Having not heard a word from majority shareholder Stan Kroenke or Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis during what has been a difficult time for the club, Arsenal have wheeled out figurehead Chairman Sir Chips Keswick to make a statement about the future of Arsene Wenger.
The 77 year old took over from Peter Hill-Wood in 2013, and his position at the club is largely honorary with Gazidis very much the right-hand man of Stan.
The manager is under serious scrutiny after a Premier League campaign in which the title challenge fell apart in the space of two weeks, and a 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich which saw us go out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 for the seventh successive season.
And in a statement on the official website, he said:
“We are fully aware of the attention currently focused on the club and understand the debate. We respect that fans are entitled to their different individual opinions but we will always run this great football club with its best long-term interests at heart.
“Arsène has a contract until the end of the season. Any decisions will be made by us mutually and communicated at the right time in the right way.”
Earlier, Wenger said he would be influenced in some way by fan protests when it comes to deciding his future this summer.
And while the statement provides little clarity, it feels like another layer of insulation for Kroenke and Gazidis, who have been conspicuously silent over the last few months.
Bleurgh.
What really bugs me about that statement is: ‘We will always run this great football club with its best long-term interests at heart.’ That’s nonsense, because if you genuinely cared about where this club was going, since moving to The Emirates over 10 years ago, you surely would of turned Arsenal into a European super club like Munich, Real, Barca by now, but you haven’t done it. You were happy enough to just sit their and take the money whilst Arsene worked his nuts off, ruining his own legacy in the process, to just get us Champions League football every… Read more »
Absolutely nailed it.
“Arsène has a contract until the end of the season. Any decisions will be made by us mutually and communicated at the right time in the right way.”
Doesn’t he have a contract untill end of NEXT season. If I am right, then that signals that the board agree with the fans.
No his contract finishes at the end of this season.
Great news!!
Too drunk to be aware of even the most basic information about what’s happening at the club at the moment.
I know, I blame it on the drinking. But then again if the manager was not so inept and the team didn’t keep getting embarrassed in every big game, I would probably not have had to drink so much!
Get a grip on yourself. Get sober, for a change.
I think the owners opinion and the fans opinion of the best interests of the club are a million miles apart. Remember they aren’t football fans. How often do you see them at the games? All they care about is the bottom line, which is why Wenger has lasted so long.
I fucking love this. You’ve got it spot on mate
LamaGoober, mate you nailed it to the very essence in few sentences!
Makes me freakin’ furious that those cowards haven’t had the decency to make sure Arsene goes into the football history as one of the greatest managers this game ever had.
… and how would they do that exactly?
Set Wenger’s tactics for him so he doesn’t lose every game that really matters?
Take over the management of the team from Wenger during UCL Rd of 16 games?
By not making him the 4th highest paid manager in the world?
how about letting him buy the necessary players that he needs to compete against the BM and Barca.
How about increasing this stupid wage scale they use for the club to compete with tier 1 clubs
Still not sober?
So ficking true
You really feel Wenger is blameless in all this! I am sorry but what are you having a go at the board for. Sure they may have their faults, but the only on field related thing they are guilty of his not sacking Wenger years ago.
Wenger trains the players, Wenger sets up those inept tactics, Wenger decides what players to bring in, Wenger is the one who has left inconsistency and mediocrity flourish among his players.
#WengerOut
You think that Wenger has ever had a full purse to work with since ’03-’04? He’s always worked within a budget, and its in his managerial philosophy to do so. The board, fully knowing this, have failed to make funds available for better transfers. All of their ambition went to the Emirates, which in the end resulted in shit deals from Nike for years and a mortgage we could scarce afford. These are not decisions Wenger makes, but rather the board. Wenger is certainly not blameless, but they are sure as hell responsible for a great number of things, not… Read more »
Have you seen the rich list. City and Chelsea are ranked lower than Arsenal and yet Arsenal keep getting blown out of the water by those teams.
Also just look at the Kante and Xhaka transfer fees. Both came for around 45 mil EUR. Wenger just bought the wrong player. Even when money is available he doesn’t seem to spend it well.
He has repeatedly refused to buy a holding mid when the team was so desperate in need of one. Arsenal have spent many seasons with just 1 striker. One season was spent with just 3 central defenders.
The Deloitte money league, accounts for revenue and valuation of a club. Has nothing to do with the assets of the owner that are often used to inject cash into a club. Please look at the information before unilaterally deciding that 45 million should be chucked this way or that way. If there was any victory that the Arabian oil sheikhs and Russian oligarchs won, it was not their purchases or trophies; it was instilling in the public this belief that ‘bigger is better’. They throw whatever it takes to get what they want, and fans have begun to learn… Read more »
Yikes, Too Drunk indeed. City are above us and Chelsea *just* below us in the money league, but they are bankrolled by some serious filthy lucre, meaning their owners pour millions into the club to enable it to spend well outside their revenue stream. And if we’re going on this year’s matches, we didn’t get “blown out of the water” by City and Chelsea – we lost 2-1 to City at their end, and we destroyed Chelsea 3-nil before losing badly 3-1 in the return. Kante has a single role in the sides he’s played in, and he’s very damn… Read more »
this is for the drunk
you really think City and Chelsea are using the same economic model as Arsenal is? They have owners who want to win trophies while Arsenal owner makes sure the club is sustainable first.
Who is to say Kante was even available when Xhaka was acquired?
With luck, you will change your label to ‘Drunk, Drove & Died’.
Although we may disagree with his statements, there’s really no need to wish death upon anyone about football, least not all a fellow Arsenal fan….
Ah thats the thing. I am not a total retard. I don’t drive! 😀
So calling a fellow poster a bad name is not within the site rules but suggesting it would be nice if a fellow poster would die is?
Too drunk: Are you getting a backhand from the board? Spending it on cheap booooze?
Anyone have Gazidis’ number that can screen shot this and send it to him???
Yes Goober you are absolutely right. …
Totally agreed with you mate, well said. I’m an Arsenal fan, and it’s a disgrace to see how we are struggling, even Spurs is doing better than us. My heart bleeds.
My friend you are overreacting. Things have changed. Some of the clubs that have changed coaches and spent lots of money on players are not far from us.We are operating in a tough league. It is no longer possible for one club to dominate. We were number two last season which wasn’t so bad I think. Our time is surely coming. Chasidim Arsen will never be the solution.I wish we calmed down.
Smart and precise.
I find it surprising that anyone actually disagreed with this post. I am very much a Wenger supporter but he’s being left out to dry by his club hierarchy…
He should walk,then.
Exactly….if they thought he was under achieving, or was negatively affecting “business”, they would have terminated his contract, or simply not renewed. Any protests should be directed at the right individuals. When the players and manager move on, we’ll be left with the real problem. Wage structure won’t change…why would it? Targets won’t change, as they are respectable club objectives. Ticket price increase will probably continue in a transitional period. Wonder if the Sultan of Brunei is into football… We need an owner with a larger purse and genuine interest in football (not necessarily interest in Arsenal, however, that would… Read more »
“What’s mr chips up to? Come on, say what you see…”
“Is it ‘toeing the line’?”
“That’s riiiiight!”
very good
Here’s something to wile away a few minutes – look up ‘Catchphrase Snake Charmer’ on youtube.
Or watch any compilation of ‘TV’s most shocking moments’ from the turn of the century to the present day…
One sensible reason why people want AW to stay: the rest in charge at the club are clueless. Scary times.
In case you haven’t noticed, Wenger has been the most clueless off them all recently.
Can’t set up a team to play well in a game that matters or against a proper team.
1. Oh is that how this management lark works then? When the “games that matter” roll around, you “set up a team to play well”? That’s genius! Why didn’t I think of that! You should take over for Arsene, mate.
2. The word is ‘of’.
Sure beats the lark of when games that matter roll around your prepare a side that rolls over on the pitch.
Arsenal have not won the league in 12 year.
Now correct the grammer on year to years and see if it makes you feel any better.
Also burying your head in the sand and pretending that the rot and decline doesn’t exist is not how supporting works either.
*grammar* look up ‘decline’ in the dictionary before using it goon!
Dawn, why are you claiming it’s not a decline? People just won’t take you seriously.
You are not entirely wrong but what’s scary i suppose is to have this very board select the next manager. Who knows what their criteria is. Is it to penny pinch and get an unknown manager on the cheap? Or is it to get a world class manager and pay him Wenger’s old salary? Beyond that, is the board going to fully support the manager in the transfer market? Or are we going to have those long drawn out transfer sagas where we decide to pay 1quid over a release clause or spend the whole summer chasing a player only… Read more »
@Dawn, I think you need to look up decline more than I do.
Too drunk: football, please.
We should be scared tho. We have the money to get it right. If the board don’t know what to do, they’ll probably hire consultants to get recommendations on how to get the transition right. My personal preference, get Allegri or Ancelotti (or someone as experienced with the same tactical flexibility and authority), get Henry, Viera, (or any other one of our legends trying to get into management) as assistant manager. Marc overmars as Technical director, Pirez Sporting Director, and Dennis Berkamp head of our Yourh Academy. Yes maybe there are more qualified people but it’s important to have football… Read more »
I think everyone that is on the staff loves Arsenal. This idea of having to hire someone with Arsenal ties is a joke. Its like a sports version of incest. It don’t matter whom you hire as a manager when the owners primary goal is to be sustainable. I truly feel with all the faults that AW has we’ve been lucky to have him this past 20 plus years. Only reason he gets paid what he does is because he’s been here for 20 plus years. I don’t think Arseanl would hire a expensive manager. Do you really think we… Read more »
I sense a return to the old days when you had to worry about the position in the table of West Ham or Sp*rs (unless the club is bought by some oligarch or sheikh).
Enjoy it. You certainly deserve it.
I wonder what would be unacceptable for Stan. Would he care if we fell out the top 4? Or only if it became a regular occurrence? When Wenger leaves how does Stan intend to maintain the consistency he so loves? Given that it’s usually a 6-way fight for the top 4 these days (and the increased competitiveness of the rest of the league) it seems unlikely that, without a manager with such a total guiding force as Wenger, a conservative, hands-off ownership approach will secure even CL football, let alone see us truly compete. Will there come a point at… Read more »
But will the Revenue really drop that much if the “New normal” would be between Third and eight Place?
The Champions League isn’t as relatively lucrative as it used to be.
The sad fact is that it might be a very sensible decision business-wise to avoid the ecconomic risk involved in fighting for the top prizes. And Kroenke is a business-man…
Well, shit. That’s the nightmare – Stan allows us to drift into mediocrity without any recourse to oust him. In that case all the efforts of Wenger, Fiszman etc to build the new stadium, all the years of transition and ‘austerity’ will not have been to make us competitive with Europe’s top teams but to do nothing more than line the pockets of a parasitic American billionaire.
Stan doesn’t care at all, like none of his US sporting franchises win anything at all. Anyone can correct me if I am wrong, but I am fairly sure the only one of his teams that have one a Championship (recently) was The Denver Nuggets and that was back in 2010…
We are going nowhere with him in charge.
Dunno what Kronke teams have won anything.. the nuggets have barely made the playoffs in the last 20 years and have only once made it to the conference semi-final in the last 20 years never Winning anything .. I don’t think he owns the Avalanche who won two Stanley cups early in the 2000s. Bottom line for kronke is cash not trophies
Mate, Dunno what Kronke teams have won anything.. the nuggets have barely made the playoffs in the last 20 years and have only once made it to the conference semi-final in the last 20 years never Winning anything .. I don’t think he owns the Avalanche who won two Stanley cups early in the 2000s. Bottom line for kronke is cash not trophies
I’m afraid the Nuggets haven’t won anything in the NBA. In 2010 they topped their division but that amounts to exactly nothing other than guaranteeing home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Eventually they lost in that first round in 2010, btw.
Exactly right. It’s business first. It just so happens that we play football too.
That last sentence is, sadly, already the case. How the shareholders let that snake in the door to take control of the club, I’ll never know. Did they not have a look at his teams in the US? Did they just prefer him over Usmanov because, let’s be honest, Brits prefer Americans over Russians?
Stanley Enos Kroenke was named after two St Louis Cardinals baseball stars. He bought the St Louis Rams and moved them to Los Angeles (where, admittedly, they had been in their past). His first, second, and third interest in Arsenal is as an investment. Any decision he makes will be based on that. There will be no loyalty for the greatness of Arsenne Wenger, nor punishment of him for failing to win trophies. Kroenke’s ownership approach is saddening for any fan of a team as whichever side we are on, we are there because we want the team to be… Read more »
Sorry, I get your statement, but what does the Cardinals and Rams have to do with one another? Different sports, different franchises, and different scenarios entirely. I’m not inclined to defend Kroenke, but are you worried that he’s going to pull Arsenal out of London? And as the majority shareholder (investor), he has as much right and reason to be concerned with his wallet. I don’t like Kroenke being our manager, but there are some assumptions here I am not prepared to make about a person. In fact, perhaps this is very American of me, but I am much more… Read more »
owner*
Are you serious? He brought up the St. Louis Cardinals because thats how he got his name . Thats it. Do you understand the differences between the setups between European clubs and American teams? Even if he wanted to move Arsenal out of London it would be nearly impossible. Unlike what he did with the Rams. Where American teams can move anywhere they want as long as they get the votes from the other owners. The whole point is that Arsenal does make money especially now that the stadium payments are done. He just has a formula of how to… Read more »
Yeah, no I’m agreeing with everything you said. Like I said, I’m not defending Kroenke. And with greater heights with Rams, I meant in what Kroenke could earn–that the move was financially driven was more than obvious to everyone who can read a headline in this country.
I’m simply pointing out that looking at his track record in America is a different situation from Arsenal, and how we want a typical owner to get involved with Arsenal, might not be the best thing from someone like Kroenke…
If its a six way fight, then we are the only club to achieve that every time in the last 20 years. Not saying thats where we should draw the line. But it is something to consider. If people use droppinng out of the top 4 as a stick to hit the club with, then achieving it every year should also be seen as equal value. If people are scared of instability, then some stabilty should count for something. I want arsenal to win the title and i want them to show more than what they have been. But i… Read more »
Kroenke and Gazidis are a pair of spineless cowardly pricks
Dead right, snivelling shitebags
Forgive me for not being knowledgable of how clubs/businesses work.
But is Stan accountable to anybody. Is there any scenario where he gets his fucking mitts off our club that, where it is forced upon him?
Only when his bank manager tells him we’re no longer a cash cow for him
Has anyone remembered the Uzbek billionaire shareholder? What about him?Is he not taking anything from the club? About time the pair of them dipped into their own pockets and secure Sanchez and buy 4 world class players this summer.
The Uzbek has very little say, as the silent one doesn’t like him. Mr 67% is only about fleecing the club, rinsing the last penny he can. Problem is, the only way to shake off the parasite is to lose so much money that his pocket is hurt, and the way we have been set up, and the TV £ means that is unlikely to happen any time soon.
Sad times! Ooh to be a Gooner!
Exactly, If Stan is selling the club that means there is something wrong with Arsenals finances.
No, Kroenke owns 67% of the Club and can practically do whatever he wants.
Just wish the “Wenger Out”-brigade could have used half their energy to protest against Kroenke if they really think our current situation is problematic.
Wenger has to be blamed too.His tactics are flawed and you can tell in games that we lost. Look at the Bayern game – we were one man down and he did not bring in a defender. If he didn’t want to bring in Gabriel, at least move Nacho to CD and bring in Gibbs. He did nothing but put a midfielder whose is poor in tackling or defending (XHaka)..Very bad tactics and bad decision. And this has been what we have been dealing with season after season. Wrong signings, wrong tactics season after season. Wenger needs to go then… Read more »
Dude, I don’t disagree with you, but that tie was over with the penalty goal and the sending off (if not before). Do you really think if we had been in a position where we had any realistic chance of going through, and that chance rested on us preventing them from scoring (as opposed to needing to score a ton ourselves), Wenger wouldn’t have subbed on one (or more) defenders? Of course he would have. I’m all for criticizing the man, but let’s criticize him for genuine mistakes that actually mattered. Tuesday after the 50th minute (or whenever it was)… Read more »
LOL. You think the tie was over on the penalty. Did you miss the part where the team lost 5-1 in Munich. You think the tie was alive after that .
Whose fault was that. Everyone except Wenger’s I suppose!
To the drunk
Anything can happen. Thats why you play the game. For this game it would have been nearly impossible against Bayern but anything can happen especially with the way Arsenal were playing up to that point.
Agree, but whose fault was it that Arsenal had to get a miracle to qualify.
Who would you blame for the gutless show (yet again in a big game) in Munich. The ref?
Stan is the majority shareholder and board member, but Ivan is the CEO. Ivan is the man in change of running the business and is technically likely to be the only person who can finalise major decisions post board approval. However, as Stan is the majority shareholder and a board member, he has more voting rights than anyone else, which effectively means he can vote down a change that he disagrees with at board level. For example, Ivan tables a motion to the board to remove Wenger, Stan my be able to effectively veto that motion (depending on the setup… Read more »
Ivan would be naive, if not stupid, to ambush Kroenke with a Wenger sack motion at the Board, without checking with him prior to the meeting. In fact that would be the end of Ivan as CEO because Kroenke’s vetoing of the motion would become public knowledge, and pitch the WOB against him. You dont climb that highon the corporate ladder without being smart.
he married into Walmart billions. Just another dumb rich prick playing with his toys.
Do some research. As much as I dislike Kroenke as the owner of Arsenal. He was a billionaire well before he married into Walmart money. In another words he isn’t a some dumb prick that got lucky. He’s a smart prick that got luckier. lol
Fuckers vote him off then for fucks sake fuck off stan. Kroenke out
Is there such a thing called a hostile takeover? Come on Usmanov get in the ring with kroenke and slug it out. Cold war11. Kroenke out.
I think that would work if Kroenkes ownership was a collective of minority owners that have the majority. Unfortunately there are only 2 owners and 1 of them owns a clear majority, so sad lol
“…communicated at the right time in the right way.”
How much clearer can one get without spelling out that the actual final decision is to part ways at end-season?
I wouldn’t be so quick to that conclusion. They very well might be biding their time hoping the air clears a little before announcing an extension. Otherwise I see no benefit to either side not announcing the plan for the end of season departure.
We still have a third of the season to go and are currently ranked fifth. A statement of that kind may further disrupt the team’s dedication to the cause. Lets also not forget that the majority of the players are here purely because of him, some of which are under ongoing contract negotiations.
The writing is on the wall. What will happen can easily be inferred from (paying attention to) recent interviews with the man (‘I will coach next year; maybe you wish to employ me’ jokes etc). Only an (unlikely} outpouring of love from the fans may change that.
But an announcement might (might) also give some purpose and a rallying point for what’s left. A sending-off gift, if you will. IF they are calling it time, that is. I’m just watching and waiting to see what happens. Quite the drama. And given the Negotiating Prowess of our esteemed Mr. Dick Law, I suspect we’re better off knowing sooner than later the intentions of players at the ends of their contracts to plan for next season come what may. This may all be going on behind the closed doors though. I hope Some kind of planning is whether it’s… Read more »
I think it’s simply a matter of having a replacement lined up before announcing Arsene’s departure, which I think is the right thing to do. And until a suitable replacement is found and an agreement is signed, the option of keeping Wenger on for another year should be kept on the table. Top managers – the likes of Allegri and Simeone – won’t accept any offer until the end of the Champions League, as a potential win would give them a stronger negotiation hand. So would you rather have Arsene leave us with whoever happens to fancy the job and… Read more »
We’ll get the best manager that is left standing after the other clubs that are higher then us make their decision. I can’t imagine any manger who has legit choices would pick Arsenal.
Thank you for your interest in our affairs
Whatever. He’ll stay, he’ll leave, he’ll shake it all about if he wants to.
Ridiculous that the board is refusing to take any action or accountability for anything at club level.
As hard as it gets, I’m trying not to let this stuff get to me and try and get as much enjoyment out of the rest of the season as I can. Whatever happens in the summer will happen.
I still prefer Wenger as our manager, the needs quality players. Wenger is still the right man for the job.
Well, if he leaves, it’ll be a very difficult time in North London, cause we’ll mostly miss out of the champion league and be at the bottom of the premier League. I am a loyal arsenal fan and this my worry… Spend money on quality players..
fucking cunts
That’s about the most unstatementy statement I’ve ever read.
If you put on a pair of those sunglasses that Rowdy Roddy Piper wore in “They Live” you will see that the statement actually reads….
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUCKING SUCKERS
OBEY”
Boring! I personally believe that a change of manager is what we need but I’d rather Wenger just signed another contract so we don’t have to keep hearing the same shit over and over again! You boys at arseblog must be bored shit less with all this crap
Hardly a vote of confidence in Wenger and unprecedented for Arsenal to make a statement like this. Can’t help but feel that no top 4 and/or no FA Cup will be the end. Good, in my view, though even with one of the above I think he still needs to go. None of it is how I would have wanted this legend of the club to depart but there you go. A sad end. I just hope we have started looking for replacements, thinking about how to re-build all the structures that hinge on one man and communicate with key… Read more »
Ordinarily when the board publically backs the manager he gets the boot within 2 months but some how i very much doubt it’s the case here
I think that with this board, it is more like 2 years….You can wake me up then..
Even with both he needs to go.
Thinking that AW is leaving at the end of the season is as naive as it gets…
The only reason we’re not hearing about his new contract is because the timing’s awful.
Dear goodness! Can’t believe fans still want him to stay.
Fans: “Look how far we are from the best”
Arsenal: “Look how far you are from the worst”
I would hope that is not the case. If true it would mean that the club has no semblance of ambition left at any level at the club.
Well at least we are not the worst, is the most ridiculous motto.
A team doesn’t play to be the best. Not to not be the worst. This is the exact kind of thinking that has held the club back.
I mean a team plays to be the best* – Correction.
William Hill are currently offering 5/2 on Wenger being in charge next season. Something tells me that’s a very good bet.
You know what they say about idiots and their money.
That’d be the first time I’ll enjoy losing a bet more than winning it.
All chips and no fish…
Best outcome would be Arsene to come out and say next season is his last…gives the club time to get ready, gives Arsene one last shot at something big and also would stop the negativity.
I realise negativity comes from the results but I suppose I mean negativity over Arsene specifically. He is not the problem IMO, and I think any other manager will struggle.
Next season?? His contract ends this season. He needs to come out and say he is leaving at the end of the season and we has fans will back him up and give him the proper send off. Until then we need to continue to protest his management and force him out. Wenger needs to LEAVE, he needs to go this season.
I still don’t get how people still are behind him. 12 years and no premier league. He keeps buying wrong players(the list is long). Keep putting out wrong tactics.
go on, extend his contract, raise ticket prices, win nothing, and repeat. or try change and take a chance
i think we might actually be a situation that no matter what happens Arsene will still be manager, Arsene clearly calls the shot. He’s not going anywhere FML
Yep. He’s off.
At the very least, this statement recognises that announcing a new contract right now could start a “civil war”.
Bagsy i’m Iron Man!
I’m tired with this negativity surrounding the club, can we just support the team and talk about everything else when the season is over?
Not a lot to get behind at the moment
A good first half showing against Bayern is something the team can build on. I think all Arsenal fans can agree. It wasn’t perfect but it was a positive response. Had we lost 5 1 with 11 players, I would have agreed with you.
I don’t care if you are 10 men, you shut up shop, you try to keep a sense of dignity. We capitulated so badly that Bayern took pity on us. They could have scored 8 or 9 or 10. It was as if they decided, nah, 5 is enough. It was beyond embarrassing.
The fact that we don’t defend our club when times are tough is embarrassing.
Well I’m glad they cleared that up ?
Arsenal FC decided that they should say something about the manager’s future. And all that they said is that they will say it when they say it.
^^ So true ^^
Whatever any of us think about Stan Kronke he is a very astute businessman indeed. When he bought Arsenal he was sold a club with one of the most succesful and well respected managers in charge. Silent Stan is a very private person who only ever appears in public when he really needs to. He talks business-speak because that’s what he is, a business tycoon; and because that’s what Arsenal is, a different kind of business but a business non the less, even though we may not like to think of it that way. Arsenal is very professionaly run, perhaps… Read more »
Your comment is very interesting. I am curious though – would risking more outlay in order to achieve the bigger trophies not take Arsenal up another level? Is it worth it business wise to try to break that glass ceiling of simply top four and actually try to compete with the likes of Bayern in Europe, and Chelsea, Utd and City in England? I guess I am asking, does it make financial sense to take a risk to win the big trophies?
It isn’t the money that is the issue with not being able to defend or playing without the ball.
thats moneyball!!!!!!
Arsene has spent an enormous amount of money over the last three seasons and I think the club wanted to keep faith with the man who guided us through some very difficult times when we built the new stadium and money was short. The trouble is that Arsene hasn’t managed to push on from there. I personally don’t think there’s a huge difference between the City, United or Chelsea squads and ours, and I don’t think the club would have a problem with spending more. We’re never going to splash silly money like United have on Ibra or Pogba, Bayern… Read more »
I think Stan is where he is for a reason. He has smart people around him on top of that. I’m sure he’s thought about it but comes to the conclusion its just not worth risking sustainability for the trophies. At the end of the day there is only 1 winner for the prem and champions league.
You’re right about Kronke, he’s clearly a very astute businessman. But unfortunately that’s the problem. Fans want a club pursuing excellence, not a successful business. Unfortunately for us you don’t need to be champions to be a cash cow and the proof is in the pudding. We are a vehicle for him, one of many. There is nothing to like about his ownership from a fan perspective and we’ve seen enough of it to be crystal clear on that. The concerns and desires are at odds completely and they apparently always will be. 1 year ago: “If you want to… Read more »
Not defending him but I think you are taking that comment out of context.
Wenger out or Wenger in doesn’t matter. Our club has never done its business in public and that isn’t a Kroenke construct- it’s been pretty much how we have always done things. So the press may clamour for an answer and demand it now but it isnt going to happen. They want it to happen because papers now want to create the news rather than just report it. Back when we were winning the press got us all up tight about Wenger not signing a new contract before the other one was finished – even if he said publicly he… Read more »
Whilst we are not ‘in crisis’ like a Coventry City, and you make some very reasonable points from a business POV, I didn’t fall in love with Arsenal because of their sensible business model. The fact that you say “Even now, with a game in hand we are one win off 4th place”…..how uninspiring is that. I don’t get excited by 4th place. I’m have huge respect for AW, but surely he must realise how stale it’s got. Why wouldn’t he want to see the last 3 months at the club of his life be a celebration of his achievements… Read more »
no-one said be excited by 4th place…
the point is more, about us hitting our minimum seasonal target of challenging for the title… which in the bpl is usual top 4..
the last few seasons weve come in 3rd and second though.. so unless the media has brainwashed you we arent a pth placed club anymore…
Totally agree. It’s not crisis, it’s just… you know… not very nice right now. And media and certain sections of the fan base have made it a lot worse. It’s practically a self fulfilling prophecy now (some of those Wenger Out pieces of A4 paper looked a bit tatty, weathered and old to me… almost like they’ve been in pockets waiting for the right time!). This statement shows that the fan base is craving some freshness to the stagnation at the top, no doubt. Wenger is the lightening rod, but theres much more to it than him, for me anyway.… Read more »
Have u seen our last four games,, I don’t think we get in top four in current form,, spurs away a draw or defeat, man u at home draw or defeat stoke away lol never won there so draw or defeat, then everton thats a even game so I think we be lucky with 4 points which aint gonna get us in the top four
Also got man city and southhamton in that mix and don’t favour our chances either, saints bit bogie team
I hope we don’t qualify for the CL next season with Wenger as the manger so we won’t have to be humiliated for a change. And i don’t get the idea somehow we should feel sorry for Wenger. He’s getting paid millions with a job of a lifetime with minimal pressure compared to other top club managers who must guarantee a title within two years of taking charge. Yes he’s done some amazing things for the club in the past but how does that guarantee him to basically call all the shots. Have our standards fallen so low that we… Read more »
We’ll be humiliated in the UEFA Cup instead.
I hope we don’t get in Europe full stop, I think we need a break from it and hopefully might do us some good
If you don’t think Wenger is under pressure – from himself, from other inside the club and from the fans not to mention the press – you obviously aren’t a keen observer. He is clearly under pressure. Every aspect of his demeanour says so. It suits some people’s narrative that he is just staying in through greed and not (misplaced) loyalty. You and I know he will have offers from other clubs that would match or better what he gets at Arsenal. He gets what he gets at Arsenal because he does essentially 2 roles- head coach and director of… Read more »
did you just find out that Kroenke owns Arsenal? This is what we have to live with as fans unless he sells. If he sells then there is something financially wrong with Arsenal which would not be good. We are stuck with him until he passes away(which I’m not hoping for at all) and his heirs don’t want Arsenal but that won’t happen either. His son is in the sports management business so I’m sure he will happily take over. Guess how successful his 2 teams he operates are? lol smh
Uncle Chips.. has said something to clarify things.. which doesn’t really clarify anything..
I just hope we now win the FA cup.. and qualify for the Champions League as a minimum!
I have a number of points about the club. 1 We had 200 supporters calling for AW head, marched before match, what about the other 50,000 who just went to the match as supporters. 2 Yes we lost 5 1 with 10 men headlines everywhere for AW head 3 Barca lost 4 0 in there first match nothing no criticism 4 PSG lost 6 1 no comments or minimal Yes I know the results have not been good enough but surly the players have to take some of the blame for their poor performances. Because once the manager has picked… Read more »
Mostly agree but if you dont think PSG’s manager is under tremendous pressure at the moment, you are mistaken. Paris is shell-shocked by yesterday’s result and heads likely will result. Its one thing to be totally obliterated two legs in a row. Its another to suffer a defeat in the biggest comeback in CL history.
My gut feeling is the majority of fans find the protests distasteful, but it doesn’t necessary mean those fans don’t want a change, they just appreciate what AW has achieved so feel uncomfortable disrespecting him.
On the field, surely Arsene has to take full responsibility. He bought and trained every one of those players. If they are letting him down it’s his job to replace them not indulge them. Only Arsene has allowed a player like Walcott to stay at the club for 10years, only Arsene has been unable to set up a team to defend solidly.
We lost badly and I do not necessarily agree with the likes of Rio Ferdinando that we should just have played containment football to keep the score down. That said, it’s not just down to the players – this team had no direction or tactical nouse which should have been instilled in them in the 2 weeks since their last game (and all season). “AW made the odd mistake in hindsight” – are you on the Arsenal board with comments like that? To suggest that there was no reaction in Barca to first leg is naive; to suggest no criticism… Read more »
Just because there was not a big turnout at the Wenger Out march, does not mean most supporters would not prefer him to leave in order to bring a more dynamic and tactically astute manager in his place with the experience of winning things. I believe most supporters want Wenger gone but they see marching and calling for his head as disrespectful. My brother has been a staunch Wenger in for years even when I wasn’t, yet even he is saying Wenger needs to go, his time is up. Saying that, and marching and cursing and holding up banners are… Read more »
It would really be nice to see some indication that anyone in the upper echelons of the club gives the most remote crap about anything. It’s all smiles and silence as Rome burns. But we’re a big club ….
That was not a statement! It was a comment! A squak! A jabawoki! A squeak! Not good enough!
Just announce it either way already Wenger.
I’ve just told my boss that I will decide when I leave the company, I’m giving myself a pay rise and to keep out of how I run the business. Didn’t go down too well.
Kroenke only cares about the money! He has little interest in the Club being successful. Just look at his other sporting acquisitions. They are all like Arsenal in that they don’t win anything. Blame the Arsenal board for this, who were bloody-minded enough to sell the Club to Kroenke because they didn’t want Usmanov in control, even though he would have invested heavily in the playing staff. The likes of Hazard and Kante would have been playing for us and we would be competing with any club in the world. This is their fault!
Are club success and financial success mutually exclusive?
Not defending Kroenke. You don’t know if Usmanov would have been a better owner. No one does until he actually sells and buys another club and proves it. I’ve read his comments in other articles how he is unhappy. Why doesn’t he just sell and buy another club?
Get Kronke and Gazidis out and get Usmanov and David Dein in. Protest against the board not the manager
Foz, got to admit since David dein left things have got a lot worse
i dream of the day when Arsenal will be owned by the fans like AFC Wimbledon.
Somebody needs to grow a set of bollocks and admit Wenger is no longer the force he once was. He’s out of ideas and has been for quite some time. If he doesn’t go now we won’t make top 4 and there will be no CL for us next season. At the very least the board and majority share holders need to make an announcement that a new manager will be at the helm next season. The problem is whoever takes over will have lost Sanchez and to a lesser extent Ozil who are key players in the squad. I… Read more »
We’re already also-rans like Everton. Arsenal have not competed for the PL once in 13 years and we might as well not be in Europe because even a fluke win is impossible with Wenger in charge. This is what I don’t get about “Be careful what you wish for”.l What we’re feeling now is exactly the same as what we’d be feeling if we finished 10th every season. Either way, we’re not competing for anything meaningful and there’s no hope of ever competing for anything meaningful with this manager. Still, at least Everton are looking up, Arsenal are looking down… Read more »
I can understand being frustrated with our results, but I’m afraid you’ve overdone it here.
Why?
Finishing 10th is not the same as finishing in the European spots. The FA Cup is a meaningful tournament and trophy. Finishing in the top four is meaningful, whether Wenger stays or goes, and it improves our hand when attracting talent, not to mention the financial benefits. Things are looking down at the moment at Arsenal, but they will improve, and things will look up again.
Silly @gonner. ..
Alexis can walk out that door
I don’t like his attitude and he loses far too many balls…
He out the door already in his head, it’s obvious….
Bye bye ta ta…
It comes with the territory of star players, they will be prima donnas. The manager needs to manage them. An interesting thing to read about is how Alex Ferguson treated Eric Cantona.
So their decision is that they aren’t going to make a decision? Spineless!
sounds like we are finally going to get our wish. hope we don’t get to regret it. thanx arsene, but it’s time for a fresh start
I could be wrong, but any decision made public is likely to effect the share price, which of course without a well known top level coach having already signed an agreement is likely to drop, rather than increase. That is how a business is run, and as much as we don’t like it, it is also why we don’t really ever get any information.
Arsenal fans should boycott all remaining home and away matches even if they have already booked & paid for the match tickets…They should also threaten boycott of next season’s match tickets as a way of drastically reducing the club’s matchday earnings…WENGER MUST GO…ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…
Pathetic nothing statement from people who have no clue at all.
This is why I can’t turn on arsene!! The others at the club are fucking clueless!
The most loyal successful manager in the clubs history and they just hang him out to dry!!
I would welcome a change if that’s what we need..but at the same time, I don’t have any delusion that things will change overnight once a new manager chips in..comparison to Barca (enrique announcing his stand) is ludicrous..they are having a different dna and set of players..we are one of the second tier teams in europe and every year,realistically, we have a remote possibility of winning the champions league. For me, to be a top 16 team in Europe for so long is an acheivement..Wenger dared us to dream and in a way dug his own grave..I can’t digesta the… Read more »
Not that big of a fan of this false narrative that kronke is some self made brilliant business man. He got almost all of his wealth from marrying rich.
Fans need to act with a bit of class. Wenger is no ordinary manager. He has built the club up whether you like it or not and does not deserve these facile “WENGER OUT” banners. At very least, these toxic fans should be a bit more lucid and maybe switch their message to “TIME FOR CHANGE” if they want to protest and not single out Wenger. Personally there is still a lot to fight for this season even if the big prizes have annoyingly eluded us yet again. I for one would prefer to leave any protest or banners till… Read more »
I think we also have to take things into a little perspective. 1) Wenger has failed to bridge the gap to the very top. Last 3 seasons, he has improved on the nominal 4th place trophy by finishing slightly higher and with two FA cups. BUT the big prizes elude him. Worryingly last season although we were second, we were no where close to the leaders. This season, we seem to be slipping even further. 2) OTOH not to excuse him from his failings but he has over 21 years ensured incredible stability even during fallow seasons with key departures… Read more »
No.
Nope.
Oh dear Santori, where to start? Not that we are in no rush for new manager but we need him with the speed of light. The new manager should have time to analyse the team and see what he needs. Then he should kick the asses of the board to give him the finances to at least maintain the club’s position. The job of the board is not always off field. If it is then they are not aware (or they dont care) what the club needs. Comparisons with another teams are not needed as an argument, please. Some other… Read more »
Well put (really excellent metaphor at the end), but I thought we wanted a title, not to “maintain the club’s position,” which is, as many have pointed out, brutal and humiliating failure, year after year now? Moreover, do you really expect the board/owner to change their spots and give the new manager the funds he needs to remake Arsenal in his image? This isn’t ManCity, it’s Arsenal, and we do everything on a budget — that is not going to change, despite the wish that we’ll wake up tomorrow with a new manager, owner, players, and trophy in hand.
First and foremost, if we are talking about new manager there will be many “if’s” but who says we can’t really dream and expect better for our club. We almost forgot how it looks like. I don’t really expect the board to give the new manager unlimited funds to do whatever he likes. But there is always hope in fresh faces and on top of that if that manager is wisely selected then (cause we already know the weaknesses of Wenger) his first aim should be not tolerating underperforming players. That implies that players like Gibbs, Walcott, Ramsey, Gabriel and… Read more »
We can want certainly want better for our club, and I think we all do, but I am sure the majority of fans would prefer a very realistic, sustainable approach to bringing in a new manager and not a dreamy move that might cost us our moderate level of success. Wenger’s loyalty to his players, even when underperforming is very frustrating from a fan’s perspective; but if we listened to the fans about which players are good and which aren’t, we’d have Gunnersaurus at the halfway line with a sickly Welbeck and Perez alongside, and maybe Bellerin at right back.… Read more »
How many times have the Spurs finished above us in the last 20 years? They probably will do it this year but to bring up the Spurs is a joke.
Yeah in the last 12 years ManU-6, Chelsea-3, ManC-2 and of course Leicester-1 Prem title. Chelsea looks like it will win another. 3 of those clubs all spend more on transfers and wages over Arsenal.
Futsboller
I really understand your point man and that’s why I said there are many if’s. But this time I will be short. First, we don’t know what would have happened if mentioned players left (maybe we could’ve buy new ones of which we don’t know how they will perform). Second, how much damage those players have done before they flourished? And what effect did their flourishing has on the team and his table position or overall stats?
“We will always run this great football club with its best long-term interests at heart”
And that would be making more money for the board, while the fans ponder in mediocrity..
Every season, I purchase the new Home and Away kit, along with that other merchandise. I, along with many of my fellow Gunner pals have made a Promise to not spend our hard earned money until shit is sorted at our beloved club. The toll is already heavy on our hearts seeing a prestigious club like Arsenal suffer that crap score at United, the losses to Barca and of course recently the crap agg to BM. If many more passionate supporters should follow suit maybe then this Deadbeat board would act. Other than all I’ve said, truly hope we Gunners… Read more »