Arsene Wenger has hit out at the media for what he believes are deliberate tactics to drive a wedge between the club and its fans.
Criticism of the team and the manager has been intense after two defeats from the opening three games, but the Arsenal manager was quick to insist that the season is just beginning, and has again urged supporters to get behind the team.
Asked if a win would help gets the fans off his back, he said, “You work very hard to get our fans on our back!
“I believe our fans are naturally with us, and that they were disappointed is completely normal.
“But situations like that are a good opportunity as well to show that we are strong and united.”
On whether Arsenal can react positively to the defeat, Wenger pointed to the 5-1 defeat Anfield in February 2014, which was followed up by an FA Cup win over the same opposition at the Emirates a little over a week later.
“Performance is swinging, and life is movement,” he said, “and the quality of a performance can change from one week to the other.
“That doesn’t put me in any denial that our performance was good enough, but sport is sport.
“I must say I love my players, and I believe in my players. We are in part of the season where we want our fans behind the team.
“They can come out of this game and come to a quick conclusion, ‘Ok we are not good enough’, or they can say let’s see what’s happening and stand behind the team and that’s what we want.”
Maybe just win the next game, and see what happens after that. In the meantime, we’re off to listen to the manager’s new LP.
Results are what matters to the fans. Results are what drives the media.
Exactly. I hate when Arsene says stuff like this, he’s again talking about the fans as if they have no brains of their own.
I disagree. I think it is more a complaint from him that the relationship (as far he sees it) is no longer just between the fans and the team. Other voices elements such as the media ,maybe even the transfer market circus too, are now a part of the equation. For example, back when the common narratvie was Wenger saying ‘He didn’t see it,’ ‘Same old Arsenal always cheating,’ ‘ Wenger’s team are the dirtiest as the have they most red cards,’ ‘Wenger’s always moaning (back then his compalints were legimate and valid against a status quo that didn’t like… Read more »
This is absolutely right. The constant carping about what Arsenal have or haven’t done for however many years is ridiculous. We’ve won three out of the last four FA cups. That shite down the road haven’t won anything of note since the Middle Ages, but the press love them and they get no stick whatsoever. Three games in and they’re winding up the Wenger outies !
Agreed, that lot had a wonderful season and yet didn’t win silverware, didn’t make it out of their weak CL group and dropped out of Europe against a team most people have no idea where it’s from. We topped our CL group, lost to a juggernaut in FC Bayern and won the FA Cup. What a fucking terrible season. I expect more from Arsenal, a season where we don’t at least mount a sustained challenge for the PL is a bad season. But we shouldn’t ignore the evidence of the media campaign against us. Let’s unite regardless of what the… Read more »
Thats the whole point at least right now. Arsenal under AW we are use to contending for the titles now we are just competing. Our expectations have been set high because of AW success early in his career.
On the other hand the other club has no expectations as of right now. They are lucky they have no titles in whatever amount of years lol The run they are on now is amazing to everyone that is a neutral or fan lol
Liverpool have only won one League cup in 10 years! Yet we hear nothing about it and no league titles this century. Complete double standards.
Benitez won them the Champions league – a feat we can only dream dream about.
Liverpool are on a path to recovery, and have shown ambition by not being afraid to change Managers when it hasn’t worked in their favour. Arsenal have stuck with a now clueless man even when it is clear he will never win the league.
I think the media are just doing their job. It is hard to find anything positive to write about Arsenal at the moment.
Great comment mate.
Do they? Modern fans are like spoiled teenagers, they think they know more than they do and they think they’re more important than they are.
“Modern fans, of which I am not one…”
Yes, it’s a real problem with people who exist today, they are all the bad things and suchlike. More people should start living in the past, for sure.
a lot of fans don’t have the ability to have their own opinion. It’s scary territory
All symptomatic of a modern society where people want results and answers instantly, ideally with as little effort as possible.
Whats the point of learning anything when the answer is a google away?
What’s the point of considering pros and cons, reading multiple sources, understanding that life is nuanced and forming my own well founded world view when I can be given one by the first guy I find on youtube?
As it happens I currently feel Arsene has, by signing a new contract, essentially volunteered himself for slaughter. Whatever your views on the man it was plain for everyone to see that we were one defeat away from a shit storm.
Sadly other decisions (e.g. team selection) have not helped the cause. As much as he can blame press and society as a whole, the current hole he finds himself in is entirely of his own making.
Nope you have no brain of your own.
The media will operate regardless of the results.
If United lost a game, the story would definitely be that they would bounce back in the next game. If it was Chelsea, it’ll be that Conte will get them back on track next game, if Arsenal lose the story will be Arsenal in season slump and no reports on any possible bounce back and fans will lap it up. Oh! It’s Arsenal who lost three points and it’s season over why? Well because Arsenal
We’ve all seen the season united dropped out of top four post-Fergie and the same crisis stories were everywhere with van gaal in charge. You can criticize fans for not getting behind a high performing team on a recent change in high standards, but don’t start complaining about fans when the team’s been performing below standard that’s utter bs.
Chelsea losing a game and not signing anyone for a while after initial transfers was made into a crisis this particular season. I don’t know if some fans are blind to this stuff or this bs is manufactured by the club itself. I wouldn’t put it past this current lot.
Spot on mate !
Nope buddy; those teams you are comparing us with have won leagues and even champions league trophies in the past decade. Wenger hasn’t. And we are supposed to challenge for those big trophies, not get content with some local cups…
State the obvious?
The media is ready to jump on any club in the top 6 if they have bad results. I don’t think the media specifically target just Arsenal. Chelsea took a lot of sticks two seasons ago. Arsene talked as if the media is picking on just Arsenal. No they are not. At the end of the day if the team produces good results no amount of media pressure can “turn” the fan base. Don’t try to shift the blame.
We have to realize that the media is less agenda driven than data these days. Stories about Arsenal, especially negative ones, drive more clicks and therefore more revenue. That is why we get so many of them. Now we provide the material with clown car performances and politics, and it is made worse by the performing seals over at Arsenal Fan Tv creating outrage that is hilarious for fans of rival clubs as much as Gooners, but nobody is clicking on links about the intrigues at Everton or Harry Kane’s halitosis. We have one of the most engaged online fan… Read more »
Style of play matters to me too. I enjoy watching them.
Media will sensationalise this into Wenger v Fans (Not just Sun, but regulars Olley, Wilson). Taking AW’s side just for once here.
I watch the game, see the same mistakes season after season.i have the intelligence to decipher a good performance from a poor one and I dont need the media to tell me when I see a pattern occurring year on year.
I’m sure Liverpool had a pattern too but they managed to always have a great and uplifting media story. They will never walk alone I guess…
Again, Liverpool were an afterthought during their selling years and many media outlets called them a feeder club just like they did us.
I think Liverpool also got criticised all along. It’s just we as non-Liverpool fans will put less emphasis on those stories bcoz it doesn’t really concern us.
I’m pretty sure it’s the piss poor results, Arsene. But, whatever floats your boat.
This man needs to just avoid saying anything altogether. Shut up and get results… or at least play attractive football like before.
I know he is a very intelligent anf well read person but I really think some of the stuff he says is moronic.
Isn’t he right in this instance ? Yes we all know what his faults are but the media make the situation worse.
Talksport is a good example. Every day Adrian Durham does his “Daily Arse”, which is basically 2 minutes of taking the piss out of us. Although to be fair we are making his job easy of late
Well, the only reason they do pick on Arsenal is because Arsenal put themselves into the situation where they are an easy target.
They’ve been doing it since 1996… so not always the clubs fault…
It was Ian Abrahams from Talksport who asked the question and who Wenger gave the answer to. Durham is just a wind-up merchant who takes the extreme view week by week and frequently contradicts himself.
I do think Arsene needs to let the team do his talking, but there are certain sections of the media who will criticise him whatever he does. If we win the PL, Durham wud still have a go, because we have not won the CL and so on.
But which Arsenal fans take that sort of thing seriously? It seems like something that is for other fans to bother with. Pundits are renowned for having only cursory knowledge of subjects and overwrought opinions based on that lack of knowledge. Anybody who pays attention to Arsenal on their own (using reporting rather than the opinions of talking heads) is pretty immune to such blather, surely. I mean, I hope so.
Better not to listen to that moron on Talksport
Any other club that won 3 out of 4 FA Cups would never be hounded in this way. Negativity creates clicks.
That is the heart of the problem. Teams don’t let arsenal play attractive football anymore because the load up the defence with 2 disciplined rows of 4 and a hard working floater or two and we have no space. This has been happening for years and sense Wenger hasn’t adequately adjusted. He just continues to try beautiful possession football. Why we haven’t turned into a counter attacking team is beyond me. We have literally one of the top 2-3 counter attacking footballers in the world (ozil) and a bunch of other players that also excel on the break (Alexis, Theo… Read more »
Have you seen many games between 2 ‘counter attacking’ teams. They’re usually the ones on MOTD last with a nil-nil draw.
It may be OK sometimes against the other big teams where a draw is better than a loss but generally it’s not what the big teams do (other than MaureenO teams).
Disagree, everytime we play a game where we play a higher tempo more and stop focussing entirely on dominating possession we threaten so much more. We have Xhaka, who is a deep lying playmaker who excels at playing balls through the lines and ozil who if given space tears teams to shreds (why do you think he was so deadly at Madrid?). And when we do this and we happen to turn it over it comes further up the field and we still have midfield players behind the ball to prevent a quick attack going the other way. Yet as… Read more »
So you’re now moving away from the counter attacking team then…
As for the $iteh game, yes counter attacking can work against the bigger teams that play attacking football.
Against West Brom or Burnley etc it becomes 2 teams giving the ball to the opposition and hoping they’ll commit enough players to make a counter attack a possibility, which it usually isn’t, hence nil-nil.
If you doubt Ozil’s quality on the counter. YOU ARE WRONG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkWxL8RPN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRWbs5waqMQ
contrast this to his “top 10 Arsenal assists” which are almost all crosses or tight play (except No.2 which is a brilliant quick counter).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl6UgMEIkeY
Kinda confidence against Bournemouth, but the real test is Chelsea, another top 6 club. That’s what matters.
I’m pretty sure he said the exact same thing last season. Running out of excuses now. Show some passion yourself and no one will complain
And the season before last, and the one before. We’re just stuck on repeat with this deluded man..
Exactly along with the
“top top quality”,
“stay alert until the last day of the window”,
“we have to look at the quality we have”,
“one price for English clubs another for everyone else”,
“window needs to close earlier”, “I’ll give the full story one day”, “he is definitely not leaving [only to leave]”,
Anyone got anymore repeats he had trotted out this year?
To quote my favourite John Carpenter film “You’ve got to be fukcing kidding”
The Thing?
The thing is an excellent movie though. IMO one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen. Brilliant
It’s a swinging performance, that’s for sure!
The media do thrive on conflict and creating extremes, but the club don’t exactly make it difficult for them
The media are working hard…but the team works harder…
I’ve seen a trend where managers on their last legs start blaming the media, then referees and finally either players or fans. While I dont think Wenger is in that zone yet, it could just be a gradual spiral – if our results dont improve.
Im not sure about your pattern, fergie spent most of his career blaming refs and the media and he wasnt exactly struggling
Was he ever attacked like Wenger? No. Did the media pander to him – Yes.
I’ve seen a trend where Arsenal midfielders get a yellow for tactical fouls but players from other clubs don’t.
Even that’s an inconsistent trend, as Arsenal players could end up with a red card if the ref is in a bad mood…
That’s weird, because I do a full on media black out after every bad result and I’m still not best pleased about piss-poor performances at Anfield. How very odd…
I doubt you did as this is a media outlet and we’re continually compounding our own negative feelings here in the comments section. Sure, its a great place to let off steam but we certainly feed off each others emotions.
This is not a media outlet, it’s one man’s/fan’s blog.
Arseblog is far more diplomatic than i’d be in the circumstance and the negativity is provided by the fan’s in the comments section.
Totally irrelevant comment.
Glad to now know that all my frustration is Blogs’ fault. Arsenal, meanwhile, is doing just fine. phew
“They can come out of this game and come to a quick conclusion”. no, its a 10 year conclusion.
Just shut the fuck up Arsene, whenever he speaks he just makes it worse, patronizing and insulting.
Or you could !
Well I think the majority of Arsenal fans and a good section of the media have been very, very patient with him, far more tolerant than with other fans with some managers at other clubs.
Fans don’t get influenced by the media, its what we see on the pitch and continually making the fans seem fickle doesn’t help
Sorry but I just don’t think that’s true. youve only got to read and listen so some Arsenal fans to realise that they let the media do their thinking for them almost without any filter at all.
It’s almost like fans and the media watch the same games and listen to the same interviews and come to similar conclusions. Look, the idea that Arsenal fans are fickle and come to negative conclusions too quickly is absurd. It’s absolutely comical. We have the longest-serving manager in Europe and we essentially gave up fighting for titles for a decade to build a stadium and secure the financial future of the club. Don’t we deserve some credit for being patient? Which fanbase out of the major clubs is more patient than we are? How many managers have those clubs hired… Read more »
Wouldn’t it be equally true to say ‘you’ve only got to read and listen so some Arsenal fans to realise that they let Arsene do their thinking for them almost without any filter at all’ ?
like winning 3 out of 4 FA Cups…? or 20 years qualifying for the CL?
The person asking that question was Ian Abrahams aka The Moose from Talksport, when he said “you work hard…” he is specifically talking to him/Talksport
Ah maybe … because TalkSport really do wind people up (not say they are the cause of our problems though)
They do like to wind us up (Moose, Durham, Cundy) but they do also have Alan Smith, Merson, Seaman and Jens on regularly, plus Ray Parlour as a presenter. What always seems clear to me is when there is little else to talk about they pick on us and know it will generate huge calls/text volume (at 50p a time plus standard rate). They are simply using us to make money. But when Arsene says some of the things he does he plays in to their hands. Fergie would have just banned them all but Arsene conducts himself very differently.… Read more »
Ah context. sadly missing in most articles taking a pop at Wenger.
And what does your terrible tactics and results do to the fans?
won 3 out of 4 FA Cups in the past 4 years.
Ironically it’s him saying stuff like this in the media which also drives wedged between the fans and club. That and playing a player against a club who two days later would play for that club. Or how about them telling us we have all this cash to spend before saying “what cash”? That’s what drives the wedge, bullshit.
Are there ever going to be comments on the app?
Seems like ‘swinging’ is the new ‘bounce back’ 😉
As a fan I might find this insulting from AW, is he assuming fans don’t think with their heads and can be manipulate by press?
Don’t need no journalists reports to see the dogshit situation the CLUB, not just the team, is and has been for years now.
Jesus fucking Christ in what other football club the manager itself decides if he’s done a good enough job and deserves a new contract? What the fuck this club has become? The manager’s toy, that’s it.
Love the LP cover – Wonder what music style he’ll play?
Freeform Jazz, obviously 😉
I think it would be a live recording from a slaughter house on loop
Maybe he’s doing a cover band.
“Midfield & Sums”
(.. I was working really hard to come up with a better one built off Mumford & Sons, I’m sorry. *showing myself out*)
Looks more like a Rod Stewart cover, doesn´t it?
You would think there might be Jaques Brel covers on it or he is crooning some Sinatra-classics and such ..
This little town blues
Are melting away
I’ll make a brand new start of it
In old … Europa League
If I can make it there
I’ll make it anywhere
…
Ah, well ..
Was thinking some kind of blues… “Nobody understands me, my Heart is broken”…
I picture him more in the vein of Charles Aznavour.
I imagine it as safe and comfy easy-listening (a la Val Doonican)
Swing, obviously.
fans will always be behind the team. But we can’t be behind players who don’t want to play for Arsenal anymore and behind manager who is more worried about financial stability, rather than tactics and team selection.
Wenger Out.
https://www.change.org/p/stan-kroenke-change-the-manager-at-arsenal-football-club?recruiter=769110490&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition
That’s one way to make Arsenal Supported look like a bunch of cunts….
That brings to mind media hystric handling of Sanchez situation compare to Couthniho’s.
Well Wenger you just said it all arsenal fan are stupid you no best well mini North Korea the leader no best fucking idiot just goooooooo!
Yes, Wenger’s continued testing of nuclear weapons is very worrying.
I dont want to defend the neither W. nor K., but FFS only one country in the world ever used nuclear bombs and still has the most of them.
Off topic?
At last we have an explanation for the Park Chu Young transfer. He was, in fact, a political prisoner!
Its the bad results, lack of planning, minimal motivation, high prices, lack of investment, transfer window profit, poor tactics, round pegs in squares holes and the crap food at the Emirates. These are just a few of things that affect my mood when it comes to the current Arsenal Football club. The last thing I need is the ‘media’ reminding me of the bad results, lack of planning, minimal motivation, high prices, lack of investment, transfer window profit, poor tactics, round pegs in squares holes and the crap food at the Emirates
I can see Blogs chuckling as he posts this article and turns to his colleagues and says ‘Hooks baited again. Prepare to moderate!’
I need a lot less moderation in my life, trust me
Back to the drink then.
The media have nothing to do with my criticism of the club. We lack ambition We lack a plan We play players out of position continually We have no idea on the way we seem to want to play? We don’t address squad deficiencies and reacting accordingly in the transfer market. We don’t understanding the basic concept of supply and demand. Our refusal to force certain player out because we like their attitude, even though they can and should be upgraded. Our lack of ruthlessness in general. Our ability to renew contract of players we want to keep. Our inability… Read more »
“We lack ambition” No we don’t. We just can’t translate it into the trophies we don’t seem to win. “We lack a plan” No we don’t. When we appear to (lack a plan) either we have the wrong one or we’re not very good at executing them. More often than not we have a plan, execute it, and win games. “We play players out of position continually” We play some players out of position sometimes. Sometimes everyone is exactly where they’re supposed to be and still we lose. Football is a curious and fickle beastie. “We have no idea on… Read more »
Anyone else feel ashamed for Wenger ? This man is shameless.
Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me !
The fans see the team selections, the performances, the results, see the players bought and not bought. We don’t need a journalist to tell us those things. It shows Wenger’s opinion of the team’s supporters.
“Performance is swinging…”
The dirty dog!
Sabali.. Arsenal always have a beginning of season run of form. Our problem has always been maintaining it. Maybe we start rotating early
Delusional old fool. 5th place, Europa League, high ticket prices, no PL challenge in years, a CEO who comes out with BS………that’s what drives a wedge between the fans
you forgot to mention winning the FA Cup, I wonder why.
Because it’s the type of thing the Media do when they want to make a point…. But he’s not influenced by them!
I don’t need sky to tell me how pathetic we were at anfield gain and again, if wenger seriously believes fans are being duped by pundits then its far worse than I thought. His complaint against the jan window is merely his fear of it, as he has no clear plan for who he wants as for players not leaving why would they? Arsenal is the cushiest number in football, play shite but never mind your spirit is right so well leave it till we play Bournemouth!
Exactly, it sounds like he is just getting his excuses in early, we all know the transfer window is bollocks but it is what it is, we dont need him to tell us and he should have better things to do than his constant interviews (hasnt he got anything better to do) were he states the fucking obvious, Wenger “You shouldnt drown kittens”, fans “That Arsene, he might be shit at football but he has a good moral compass, bless him”
Its like all the stuff he is saying is just subtle propaganda for his own cause.
I preferred his earlier work
Especially his double album in 1998
“From Sausages to Caviar”
Arsene, I like you a lot but you can’t claim not to be aware of the truth behind this which is the rinse and repeat state in which we have been stuck for over ten seasons now. We have basically had the same season for years and of course last season we dropped out of the top 4. The cumulative effect of this is the scrutinization of every misplaced pass, the unacceptability of almost every defeat and of course the call for your head every minute because you have been given more than enough time to show us all you… Read more »
And won more than the spuds again !! But the press love them !
Put it this way. If Arsenal signed Aurier imagine the outcry from the media. Spurs sign him and not a peep. Look at the Coutinho and Sanchez difference in coverage in the press, remembering Coutinho put in a transfer request. The media do have a narrative against our club, it sells papers. When was the last time Liverpool or Spurs won anything? Remember the big deal that was made in our dry years.
Definitely an agenda but boy do we do make it fucking easy for them.
The more you think about it the more insulting it is, he is basically saying fans cant make there own minds up and we are all weak willed idiots that just agree with what the media says.
My apologies, there are some Arsenal fans who are weak willed idiots who cant make their own minds up.
The boss really needs some media training. If this is what he thinks, why does he always take the bait? When the club has bad results, just give anodyne answers.
This sort of stuff and “We almost signed X” are not helpful.
What a massive over-reaction.
There is nothing there that isn’t true.
The Media *DO* try hard to wind fans up; we as fans *ARE* naturally with the team…who as an Arsenal supporter turns up or switches on only to hope the team loses.
Unfortunately, Wenger has lost touch with reality. His interviews indicate he is deluded and in denial, just like many people in powerful positions are when their reign starts to unravel. He reminds me of a dictator who has been in power way to long and who are just feed with positive news by his yes men, news ignoring that their regime is dysfunctional and is about to fall.
I’m liking that outfit he’s rocking in the pic
Its not the media driving the wedge it’s him,Is he really that stupid
He’s right. Today’s media, in general, focus on the loudest voices. Unfortunately in our society, a measured, sensible opinion doesn’t sell adverts so they need the most sensationalist opinions possible. Where journalists used to inform with news, and breed ideas with their opinion, now they just need as any clicks as possible, as they get paid more per click. The majority of readers, whether you like it or not, follow the loudest voices and outrageous lies (peddled as facts). He’s not even claiming that it’s ONLY the media which informs the opinions of fans. You can get a fire started… Read more »
Wenger needs sacking if he’s only just figured that one out!
” Asked if a win would help gets the fans off his back”…loaded fucking question. As soon as I read this part, I knew no matter what the answer Arsene gave, this comment section would jump all over him like hyenas on a carcass. So yeah, maybe Arsene is right in this case. The evidence is right here.
I couldn’t agree more. ..
I could agree a ‘bit’ more, but I choose not to.
I feel that what must be highlighted, far above the statements, is how stylish he looks in that picture. I mean, damn!
The media doesn’t have to work at all to make supporter’s critical of the club! Wenger with his crazy decisions and team selections and Gazidis with his ludicrous spin and lies along with the odious Kronke do ALL the work for them ! We judge by performances and results and they speak for themselves! That’s without the shameless profiteering at our expense that the club indulge in ! No NET investment in a team which had its worse league campaign in 20 years speaks for itself too !! Wenger obviously really thinks were all as stupid as he thinks we… Read more »
Wenger thinks we’re as stupid as Wenger thinks we are? Are you SURE?
Of course Wenger is right. The media are out to destroy not just Wenger but the club. They are not only responsible for our fans’ restiveness, they are also responsible for our star players leaving the club. I do not know what they stand to gain from this attitude.Just look at the biased way they have been reporting the transfer news on Sanches and Courthinho! While they are encouraging Courthinho to stay back, they are not only urging Sanchez to leave, they are also suggesting that Courthinho will give his best if he stays back but Sanches will not. Arsenal… Read more »
There’s always a lot of focus on Arsenal and Arsene in particular. Agree with him here to an extent. We must be critical as fans, but you have to admit there are figures (ex players and pundits) who are out of line and this is cottoning on with the fanbase. Take our friends Tony Arsene-taught-me-nothing Adams, Paul the-squad-has-lost-allrespect-for-Arsene Merson, Stewart Wenger-is-a-tyrant Robson. I’m sure Wenger feels like he is being stabbed in the back by the likes of Henry and Ian Wright. Being critical and constantly criticising are two very different things.