Arsene Wenger continues to play cat and mouse with the media on the subject of his future revealing he already knows whether or not he’ll pen a new contract at Arsenal.
Refusing to confirm reports that he has agreed a three-year extension at the club he has managed since 1996 the boss toyed with assembled media at his pre-Fulham press conference by leaving his comments open to interpretation.
“There is always a point where you have to decide, of course,” he said.
“There is a point where you have to decide and there is a point where you have to make your decision public. You can take that sentence the way you want it!”
With Wenger happy to confirm that progress was being made in negotiations with defensive duo Bacary Sagna and Per Mertesacker he also playfully confirmed that any new recruits would be kept in the loop about his own circumstances.
“I will talk to them, don’t worry,” he added.
The boss also took the time to reflect on comments made by Chief Commercial Officer Tom Fox who stated on Thursday that Arsenal remain unable to compete in the transfer market with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.
“In terms of their resources no [we can’t compete] because they have unlimited resources, but with our resources available, we are ready to fight,” he said.
Making clear that competing on the pitch and in the transfer window are separate issues, he continued: “The reality is that on Saturday afternoon at 3pm, that is when you can perform and when we have an opportunity to convince people that we are serious about what we want to achieve.”
“For me, it has always been tough. So that is nothing new,” he said. “It is maybe a bit tighter and you have more teams who fight for the title.
“Every team after the previous season analyses that season and tries to improve. The financial resources available are very strong in England for most of the teams and that explains why it is tighter.”
Well since his contract situation is a hot topic, he sure did drop it like it’s hot.
Hijack top comment!!! All look at this pic – Agent Per working on our transfers.
https://31.media.tumblr.com/d050a4f9d973bc855709f484f9241d36/tumblr_mxjubnHMc61skh7ogo1_500.jpg
It’s Smoooooth Sailing from here on in with Per on deck to fix up all our German Vunderkids.
AW = the most important contract extension at the club
here fucking here!
Pedantry corner here; it’s “hear fucking hear!”
I think he means ‘here’ as in ‘right here’ as in ‘this’ but I may be wrong….
Dammit, that’s my job!
sign la ting professeur!
I can’t fathom Arsenal without that charming, wrinkled Alsatian. Please stay on Arsene!
I like the way AW toys with the media who are looking for some contract/transfer meat. Often leaves them wondering “has me told me something or not” & then end up making conflicting headlines – the headless chickens!
I can’t believe that he would decide to walk away from the club he loves so much now (even for a new challenge) when we seem to be at the start of what should be a very exciting period for us.
I for one can’t wait to see his smiling face lifting a major trophy again. He deserves it.
All other signings depends on his signature. Also the future signing depends on his signing. Please sort these signings so we dont have to sing “Sign da thing”.
Unpopular opinion warning! I wouldn’t be massively upset if Le Prof leaves. He’s undoubtedly done wonders at the club and is the main reason we have a shiny new stadium, we’re financially sound and we’ve had… What? 16 years of uninterrupted CL football? He’s been a terrific manager, better than old red nose by a country mile given his limited resources. And yes, Of course I’d like him to stay on for a few more years, to finish what he started with this new squad he’s built. But he’s still Wenger. I can’t fathom why he sold van cuntface to… Read more »
You pretty much answered your own question there. Seeing with United this year just how difficult maintaining champions league places is in the current climate (though admittedly until Abramovic it was unlikely United or Arsenal would ever drop out). Every manager in the world has dud transfers, and every manager persists with players that do not necessarily possess the skill to make it (see Mourinho mk. 1 at Chelsea with Hilario in goal, Ferguson with Cleverly, Mancini with Savic, to name a few), but Wenger- as close to single handidly as is possible- has given us one of the top… Read more »
FG – I don’t always agree with what you write, but I definitely recognise you as being an extremely passionate Gooner. You’re not some troll desperate for attention, you give clear, well-thought out opinions that are often unpopular but that doesn’t make them any less true. I don’t mind being thumbed-down for my comment – I knew it wouldn’t be particularly welcome, considering we’re top of the league and all! mjc – Yeah, I get what you’re saying, and I certainly don’t think that a new manager could just waltz in and everything would be hunky-dory – it would be… Read more »
The thing people forget is that a new manager will have to prove himself either in the PL and/or (if they’re already here) at one of the biggest clubs. This is going to put players off (see United’s attempts at just buying bin bags in the summer). What you want is for Wenger to get a team capable to at least competing for the title (we’ll see what happens after this season) and then we can start thinking about the long term. Also, it’s got to be someone who’s going to be happy with the current backroom staff and not… Read more »
Certainly not saying that having a new manager in would be fine – I understand it would be massive turmoil and cause a lot of disruption of the club. But it IS going to happen, and relatively soon. By 2020 Arsene won’t be around at manager level any more, and I don’t want to see us go the same way as the plastic mancs. That’s the point I’m making – it would actually be less of a disaster to lose Wenger now, rather than for us to have spent all our money on ten low quality £10m signings and to… Read more »
Have to disagree with you here. For clubs like us or manure changing managers is a massive deal. Both clubs are used to being run by 1 manager for a number of years and changing that man will disrupt a lot in those clubs. Take citeh or chavskis, or smaller clubs like sp*rs, changing managers for those clubs is not a big deal, players, staff, fans, they are all used to seeing new faces every couple of years.
See how it feels to be like me? I actually agree with most of what you’ve just said. It’s a shame that so many of our fans can’t think outside the box. I’ll say it again for the thousandth time: can we do better than Wenger? The answer is, of course, ‘yes’. You could argue that Le Prof has done great to keep us in the top four throughout these rocky times – but what about now? We have a great team – built by Wenger – but we’ll probably fall just short of winning the title because our French… Read more »
I don’t think it’s thinking outside the box. Everyone is aware of our shortcomings over the past few years, but to doubt Wenger is unfair. He should be allowed the chance to have a fair crack at the big boys one last time, people seem to forget that we said 7-8 years ago that for 7-8 years we’d have to be careful financially. Which we have. And now Wenger’s taken us back to the top of the league. Noone’s suggesting that he’s untouchable just for sentiments sake, but I’d like to see him bow out on a high more than… Read more »
“failed to do the one thing that he absolutely had to do last summer and buy a top-quality striker. Ferguson, Maureen or any other top manager would not have made that mistake” you’re right but as shown, Ferguson couldn’t buy a top quality midfielder if he walked into Old Trafford and stood there while he waited to be noticed while Maureen has relied on Terry for both his appointments but never replaced him with a good defender.
Every manager has their blind spot.
I also didn’t realise Eto’o was top qulity, Maureen clearly knows more than I …
‘can we do better than Wenger? The answer is, of course, ‘yes’.’ ‘We have a 95% manager – what we need is a 100% one.’ You say these things as if they are immutable facts but they have no basis whatsoever. Who/what is a 100% manager? ‘Ferguson, Maureen or any other top manager would not have made that mistake.’ Except Chelsea didn’t sign a top-quality striker, and even loaned out a potentially top striker. Their three strikers have scored fewer than Giroud on his own in the league and Mourinho has repeatedly moaned about them struggling due to lack of… Read more »
If Wenger isn’t a ‘100% manager’ (whatever the fuck that means) then I don’t know who is. The guy is a giant, a master, and other clubs envy what we have here at Arsenal. One day we’ll have to live without him, but we’d be mad to get rid of him while he still wants to stay and win things and still has the fire in his belly. That would be bonkers.
The answer to the question of whether we could do better than Wenger is of course, it depends . . . First it depends on who is appointed, and it’s worth noting that US owners don’t have a good record on this. They lack the knowledge of European football and the network of contacts built up over years. They tend to go British, perhaps because that’s all they and their advisors have heard of, perhaps because they believe it will go down well with the English media and fans. Villa, Liverpool and most recently United have all made poor, sometimes… Read more »
This financial clout/available budget you speak of; is this the new financial clout just gained with new sponsorship deals that allowed the purchase of Flamini and the now constant rumours of Draxler? Or the financial clout that made sure Arsene had to make a profit to go against the stadium debt and generally required selling one of the more valuable players, while buying within a small bracket to keep at least a small net profit. There is a reason that during Arsene’s reign, the net spend was around £20million over the last 16 years (not taking into account the transfers… Read more »
I didn’t mean Flamini, I meant Ozil…. Whoops, that makes it sound like Wenger has just slipped back into his old ways
If we’re to believe Gazidis, money has always been available to Wenger, even before the new sponsorship deals. We’re the only big club in Europe to have had a transfer surplus for years. We weren’t forced to sell Cesc, Nasri, Henry, Hleb, Song, Van Persie, etc. so as to make a profit to to finance the stadium debt – those players went because they wanted to. Of course the stadium debt placed limits on our spending but it was budgeted for from our our other revenue sources without any need to sell our key players each summer, and it will… Read more »
You finish by saying that money is now being spent again, as though you think that is a good thing. I’m not so sure. Looking at Wenger’s more expensive purchases in the last decade or so, I’d say they have been less successful on the whole than his cheaper ones. Reyes and Arshavin didn’t work out as great value, nor did Santos at 11m. Only Sagna, who was quite pricey for a full back, has been well worth the money. Otherwise it’s been the moderately cheap – Monreal, Giroud, Cazorla, Mertesacker and especially Koscielny – who’ve proved the best value,… Read more »
His tools have changed. You don’t go from a great manager to a fair one, football has changed, not Wenger. Go ahead, rave about your Klopps, Guardiolas and Contes; they would have the intelligence and recognition of of great football coaching to know that Wenger is the manager who has changed English football more than any other in the modern era. Ferguson? Great man manager, but a pragmatist, not a philosopher. Mourinho? Contractor and architect of financial power over trust and optimism in unknown talent and youth. The Premier League pre Wenger was staid, strong and conservative. Wenger didn’t just… Read more »
He does have he’s idiosyncrasy’s, but that comes with genius.
THERE’S ONLY ONE ARSENE WENGER!
I would not care to meet you.
In Arsene I trust. Don’t know about you Mr Carrot.
But that’s the thing about being a supporter – had I left that comment in the Summer, or after the first game of the season, it would have been massively supported. But fair enough – a lot of fans don’t agree with me, and that’s not a big deal. I don’t trust Arsene, that’s the thing. I used to love him, I used to support him whatever crazy notion he had, but I gave myself strict instructions to see how the Summer before last went (2012) – he failed. And then, once he lost to Bradford with his first team,… Read more »
Thank god you are not in a position of power
Mr Wenger has a 24 carat gold attitude. Those are rare in life, let alone in football. If he doesn’t stay he will be dearly missed.
Like many of you I hope he signs on again. I do understand people who have reservations about him staying but I still think he’s the best man for the job by miles. Any of the potential candidates, like Klopp, are tied down to long deals so I think we sticking with Arsene is the best idea. And all of a sudden someone like Laudrup doesn’t seem such a good idea considering where Swansea are this season. That is to say, Swansea is where it has always been. It’s very, very rare for an entire town to move to a… Read more »
Really fantastic how his press conferences are available free on Arsenal’s website now. He’s obviously agreed terms, just waiting to see how the season pans out before confirming it seems.
Come on Arséne… he’s the one person in the worl who deserves to enjoy a few seasons of lesser financial restraint. The thought of him leaving… 🙁
Guys, get a grip, he’s not going anywhere.
Diego Simeone, Roberto Martinez or Dragan Stojkovic ( because Wenger believes he should be his replacement ) are my three choices to take over at Arsenal when Wenger retires.
I can’t imagine an Arsenal without him because I haven’t witnessed it in my lifetime and it is a scary thought. But it will happen someday, I just hope that someday will be when he retires. So sign the contract Wenger and stop toying with my heart!
Anybody also notice his sly little “I’ve never heard of Mikel Arteta” smile during the press conference question regarding Draxler?
Wenger knows…
I know there are positions that need strengthening, but if we got Draxler this window, I’d be 100% satisfied with our business.
He’ll stay. He’s finally got a team together that all love the club again, he’s got rid of the scumbags like nasri an RVp. An he’s now got a stable squad who look like staying together with the potential money to bring in new players, why would he now leave an let someone take over all that hard work.
It’s great to have the consistency of the same manager for 20+ years (assuming he does renew). The man has done great things for the Arsenal and I look forward to the next couple years!
No matter how it ends (and some day it will, as all good things do), I will always look up to this man as a mentor, pioneer, visionary and father figure. Someone whose players feel lucky to have played under him. We love you Arsene, we do!
I am 40 now and am relatively new to Arsenal.
I started watching them seriously in the 2007/8 season, where we played probably the best football in a season since I started watching.
If Arsene wasn’t at the helm during the last 16 years (let alone the last six), there would be no Arsenal in my heart.
I know he will be departing at some point but boy will I dread that day when it happens. The guy is an absolute legend.
In Arsene We Trust.
I am too young to remember pre Wenger Arsenal. I don’t mind too much. People who say ‘Wenger out’ are embarrassing to me. It’s like dissing your parents when they can’t afford to buy you a present one year.
Some people act like managing a football club is like doing a 20 piece puzzle. Simply being a manager in the PL, one of only 20 in one of the top leagues, means you are one of the best football managers in the world, and look how heavily criticised most of them are. Every manager makes mistakes, obviously, and some of you pounce on Wengers mistakes to push an agenda that he isn’t good enough, or that he should leave. Are you absolutely perfect in your job? Do random people in the street tell you to quit your job every… Read more »
Yes.
I have absolutely no doubt that when he does leave, he already knows who will take over from him….
*blushes* Well, we have spoken but I don’t know……
Hahahahaha Sparkie!
The next Arsenal Manager sits in the Arsenal dugout every weekend.
It’s blindingly obvious that Bould is being lined up and so after 2 more years of being Arsene’s assistant Steve will get the role.
Bould has stated before that he prefers to be in the background. That was before he took the number 2 job, and was saying he was happy as youth team coach, so I guess it’s possible but I wouldn’t count on it.
Ha ha. Mark Hughes, you come out with some funny ones.
When I signed, my pre-condition was nobody but Professor will stay on and mentor me at this critical juncture of my career and he told me he is going nowhere.
LANS!
Wenger wont leave Arsenal. He will stay on. He wont do to Özil what Alex Fegurson did to RVP. He’s classy and he knows what he can still achieve with the Arsenal. If Wenger will leave, it would be to a better club. But which club is better than Arsenal?? Show me one. Wenger knows all these and that more reasons why he will sign on. Now, lets scoop the treble. #Gunners4Life
There is no such thing as a “better” club than The Arsenal.
It does not exist.
A triumvirate of Wenger, Sagna and Mertesacker all signing new contracts at the same time would be a real shot in the arm. Mertesacker deserves a payrise because he really is one of the best in the country right now. Sagna should be rewarded for coming back to form and his unwavering loyalty to the shirt. Wenger really deserves the chance to push this team forward because this season could prove a springboard to even greater things if it goes as well as it has so far.
Likely, he will wait till he is 99% sure he will win something this season. His preference will be to stay on. This is a club he is in full control of and molding its destiny. This team he has restructured has been ongoing for last 3 seasons and is just about to bear fruit. Nor is it an aging squad rather has potential to dominate for a good stretch coming up if rightly directed. Why leave? OTOH, knowing the man he is, he would likely want to dictate his succession and finesse it in better way than how Ferguson… Read more »
@Miranda: Thanks for your posts, they are always very interesting and informative. I understand everything that you’ve said and agree that it’s Kroenke who really matters; but anybody who thinks that we can just keep on maintaining the status quo (if that’s what the American does) is wrong. In football you either go forwards or you go backwards. We are in a strong position right now and a couple of quality players could take us over the line and transform us into champions instead of also-rans. If we continue to fail on the pitch then this team will break up… Read more »
Van pussy sold cos he wanted to go and was always always injured. Song Adebayor and Nasri sold cos we were offered huge money for over rated players that could easily be replaced. Ramsey Walcott and Giroud are all better and for a fraction of the price. Henry had become too big a personality at the club and wanted leave. Oh and we got 12 million for a player at the end of his career. Playing in the US doesn’t count as a career.Fabregas wanted to go home. Simple as. Nothing Wenger could do.Guts of a 100 million in transfer… Read more »
& lets win todays game,