Having admitted earlier in the week that he never keeps any of the medals he’s presented with when Arsenal win a cup or a championship, Arsene Wenger appears to have had a change of heart with regards to Saturday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley.
The Arsenal manager is going to hold onto his 2017 FA Cup final winners medal, having spoken before the game about how he gave previous medals to others.
“I have no medal at home anyway, from anything,” he said.
“You come to my home you will be surprised. There is no trophy, no medal, nothing. You would not even guess that I am a football manager.
“Apart from the fact that a football game is on!”
However, after the win over Chelsea, he said this is one that he’s not going to part with.
“For once I have kept my medal,” he said, “so that means it’s a special night for me.
“For the rest, we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Is it a hint at his future? It’s difficult to know, but we don’t have too much longer to wait.
A decision, one way or the other, is expected after Tuesday’s scheduled board meeting, so hold onto your hats folks.
Be careful for what you wish for. It may well be, and if he is tired of the antics from certain classless segments of our fan base, expressing their frustration in all the wrong ways, he may just decide to call it. Which will leave us in a massive hole because firstly we are forced to take whatever successor is available in market. Secondly this person will have to get use to a new club, league but also rebuild with lack of CL as a handicap and he may not carry as much acumen as the current gaffer who is… Read more »
LOL – Liverpool actually won the CL Also, Conte came in and just won the league with Chelsea, so it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. When was the last time that Wenger challenged for the title? One could say 2008, but that title challenge died with Eduardo’s broken leg. So although it won’t be easy to appoint someone who will be better than Wenger, let’s not pretend that he has been challenging or progressing in either the PL or the CL. Our best finish in places was a 2nd place finish last year, but 10 points off… Read more »
This simply could not have been handled worse. The club cannot wait until June to decide it needs an entirely new structure – at this point if they don’t have his replacements lined up (if the club wants to move on) it’s simply irresponsible. If Wenger does decide to stay, the club cannot continue to allow this decision to be made after the end of the season as it has the past few contracts.
CL Liverpool…one fluke win. Please. Agreed club need to sort out Wenger and Alexis future right now. Should have been sorted ages ago before we even entered into our traditional crisis part of the season. My suspicion is its 50-50 but Wenger likely stays for a season extension and it will also have bearing on possibly keeping Alexis for similar period. IF we lose Wenger, Alexis is gone along with possibly Ozil, Giroud. Vultures will circle in for Bellerin and the Ox too. It will be far more difficult rebuild and at that for a manager coming in getting to… Read more »
If liverpools win was a fluke, then we were pretty lucky to be drawn with two 3rd division teams on our way to the final. The Sanchez goal was also a 50/50. Glad that it went our way though!
IMHO and based on his appearance on the pitch it seemed to me that he wasn’t sure he would have the chance to wave at the Arsenal fans again…
I hope that when he leaves we are able to show the appreciation for the last twenty years. When he arrived our style of football, whilst mostly effective, was well deserving of the boring boring Arsenal chants sung by the opposition. Whatever criticisms you may have of Wenger, boring football is not one of them. Tactically naive at times and overly loyal to middling talent footballers on occasion but almost never boring; being entertained is equally important as winning to me with the amount it costs to watch. If you disagree ask yourself if you’d like Tony Pulis as the… Read more »
Personally despite the fact that I believe he should be competing for the title and not finishing 5th with this squad, I would NEVER disrespect him and I will cry when he leaves…
Did you watch our football between Jan through late April? I’d call it not very entertaining. Yesterday was a good performance but too many times this year and other years, it has been dreadful. We have fallen away this year, but in reality, we haven’t challenged for the title for nearly 10 years and haven’t gotten out of the first knockout stage in the CL for ages. If there aren’t other options better than Wenger out there, then fair enough, but there are loads and loads of good managers out there. The problem would be will the Arsenal board approach… Read more »
It wasn’t boring!
Congratulations on missing the fecking point.
Have some respect ffs. Begeegs: you are an embarrassment to our club. ‘Fans’ like you don’t deserve Arsene Wenger.
Thanks for your useful comment.
I was at the Emirates only four times this year and suffered through the Middlesbrough game so I know what you are referring to. However I was referring to the Wenger years as a whole rather than just this year. As far as challenging for a title for ten years I feel that’s a bit disingenuous as you can only really judge him on the Highbury years and the last four years since the stadium has been paid off. That said we you look at what we have spent in the past four years we are exactly where we should… Read more »
It’s not only about spending. Spurs have a considerable lower budget and have a more consistent squad the last 2 years. Liverpool have a lower budget than us too? The last 3-4 years we didn’t sell and spend a lot (90m this year for just fine tuning the squad). Even last week Wenger said we only need 1 or 2 players. This squad should be at least challenging for the title if nothing else just by showing the desire they showed in only 10 games the whole season.
Sorry – I do not agree. There are teams across the continent that compete with far less resources than we have. One won the Premiership last year. In other leagues, teams have changed stadiums and won their respective leagues (Juventus, Bayern). It isn’t all about money, although it does help.
Go support Spuds then.
Better watch out. According to some arsenal fans you’re comment might be considered classless and disrespectful. Lol
Yawn !
Please, the useless, idiotic Wenger ass liking fools that voted down this comment should fault any of the points he made.
…Or mourinho!
If we intend to show respect it should be next season no matter what happens, not just deserved but earned after all the spoiled whiners likely cost us a CL spot.
Sounds like it is down to the board and he doesn’t know until Tuesday. Don’t think he wants to go.
Hope he doesn’t personally.
I dunno, the way he was deflecting- “let me enjoy tonight”- makes me think he’s off.
No one deserves a statue outside that stadium more that Mr.Wenger, I’m sure it will happen when the dust settles.
No one can ever take away the invincibles season away from him, and I’m not sure his FA Cup record will ever be beaten.
Can’t speak for everyone, but he will always have my upmost respect.
And gratitude
Yup. If it were not for the reality of $ today, we shld rename our standium the Arsene Wenger stadium.
Or we could rename it Emriates- Wenger stadium.
In theory this should have been sorted out after the ‘Hull’ final. OK Arsene you finally won a trophy stay another 2 years till your ’66’ years old, with millions in the bank. In the meantime we the club will sort out the future, Director of sport or whatever, new coach (Pep, Conte, Klopp) etc+ other things that need to change and modernize, but oh no, just trundle on blinkered. Now what, the board begging a 67 year old to stay, cos we have no idea what to do! Wenger will be here as long as Ken Friar at this… Read more »
i feel a weight on my chest reading into this?…If this was his last game then our team gave him a great tribute by playing the way he always wanted us to play..
#wengerballftw
unrelated P.S: if sanchez is leaving to bayern i would be so happy if we get douglas costa from them
Would rather keep Sanchez.
Happy to take Douglas Costa too …
Of course, but IF we have to lose Sanchez, Costa would be handy.
Costa is injury prone while Sanchez barely gets injured. Terrible idea. He won’t even come close to half the numbers Sanchez produces.
My Heart : (
Wenger is not going to leave this. Not without a proper goodbye from/to the fans after two decades as our manager. It’s not as if the management have lined up a proper replacement. In my opinion, He’s going to stay for another two years at least.
He’s gone.
How do you know what the ‘management’ have or haven’t done?
Wenger will sign for another two years. It’s going to be interesting because if he doesn’t get some real consistency from the team and doesn’t get his new signings in for pre season we’re in for more of the same. Winning on the first day of the season with some real preparedness would be a start.
The FA Cup win was brilliant but we’ve got to see more of that urgency from this team.
What does he do with his medals?
Gives them to backroom staff.
Sends them to N17 so the cabinet is not empty
Sells them to fund his cocaine addiction
gives it to manchester city ?
It’s a funny one. For months I’ve just kind of assumed it was his decision to make and he would be backed by the board who were more or less hoping he would stay. Developments in the last couple of days (lost a bit in the brilliance of the game) suggest that while he wants to stay, members of the board (particularly gazidis) want him to go – and the boss genuinely doesn’t know which way it’s going to go, even though he has Kroenke’s backing. My own wish (and it has been for months) is that he stays for… Read more »
that would incidentally go some way towards explaining why Gazidis has left him out to dry this whole season.
Most probably he was given a contract BUT with clauses that Wenger doesn’t agree with e.g. football director. Remember that Gazides mentioned that “those” 6 weeks were a catalyst for change, then Wenger publicly shoots down that position etc etc. Wenger also mentioned that he hopes he can talk about what really happened during those 6 weeks. Wenger said he would announce about his contract in April, players were supporting him publicly but were letting him down on the pitch, Gazides nowhere to be found…It was a situation that was messed up on ALL fronts and this cost us the… Read more »
#gazidasout #kronkeout
I’d agree. It wasn’t a rubber stamp as much as people ‘in the know’ say that it was. I want Wenger to step down on a high. Things have gotten too toxic this year and I want to have a new man in who sees anything less than a title as failure. None of this top 4 is a trophy crap.
Agree with your assessment Ausgunner. Stan Kroenke might well support Wenger but seems like Josh Kroenke and Gazidis have other ideas.
Certainly don’t agree that the managerial talent pool is sparse. There’s quite a few managers doing innovative work around Europe. Let’s not forget that Arsene Wenger arrived at the club as an unknown from outside European football with hip new ideas about the game that everyone (including the players!) thought a little crazy.
Whilst it’s true that Wenger arrived an unknown, there was nowhere like the level of pressure or expectation to achieve results then as there is now.
You think those that are vociferously abusing Wenger for 20 years of CL, 3 doubles, an unbeaten league season and a record breaking number of FA Cups are going to be patient with a new man if he’s not instantly winning the league??
That is what it is like at a big club. The question is – Do Arsenal fans want to be a big club (7th richest club in the world) or do they want to make up the numbers in the CL?
You’re right that the game has evolved but with a few key signings Wenger was able to win the title in his first full season. Pretty much what we need right now no?
Also can we just discuss Arsenal without referring to vociferous abuse? People with extreme views aren’t a reference for anything. There’s far more people who respect Wenger whether they have confidence in him to continue or not and they represent much more of the fanbase. We have the longest serving manager in major European football – patience is not a problem for the majority of Arsenal fans.
Not sure they were that quick to turn actually. Arsenal fans are pretty well behaved mostly don’t you think ?
It was about three years ago after 9 years without a trophy and now it will be 14 without a title paying ridiculous ticket prices . Just saying ….
Agree with your assessment Ausgunner. Personally would prefer to stick with AW for another two years & get rid of Gazidis…but that’s just me.
If he was leaving then a replacement would have already been recruited. If that had happened, we would know through the usual channels, wouldn’t we?
And we would have given him a great send-off, which the club would have arranged.
I’d be amazed if he isn’t back. If he is leaving we definitely haven’t done things the Arsenal classy way.
With this club these days who knows
Hard to say. There were rumours of multiple managers speaking with Arsenal this year, including one who went public about it.
No.
Exactly what I was thinking this avro after watching the video of his press conference. Please stay Arsene.
I hadn’t even considered it like that until ‘ausgunner’ said….. I find to be the likely outcome now. I agree about it not being the classy arsenal way mind. but I think in this day and age, the class of someone like wenger is getting rarer by the day. gentlemen are a dying breed unfortunately. I would feel like someone had actually wronged one of my own family if that was the way it was carried out. class, loyalty and respect is disappearing in every aspect of life as I see it, and I’m only 29. I would imagine with… Read more »
I’ve always been a massive Wenger fan and, like most, have felt that it’s probably his time for him to hand the reigns over to someone with fresh ideas/new direction etc… However, and this is probably me still riding the highs of the Cup win, the thought of him actually leaving the Arsenal fills me with genuine sadness. The abuse that Wenger has recieved from some section of the supporters in recent months/years has genuinely shocked and saddened me. For everything he’s done for this great club – he’s poured his life and soul into it, lived and breathed Arsenal… Read more »
I know he’ll get negged to hell for this, but I’m pretty confident if the same issues repeat itself next season, 99% of those being emotional and wanting him to stay now will be the first to be “Wenger Out” by the next loss. Honestly, the way opinions just swing to and fro in here is nuts. Stay, Go, whatever, at least people need to be objective when making their decision and stick to it, not just on an emotional whim which changes game to game. I mean, if you read this comments section here, you’d think this place has… Read more »
You’ve hit the nail on the head. But I think it’s gone too far now. If we start badly next season it will be terrible. Best for him to go on a great brilliant high I say. Doesn’t mean you don’t respect the man to want change. We aren’t all playing silly buggers flying planes … give me strength !
Sign a new one year contract… Win the Premier league and the FA cup again, find a proper successor and leave on a high… Leaving now and not finding a proper manager may cause chaos… #COYG
Don’t go please, Boss
We’re probably just reading too much into this. He’s just broken a record that will stay for probably a very long time, and in the interview he said that he’s proud of this achievement and The Invincibles season.
Let’s just hope whatever happens is for the best.
Word Is the board have contacted Tuchel incase Wenger decides not to sign. I get the feeling he’s frustrated with the board about something. Tuchel is a great coach – however, I have reservations about his man management skills. I know we have better defenders than BVB, but defensively he’s just as open as project youth Wenger days. He’ll probably take time to find his feet while someone like Allegri would make an immediate impact.
There’s also Leonardo Jardim from Monaco. He played more compact defensive football when the owner had issues going on and they needed to sell James Rodriguez and loan out falcao. That’s versatile considering how offensive they’ve been this season. He’s definitely a man I’d have on my list.
Allegri’s football is even more bus-parking than Moronho’s. I can’t watch Atletico play, they’re as bad as the old “boring, boring Arsenal” days of the early 90s.
As much as I am as staunch a Wenger Out man as you can get, I agree that he should be allowed to go out with more dignity that what is happening at present. But by the same token he has always played this game with the club, waiting until his contract is virtually out before committing. I remember times gone by when his only response to being asked if he was staying was “I always honour my contracts”. Now the boot is on the other foot, he doesn’t hold the cards any more. But to a certain extent it’s… Read more »
Perhaps part of the reason he would wait to sign is that he understood it was actually a real long term commitment unlike so many others ready and willing to jump ship to a bigger and ” better ” contract/job. I personally would also be more likely to determine staff/players/owners/offers before making a decision if I intended to honor it no matter what after signing
It’s a good way to go though Arsenal being the team that has won the FA Cup the most and Wenger being the manager that has won it the most too.
Good luck where ever he goes I can’t see him stopping just yet, I can see him at PSG or Real Madrid sometime.
Well done Wenger for all the trophies.
He also said this team can be champions next season with 1 or 2 good signings. I hope the man stays. He’s a legend. Anyway, we will soon find out…
Next year, the Arsenal mantra
Unless those 2 are Messi and Ronaldo, I don’t think that will make us champs.
I really don’t understand this whole situation.
Wenger wants to stay he’s made that clear. Kroenke doesn’t care. Who on the board is opposing Wenger staying? It really is quite peculiar considering how it’s always been Arsene’s decision to stay or leave
Gazidis. I’ve said for a while now that there’s a growing unease between them. For the last 2-3 years, Wenger has seemingly gone out of his way to contradict him (Gaz: “we’ve got money to spend”, Wenger: “No we haven’t”. Gazidis: We need a DoF”, Wenger: “No we don’t”, Gazidis: “Catalyst for change”, Wenger: “No need for revolution, etc.). Then on top you have the issue that our Academy Director left under suspicious terms, with the notion that he didn’t have the backing of Wenger (he was a Gazidis choice). He was there for a year and made a difference.… Read more »
Personally I think he’ll stay and I think it’s actually good there is difficulty with the board making that decision. I think it will add a bit of pressure and make things less comfortable, and also wrestle a bit of power away from Wenger and add a bit of accountability to next season when he says. It will force him to make some of the hard decisions he’s refused to make, such as some average players he’s given too much opportunities. It will force the update of the coaching team and methods and just ensures he’s just a bit more… Read more »
I hope you’re right.
I think that Gazidis being silent for such a long time would lend credence to your view.
Gazidis is always quiet.
Didn’t Arsene bring Gazidis in.
And no offence to the guy but all his experience is in MLS is he really the only person with football experience on our board?
Arsene didn’t bring Gazidis in, he just approved it, which is odd in itself (who the heck picks their own boss?) I know it’s the fashionable thing to turn on Gazidis, but I want to make 2 key points about him, as someone who’s known some of the inside info about his time there… 1. He’s been the one dragging that club into modern times. Honestly, if you saw the Hale End academy before he came around, it was an utter joke. You wouldn’t believe we were a top 10 club, with our facilities. Hale End had worse facilities than… Read more »
Gazidis is a pen pusher ass licker happy to give soundbytes while hanging a legend out to dry. I am yet to see any Gazidis achievement. His job is to keep the football free from worry. And he does anything but that.
Also fuck these kits from Puma are terrible.
Bet you weren’t bitching when we were using that Puma money to get Ozil and Sanchez, right? :rolleyes
Some of your stuff is narrative BS.
If there is money to spend whats the hold up on signing Alexis and Ozil?
Academy director left for a job as a Manager of a club in a top German division. Timing sucks to leave during the season but its not like he left one manager job for another. He left for a manager job.
I think he’d love to outdo Fergie in terms of time in charge if not trophy haul.
(Old Trafford now renamed Disney Land UK as it’s got both Mickey Mouse trophies?)
i personally think he kept it for a few reasons. he said this one was special as we had to beat city an chels*** also its his record breaking 7th its also arsenals record breaking 17th its under a new formation and he lost 3central defenders. I’d say that’s a medal worth keeping!!
haha 13th rather. and i just don’t see wenger leaving
We want you to stay, Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay.
At least, most of us do.
So we can get beaten 12v0 by Munich, oh I forgot were not in that elite competition any more! People are saying 2 more years of misery till a suitable successor is found, we’ve just gone though that. All the decent coaches were snapped up whilst the club & wenger dithered. Groundhog day, 2019 then.
Arsene’s Successes way outnumber his failures. Wish he brought that tactical change at start of the season. He always has ensured there is plenty of Talented players of all ages are around like no other Manager or club has. If we won the Champions league and Premier league 3 years ago we would still be angry and disappointed about this season given the talent we got in our squad and the failure to get the best out of them
I am 99% certain that he will be staying – and that doesn’t worry me despite our toughest season in 20 years. Even my staunch support for Wenger has wavered this season but I have always believed he would go out on a high and with the transition to a new regime planned and in place, so he can leave knowing that the club he clearly loves so deeply is left in good hands. This, I believe is what his last 2 year contract will be for in my opinion. If that turns out to be the case, we MUST… Read more »
13 years since a EPL title or serious challenge, suits you, but not all.
Kas, your sense of entitlement is childish and petty. Sounds like something I wouldn’t read in the Daily Fail
And the timing is also as poor as it could possibly be.
@ Robert Pyres. Nice comment mate, agree with you on all fronts, including the BBC bit haha!
Just imagine the energy in the stadium if all the negativity was reversed. Twelfth man? Without doubt, something we’ve missed this season an could have mad the difference.
Mate, at times on away days we are the best 12th man in the land but at home? Well that’s another story. I just home it will improve next season? The players sometimes need us more than we know.
Mr Wenger is leaving Arsenal FC on a high. He mentioned already that he couldnt accept many of the fans attitudes and disrespectful reactions towards him. He wont ne staying for all that again. He stayed til the end, coz true to his words, he aleays homor his contract. So that is what going to happen. Come end of May, He is off!! He delivered his final trophy for Arsenal. His 7th FACup for Arsenal. Nice celebratory send off, especially at Wembley. The way he was waving at the crowd at the end, it was Hi or Thank you wave…it… Read more »
He’s not leaving.
I’m not usually this sad after beating Chelsea with a makeshift defence, in a record breaking final. Teary happy but deeply sad at the possibility of watching one of the best managers in the history of football, the best we’ve ever had by a loooong mile, leave Arsenal without a proper thank you and farewell on the pitch, where he lived and did for us. It would be an unshakable shame if he left like this. I hope we(and Leprof)’re given a year or two to make it right and I pray we take that chance with both hands and… Read more »
FA tunnel cam showed Arsene giving his medal away.
He gave it to someone to hold onto for him
Yes he handed it to Arsenal’s Communications Director Mark Gonnella and said “I’m keeping this one”
Go on a high Arsene, like Ferguson did. Thank you
Gazidis don’t really help matters when he said we would now be competing with the likes of Bayern Münich and on top of that other boardroom members like mr Chips brag about all the money available to Wenger. Why do they say these things if it’s just bullshit? They are just creating unrealistic expectations among the fans and they set the bar on which Wenger will be judged. Either that or Wenger is the one not willing to use all the resources at his disposal. In my opinion Wenger could probably be more ruthless and abit less loyal to his… Read more »
Stubbornness on Wenger’s part. He wants to do it his way.
LOL just listen to the excellent podcast.
I didn’t realise Wenger has now won as many if not more FA cups than Liverpool! Certainly more than Spurs in over half a century even if they won the ‘second best’ trophy this season….(snigger).
3 in last 4 seasons alone. CL or trophy? Well depends on trophy. League cup nah. BUT History making record breaking FA cup, no brainer!
Puts it into perspective.:D
On one hand totti is being celebrated at roma for being loyal despite winning only one scuddeto, whereas wenger being disrespected despite bringing so much to club and loyal his whole life. How ironical!
Me personally would like wenger to stay for another year because if he stays there’s a huge chance that majority of the players including Ozil and Ox would sign new contracts. We could start preparing for a new manager for the next season. What better way for Wenger to sign off by winning us the PL since there’s no UCL this season so we have to go for the PL with everything we got. On the other hand, even if he leaves it won’t be as bad as some people are making it sound. There are lots of quality managers… Read more »