Friday, March 29, 2024

Wenger: it’s becoming a farce

Arsene Wenger says that the reactions to Arsenal defeats are ‘becoming a farce’, rather than the defeats themselves.

The Gunners crashed out of the FA Cup today, going down 2-1 to Watford, and the Arsenal manager seemed to hit out at the reaction to the latest loss – the third successive home defeat.

Speaking after the game, Wenger said, “You’re always in the middle of a drama,It’s becoming a farce.

“We have lost a game, we are sad, and we want to focus on the next game

“You know Arsenal have lost games in their history and we lose again in the future, and we have to stick together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with a complete belief.

“Our long, long run has come to an end in a very sad way because I don’t think that we deserved to lose.”

Of course in isolation a cup defeat is not the worst thing in the world, but you have to look at it in context. Arsenal have won just 4 of their last 14 games in all competitions, and the FA Cup represented the best chance of a trophy this season.

What’s becoming a farce isn’t the reaction to losing a game, it’s losing so many games.

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begeegs

What’s really becoming a farce is his inability to get anything approaching an average performance from this team.

Bosscielny

Put yourself in ozil’s shoes. You are at the absolute top of your game,creating half a dozen chances every game. Your teammates keep hitting the balls everywhere except in the net.

Your reward for being absolutely excellent this season. A Top 4 finish. How does it feel?

begeegs

I am feeling pretty good when Munich come calling.

Neder

Pretty farcical really…

london

Ozil will leave unless something changes this summer. I wouldn’t blame him either, so many top quality players have left us to win silverware over the past 10 years.

H2k

Ozil this season so far has assisted 18 (also scoring a further 5) in the Premier League. Henry’s all time record of 20 assists was in the 2002-03 season. We didn’t win the league that season, we came second behind United, BUT we scored the most goals that season, 85, which was 11 more than United. This season we have scored 46. With 9 games to go, and a quick bit of maths assuming the same average scoring rate we will end up with 61 (28% less than 2002-2003). I think from this alone you can work out a number… Read more »

Bould's Eyeliner

While overall I agree with your post, I don’t see how having a striker and having a stats team are mutually exclusive ideas. Why not both?

Let’s keep the stat team. It’s not as if we expect calculators to score for us. (Although they might do a better job..)

Joblow

Now put Ozil at the end of those same chances and how many do you think he is going to take? The man has been brilliant in creating from the number 10 position but he is also culpable for not taking chances. Bet you if he was more of a goal threat chances would have been easier as well. So when you guys talk about him like he should not stay hope he remembers he was being carried by the team for 2 seasons and last year by Alexis. All in all we needed to be more clinical and inventive…… Read more »

btw

If we can put 3 passes together against Barcelona I’ll fell pretty good.

Kosc' Other Pocket

Means we will make top dollar from his sale… Sorry, means Arsenal will make top dollar from his sale.

He's the soup

Just being average would be so nice now. Which says a lot really

JustAGooner

A specialist in farce?

SB

Reading the headline, I thought he was talking about the performance.

Somehow, he thinks we didn’t deserve to loose!

He is fast reaching Steve McLaren’s standards!

David C

why not try Big Sam/Leicester footie for one game? It will totally throw off the opposition who expect us to walk the ball up the pitch all game. Crank as many balls into the opposition box as possible. It works against us almost every time.

Miranda

Sadly – at least for the moment – Wenger is spot-on when he calls the media’s reaction a farce. What else could you call the suggestion that his job is at risk? He won’t step down any time soon, and he knows he’s not going to be sacked. The media might as well suggest that God resigns from his post because the universe isn’t looking too good. Who’s got the clout to sack God? The Wenger situation is exactly the same – and from the way that he’s talking it sounds like he doesn’t see the parallel as remotely far-fetched.… Read more »

Bobby Pires

Yes you’re right our season is a farce, and you’re the main reason why everything has gone to shit.

Cygan's Magical Left Foot

It’s becoming a farce you don’t want to leave and holding to a job you know you can’t do 5 years ago to make money.

Apart from this man,s blind sheep cult, the moment he kept Almunia in goal while Fulham signed Van De Sar for 2 mil then United for 3 mil, I knew this man in it for the cash not the trophies.

Arsene IS the problem, have some pride leave our club NOW and take your blind sheeps with you. I’ll buy the Eurostar ticket.

Man Manny

This would have been easier to take if we were much closer to Leceister.
How does this team contrive to end the season with a whimper? That is not a farce Arsene.

Cygan's Magical Left Foot

It’s a farce because he’s not under performing!. In order to get his 8 mil a year, he has to finish in the top four and if he wins somethings that’s a bonus. Just like the owner.

A Yank

“because I don’t think that we deserved to lose”

We’ve been losing a lot of those games. That’s the farce.

Mr. G

Arsene’s post-Invincibles managerial career has been a utter fucking farce if you ask me.

Two recent FA Cup successes have softened a decade of mediocrity. And this season has been the most humiliating yet.

Dan Hunter

Watford were better than us and we didn’t create a real chance until Welbeck came on. We deserved every bit to lose

Perry S.

well except for the Giroud goal that should have been a goal and the missed penalty shout for özil. but yeah, other than 2 goals that should have been, we didn’t have any real chances. I’m not defending wenger’s response, but I’m also not condoning fans who refuse to see we are literally being robbed a goal every match over the past several by the ref.

Chair

Giroud offside was the right call. Tight, but he was just offside.

Perry S.

Every single replay I’ve seen shows he’s onside.

spinner

Perry S. – sometimes we see things as we hope they are rather than what really happens.

locksley444

The only replay that matter is the offside-line angle(linesman’s view), and it clearly shows Giroud’s body was partially ahead of the defender past him from the linesman’s view. We’ve had some shitty calls against us, but today we were lucky to stay as 11. Don’t blame the refs for our shortcomings.

Reality Check

That goal chance came after the Gab red card incident.

Daft Aider

Yeah and if we signed a ball playing Unicorn we would have won the league back in September, except we didn’t and that never happened either

Paul

Elneny had two chances…

Martin Finley

To quote the Legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Football is easy, You get what you deserve”

Ofcourse you need to put down alot of hard work and make alot of decisons, But ultimately at the end of the season you get what you deserve.

bims lay

yeah, right!

Oor Wullie

On the plus side…..uh…..um…..na, fuck it

Ernesto Valverde

oh my god
dear Wenger
losing many games means losing a title
losing titles makes us sad
when we’re sad we’re dissatisfied
when we’re dissatisfied we’re letting you know

but you probably don’t care anymore, you just told us that

sarandon

The truth in a nutshell…

Third Plebeian

Honestly, this result in and of itself doesn’t bother me too much. Anyone can lose a cup game. It’s the league position that’s killing me. How in the world have we basically gifted the title to a team like Spurs / Leicester? I wish we had signed Cohesion this past summer.

PodB

We should have paid over the odds for Higuain two years ago. We should have bought a world-class striker this summer. We should … how the fuck Watford survived that late onslaught?
.Ah well, can’t win it every year. Now we can concentrate on getting 1st 2nd 3rd or 4th. Watford …?? really? Elton John could have defended better than Gabriel. not that he’s firing blanks at the other end. Will we ever score direct from a corner? at la\eat manure only drew. At least Spurs … ah deck

locksley444

I think the instructions from the board are clear. As long as we stay in the champions league and the money is flowing in, Stan is a happy man. He doesn’t give a cr*p about winning. Arsene Wenger is in the job because he’s good at appeasing the board. When he took over, we needed to win to build a brand, and Arsene did that. Now we are just asked to stay in the top 4. What’s sad is that Arsene seems perfectly content with just getting by. If he had the burning desire and it was only the club… Read more »

Trez

But you did sign Cohesion last season.
You know, the one that was better than benzema and a DM??

Faheem

Whats becoming a farce is thinking that things will just work out without making any of the necessary changes to players, tactics and approaches to matches in general

BuckNasty

He obviously isn’t taking any responsibility for it. No wonder none of the player seem to do so on the pitch…

its always someone else’s fault, or Arab money, or that the opponents team has many expensive players, or we didn’t deserve to lose, or that we dominated but were unlucky that the opponent scored with their one and only chance ( has been happening for 10years+ now.)

Whatever…I’m tired…

Rob67

First sentence nails it !

Arsenalista

If this is at any other club he would be gone, seriously I want us to finish outside the top 4 and it kills me to say that but Wenger has turned into Arsenals cancer and he is killing this club. He is a legend but he can’t get the best out of these players. Ozil will not sign a new contract, why would he, 18 assists and over 100 chances created and he has 4th place to look forward to. I’d be off. The reality is that we are going to lose the league to Leicester, seriously, Leicester. To… Read more »

JAL

The fact that he seems oblivious and quite frankly ignorant tells me he knows he is invincible and it’s never his fault. Never has a league and cup double been more achievable and we’ve pissed it away with a tramp in an alley.

Third Plebeian

Never has a league and cup double been more achievable

===

That is precisely why this season takes the cake as the mother of all fuck-ups in over a decade of being perennial title also-rans.

ClockEndRider

The fact that we play so poorly week in week out against second rate opposition is the farce. Now the excuse of financial disparity, which was a genuine excuse for 7 or 8 years post move, is no longer available but we are being beaten with increasing regularity by times with far fewer resources is the farce.

Paul

We are just not very good and the blame for that must lay at Wenger’s door!

Pain and Arsenal

Wont win the league this season but definately Wenger will win the league next season. Read this tweet next season and the following season…infact every season

Third Plebeian

Baaaaarrrrrf

Ken

Might help if your time could ever win a must-win game Arsene.

Seriously how many times, this season alone, has wenger lamented teams “scoring from their 3 shots on goal”, and “losing games we didnt afford to lose” “felt like we had the opportunties to win this game”?
I can count 5 or 6 off top of my head. This season alone! Same old same old every season! Thats the farce!!!!!!

Man Manny

Ospina – Bellerin – Mert – Kos – Monreal – Coquelin – Elneny – Ozil – Alexis* – Campbell – Welbeck.
That would be my team against Everton.
* Alexis plays because Walcott is worse.

FrustratedFan

They’re both pretty bad right now dude :/

Man Manny

That is why I said Walcott is worse. Two bad guys, but one is worse.

TheArsenalWay

Only for us to get beaten on the counter by Lukaku after passing around uselessly for a bit because Mertesacker can’t keep up and Kos has to cover his side. Gabriel isn’t very good either but I’m definitely more comfortable with him mate. If you clearly analyse why he we keep getting done on the counter, majority of the time it’s because my nan is as fast as him. No legs whatsoever at this kind of level. Other than that, agreed.

CJ

Play Iwobi ahead of Alexis. He created more in the little time he was on than Alexis and Giroud combined.

Heroldg

Any way you set up this team it will find a way to lose and spectacularly, haven’t you been around lately?

North5

I personally don’t think any of the present crop of players are Arsenal quality, maybe Ozil but would he ever make a legend. So many average players , in every position we are weak, Alexis has list it and just tries to run through players, Giroud is a bench warmer,Walcott has been at the club 10 years and still not and first couch, Coq is sooooo over rated,and as for the defenders were do I start ? Get rid of them all and start from scratch with real Arsenal quality, players who give their all for the badge who actually… Read more »

Yaya Binks

Sanchez is actually turning into Walcott (The horror…… the horror)

ramgooner

I feel for Wenger. Many people forget the Chelsea game and the disallowed goal against Liverpool and many other decisions went against us in the season. Surely we deserve to be up there with Leicester. What is farce is the Refereeing in more than 50% of our matches.The Southampton match was a killer in terms of Refereeing.

Andreas

4 wins out of 14, and it’s the ref’s fault. Get a life.

Deano

Referee could have sent Gabriel off today.

We were terrible that’s why we lost.

ClockEndRider

You have an excellent point. However today the referee didn’t do a bad job, even allowing Gabriel to stay on the pitch.

A Yank

It might even be more than 50%.

That said Gabriel probably should have seen a red in the first. In no way do I think these things even out and we’ve got a massive ‘decision-surplus’ due us. But it’s never coming. Just look at the net pens awarded us and the other top 4 teams over the last decade.

greg

Take the blinkers off man!

Mesut Ohno

Same could be said for all these knob jockeys who think Ozil is the best player in the world ever.

ramgooner

Yes.We have not performed upto standards in recent games. It’s disappointing.But, Arsenal fans need to look around and see who isn’t disappointed.I’m pretty sure spurs will bottle it. Leicester have been the only exception so far. If you go back and refer to what wenger said two seasons ago you will get to grips with reality. He said “It’ll take another 2 years for us to really challenge ” I’m sure things would have been fasttracked had we signed Suarez. But, no instead we settled for sanchez who is still a top class player. It’s the players who let him… Read more »

Paul

It is true that the players have let him down but it is his misplaced faith in the players that has caused this. The buck stops with Wenger.

bims lay

Rubbish!……i was you up till yesterday, faithfully spouting all the wenger must stay defensive soundbites. If you take a good retrospective look, you will realise that if we had been good enough as a team, and played well enough to take advantage of even a fraction, of the opportunities we created in those games, we would have won convincingly and this perceived ‘bias’ wouldn’t have mattered. So, this is about the quality of game management and not about refrees my friend, or conspiracies. Every team experiences some form of bias and have to deal with it. Sometimes its negative, sometimes,… Read more »

Ken

BTW you should check Arsene’s “doesnt bother me!” response to the ticket cap for away fans: “yeh…im quite happy for that”. ??? And on the extra Arsenal cap to £26: “yeh… thats fine” (visibly twitching). Obviously was not his bidding or he would have taken the credit.

Hi-brid

You know that whole ‘getting back on the horse’ thing? I think we got back on a donkey by mistake. Or maybe that horse that’s buried underneath the old North Bank.

vino

The players are letting him down in my opinion. He’s banked on goals coming from Alexis, and because they haven’t come we’re in this situation. The fact that his form has crippled us so much is down to Arsene though. Giroud has exactly the numbers he’d expect, the rest have been appalling. We never replaced Persie’s goals, not even close. He’s been trying to do it with these 2 players instead- and it’s not enough. Even with Alexis’ 15 or 20 goal potential it’s not enough. Where were we on Griezmann? Dybala? Not even at the table. He’s banked on… Read more »

ClockEndRider

Griezman is a winger. Dybala has 14 in 28 as opposed to Girouds 12 in 29, so hardly a quantum improvement. Let’s not start taking the daft media line making average players into superheroes.

JakeyBoy

Griezmann and Dybala are not average players. If you watched either one regularly you would never label them as such. Both would represent massive improvements to our squad/team.

arsenial hall

1 in 2 is a good conversion rate for a 22 year old in his first season at his first big club. Also have you actually watched Dybala?

Jamie Vardinho

Half the combo’s in this game came on the right, which kind of negates Alexis’ influence, which kind of negates Wenger hoping from something from him.

Alexis’ biggest weakness is his tendency to overcook it and give the ball away, I think he needs a little time out the squad tbh he shouldn’t be there on seniority,

Heroldg

As a fan I dreaded the day Arsene inadvertently grew gigantic horns.

I am not for idea of him leaving nor am i totally against it. But its comments likes these that make me think we need change for the sake of change. Languishing in 6th place next season before as the incumbent manager prepares to do a Klopp (Liverpool will explode next year) is better than this successive seasons of Fourth place mediocrity and the occasional cup.

wellarsed

It is indeed becoming a farce – but it’s been that way for a little while. The summer transfer window springs to mind when we bought only one player – and only then because Cech forced the issue.

Perhaps the worst thing is that I am not angry or indignant any longer, just resigned.

Hank Scorpio

What took you so long?

bims lay

Well, i am joining you now…….best approach if you cherish your sanity! One thing that is clear is arsene wenger will not be sacked, given his years of service to the club, love it or hate it!…..and these problems will continue, as long as he remains in charge, of that i am convinced now…so for me, there is no point getting angry or indignant any longer, nothing is going to change in a hurry, and with his type of management mindset and minimal level of investment in the squad, we are bound to continue this topsy-turvy see-saw ride…….so one should… Read more »

wellarsed

No he’s not going to change at this point in his career – and he’s not going to be sacked. I do hope though that there is no offer to renew his contract after next year. What would be wise is for Wenger and the board to use next year to organize a replacement and ensure a smooth transition to life after Arsene.

Dave A.

Yes, we’ve lost games before and we will lost games in the future, we being Arsenal doesnt guarantee invincible seasons year after year, but what is a farce is the fact that we arent moving forward, that we’re stalled, the farce isnt just losing a game, is losing the way we lost, is losing the league due our innability to play proper football, to take the handbrake off, to show desire, or even then, having a game plan. Thats the farse, that nothing has changed in the last decade for us, that we somehow attracted big names like Ozil, Cech… Read more »

Justin

New club name : FARCEnal

Andreas

Wenger is the farce. The whole set up of the club is fucked up, with these greedy bastards Wenger, Gazidis and Kroenke shovelling cash into each others profits and achieving fuck all while the fans just sit there like fucking zombies watching season after season collapse for the same stupid reasons.

TopsideRunFromMiddle

If Arsene was caught in the centre circle french kissing Mrs Kroenke with his trousers round his ankles he still wouldn’t get the sack. I fear he’ll be there as long as he wants to be, and his pride will make him tough it out in the face of overwhelming evidence of ineptitude. This team is now much less than the sum of its parts, and he doesn’t seem able to motivate them anymore. And please no more of this non penetrative tippy tappy shit around the 18 yard box, it makes players like Cathcart look like Franz Beckenbauer!

Teddy

Nothing Wenger can say can make it any better. He is not going to throw any player under the bus and the journo want a headline. Better to pull a SAF and refuse to say a word

greg

Sorry of course silly me! It’s all our faults that you are unable to do your job and that this club is sadly limping on to the day you put us out of our misery!

Hopefully just 1 more year of the same old shit

Out of interest can a reporter just ask when he next goes on about qualifying for the cl of when we won it? Or what the point in being in it is if we never invest what we can to try and win it

The Pl money makes the cl alot less important

SFGiants

I suspect it’ll be more than a year of the same old shit. I bet the board offers Wenger another extension. The same old shit will go on until Arsene is 94.

goonero

Arsene needs a PR advisor because he really is missing the point with his recent interviews. What he says, the way he says it just shows a complete lack of acknowledgement of the current realities of the club. If he is refusing to acknowledge fans dissapointment because we are technically still in with a shout at success this season, and he believes there’s a chance of this ending with an “I told you so” moment…this is going to be an ugly week for us.

Sol

Let’s be honest, this is a man treated like a God at arsenal, this is a man who knows even if he looses all the remaining match this season he won’t get fired, in fact he knows they would still beg him to sign an extension, so let’s be fair and honest, why would he give a f..k what the fans think ? He has said it, we are all just over reacting as far as he is concerned, and that is where the worry is, he has no hunger to win and the players know this, as long as… Read more »

David M

Arsene says ” It was down to not making a mistake and keeping it 0-0 until the last 20 minutes”, according to the post match media briefing. How about trying to win the match rather than trying to keep the score at 0-0? Negative thinking!

Danish gooner

What is a farce is his rock hard disdain for the fans,other managers have tried the same and Got sacked.

Gooooooner

The number of adverts on this page is also becoming a farce (although I know it’s how you keep arseblog going so I forgive you)

Charma

What’s becoming a farce is the manager thinking he has a divine right to lead Arsenal football club even amidst mediocrity. He has become more arrogant and doesn’t give a damn about the fans. Players have no pressure to win just like the manager. The manager is full of unjustified excuses and players have realised that he is not a winner therefore it’s business as usual at Arsenal. God help us

Mazuri

How I wish the UK fans would boycott games and make the club feel the financial pressure and the lack of support then maybe Kroenke and the board would get the point. From overseas all we can do is just watch our season crumble. But I look at the coaches available and wonder who among them could take Arsenal to the next level and I can’t see any. Wish we got Guardiola. Come on UK gooners the rest of us are counting on you!

Siserio

Too late.Most of them have already bought tickets for next season’s misery.

ger

Farsenal

Arctic Troll

He has a point. The absolute state of Arsenal Fan TV.

iamtheantisp*r

When I read the headline I thought he was talking about the way the entire club is performing at present. I admit I was a little bit surprised, but in hindsight only a little, that he was talking about the reaction. I’m a big fan of Wenger and I cringe at some of the abuse over the years, but to not own up to defeats like this and to essentially whine about other people being rightly distressed with the clear downward trajectory of the club is, frankly, more than a bit bewildering, slightly pathetic and more than a tad infuriating.

David

It’s funny how when the fans moan about the result and the performance,the fans aren’t being fair and should get behind the team and be “fans” but when the fans moan about ticket prices they must understand that it’s business and they are in fact customers. But can’t demand the quality they are paying for as customers?

Bob Davis

He knows how pissed off all Arsenal fans are at the moment and he’s obviously finding it difficult to find a solution. He better do it quick as Barcelona will put us to the sword if we defend as a team like we did today.

If the fans wants to make a statement we can do that with our feet. Just don’t turn up to the games!

Dave

Wenger = cunt

Benriz

That’s unnecessary

bims lay

Agree, 100%…he dosent deserve that, regardless!

GoonerN16

If you have nothing constructive to add to the comments don’t bother….

Brandon

AM REALLY FED UP***×***
Our manager doesn’t APPOLOGIZE to arsenal fans…
All he does is defend defeats.. Aaaaaarrrrh

Goraya

7 games in 23 days is tough on players especially for an already injury ravaged squad. Arsene got his tactics for this most important period of the season horribly wrong. When we should have been playing a more defensive shape and relying on the pace of our wingers and mastery of ozil to produce a few but very good chances of scoring Arsene stubbornly kept his attacking mantra going which resulted in injuries, losses destroying the confidence of a group of players who heavily rely on it.

Midwest Gooner

I’m not sure what’s more frightening, Wenger leaving or Wenger staying. I love the man. He’s given us so much. But it’s becoming harder to defend him when he extends the contracts of Rosicky and Arteta gives a massive deal to Walcott. It’s never been more obvious we lack the quality to compete at the highest level on a consistent basis.

Dan Hunter

Please I beg you just go. You still have some worth in my eyes but it is really starting to blur away

Gooneropolis

It’s sad to see the way Wenger has handled the past two months. We, as Arsenal fans, in this modern era have a propensity to callout that the world is ending and that the Emirates will be crumbling down with it after 1-2 off form performances, but this year he has to see what the fans see and feel, no? It’s not JUST 1-2 performances or JUST our clockwork capitulation and self-defeat in late winter/early spring; no, it’s that this team hasn’t shown up all season. A title race with the big boys drowning from their own decisions and we… Read more »

Alexis' spine

Wenger’s reign risks being shadowed by the previous successes if he doesn’t adjudicate his untenable position. The fans will hound him out in the most embarrassing fashion through boycotts and unbearable atmosphere ad petitions. Then there will be a book titled, “The Rise and Fall of Arsene Wenger!” A case study in management of what stubborness and ignorance can do to greatness. It will be too little too late for him.

Skinnyarse

It’s a farce that we can’t beat minnows!

Mizog

If half of you freaks showed the loyalty Arsene has shown to this club it would be a better place ! Stupid fucking banners booing every time we don’t win, fucking shameful, 1st defeat in the cup for 3 years 3rd in the league with 9 games to go and all I read is how your throwing the towel in. 4 teams in the last 20 plus years have won the league, we haven’t got a God given right to win anything, if your an arsenal fan fucking carry on like an arsenal fan! Thumb me down all you like… Read more »

Gunner73

Spot on

SwissArse

Mizog you speak out of my heart. The Wenger out-fraction only shows disrespect. It is bad manners. And it does the club or Arsène no good at all. That poster at Hull was disgusting. Who do they think they are?

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