Arsene Wenger’s future remains a topic of constant debate and speculation among fans and media alike, but the Arsenal manager is clear in his mind of his intentions.
The Frenchman signed a two year contract in May, after winning the FA Cup final against Chelsea, and as far as he’s concerned he’s going to see it out.
In a repeat of the line of questioning we got all through the final third of last season, Wenger was asked if he’d still be in charge next year.
“My contract clarifies that,” he said. “Did I ever walk away? Never. Why should I change?
I am always committed. I am here for 21 years. So in every single decision I make what is right for the club.
“Do I stay for one year or ten years it is exactly the same.
“If it is me in charge or somebody else you can only do what is best for club. That is what you try to do.
“That has nothing to do with my personal situation.”
Of course there’s nothing to stop the board making a change in the summer if they feel it’s required, but much will depend on how the rest of this season goes.
The chase for the top four is still on, while there remains the potential for a European trophy with the Europa League still to play for.
Always a first time for everything.
Lol I beat you by 17 seconds ??
Seems I beat you by 17 seconds ?
oops yes you did, well in ! lol
17 seconds also known as the Mourinho sex tape
I’m pretty sure he will be forgiven if he “breached” his precious contract. One thing we can be 90% sure of is that he will be gone in May 2019
with all the cahnges in the bacroom with Sven and Raul against wenger wishises and the form an position arsenal is also with the failure of extending the contracts of alexis and ozil i think the club will let him go in the summer as they will risk huge pressure from the arsenal fans. As somone said ancelloti or alegri is a vest option for rebulding the team. Also bote that anvelloti will be given to choose buying olayers like wenger as he didnt choose at chelsea, psg, and bayern and real m those clubs are buying players they want… Read more »
Please Kroenke do us all a favour and let him go.
Kroenke do us a favour. Die. I dont really wish that upon him. But stil. Dissapear and never come back. And take Wenger with you…
There’s a first for everything…
Honourable man. Whatever you say about his record that is true.
He will be remembered as a great Arsenal manager given his successes.
He is honourable but if he went to Madrid, Barca, PSG etc do you think they would tolerate continuous rebuilding and failure? He knows he is on easy street here where he is the highest paid manager in the world and no one questions him.
The big clubs worldwide would sack him after 12 months and he knows it…
If he went to Madrid, Barca, PSG etc. he would have vast amounts more to spend than he has here.
Huge spending doesn’t always guarantee success particularly if someone is tactically inept.
I beg to disagree. Zidane won 8 out of 10 possible trophies in his first two seasons in charge as a manager
Is Zidane tactically inept?
Ask Benitez and even Mourinho how much they won with Real.
To say Arsene Wenger is tactically inept – which a lot of people seem to do – is as unfair as it is untrue. It is just such a ridiculous notion when you think about it.
Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to think ‘tactics’ comes down to formations, pressing and over-use of statistics.
You are right of course huge spending does not guarantee success, but it really does help one fuck of a lot doesn’t it.
It does help most managers win things but that Jose fella at manure won the champions league with Porto in 2004 with effall spent, a great team spirit plus a master class in tactics. Atheltico Madrid (Simeone) are a similar set up.
Any team small or big can score goals against Arsenal if they wish to. It hasn’t changed for 13 years.
I’ll be unfair. All evidence over the past 10 years, maybe longer points that Wenger is tactically inept. Especially when compared to the other top 10 managers in each of the major European leagues.
OK let’s review, he doesn’t watch the opposition or make plans to address their strengths or weaknesses, his subs are mostly prearranged apart from injury forcing his hand or desperation when chasing a game when changes that were obviously needed weren’t made ! There is quite obviously no work done on set plays at all ! He plays players out of position constantly he plays a midfield of all left footers on more than one occasion he has twice played right sided defenders on the left and vice versa ! We’ve needed a proper DM since the departure of Gilberto… Read more »
And still his tactics would be woeful. He’s spent plenty recently and we’re going backwards
But will win nada because of his lack of interest for defence.
He’s spent more in the last 4 years then he did in the previous 7. Incidentally, we’ve gone backwards since he started spending.
You think the likes of PSG, Barca and Madrid would tolerate that? You think Barca fans would accept him turning Busquets into a CB because he doesn’t believe in DMs?
Again, perhaps it is issues in the non-football world that have made me more sensitive to these sorts of statements, but– It is absolute nonsense to compare spending the way you have. Look at the prices paid for Neymar, Mbappe, Coutinho, Van Dijk, etc. etc. You could have gotten both Zidane and Christiano Ronaldo for what Mbappe cost. So, has Wenger’s spending in the past four years gone up compared to the increase in Chelsea’s in that period, or Liverpool, Man United, Man City? If not, the point is meaningless; if yes, to a significant degree, then your point may… Read more »
Like he’d be hired at one of those clubs. People talk about him like he’s running Arsenal on Sunday league wages. 200 mill a year, plus all the transfer fees.
if he was an honourable man, he would do the right thing and walk away
It would be far more honourable to take an objective view of how the club is performing and resign sacrificing the ~8m he’ll earn next season
Nobody doubts his love and commitment
If you love some(thing) set (it) free.
An honourable man would stand down if his club was in a spiral of decline, largely of his own making
2022, aw: i have always seen my contracts out. Groundhog day will never end!!!!
It’s dangerous to leave your contacts in, it damages your eyes. You can’t blame him for that.
[Shame there is an edit function – takes away the humour of someone writing contacts instead of contracts]
This should be his last season at Arsenal please.?This football club need fresh ideas and another direction
The Islington Gazzette wrote a good piece after the Forest defeat comparing Brian Clough to Wenger, and practically begging him not to make the same mistake Clough did. Some quotes… On Clough… “He was a young, charismatic, hungry manager, determined to remake the face of domestic football – and succeeding for ten glorious years – as he transformed a moribund, listless club living on past glories into one of the best teams England and Europe had seen.” “Clough in his pomp was box-office. When he spoke everyone listened.” “Fans saw his sad demise through the prism of an underachieving club… Read more »
But you know what? You’ve been sacked before and if that’s the only option then that’s what has to be done. Does it smell bad? Oh it stinks, but we can’t let the rot continue next season.
never finished outside of top 4
never lost in the 3rd round of the FA Cup
first time for everything
These are disasters, never happened to any another manager.
Or we are spoilt.
We have won more trophies in the last 4 years than Sp*rs in 36 years.
that wasn’t my point at all
Don’t compare us to Sp*rs, we’re above that and always have been.
Other than last season in the league…
Well said frank but this is what’s happening I guess, our club is deteriorating faster than we can lower our standards.
As if there’s only two teams in the league we have to finish above instead of 19.
Frank, there was a time many years ago when they regularly (not every year but quite often) ended the season above us.
If he wants to stay, the minimum requirement this season would be making the top 4, which I believe we can do if we manage this transfer window well. Our first 11 haven’t played as much as other rivals players because of Wenger’s good rotation in the cups so we could still be quite fresh when/if the fatigue kicks in for other top 4 candidates.
Would prefer a new manager though, hard to trust Wenger with the rebuild.
If we manage this transfer window well… Hahahaha
Problem is our first 11 have been performing in fits and spurts thus far. Even more inconsistent than last year. I have all but given up hope of top 4 this season, even though we’re not that far behind. We’ve just not looked very convincing, not looked sharp or prepared. Sadly that is down to the manager. If he sees out his contract I hope we don’t go through the same old shit we did last season. We need a decision to be made so everyone knows where they stand and who is coming in. If that is Ancelloti then… Read more »
I don’t trust Wenger with our budget anymore ..
I wonder what is the most safest job in the world. Forbes should say it – Manager of arsenal. No matter what, nobody questions you. You can have decades of failure, still you are paid highest of all managers in the world. Good job Arsene.You are not only a joke but a biggest failure in football.
Decades? Highest paid manager? Biggest failure in football? Are you under the age of 11?or just start supporting arsenal after wenger won us stuff in the first half of his tenure? He’s been here 2 decades, the first of which he could be described as the only rival to SAF over at utd, and the reason the pl overtook serie a as the league to watch. Idk how much pep and Jose are on but I bet it’s close to wengers salary if not more and he’s been at the same company for 20 years. He’s a bigger failure than… Read more »
Your comments could have been spot on up to year 2009 (5 years of tolerated failures). We’re talking 15 years now with no league title.
How much would he have won without George Grahams players? The defence and Ray Parlour, oh and DBNO10 ? his record for the first ten years was very good though not on a par for trophies against years in the job with Grahams 6 trophies in 8 years including a European pot ! The last ten years are saved from being complete failures by 3 FA Cup wins ! Graham lost only 2 cup finals Wenger has lost against Liverpool, Chelsea, Birmingham, Galatasary and Barcelona and only in the game against eventually relegated Birmingham were we behind ! His tenure… Read more »
Do you really think the next manager will be shown half the tolerance?
Nope, and I don’t expect him to.
I’m done with wenger too, but he should be more respected by our fans as much as any player who left the club for greener pastures…
He’s not respected because he doesn’t respect the fans. He’s arrogant and smug, which is fine if you are winning but when you play shit football and lose then you’re fucked.
Oh fuck me upside down if we have to go a season again with media asking whether arsene is going to stay after his contract expires for the whole of next season .Didn’t he say it is detremental for the club when there is uncertainity around him.If he say’s he is never going to walk away from a contract now,do pls clarify beforehand whether it’s his last season or we will be served the same shitpile till 2021!
bugger
I’ve never walked away from free beer.
The way he’s being treated is a shame and I cannot say anymore we are a classy club or have classy fans. Time and time again the board has shed all responsibility to Wenger and left him out to dry in the media. It’s hard for a lot of us to admit it but let’s be honest Wenger is the only one in the club right now that has a clue to what the fuck is going on! We all point the finger at him not looking further into the failures of the likes of Gazidis, Keswick etc. Just look… Read more »
I feel like people aren’t even bothering to read what I have to say but just down vote on the fact I said One Arsene Wenger at the end in capitals which is a shame.
I don’t think that’s the case. I think people just don’t agree with your line of thinking. The only thing you pointed out to prove that Wenger is great is that our out going transfers are terrible and that that is the fault of the board. What about player development? Team selection (Nottingham Forest third round of the FA Cup and not having anyone on the bench comes to mind), transfers in? Press conferences? Are we to lay all of that on the board? I personally think the board had plenty to answer for, but so does Arsene. However we… Read more »
We all read, don’t worry.
You’re getting thumbs down b/c people don’t agree with you – not b/c of your hashtag. Wenger literally runs every aspect of the footballing side of Arsenal. The total lack of a coherent squad building plan, the failure to sign replacements for Sanchez – a player who everybody and their brother knew wanted to leave and who now are selling for peanuts, the failure to address squad failings year after year, etc – those are 100% on Wenger and not on the board. The only thing the board is guilty of is not sacking Wenger it became obvious he couldn’t… Read more »
I would have to agree with you on this, I don’t think its everyone else’s fault though.
no one wants to read one giant block of text…
your argument also seems one sided or 100% wenger IN.
whereas I feel your point was more like mine above, in that wenger deserves more respect than is being shown by some fuckwits who have had enough of their mates bragging they won the league more recently.
Really admire your passion for the man, but some of you Wenger die-hards have got it twisted.
You think Wenger should stay another year and a half in peace, not realising that some of the fans finally speaking up about wanting him to step down have felt that way for 4 or 5 years and been mostly quiet about it.
I didn’t even get to the end before I thumbed it down tbh.
Gazidis has started making changes and Wenger shows he is against all this. Statements like what does a Director of Football do? We knew every single player in Europe before Minlinstat came in.
A few ago it was Wenger and not the board who decided not to buy a single outfield player, the only club in top 5 divisions of Europe. Please don’t be so blinkered, the board are a joke but it’s wenger who has assembled a squad with far to many players that are not good enough.
Pretty sure it wasn’t the board that made Wenger persist with Walcott for 12 years.
I read your first sentence and straight away downvoted u….He is a legend but he needs to be sacked!!
Please leave it out ! The board don’t pick.the team they don’t coach (or not) the defence they don’t motivate (or not) the players, they don’t identify transfer targets or decide who we keep or sell or decide on match tactics (or not) Ranieri managed a bascially championship side to the premier league title as we bottled our challenge and got 2nd place by default as the scum nawsed up their final game! The board tried to force through change but Wenger petulantly resisted while promising to buy in the summer he bought one player while overseeing the complete train… Read more »
We’re gonna hear this a lot from now on. “Managed for 21 years, never walked away from a contract blah blah blah.”
Tired already
And there are STILL Wenger supporters out there… you seriously couldn’t make it up. We can’t even sell out a cup semi at home to Chelsea anymore, thousands of seats left, fans deserting the club in droves, all due to one ancient dinosaur and his blind disciples.
for fuck sake, might aswell write off next season aswell
If that’s the case, hopefully the board will do the business. We simply cannot keep him as manager until the end of his contract, it will be too damaging.
We won’t challenge with Wenger – the past few years should have made it blindingly obvious to people that even with the star signings he has too many failings to succeed. That said I feel good for the first time in a long time that the club is heading away from the Wenger controls everything to a proper structure. The Malcom and Pavon possible signings have Mittelstat all over them. Sanheli is a great addition as the past few years Wenger has completely lacked a coherent plan for squad building. It seems from the outside Gazidis has quietly stripped Wenger… Read more »
Mittelstat?
sven mislintat – I for the life of me simply can’t spell his last name correctly
“Of course there’s nothing to stop the board making a change in the summer if they feel it’s required, but much will depend on how the rest of this season goes”
I do have to wonder what it would take for either Wenger to resign or the board to relive him from duty. Most fans would agree another season without CL football would be unacceptable, however given Arsenal’s financial performance it may look acceptable in the eyes of Kronke…
Sad times.
Don Arsenio Aah ??
There is at least one thing to stop the board, which is that the owner has a controlling stake and a decision by the board against his wishes is meaningless, which I suspect the board is well aware of.
The manager has a two-year contract; I think it likely that he will fulfill it.
Frankly I respect Arsene. I would love a new manager , like Leo Jardim for instance, or Simeone to inject some much needed efficiency.But he is taking so much stick nowadays it is just insane . Fans compare him to Pochettino and Klopp and thats’ just crazy given how much he has contributed to the Game and am not even talking about trophies . If i was him I would have resigned and say fuck off to all and leave the mess to the board. And when he was at his peak he chose to stay , he probably regrets… Read more »
I love and respect my grandfather but I don’t think he is the most handsome man on planet anymore. He could have married all those model girls at the time but he stuck with my grandmother but that doesn’t make him handsome as of today; just for lol.
Hope they do sack him asap #fingerscrossed
We are not going to get anywhere near winning the Europa League. Welcome to the next 18 months everyone…
So sad that in 2018 this pathetic farce is still carrying on. Wenger is finished as a top manager; the only people who don’t accept this are his mad followers and Wenger himself. For the good of Arsenal Football Club this man has to go. The sooner the better. Personally, I don’t give a mierde about his pride in never walking away from a contract. This narcissistic man cares more about himself than the club: that’s why he’ll NEVER resign. Don’t be fooled by that bullshit. Let’s just hope that the owner shows some common sense and boots him out… Read more »
It’s baffling really, it is still all about him. HE never broke a contract, HE never walked away, HIS fear of retirement. What about the club for a change?
Blogs- do all comments get moderated or do you have a list of certain people? I’ve never had a comment rejected but the past few have said awaiting to be moderated
With all due respect, knowing when it’s time to go adds dignity to a man’s exit and that’s in any walk of life. Wenger’s time is long overdue.
Says more about how much he’s being paid than anything else.
I have immense respect for what he’s done in the past and would prefer to avoid an ugly ending but if we won’t resign he should be fired. Tonight.
Why would he walk away from the best paid job in football
Because he has more than he could ever spend and I don’t think it’s about the money anyway. He is obsessed to the point where sacrificed everything for football and Arsenal. He has nothing else in his life, not even a family anymore, and he doesn’t know how to walk away.
I’d ‘honour’ my £10m a year contract too……
Two things cannot happen at the same time. We can’t indulge Wenger’s grand vision of retiring gracefully at the time of his choosing, and also be a hyper-competitive club responding quickly to the challenge laid down by our competitors.
So go on Arsene, knock yourself out and stay til 2020. Everyone says you’ve earned it. But let’s face facts – you’re able to respect your Arsenal contract because the Arsenal board judges you partly on how much money the club makes, not what the team achieves on the pitch.
What manager has ever walked away from a contract? Maybe I’m naive but I have not heard it before.
His statement doesn’t hold.
I am as frustrated as the next guy but deviation from his classic response would create the precise fanfare he is trying to avoid.
Why should you?? Because you’re in danger of destroying your legacy. For the good of the club. The list goes on…
Please go you sad old man.
Essentially no one is going to sack him even if there is a complete disaster which in our case will maybe be no CL no cups but hardly relegation or below mid-table like Chelsea some seasons back. What people have to understand is this contract is likely his last. He is 68yrs. Even if he should fail to reach his (very high) minimum standard he has achieved for last 20years (minus last season), he will use the last season on contract to transition in a new manager. My feeling is he is waiting for 2018 world cup. The National job… Read more »
Well I hope he does stay, the guys a legend.
I’ve always been pro Wenger, but genuinely would love to have ancelotti come and take the riens. We’ve become a bit of a joke of a club in recent seasons and this season is actually turning in to worst of all!! I don’t feel all the blame is Wenger but that aside, all we get is the same tired repeated message time and time again! Always respect my contract without giving any insight to the actual situation! We’re not interested in that player currently, when in fact we are and are trying to do a deal, every club but ours… Read more »
Learn to moonwalk. Then everyone is happy and you have some moved to take back to Strasbourg. Shamon!
I hope Diego Simeone is our next coach. I feel like he could get some order in the squad and get us back to winning ways
Neither have I when I’m on £6M a year.
Ironically, the honourable thing to do is to walk away, so please do.
“Wenger: I’ve never walked away from a contract” The above is debatable to say the least. For authoritative accounts of the truth, see Rees, Jasper (2014). Wenger: The Legend. London: Short Books. ISBN 1-78072-220-6. 1. When he was manager of AS Nancy, he entered into negotiations with Monaco during the summer of 1986 to become their manager, but Nancy chairman Gérard Rousselot refused to release Wenger from his contract, and Monaco were not prepared to offer compensation. 2. Subsequently, when Franz Beckenbauer approached Monaco in the summer of 1994 seeking to take their manager to Bayern Munich, Wenger went to… Read more »
I like, no sorry, liked Wenger, have respect for him, but I want Conte…. before it’s too late. Unless Allegri becomes available after a season at Chelsea. It’s the perfect opportunity to get another top level manager at the top of his game. Time to walk Arsene.
Wenger I love you but you were trying to give Alex overrated-Chamberlain 180 p/w
That’s not doing the best for Arsenal
We now have Sylvester welbeck as an option upfront.
Please resign while you still can Arsene
“So in every single decision I make what is right for the club” – Stopped believing that a long long time ago.
Hey blogs how come I am constantly moderated?
This is why I’m dubious when people say they think it’s his last season. He’s always been pretty adamant that he’ll see out any contract and this board won’t sack him.
Now is the time to walk away Wenger while arsenal have the chance of getting a decent manager of Anchlotti in. Do what’s best for the club and go please.
Expect him to go if we don’t make the Champion’s League places. Too many ‘upstairs’ changes coming in so here’s hoping he FINALLY goes! Thanks for the memories but we’re well off the pace and AW needs another challenge… Suport the team and not the individual.