Arsene Wenger says he’ll make a decision on a new contract with Arsenal midway through this current season.
The boss confirmed that a new deal had been offered to him by the club, but has been keen to play down the issue in recent weeks.
Now, according to the Mirror, he’ll make an announcement during the season, possibly after Christmas.
He said, “I will make a decision halfway through the season. Deep down, I have an idea what I want to do, but give me a bit of time.
“What interests me above all is to always meet the expectations of our fans.”
It’s an interesting situation with PSG said to be interested in recruiting the Frenchman, and there’d certainly be no shortage of offers if he decided to see out his current deal.
Wenger turns 64 today and will be hoping his team gives him the perfect present against Dortmund in the Champions League tonight.
Please just sign the thing?
We’ve lost a lot of players recently but wenger has always been there to provide stability. No other manager would have achieved as Much as wenger has with limited funds. If he decides to retire then it’ll be a crushing decision because the stability will be lost. However he’s a legend and I’m sure he’ll find a way to help us even if he does decide to retire.
There’s only one Arsene Wenger.
In truth I cannot see him leaving. Almost all of the alternatives that could offer more than Arsenal are places like PSG, who go against everything he seems to believe in. Perhaps for a last shot at the CL before he retires, but that does not feel right either, and the CL is always a gamble anyway. Retirement might be in his thoughts. My feeling with Old Red Nose was that he got the title last year already knowing the extent of rebuilding that was going to be needed. You either say he knew it was a perfect time to… Read more »
I agree with this in part but in terms of rebuilding; Arsenal and Utd are almost going in opposite directions. Utd have, it seems, almost no money, even with their commercial side while Arsenal are now starting to see a massive upturn in money available. If he does leave, then he’ll leave the club and team in a way that his replacement will be able to start from a very solid platform while Moyes has clearly inherited a team that had one more title (that they won) in them but is now struggling. If you look at the youth of… Read more »
That was exactly my point about United. Especially that Ferguson got what he wanted and got out before it all went tits up.
With Arsene, he has gone through rebuild and false start again and again over the last few years I get the feeling he wants to be sure that the squad is ready now before committing. I’m not sure it is in him for another 2-3 years of nearly, and if he thinks that is the case, its time to hand the reins over.
Hey Bobby! What’s the French for ‘sign da ting’?
The constant stick by the fans and media alike must have really got to him last season. Everyone needs a good working environment and after what Arsene went through e.g His own fans turning on him, an unhappy AST etc its no wonder he’s delaying his decision.
i just want this season to be a lesson to the fickles ones that ARSENE WENGER is and always be the right man for the job. in Wenger i trust fully ♥COYG.
well said… a bunch of apes and other neanderthals attacking a cultured professional who has done nothing but GREAT things for Arsenal.
about time the good fans stood up and shame them detractors who even had the audacity to tell him to go.
Not really fair for my part I trusted Wenger though out (can check previous responce during the transfer window if you wish), but I don’t completely dissaprove of the ‘desenting’ fans. I understood why they did what they did, I myself felt the same distress they where so I will never point score on those who turned to change for the answer.. football is such a fickle thing it could so easily have been them gloating at us if Arsenal did change and became succesful. Hindsight is 20/20 I think that is doubly proved by the fact that which ever… Read more »
The fact that the team’s fortunes – at the start of the season – have turned around with just a few changes show how delicate and subtle his strategies are. You might be right to accuse him of not showing any positive signs over the silly season, but as old red nose said ‘he could run a poker school in the gorbals’. And, particularly after the boat was missed so spectacularly on a number of other potential signings, I can’t blame the majority of fans for not seeing that we would have a great DM and AM, especially in the… Read more »
Kroenke looks like a proper Good Ol’ Boy, so must love a bit of Country and Western.
Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, oh and, of course, Tammy Wynette.
So c’mon – Stan, Buy Your Man.
Cue for Fatgooner to make a belated appearance.
Regardless of his decision, the man’s resilience and perseverance in what he believes in must be a life lesson to everyone. Imagine what the world would be like if we could stick to our principles when the the rest of the world corrupts around us.
He’s earned my respect for life.
Bon anniversaire, Arsene
I think Wenger has shown his quality more than ever during a difficult time, with fans and the media having a crack at his philosophy. I really can’t imagine any other manager at The Arsenal other than Le Boss. If we all band together and support this team and manager then the sky is the limit. Through good and bad this is the greatest club on the planet.
I think if we are still top of the league around new year (after playing 19-20 games) then AW will sign an extension. If we have slipped up, he will look to guide us to the highest finish possible and then leave. This will partly be because he will view the inability to mount a title challenge as a failure and respect the wish of the fans (who wrote to Kroenke/Gazidis asking them to not offer him a new contract till he has demonstrated his desire to succeed) and partly because I don’t think he either has the strength or… Read more »
Yeah, the signs are more pessimistic than optimistic it seems. Really hope he stays for a few more seasons at least. Can’t picture him in any other dugout.
I don’t want him to leave. T_T
How about the Emirates make a big flag (49-style) for Arsène to show him some love ?
Honestly, I can’t see him leaving unless we really fall below expectations. He’s just gone through however many years of nearly getting there to finally building the beginnings of a great team. Who would leave now? I think he wants to show the fans that his position as manager isn’t secure no-matter-what, but is based on performance. If we suddenly dipped and did really badly and Arsene had signed a new 4-year contract or something can you imagine how mental some sections of the fans would go? He’s loyal to the club, wants to win trophies, and has said that… Read more »
Lets hope upstairs let him have what he wants in the window, and back him with funds.
There really is only one Arsene Wenger, and we are so lucky to have him!
Joakim Löw just extended his contract with the National Elf for two years. Wenger is being given a two year contract they Said the other day… Would be the perfect replacement at that time!
Dear god, no.
Unless something dramatic happens, Arsene is going nowhere. We have to understand, Arsenal is the project of his life, he devoted most of his career to this, and if he is allowed to, he will stay here until the passion, health and enjoyment are still there.
Arsene is staying on, he’s not going to PSG or any other club, mark my words.
+as long as the passion, health, and enjoyment are still there.
exactly. it’s also very clear that ozil signed largely because of wenger. i can’t see wenger leaving after only one year with him after spending so much to get him.
yup. wenger isn’t going to rednose/rvp the situation.
Appealing to my Finnish gooner friends! Apologies for being off topic, but I am flying to Finland today and am desperate to find out which TV channel shows the game!
Oh, and if there is a pub showing the game in Tampere then that would be fantastic too!!!
Help please!!!!
https://twitter.com/Where2WatchAFC
They’re usually pretty good for this sort of thing if you’re on Twitter mate.
Unfortunately the TV channels that show ucl in Finland (YLE, MTV3sport) do not show Arsenal-Dortmund today. I have no idea why, since in Klopp´s words, “I would pick this one”. Instead they are showing crappy games like Celtic-Ajax, since there are a couple of Finnish players there.
So I will have to watch the game on some stream. Sorry!
Thanks!!! What a pity!
Can’t see him moving on, especially to a club like PSG.
He’s into the next phase of his Arsenal career now, with a work in progress in building his 3rd great side, and he won’t want to walk away from that until the job’s complete.
And if he does go, David Moyes will be available in the summer. God help us.
Time to knock the manure off their fuckin perch!
i believe moysey is already ahead of the game on that particular project
I am sure Wenger will never go to clubs like PSG
Clubs who lift their skirts for wealth owners
Wealthy*
Either way, I really hope that the team can win something not only for the fans, but also for Wenger. If he decides to call it a day, and retire/leave, it’d be a perfect way to thank him for everything he’s done for the club. Yet, if he signs a new contract, which I’m hoping he does, it could really be the beginnings of something special.
On a slightly different note, did anyone else see Flamini train for Dortmund game?
He’s waiting to see how much he has available to spend in January and next summer. He’s making sure that Ozil was not a one off and the board back him financially to compete with the like of Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Spurs.
He’s in final stages of his career and wants to go out like Fergie did. On top and above everybody else. Remember he has never won the European Cup and will go down as the greatest manager never to have won it. If he is not backed financially.
I have a feeling that he ‘wants’ to add yet another God to the Mount Olympus we now call Arsenal.
Oh stop teasing you bubbly coated silky skilled frenchman!
Happy birthday Arsene
Happy birthday Arsene… Hope I will wish u same here next year as an Arsenal manager. It can only be one Arsene nd wish to always have you.
I think we should wait till we have at least won at a trophy before we give him a new contract. We’re on a great run but no trophies are won in October. Wenger has to prove he’s capable of winning trophies again.
Stability is key to having a successful club, whether that is winning trophies, staying ahead of Spurs or just getting into the top 3 or 4. You also need stability to win trophies and Wenger also gives us the chance to sign players like Özil
The stuff about wanting to be immortal to stay forever hints he would leave to retire. Few years yet. I hope to feck
hard to say which way this one will go. wenger is not beyond criticism, but he has suffered a lot of moronic abuse from a minority of fans – many of whom, ironically, never supported arsenal pre-wenger and (thus) don’t know or appreciate just how exceptional an achievement the glory years he delivered really are. and it doesn’t help when you have idiots like piers moron spreading filth across twitter and on the radio calling for his head because (real example from last season) of wenger’s insistence on persevering with “useless” players like aaron ramsey. the point is that we… Read more »
All I hoped was that the board was honest about the situation. If they said, “look, we have no money, we need a period of stabilisation” then I’d have been more than happy. But I always sensed there was a lack of openness, and that was the issue. There’s obviously reasons, because who are you going to attract to the club when there’s going to be an 8 year period of reinvestment? Most players want trophies, so secrecy is understandable. For me, its always been about honesty. So I felt for Arsene throughout that period. This has never been his… Read more »
This team has so much potential. If they don’t realise it this year then surely it’ll happen in the next 2-3 years. Who could walk away from that?
After all the criticism it’ll be such sweet redemption.
My mind keeps skipping back to what Leroy highlighted earlier. Ozil, after much thought I’m convinced Ozil already knows Wenger’s answer. If I was a high profile signing who based so much of my decision on the manager… How huge a mistake would it be on my part, maybe my agents fault, for not asking the question? Knowing said manager’s contract is coming to term soon?