrelevant tourist attraction.
DoubleDoubleDouble, if you don’t like what I have to say, then go somewhere else. I’m not going anywhere mate. So just suck it up like a man and jog on.
Last time I checked this was not the People’s Republic of China.
By the way, say hi to your colleagues at the Arsenal Press Office where everything is happy and lovely in Wenger land.
GMWWS : what has china got to do with your stupid opinions being challenged ? Explain that one please. Do you feel you can say whatever you want without responsibility ?
rip the veneer from his philosophy like a scab from a grazed knee…
Where did that come from?
Bit harsh
“We live in a life where everyone tells us what we don’t have. Most of the time, I remind my team and my players of the qualities they do have.”
Wow. You often forget that Wenger is a football manager. He’s the classiest manager I’ve ever seen.
Not classy enough to win things though.
Looking at the recent winners, I can’t see how class has anything to do with it.
Dnt thnk its about being classy more like success & he is succesful
people here fucking forgetting he did win stuff, and with class.
hehe… you see these perfectionists were used to aiming for the league title every season before arsene wenger…hence their expectations.
“Did win stuff”. I like that. Yes, he did win stuff — once upon a time. People are “forgetting” that because, one, that was all a long time ago, two, the side has been mediocre and in decline for eight years now, and three, this manager is completely and wholly responsible for that mediocrity. And yet he seems to think he has a fabulous side! “With or without additions we can be title challengers next season.” Pathetic.
This is not the type of news I keep refreshing for…..
News is simply what happens. Arsenal news this week is that they are back in England, training hard, and preparing for the Emirates Cup, while somewhere in the background employees of the club are trying to buy some new players for us.
Better honest news than the shit the newspapers make up.
He is a good man, and thorough.
Such a good man, great values, probably the only man in elite football circles to stand by his values and set such a great example for all. As a gooner truly lucky to have witnessed the wenger era!
The Wenger era has only been half successful….
That new 60,000 seat stadium represents failure to you, does it?
That’s not even a particularly good troll. Can you come back when you’ve got some kind of point?
thanks in advance
I welcome you as a fellow Gooner. All kinds of people can be Gooners, including spoilt brats.
No hairdryer at the emirates so….
Oh Arsene,
You are so zen,
We are all worried about signings,
please tell us, when?
eat your heart out Tubes 😉
Arsene is a fucking troll…
Spot on mate, a troll with a silver tongue.
As much as want to dislike him, you just cant!
Well that’s cleared that up then. After that crap it makes understanding women relatively easy! Thanks Arsene your a real pal.
Mr Nice man
Spend the fucken MONEY !
You 4got that its bin almost 10yrs since we won the EPL .
we bin patience for a long time and with the worst squad we have for next season , we gonna strugle to finish 4th
WENGER OUT , No one is bigger than the club .
IN WENGER WE RUST !
Zzzzzzzzzz…….
What.A.Bellend.
If you’re going to round up the number of years since we won a trophy you should make it sound more impressive and go for the whole Century.
I love Arsene Wenger but he gives too much weight to his philosophies and sometimes forgets reality.
Exactly.
And here I was thinking that the whole of this article was him sharing his experiences to improve real people in real organisations to achieve real long term success. What a doofus I turned out to be.
Let me clarify: here is a man teaching Japanese entrepreneurs about management and achieving optimal success for set conditions. The Japanese are pioneers when it comes to management and process control. All major multinationals have adopted Japanese business cultures in the last 50 years as a result. They (the Japanese) know their shit in this field. So for them to invite Wenger to speak does not suggest that Wenger has lost touch of reality as much as some people seem to think.
Exactly. He should be concentrating on his own job! You never heard alice ferguson doing these things. Get the transfers done Wenger, then you can spout as much bullshit you like!
His job is management of a team. That is precisely where such expertise is so important.
For all that people say that Arsene Wenger has lost the plot he has never lost the dressing room. He’s lost players who were more concerned for their own personal glory than bringing success to the team, but the team as a whole has never lost their belief in him.
@Arsenal Rising:
You would begrudge a man 2 hours from the whole summer? Isn’t that unreasonable? Also “Alice” ‘Beetroot’ Ferguson does not and will never have the eloquence, charisma and culture that Wenger has.
@Arsenal Rising
Alex Ferguson was recently the subject of a Harvard Business School case study in management. He spent hours talking with the writers about his career and methods. So yeah, he does do this kind of stuff. And it was well publicized at the time.
Hey Wenger, how about actually building a competitive team and winning things? Would make a change from all the gaff you’ve been spouting.
Or are you simply not up to it anymore? Sorry, forgot 4th place was a ‘trophy’.
when was the last time your team got into top4 mate? u sure you not one of them mugs who have been trying for a decade to overtake wenger and the kids and still failing?
Unrelenting hate spouted at every opportunity? Sounds like the average Spud-troll.
my oh my they must really hate wenger and arsenal…cant really blame them..imagine having the neighboors raping your sorry arse the last 20 years or so…..now imagine how it feels for them when they come so close to finishing above us for once and still ef it up…hahaaa them poor little cockerels..
The only word that come to my mind after reading/ hearing his interviews is ‘Respect’!
This picture of Arsene with headphones on listening intently is actually him spying on conversations between Loserpool owner John Henry even more Loserpool coach Brendan Rogers.
Arsene, I hope you are spying on Everton’s conversations as well, because I think the signing of Fellaini would excite the fan base just as much as signing a top striker.
Football is about results, not philosophy.
Arseblog is about intelligent analysis and also having a laugh, not depressing idiotic soundbites.
“depressing idiotic soundbites” – tell that to Wenger.
Nice 1 there from the Manager, an intelligent man no doubt but if preventing the opponent from scoring is one of the game’s principle, why do we have just 2 fit center backs and no recognised DM at this time?
Because it is only the middle of the transfer window and some of our defenders are injured.
We have two or three weeks to do something about it yet.
I also believe a lot of hard work can compensate for a lacking of innate talent in the realms of professional football. Professionals already have a level of natural talent above average anyways some more than others but its the application of that talent that determines desirability when it comes to transfers. I watched the Copa Liberta-South American Champions league-dores and although Bear-Nard/ Burn-hard/ Burn-id did’nt have a sparkling game he came out with an assist and hobbled the last few minutes of extra time carrying an injury and sometimes running through that pain barrier. Whether it was for show… Read more »
“they are ready to hurt themselves to be successful”
That explains the packed medical centre. It’s not injury proneness, it’s the will to succeed
Diaby’s will to win must be pretty fucking fierce, then!
Yes, it is.
Blimey some of you love to moan
If one said the sky was blue…you would say it’s silver with a hint of pastel
You all don’t know what you got…….
Wenger is no longer a top manager. Out of his depth.
Yeah, the expertise an armchair gives to your average man in the street is infinitely more useful for a Premier League manager than anything that Wenger can summon up from a life of involvement with football.
Arsenal fans are hypocrites. A lot of them scared to critize wenger. Espercially on this blog. All they want is max tumbs up. Everyone applauding him to be a genius. Yet deep down, they all individually curse him out for not making signings. He has it too easy at Arsenal. Dribbling us fans like messi. Promising to buy players and then last minute change of mind. He says its difficult. Yet teams ahead and below us have made numerous signings. He defines success but forgets to apply his logic to himself. This is sad.
Muh assumptions.
Haha, because there is nothing to criticize about Wenger’s views and thoughts on the game and management, some people decide to have a go at his record in his latter half and mention specific flops. People love to single out, but then they forget every other name that are not flops when they’re playing this game. Confirmation bias is strong in a lot of people, but this is pathetic. Remember Fran Merida and co. who a lot of people thought would succeed? And then that African bloke named Stephan that everyone thought would fit Arsenal perfectly? Let’s not forget M’Vila… Read more »
Classy? Yes.
A winner? Not anymore.
“As long as you are second in the league, I am ready to sign for the next 20 years and stand up for that. ”
Mourinho and Fergie are classless people, yet they would never “stand up for that”.
Yeah, they would.
None of them would be happy about it but expecting to win everything, every year, is simply stupid; something to be aimed for but in reality, you have to accept failure and work towards eliminating it.
“expecting to win everything, every year, is simply stupid”
Yes it is. That’s why nobody said they expected Arsenal to win everything, every year. But not winning ANYTHING for so many years is very different.
That’s a typical straw man argument.
Puhahaha…. id love to see mourinho restricted to a 15m budget for player-purchases for a decade and see how he does….
I’d just like to see Mourinho restricted. Permanently restricted.
Didn’t do too bad at Porto did he? They weren’t exactly swimming in cash were they?
Well, no, but they do have an affinity with Brazilian/South American players in the same way that English teams (and Croatian teams) do with Australian players, for instance. This has given them the first bite at a lot of good prospects who have then gone on to top Spanish teams.
Beyond Porto and their pipeline to South America Mourinho has only really succeeded with billionaire-funded teams. He is good, but he isn’t necessarily better than Wenger.
They had the basis of a successful portugal national team with players like Carvalho, Jorge Costa, Deco etc. It was Portugal’s golden generation that helped Porto that year.
Hunter,
…..and have to play wonderful football.
I love me some Wenger but he’s quite clearly doing a press conference linked with his people management book that he released this year in Japanese.
This ain’t got nothin to do with Arsenal. Its just Arsene promoting a small intellectual venture of his.
Like I said I love me some Wenger but it would be a lot more reassuring if he was working frantically in an office somewhere trying to sign players. You know like we pay him to do…
The recruitment chapter of that book must be a compelling read.
transfers are handled by the clubs negotiators…just saying. its good to know the positions and roles within a football club before confusing things…thanks.
Yep, I imagine Wenger is only brought in when the deal would be helped/sealed by the player meeting the manager to get a feel for his plans for the club, his philosophy on team- and man-management, etc etc.
Other than that he would rely on his own knowledge of football and his scouts to determine prospective signings, and his reputation, which is immense despite what naysayers might think, that helps draw players in the first place.
But the actual deals are done behind the scenes by lawyers and by expert negotiators trained to do such deals (I sincerely hope!!!!)
The Bernard thing never materialised did it…. Thought that one sounded quite likely.
Yep. Johnny Press can be quite convincing when they give specific details as part of their lies.
“Arsenal might like the look of Bernard” just doesn’t stir us like “Bernard to have medical on Friday.”
Porto have apparently got a deal with Bernard, it has to be said we are abysmal in the transfer market. Theres still time of course, so come Ivan get yer fucking fînger out!!
well, his dad and entourage all wanted to go to Porto – Hulk apparently convinced him of that. Move along.
Had anyone even heard of Bernardo (if that’s his name?) 10 days ago?
I want signings, but not just anyone. And if we sign Suarez, great, but his picture won’t be going on my son’s bedroom wall.
This is not a good transfer window so far. Surprise us Arsene. Robert Lewandowski is still angling for a move…he’d fit the bill.
Didn’t I just win the champions league in south America ? I’m known, son.
Porto, in Portugal, popular destination for young Portuguese-speaking players. No big surprise there.
wenger please bring for us cesc back to EM even god will bless you for that instate of talking rubbish
Imagine being an Arsenal fan, and not even having the assurance of believing in a god that knows how you’re feeling and will make things OK at the end 🙁
We should be celebrating trophies not quotes.I admire the man though!
He hasn’t exactly strayed into making soft porn films or something. It’s a little sideline related to his job, and it brings Arsenal some nice free advertising in Japan amongst exactly the sort of people who decide where their company’s sponsorship money should be spent. Don’t you want us to earn more money?
Fourth place is a trophy, blah blah blah….
He is classy, he is very intelligent, surely the most intelligent manager in the premier league ever, and when all is said and done we won’t really appreciate him ’till he’s gone, but even bearing all that in mind, spend some money ffs
nice words there mate. just to calm you down..expenditures on players is kroenkes field……the owner decides unfortunately..
Hunter,
i doubt that, silent stan seems very hands off.
Ivan & Arsene decide who is bought or sold, as long as it’s within the given budget – which was non-existent for the last 10 years.
…and Ivan has a team of people to actually do the deals, I should think. Hopefully they were all hard at work while Ivan and Arsene were promoting the club in Asia.
I love you Wenger!
He loves you too, Gedion.
Wenger deserves credit for winning the few titles he did, and being responsible during the stadium move and also for being loyal to AFC, but the way some fans worship the man is baffling. Overall Wenger teams perform poorly in cup finals and fall apart in title run ins. Much more often than not.
well finals and titles are won by the players…….once they step past that line…its up to them.
What makes a successful manager is the trophies that he has won at the end of the season.
I take it you don’t consider Roberto Baggio a successful footballer then.
Fair shout…
*Points at the only gold Premier League trophy in existence*
Oh wait, you’re just an attention whore.
Fat Gooner are you one of those who does the diet till January only? 🙂 For the first time in all these years Wenger has mentioned that he operated under financial restrictions. “We had that problem when we were under financially-restricted conditions. For some players, we didn’t have enough stars to be successful as quickly as they wanted to be. Of course, that’s one of the problems we face in our job.” I think this is pretty self explanatory. We now know that Wenger didn’t really have wads of cash under his mattress while keeping the team afloat in the… Read more »
SG, you’re the perfect example of the Cult of Wenger. People like you are so convinced that Arsene is some kind of a god that you simply refuse to dispassionately look at the facts. We’ve just spent the summer disposing of much of the dross which Wenger brought to the club. While being ridiculously overpaid they contributed little or nothing to the cause. We still have shit like Park, Chamakh and Bendtner who are all still being paid huge amounts by the club for doing precisely nothing. Oh, and we’ve won nothing for eight years. And yet Wenger is a… Read more »
I’m with you Fats Wenger should have been shown the door three years ago, with a wonderful send off, thanks for the memories, your legacy will live on, etc. Instead, my memories now will be of these last few years of frustration at his sheer bloody mindedness and refusal to change. Bottom line, he thinks he knows best. The results shout loudly that he doesn’t. He talks of motivation and consistency in motivation, but that’s one thing that has been missing from Arsenal, tail end of last season not withstanding. The most motivated players left, for god’s sake. Now, at… Read more »
Get yourself down the Lane then FatGooner, since you’re so inspired by them.
Blogs, is there really no quality control on here?
Spurs had their best season ever in the Prem, with the most brilliant footballer that ever lived playing for them.
We had a meh season, having lost our brilliant but duplicitous goal getter this time last year.
Tell me FG, who came out on top? I suggest you watch Channel 5 on Thursdays next season to cure you of your jealousy
We must buy not only top quality players, but ones who are consistently consistent. Inconsistent consistency is not what we need, while consistent inconsistency must be avoided. As for inconsistent inconsistency, I do not know…
That’s exactly the point, and exactly why Walcott had to either shape up or ship out.
Josh, you have melted my head. Inconsistant inconsistancy is a concept I just cant understand. I need to go and think about it now in a darkened room.
Isn’t that what Theo’s really good at?
Or bad at??