Arsene Wenger says that over the course of his Arsenal career, he’s turned down clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Man City who all wanted his services.
Having committed to the stadium project, the Frenchman was an integral part of the funding process – something which is completely unprecedented in the football world.
As the Gunners transitioned from Highbury to the Emirates, Wenger’s expertise was required by the financiers of the Emirates.
“When we built the stadium the banks demanded I signed for five years,” he said. “I did it. Do you want me to tell you how many clubs I turned down during that period? I have shown I am committed.”
“The banks wanted the technical consistency to guarantee we had a chance to pay back. I did commit and I stayed, under very difficult circumstances.
“So for me to find people are reproaching me for not winning the championship during that period I think is a bit overboard. I accept criticism but I think that it is a bit too far.
“I believe that we have been remarkably consistent. Our fans have been frustrated and disappointed because they thought we would win the league this season and we didn’t.
“So are we as well. But that doesn’t mean we have to throw everything away as well. It’s a human quality to fight and to get as far as you can but also to accept that if another team is better. Leicester have lost three games with three games to go.
“People feel humiliated because it’s Leicester but you have to respect when a team performs.”
Earlier the manager spoke about the criticism aimed at him after a disappointing season, and upset fans without much acknowledgment of his part in that failure.
Nevertheless, there’s little doubt he could have had his pick of jobs throughout that time. Football eh?
It’s just football. Or something.
Much respect and appreciation from me to you.
Great guy, loves my club, loves to win. Wonder how many of your detractors can sacrifice their careers for a dream. At least you could have won the Champions League with any of those clubs but chose to put up with le miserables like morono, piers and the media.
U made me choose and love arsenal and I have been able to transfer the love to my 4 kids.
Bad times can’t diminish your greatness and I don’t give a shite about your thumb downs
£8,000,000 is enough for anyone
He wouldn’t have won the cl with any he’s tactically weak. Look at how atletico approached barca, we just sat back and said wow those front 3 are the best. What did they do? Bust their fucking arses off to win. Rose to the challenge. We lost as soon as the draw was made
Mate, in the last 8 meetings between those to clubs, Barca won 7. You hail that one win because that proves your point, but when your point is put into some context the story is a bit different isn´t it?
But you see they tried in every game! They didn’t ‘accept’ defeat before the ball was kicked. They had tactics on what to do and worked as a team to do it. It didn’t always work but it was clear what they were trying to do. It never is with us
Dig faster.
Bulshit, we always try. You dismiss Arsenal because you have some personal revenge against Wenger. You forget good wins agains like Bayern, which prooves that we can fight agains very best. We won against Man City, Chelsea, L’pool this year as well. According to you just pure accident.
Ah, the community shield win vs Chelsea. Well played sir, way to count the win over two losses in the league. Puts a nice spin on things
We lost twice to Chelsea as usual
You whitewash his point and statement on Athleti to support your own. They’re a club with a fraction on our resources, a club who after winning the league against a far stronger manopoly than we face here in the EPL had their squad dismantled and then went on to rebuild it again where we find them on the verge of a second ECL final in 3 year and a serious and sustained domestic campaign (stark contrast to our club). It’s not the league position or results that irk me so much. It’s the total contempt with which both AW and… Read more »
If I’m honest I think he’s got a point !!the atmosphere at home games even when we were top of the league is moody, a stray pass is greeted with moans and groans and if Arsenal aren’t 2up in 2o minutes it becomes even edgier! There’s 15-20k of them at homes and it makes it easier for the other teams!! New age fans think it’s a panto, give me back Highbury any day!
I don’t think you can say that we are on a sinking ship. It is rare to win a trophy for almost any club. We’ve won two FA Cups in the last two years (two of the 6 he’s won), and beat Chelski and City convincingly in the Community Sheild. Remember the Invincibles? He was a massive part of why that happened. He revolutionised the way professional footballers prepare for matches. And he has won the league. Three times. Only three managers in Premier League history have won it three times. Arsene has turned us into a modern club who… Read more »
@We are the north bank: Agree with all that. I wondered when he’d be telling us yet again about all the clubs he turned down to stand by us in our hour of need. Assuming these job offers really existed – for which we have only his word – what Wenger omits to mention in this familiar ‘poor, unselfish, noble me’ litany is that, if he HAD gone to Real, Barca, City, etc., he’d have been sacked after a couple of seasons and would be managing Newcastle or Lyon or somewhere by now. Big, rich, ambitious clubs don’t tolerate failure… Read more »
That our failures have been unfolding for years and repetitive make you question the internal benchmarks used to measure success, as they don’t appear to be aligned with the interest of the fans – even though some are blissfully unaware. We’ve had the squad to win the league more than once since 2004, and with one or two additions could have won the league at least twice in the last 4 seasons. This shows lack of ambition, and that rewarding the fans for their loyalty is not a priority. The end result is the current unrest within the fan base.
He’s on £12.5m a year
I mentioned that figure a while back as it was given to me as a definitive figure by some bankers and Arseblog asked why they would know, well there’s your answer. I’m more convinced than ever now that that’s what he’s on.
Rubbish did you actually watch the last game? We had 20 shots which is more than Barca did. We couldn’t finish and it’s a little ridiculous to score only goal from that many shots and corners.
Everything is Wengers fault at the moment. We can’t finish because he a super striker did not suffice. We still can’t beat S teams because he is tactically inept compared to his counterparts. We can’t win the league because he has forgotten how to do it. Wenger should have seen the Ozil/Sanchez project right through the end instead he left it halfway. Something I can’t quite comprehend. He talks with rodomontade about not leaving for other clubs yet we know the motivations to stay firmly outweigh those ones he had to leave. Mourinho said Wenger had the easiest job in… Read more »
What does Mourihnio know? He’s full of Bull.
If you think it is “ridiculous to score only one goal from that many shots and corners” you have obviously not seen Giroud or Ramsey shoot or watched our regular, ineffective corners.
The interview is a completely bull shit. What an egoistic individual. What does that got to do with our non performance? As far as I am concern, Wenger has done well for Arsenal but now is the time for him to leave. He deserves a statue being erected in his honour. He is not adding any more value to Arsenal Football Club. One thing that made Wenger not to take those jobs was because those clubs would never tolerate non performance for two years and still keep him as their manager. He has it so good in Arsenal where there… Read more »
Can’t believe such a true post is being thumbed down!
Are people still buying this in 2016?Wenger HAD the best team in Europe and he didn’t win the Champions League.He couldn’t even retain a League title.Wenger’s teams have ALWAYS underachieved compared to the talent they had.That is due to certain intrinsic flaws in his style of management. At other clubs,he would have been sacked multiple times during the period he spent at Arsenal.Living in London,earning 8 million per year with no pressure to be the best,what a hard life Wenger has
Surely if he was at any other club they’d sack him once, not multiple times, unless they kept rehiring him… maybe that’s what arsenal have been doing
Warningsignsguru – You missed the plural smarty pants.
Are you saying the Invincibles underachieved?
To be fair, that team probably should’ve won the CL. Get past Chelsea and there was Monaco and Porto in the way.
You need luck to win the Champions League. We were undone by a last minute Wayne Bridge goal, but were easily the better side over two legs. The criticism would stand against him if we performed poorly in the competition that year, we didn’t, we played well.
He should have won the CL with that squad. Dismantling the invincible’s so quickly and the excuses that followed for not performing at the highest level year in and out have become toxic.
I believe there is a sense of entitlement in us fans. We believe that just because we pay high prices for tickets etc. we should be winning the league every year. Sport doesn’t work that way. Having said that Wenger deserves criticism for the past couple of seasons but not for the ones before that. Some of the fans are going a bit over the top with their criticism. I believe that not investing in the squad in the summer was a huge blunder. But the players, the board, even the fans deserve some criticism. The fans at the Emirates… Read more »
When people are told NOT to cheer and scream and shout or told to sit down, I’m trying to watch the game, there is something seriously wrong with the atmosphere from the top level. Maybe the lower tiers should be set up as singing sections and the upper tiers for the ones who want to sleep
Hear Hear
then why mention the thumbs,you clearly do lol,have you compared the arsene out extremists to the whoever outs at the clubs hes mentioned?
Oh! Thanks. Have one then.
If Wenger were forced out now then, in 5 to 10 to 30 years time, we will all be saying, with justification, that he was the greatest manager we have ever had. Invincibles, stadium, FA Cups, doubles, St Totteringham’s Days.
I am gutted that we didn’t kick on after we were top on the 4th January but that demonstrates how our expectations have been raised by Arsene. Which then is more painful when him/the team/Leicester dash them.
Lets step back and let our greatest manager leave with dignity and our support. Victoria concordia crescit.
Agree with you…provided he leaves after this contract.
Herbert Chapman IS the greatest Arsenal manager.Period.He made Arsenal,although Arsene and a few fans think it was Wenger
He wouldn’t have lasted 2 seasons at any
Plus he’s a control freak and wouldn’t have had anywhere near the power he wields at arsenal
I take it that you know him personally since you are saying he is a control freak?
He is just as controlling as any other manager at this level
Sorry Wolfgang, that’s bullshit. No other PL manager has the control and power of Arsene Wenger.
Those who follow football know that next season, Pep will surely break any benchmarks of being a control freak in PL next season :p
Are you saying Pep and Wenger are currently on par as managers?
Pep has already won more trophies than Wenger and is 20 years younger…his methods work in the modern game, Wenger’s no longer do.
I doubt Pep had a say in the architecture and design of the home and away changing rooms of any stadium or influence on the hire of any one of his ‘bosses’ ever,forget about Pep level of control next season in PL, how about anybody ever in world football compared to Arsenes control
a football club is increasingly a business, and no other manager in the premier league have advanced degrees in economics… Nor have they won WORLD MANAGER OF THE DECADE, so lets just take a second and reflect on that achievement before we call him tactically weak from our armchairs… say greg, how many trophies have you won?
@Ramsey, that’s diversionary…I don’t think Greg was proposing himself to replace Wenger.
He is gone now, but rest assured, Alex Ferguson had just as much control as AW has now.
And when you compare their records?
Actually one of the things SAF was noted for in his later years is that he started to delegate a lot of responsibility.
Mike Phelan was responsible for a lot of the “Day to day” type work and when he was given the boot from Moyes (who wanted his own men) the club went to shit because there was no continuity and Moyes was out of his depth.
hasn’t he earned that? Abramovich & City changed the scope or football in England just about when Arsenal was recovering, Leicester is a testament of what Arsene stands for, at the end of the day… it’s just FOOTBALL
Are you new to supporting arsenal?
Listen, even though I dont agree with you, I still respect your opinion. Questioning my dedication is not productive if we want to have a good debate, which is why we are here. Have a good night 😉
We don’t need to know him personally when his “boss” comes out with
“If he has a plan, we back him. If he doesn’t have a plan, we keep quiet”
Show me any other board on any other team that has this mentality about their manager.
Heard of another control freak called Pep? Or the other one called Jose? Managers are controls freaks, it’s what they should be good at.
The peer review of most of your opinions says your massively out of touch.
Whenever ever he does go, I hope he’ll get the fitting send off he deserves and I’m sure ge will, he has transformed this club over the last 20 years.
His loyalty is not seen very often in football these days.
£8M a season + bonus, with no set target other than achieve top4, with unprecedented control buys a lot of “loyalty” I think you will find.
Barca, Madrid Man City would not entertain him as their manager at any point over the last 5 years as he is totally out of touch with modern football and living off past glory.
Arsene has been Arsenal’s most successful manager
Arsene has been the manager of our greatest team (2004)
Arsene has been responsible for the best football I have ever watched
Arsene has been is sadly now all that is left
5 Years from 2007? what about the failure from 2012 -2016?
Thing is we could e won’t he league in that period if we were cannier in the transfer market. Always felt we should’ve signed Anelka when he went to Chelsea. And Cahill for that matter. Arsene is fighting back which I understand and respect but I feel there are is a huge amount of revisionism going on. In those bad years we got to a champions league semi, FA cup semi, 2 league cup finals and numerous semi’s as well as at least 1 maybe 2 genuine shots at the titles. Better signings at key points, not necessarily £30m players… Read more »
The thing is Mike, I just don’t think we could spend more than we did at that time; we couldn’t compete for Cahill. He had to try and make a profit on transfer dealings and every summer we sold our best players to balance the books. At the same time you had the likes of Chelsea spending what they wanted to buy titles. Therefore I think it’s really only this season where we can actually hold transfer dealings against him – 2 season prior to this where we have been able to invest more in £30m+ talent and not sell… Read more »
We wouldn’t be battling it out with 3 games to go. We actually would have run away with it by now. We would have been out of sight long ago with a consistent conversation rate of the chances Ozil alone creates.
How can we ‘run away with it’ if Leicester have only lost 3 games all season (2 of those 3 were against us already)? We’ve drawn the same amount of games as Leicester too.
To ‘run away with it’ would pretty much mean we would have had to have another invincible season or better it by having far less draws than we did that season.
Unless my maths is out of course…. 😉
Easy, Leicester will win the league this season with 78 points, Chelsea won it last year with 87, and on average over the last 10 years you’ve needed between 87-90 to win the league. So there’s quite a lot of scope to have run away with it.
So we could borrow from the banks to bet on the housing market and property development. That’s the Arsenal way.
To borrow off or sell shares to multi millionaire / billionaires involved in the club to tip the balance in deals for the likes of Alonso, Suarez et al is out of the question?
Arsene why couldn’t you just sign a couple of players that would have helped us win the league?
None of us would have to go through this shite:(
Ha. I wrote a large rant and you basically summed up my sentiment with one succinct question. Well played sir
We have the players, but they, apart from Ozil, didn’t have the form: Ox, Ramsey, Walcott, Giroud, Alexis. Or were injured: Wilshire, Rosicky, Carzola. Missed out on Benzema (like Saurez before)…. should of had star-striker back-up plan. Is Wenger to blame for all of this? Maybe / Maybe not? His loyalty and desire to give the players the power to lead on the field are both his greatest weakness and greatest strength. Other than BFG and COQ this team does not possess the fabled “mental strength” to succeed. But yeah, it’s just a game :-/
By couple of players do you mean Messi & Cristiano?
It is just football. Some people would do well to remember that. The abuse managers and players get, for whatever club, is ridiculous. I wonder what would happen if a bit of perspective was used and all the negativity was replaced by encouragement.
Encourage him to keep up with the excuses is why we are having these discussions.
If the club / AW payed the money bought those 2/3 players we are always short of we would not be having this debate.
We have depending who you believe £100 / £200m in the bank.
I go back-and-forth with this so much. On one hand he has been committed during tough times and took much criticism due to things that were out of his hands. All that on top of what he has achieved earlier in his Arsenal tenure and the recent FA Cups. I also don’t think a new manager will automatically bring instant success, or success at all beyond 4th or 3rd (maybe not even that). A new one might do better but it’s far from a sure thing. So I don’t think all arguments for him to stay are solely based on… Read more »
Fuck it, get drunk… That solves everything!
Hey mate, best ever constructive comment all day!
Have a cold one on me!
🙂
Never have I read a comment that sums up my opinion on the matter. It’s so complicated it’s hard to rational
Hunter, Although I generally agree with your points here, the audible sigh at the emirates when our first pass goes astray is really depressing. It really does feel like the crowd don’t let the team get into the game before getting on their backs at times, rather than encouraging them to play better.
great comment. I feel where at a point with Arsene when he should just abandon his conservative approach to transfers and spend like a giddy ole geezer out at the casino. Go for one last great team even if we have to break the bank to get there. Win the league (at least) in the next couple of years and then take a spot on the board where football knowledge is sparse.
Hunter, I am in the same place as you.
Always blaming others but not himself. Wenger, no matter what you say, Just know that your days are numbered. Wenger out!
He goes on about commitment but I don’t believe that’s ever been the source of the problem with any of the fans. We all believe he’s committed we just don’t believe he’s tactically and mentally up to winning the league. He’s had an unprecedented level of control for so long that he’s not capable of adjusting to the modern game.
Piers Morgan truly must be one of the most embarrassing ‘celebrity’ fans we have.
The guy makes me cringe.
I can’t think of anyone more embarrassing.
Out of interest why?
He’s a fan, clearly passionate, has been a long time and spends alot of money on his season tickets. Does he not have the right to criticise what he sees is wrong? What difference is there to your opinion other than the fact he has a larger catchment to his opinions
Well, it’s a thingy called informed opinion. Piers is generally unaware of that phenomenon.
Because it’s different to yours?
No, not really. His opinion is more scrutinized because of the exposure his persona provides it with. Consider this – should you hold two bloke’s opinion to the same standard when one of them reaches millions of people and the other types a comment on Arseblog? Piers’ AFC narrative is emotionally driven, inert and there’s a countless cases when the man has made a complete fool of himself on the subject. He could have been so much more informed and helpful but he’s anything but – rather disruptive and toxic in the process of chasing a big headline. And, by… Read more »
Oh you got me! Well done sherlock, no flies on you
But in reality, haven’t we all led with emotion when discussing arsenal? We’re all here for the love of the club
When discussing piers’ multiple emotional errors do you hold aw to the same standard? Champions on away form for example? Character of this team? Surely even aw has a greater reach with his inaccuracies than pm?
Google ‘Arsenal Copenhagen’ then come back and tell me he is a fan.
Because he is not an Arsenal fan. He is the kind of homunculus who latches on to a media bandwagon, in this case Arsenal, as the general popularity of football provides him with a platform to ensure he remains in the public eye which his utter lack of talent would otherwise not bring about.
Regarding his love for Arsenal, go look up the disgusting lies he wrote about Arsenal fans after the trouble with the Turkish club’s fans in Copenhagen. He is a truly awful human being.
Because he’s a bitter prick and it’s not really about Arsenal it’s about his own aggrandizement.
I very much doubt he’s leaving at the end of the season. With that in mind, we, as fans, have 2 options. 1 – Get annoyed, demand for him to leave, jump on him at the first sign of a wobble next season and try to make his position at the club untenable. 2 – Try to summon up the last dregs of optimism and get behind the side from the first whistle next year in the hope that he can get the send off he deserves. I really hope that when people realise he isn’t leaving before his contract… Read more »
Are people genuinley suggesting the manager of the Invincibles, and the double winning sides wouldnt have lasted or succeeded anywhere else?
What has happened to our fans!?!
Utterly idiotic.
Not with his post invincible form he wouldn’t have and thats the point.
And yet they have all won titles since Wenger’s last EPL!
Honestly, I have no sympathy for fans who are going to protest against Wenger. I admit that this was supposed to be our season, and I feel just as disappointed as everyone else. But we are not the only team who has performed below par this season. Chelsea, Man Utd, City, Liverpool to mention some have all performed either just as bad or worse. I am not using this as an excuse, but none of their fans have revolted against their clubs to the same degree as I see my fellow gooners are doing these days. I totally understand where… Read more »
This is the manager who supports the very high ticket prices, we are the most expensive in the world. Is it really hard to see that by pricing out the hardcore vocal fans you then effect the atmosphere?
Fair point greg. But then how do you explain that the atmosphere is way better for Category A matches which are way more expensive than Category B or C matches? Surely the “hardcore vocal fans” do not only attend the Category A matches?
do some properly research and don’t read the mirror and you will discovered that we aren’t at all the most expensive club in the world, not either in england
Says the man who doesn’t reveal anything but insults
total nonsense that fans are being priced out, Cat B and Cat C games go unsold out, the £35 and £25 and even the £10 youth tickets rarely sell out. But the Cat A games sell out all the time and quickly too. There were up to 15000 tickets available for the WBA game for example, loads at £25, why were all those hard core vocal fans not taking up the opportunity to buy a ticket and come and support, maybe they are not so hard core after all, just vocal on twitter etc
Could it be, maybe, because we had already blown our chance at the title because Wenger refused to buy in a proper striker during the summer? It’s not just about the opposition you are playing, it’s more to do with the relevance of the game.
I agree partly with what you have to say but let’s analyse a few of your statements. You say that other teams have underperformed but that their fans haven’t revolted? United supporters didn’t even let Moyes last a season and LVG had been close to tears on nineties occasions. Mourinho had his entire team revolt against him and the only reason Chelsea fans still backed him was for the glory he brought them. City’s fans are apathetic regarding Pellegrini moving on despite his achievements and because they believe they have something to celebrate in welcoming Pep. How many Liverpool fans… Read more »
Fixing spuds = FUCKING spuds. (Damn auto-correct)
Great points and a passionate view that echoes my own. I would say though that we haven’t regressed, more that we’ve simply stood still whilst others have developed and adapted and, while it pains me to say it, T*ttenham are a great example of this. They deserve what they have achieved, even if that ends up being the title (God, I fucking hope not). One other thing. Arsenal should never need to punch about their weight because we *should* be in the top weight division, not that we are currently. A CL draw against the likes of Bayern or Barca… Read more »
And every single one of those underachievers have sacked or are about to sack their managers. Well, except the Spuds, who are overachieving. Look, we all love Wenger and would have loved for him to be sent off in a blaze of glory. However, nothing we’ve seen in the last few years suggest this will happen. At some point we have to decide whether past successes trump recent underachievement. I feel Wenger has a point, but it’s always a slippery slope when a manager takes on the fans in public.
I know he also had a chance to ronaldo ibra and so many other great players but he didn’t. What really bothers me about Wenger is his arrogance. He never takes resposability for his failures. It is always the Jefferies or the players and now his blaming the fans for this year fiasco.
If you actually read those ‘all those players Arsenal could have signed’ articles they are usually based on utter speculation and bullshit, or, if there is some truth there were other factors involved. For example, a young unknown Ibra refused to play a trial… Ronaldo had agreed to sign for Arsenal before his head was turned by the Portugese connection of Carlos Quiroz and United gazumpt us..,
No Arsene himself has said he could have signed so and so for years now,you guys will twist anything to defend the indefensible,ironically if as you say those cases where utter speculation and bullshit it would be Arsenes utter speculation and bullshit
I respect the man and every thing he has done for the club and he deserves the respect of all arsenal fans. But I honestly believe he just isn’t getting it this time. We backed him through the stadium move as we knew we had huge debts. It was gazidiz that said we would compete with the best in Europe and now the fans are holding the club to that. It’s not that we expect to win the title it’s not a device right but we were way behind last season and yet only bought a keeper. The world and… Read more »
Wow, Arsene strikes back! WengerOut Brigade managed to get under his skin after all.
He’s showing desperation now, in an attempt to convince fans not to protest tomorrow. But I think he’s going about it about it in the wrong way.
Instead of saying – When you needed me, I stuck by you even though I could have gone to ‘bigger’ clubs. You ungrateful mugs.
He should be saying – We messed up this season so I understand the frustration but I’m going to do everything I can to fix things for next season. Trust me and I’ll make you smile again.
I laugh. He’s trying to appeal to our emotions isn’t it? “Better clubs” like Madrid, Barcelona etc needed his services but he chose to stay with “small” arsenal. So…he feels we should be indebted to him. he’s done a wonderful job. But we have to move on.
The height of the man’s ego and arrogance! He was damn near enough the highest paid manager in the premiership in all that time, heck at one point he was earning more than Sir Alex! He didn’t leave because he knew what side his bread was buttered. Could he have had anywhere near this level of control at any of those clubs? Hell no! He would have just been the manager and that’s it. Would any of those clubs have tolerated not winning the title for 10 years? He wouldn’t have lasted more than a season at any of them.… Read more »
I don’t care if you’re Wenger in or Wenger out. The fans in the stadium really need to start making noise and the support the players on the pitch, after all they are the 12th man. They can lift the teams spirit or nullify it. The Emirates should be a deafening cauldron that opposition teams do not look forward to playing in. In Arsene’s time as manager, we have played in some seriously intimidating places, Galatasary, Olympiakos, Dortmund, Barca, Real etc etc the noise levels, the banners, the flares (illegal here and we don’t use them) the non stop chanting,… Read more »
Couldn’t put it any better
Nobody wants to force AW out, we just want to kick them in the goolies and make them wake up … its time to spend, get a couple of new coaches (Thierry H and Denis B attack coaches, Tony Adams/Bould defence) and have Le Prof supervise as he hopefully wins the EPL in his last season. At very least, we have fresh hope.
Ironic that the “12 man” is going to protest in the 12th minute.
Says it all really. 🙁
yeah, but the thing is he wouldnt have job security he has here over there at a club like Madrid Man City or Barca. he wouldnt be untouchable at thise clubs and he knew it. he has least pressure any manager could have over the past decade. in which any of our seasons would be enough failure for named clubs to sack a manager.
do you think if he had gone to Real or Barca and got sacked there that he would not have easily got another club to hire him, also he would still have had his contract paid up by Real or Barca if sacked. And why do people think he would have failed to win stuff with Real or Barca, if he can get close with our squads, imagine what he’d have done with Messi, Iniesta etc and like so many managers, if had won a league with either Barca or Real, he could write his own contract at any of… Read more »
exactly, things you mention dont oppose my opinion. what Im saying is, Wenger have had absolute job security and been greatly appreciated with no pressure upon and been paid pretty well though not doing spectaculars the decade after his succesful first decade. he is not a person of great ambitions. he never goes that last step (signing) to make us champions. he never risks. fearing to gamble enough that leaded to our medicority and also him staying at a safe place like Arsenal instead of risking being at a club with a greater shot on titles and also greater pressure.… Read more »
Do you really, honestly believe Wenger cares about nothing but the paycheck and job security?
Really?
If you say yes, I call bullshit. You’re either spouting it just for your agenda or haven’t thought about what you’re saying.
Regardless of whether Wenger is the right man forward or not, that’s empty, disrespectful shite.
did I say anything close to that? just simply read it again lad. “what Im saying is he never demanded club to use all resources so the squad would be most potent, he never blames negotators of club but he blames reffs players explayers and even fans. he obviously lacks the courage a young advancturous Wenger had. now, I guess you see my point.” so if theres a streighter way to put this, Im saying aside from all outdated tactics and all, Wenger simply lacks enough fire and courage to lead like he once did. he lacks ambitions after all… Read more »
Getting Wigan relegated didn’t stop Martinez landing Everton job. Roy wasn’t fantastic at Liverpool yet today he manages England.
Where does he mention Barcelona, Real Madrid & Man City? I can’t see it here or in the full press conference transcript.
Maybe he turned down Sunderland, Bolton and West Brom?
Yeah I’m also curious where that comes from
He would have been asked in the post-press conference interview. After he said ‘Do you want me to tell you how many clubs I turned down during that period?’ he might have nodded if those names were mentioned.
Anyway, it was well reported at the time that Barcelona and Madrid wanted him, also PSG. The Man City one was a surprise to me.
So the guy starts the day off insulting fans with some half baked truth about the away mini league and how everyone is under the sway of Piers Morgan. Now it is ‘Look at all of my sacrifices’ on a 8 million per year salary. Arsenal have made him a very rich man, but he is paid to win football matches and utilise all available resources to do so. He hasn’t. After all of the time that he pleaded poverty against all of the new money in the league, despite having the 4th highest wage budget, he is shown how… Read more »
Of course he’s made mistakes, he points them out every now and then when he reflects on players he missed out on signing. No matter what, you can’t question his commitment to arsenal FC, his wife even left him while he was giving his all to this club, for all that money he probably goes home only you watch more football on TV. Has giving his life to the Arsenal been enough? I have one job here, I support Arsenal.
Having an affair with a much younger woman will have had a major influence
If Wenger leaves Arsenal this summer, he will still be wanted by many big clubs and as soon as a vacancy comes up Wenger would top the list
And with his parsimonious ways and lack of opposition planning along with naive tactics, I will bet that he’d be shown the door in less than two years.
Comment:Ancelloti won the champions league at Real Madrid and came second subsequent season yet he was fired…Tata lost the league on goals difference and was fired. Wenger wouldn’t even last to the end of the season at those Clubs.
Seriously? This point again?
It’s your stubbornness we hate.
We needed a top, top, top class keeper for years. We shouted it from all of north London’s rooftops, even our partially sighted dogs could see it.
Could he? Nope.
He stubbornly stuck by average keepers that cost us vital points.
When we finally got that keeper, BOOM! Saves us about 15 points this season.
The same is happening with our need for a striker.
That’s why he needs to leave.
what is making you as an Arsenal fan more depressed?
THUMBS UP the infighting and how torn this clubs fans have become?
THUMBS DOWN the fact we have not won enough trophies these past few years?
I ask simply because while I’ve not been happy we have not performed well for a while, but I have found this culture of fans fighting against one another just completely depressing to me
I agree, there is a huge sense of entitlement amongst ‘fans’. I mean, the ‘we’re… fucked’ vine was funny but, no, we’re not. We’re 4th. Villa or Newcastle are fucked! We’re 4th. 1953 – 1971. 18 years without a trophy!
1953-1969 without a trophy we won the Fairs Cup in 1970. Also sacked managers who failed to deliver.
I feel this whole wenger thing is really hurting the fans , I am like everyone else on here torn as well , but the bottom line is like all us fans were all judged daily on our results in our jobs , so on that basis this year has been a really bad year for Arsene he can’t say we were beaten by a big spending club he has failed for whatever reason to motivate ,and lead the team it
kills me to say but I think it’s better he goes now with his integrity and reputation intact ,
I love and respect what Wenger has done for the club as a whole over the last 20 years. But this just makes it all the more painful to watch it all fall apart in this way. As many have said, there is no doubting his commitment, work ethic or love for the club, but these protestations from a man who no longer has the tactical nous or motivational force needed to win the league are rather sad and, to be honest, feel like the death throes of his Arsenal career. I wish he could have walked away with his… Read more »
prove it. nowhere does he say barcelona, real madrid or man city. bullshit title on this article made to get fans onside prior to the match tomorrow.
Why are you there if you not ‘onside’ ?
Stay at home then. Keep your negative buzz at home.
It’s all getting very messy now, defending himself with the bank loan situation and attributing losses and poor form to home fans. I really don’t want things to get ugly but it seems to be heading this way.
This season can’t finish soon enough, summer will be interesting regardless
Come on Wenger!! COYG….. Don’t mind fast food fans tomorrow they will return back to Chelsea… CUNTS!!!
Leave the team and their coach a second! What is inspiring about arsenal to me is the history of this club, how it came to be in the first place. Moving all the way from Woolwich to Highbury and Islington, even got a station named after it! Arsenal won’t be a rich club now if not of this man and even for everything his still paid less than most of the coaches in Europe’s top ten clubs, except maybe Simon, which I don’t know his salary but know tax laws in Spain are lower than England and he is not… Read more »
Wenger is the 4th (ironic) highest paid manager in world football according to Forbes, only behind Mourinho, Guardiola and Ancelotti. But i guess as of right now he is 2nd behind only Guardiola since the other two lost their job since the article was written. And fun fact, Wenger nearly pocketed 60 million in wages since the last time he won the title 😛 Most clubs though let their manager focus on the team and achieving good sporting results. Not overseeing stadium transitions and flying around the world looking at design ideas and working towards the banks to get funding… Read more »
Your Arsenal knowledge is sketchy to say the least…Arsenal have been a very wealthy club since the 1930s, nicknamed the Bank of England club and broke the British transfer record on numerous occasions. The I built this club statement from Wenger is scandalous…it’s Arsenal FC not Arsene FC
I don’t think anyone doubts Wenger’s commitment to the club. The problem is his performance. We stuck by him for years and believed his explanations for everything. We see the same thing happen year after year, from the waiting till close of trade to see who he could pick up to knowing there will be no substitution till the 65th minute. We know the whole drill by heart and he now blames us for no longer buying any more of his excuses. He has made so many that he even contradicts himself. If he loves the team so much, he… Read more »
So who else has been alternating between thumbing up and thumbing down the comments here. Never seen the fan base so split. It’s sad.
I think what’s gotten under Wenger skin is all the recent revisionism about the funds available post Emirate moves and the emphasises placed on the 12 years drought. Disgraceful the way the media and a lot of fans have been trying to repaint his performance in those lean years as anything but an exemplary achievement. But at the same time there is also no doubt that he has under performed these last three years and a lot of ire he is getting is justified. I just hope for once in his life he stops pissing about in the transfer market… Read more »
such an arrogant pr**k, he failed to mention he was consistently among the top 10 highest paid coaches in the world, he should have gone to Madrid,barca and what ever lies he tells his fans,he probably won’t have lasted 1season there with his amateurish tactics. Besides it’s the fault of us fans who have to pay top dollars week in week out that he hasn’t figured a way to beat Swansea for 3seasons in a row. Like 12 years of patience isn’t payment enough for whatever sacrifice he made for the club,I don’t get him, does he truly want the… Read more »
Funny,Wenger finds it difficult to accept we fans are not complete morons,we can actually think for ourselves and have an Idea what football is all about,we all can’t be like the board Arsene. We don’t need some social media wanna be kingpin to incite us,maybe we’re pissed because your team plays sh*t football for premium ticket fees and the fact that we feel let down by you repeated refusing to plug the holes in the team. And besides he doesn’t get that the main cause of the resentment of some fans against him centres around the aura of invincibility and… Read more »
He right, look at your comments, it’s idiots like you with just emotional arguments that he is referring to.
He not only did show great commitment to this club especially during the tough financial times, but the amount of faith, belief and trust he showed to a vast array of players over the past decade is just remarkable. Unfortunately its the players who did the man wrong. Most of them by poor performances and some of them left for the money. Its the players who play on the pitch not the manager. Regardless of the tactics, injuries and all the other bullshit no one can deny the fact that the players are the ones who have to take majority… Read more »
To me I think Wenger meant there is little amount to spend on transfer during and after that the stadium construction. Every manager want to win and I belief Wenger want to win as well not just the salary the fans are talking about
Remember Wenger and Pat Rice in the bench at West From holding each other. That is live for ARSENAL and Wenger is also a fan after spending almost 20years at the ARSENAL. Let appreciate him while still there.
Wake me up when Wenger leaves
No one doubts wenger’s commitment but let’s not pretend he is isn’t very well rewarded for his ‘sacrifice’. He’s one of the best paid managers in the world and when gooners dare to question whether we as punters are getting value for our money, we are more or less told that we should be grateful he stayed with us and it’s our fault we didn’t win the title because of the ‘toxic’ atmosphere we create at home games, which of course we pay some of the highest prices in the world to have the privilege of attending. Is that acceptable… Read more »
A critical analysis of Wenger reveals to me that his decline started post the Invincible season when he decided to dismantle that squad and put his trust in a youth policy as the best way to confront the buying policies of the main competition. This led him into paying inflated wages to mediocre players like Bendtner, Djourou and Denilson who we subsequently got rid of only after they had seen out their contracts costing us millions. This policy was only abandoned after the 8-2 debacle at OT, which was immediately followed by several panic buys: Mertesacker, Arteta and Santos. All… Read more »
Every time I read the transcript of an AW press conference, I die a bit inside. Hate to see a man I’ve admired for so long struggling. While the press no doubt grate on his very last nerve; using the clubs previous financial restraints and your (admittedly incredible) achievements during that time as an answer to questions about fan disenchantment or our current position is defensive at best, ignorant at worst. We’re in the position we’re in because we haven’t been good enough or ambitious enough to win titles and trophies. And that resonates from the players on the pitch… Read more »
The thing is we all love Wenger. So many of us love the Arsenal because of him. He’s given us a style we’re renowned for and values that are commendable, even worthy of pride, by any standard.
But I think when we’re watching season after season and we see a team losing heart; not really fighting but giving up when the going really gets tough; it’s disheartening for fans too. It’s just hard to watch the team that you love play like that.
The solution to this is to sign Neymar simple. Arsenal has the cash and Wenger can convince him that he can never be the world’s best player in playing the MSN!! For goodness sake he has the highest assist player in Europe in his team and a fellow south American in Sanchez… Come on you Gunners!!!! Wenger get in there!!