Arsene Wenger’s future won’t be decided until the end of the season, according to the BBC’s David Ornstein although the boss has hinted he may decide earlier.
Arsenal’s latest crushing defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich has seen speculation mount that the Frenchman could draw an end to his 20-year tenure at the club this summer even though a new two-year deal is understood to be on the table from the board.
Wenger has stubbornly refused to talk about whether he’ll sign a new deal when questioned by the British press. However, on Tuesday night (before the 5-1 defeat) he told German television station ZDF that a decision could be made in March or April. Whether his verdict is then made public remains to be seen.
___
A snippet of the ZDF interview translated by @LGAmbrose…
All football fans are asking whether you’ll be on the bench for Champions League again next season.
AW: That’s the problem with age! I think the only interesting thing is that Arsenal play well tomorrow. I’m happy as manager and happy at Arsenal, and we’ll see how that (tomorrow) goes
When will you decide?
AW: March/April probably.
And it is still completely open?
AW: Always
___
It’s been rumoured that the Gunners hierarchy has drawn up a list of potential candidates to succeed Wenger, although owner Stan Kroenke would prefer the 67-year-old to stay. The likes of Max Allegri, Ralph Hasenhüttl, Thomas Tuchel, Diego Simeone and Eddie Howe have all made been linked in recent months.
Any departure will obviously bring with it huge upheaval. An unavoidable shadow will be cast over the future of first team players, backroom staff and potentially higher up the food chain at board level. Has enough groundwork been done to prepare ourselves? Is Arsene ready to pass on the baton? Are the board strong enough to cope without him? Could they even change tact and nudge him towards a departure? Will he sign a new deal?
There are so many unanswered questions right now.
Whatever we do, we need to look at ManU and understand that the transition is not to be taken lightly.
Top 4 is never guaranteed.
God forbid we don’t qualify for the magical Champions League!
It’s not that mate, quality players want to play in the Champions League and it makes our life incredibly more difficult to sign them if we can’t offer CL football.
It needs to be highlighted that both Chelsea and United have quality players, and neither club is in the CL.
Highlight their transfer budgets and wage structures while you’re at it.
Most of their players joined when they did play CL football.
All well and good signing them with the promise of CL football, but they’ve got to deliver the goods on the pitch.
yeah except manu just signed pogba, ibra and Makhtiwhatever…. its more about the ambition being showed by the club.. It’s such a cliche that the best players only go to teams in CL… well, in that case there would’ve never been a Chelsea or Man City.. Oh, but they offered a lot of money to these players.. the players were mercs.. players like Lampard, Drogba, Aguero, Silva, Toure… world class fucking mercs.. We are much better than that.
The worry isn’t that we do a Man Utd, but that we do a Liverpool. 27 years without a title, is it?
Don’t worry, we’re already 12 years in. Just 15 more to go.
But Liverpool won the CL or AC Milan handed it to them.
Man U were perennial winners! We ain’t! The worse thing that can happen with a new manager is that we drop out of the top 4 and that could very well happen this season!
Exactly, Man U were champions and tumbled down to 7th place. We could be even worse depending on the manager we get and I’m talking mid-table. Scary times ahead for The Arsenal but the risk will have to be taken. Arsene has run out of steam.
The scariest position is one below sp*rs
There are lots of good managers out there Arsene had his time it’s time for new ideas come on guys we need change we won 2 cups in 10 years
There is also a lot of history of supposedly ‘good managers’ that turned out as failures, especially when joining bigger clubs.
4th is a load of bollocks.Take a look at Chelsea
How about a manager who is extremely good at an organising a defence? I think that’s the most urgent need right now, and the results and league table positions will follow.
tactics!!! We never seem to have any. We should have played for a 0-0 scoreline yesterday away from home. We tried to open the game up and got caught every bloody time. 3 CBs with Bellerin and Gibbs as wingbacks would have been a better strategy.
Argh!!! I think I am the angriest man on the Internet now, haha.
Played for a 0-0? Have you watched our defense this season? Not to mention against this Munich team… Plus away goals are a huge deal in the CL. We’ve learned that the hard way.
Away goals really are important. A 2-1 loss would not have been terrible. Hell, looking back, a 3-1 loss isn’t impossible to come back from either.
Old red nose jumped ship when there was fuck all left. I wish people would stop using them as a marker. Squad just needs a touch up and a fresh set of ideas, plus defensively organised wouldn’t hurt to much either.
“Old Red nose” actually went out having won the PL again, a feat that Wenger wants to hang around to replicate. ORN mistake was in selecting a poor successor who did not have the same respect from his players.
The touch up, ideas and organisation referred to will not occur with Wenger in charge. It may be that his successor will do a “Moyes” but the stagnation we face otherwise is frightening.
please mate enough with this transition business .we transitioned 2007 and we way past it now and no better off. besides we can only get better as a club we’ve been down for 12 years
Too true Dajeff. Dropping out of the top 4 would be a massive problem for Arsenal. We’re not United (by far the biggest, richest and most commercially successful club in the country, only rivalled by Barca and Real), and we don’t have the external financial backing of Chelsea. We rely on commercial deals, TV & prize money and gate receipts. Our commercial deals are crap in comparison to our rivals and we are locked into the major ones for a couple years still, which leaves leave the other three main revenue streams. If we drop out of the Champions League… Read more »
I call BS on this… every freaking club in the history of freaking football has changed managers.. there may have been a few disasters but if all of them were such disasters, there would never be any changes in football… We are so freakin afraid of change that we keep preaching mediocirty… what is it with us Arsenal fans… oh, things could get worst… they aren’t all that great anyway man!!! for fuck sake
Agreed. The best indication of our problem is that fans of other teams actually want Wenger to continue for another 20 years.
Following George Graham’s departure (and short reign of Rice) Bruce Rioch’s departure was made quickly by a footballing board advised by a knowledgeable CEO who brought Wenger in. Rioch hadn’t been too bad – he signed DB10 after all – but it was identified that he was not the one to take the team forward.
We now need to the same.
Fans of other clubs actually want Wenger to stay because they like the football, the morals, the honesty and the integrity. A big reason plenty don’t support Arsenal first is geography!
And he said not one word about Wenger staying. He gave a detailed account of what life outside the CL would be like.
Not for one second am I saying changing manager would be a disaster, my point is that it would be disastrous for Arsenal to not qualify for the Champions League.
It is not about the 4th place anymore. It’s about Arsenal challenging the big boys or at least getting close to winning the league. I love what Arsene has done for Arsenal, but it is embarrassing losing the way we do sometimes. Every good team does lose badly sometimes but we do it on a regular basis. We have become accustomed to it. We think of Arsenal as a big club, but 4th place does not make us one. Is is only the truth. Unfortunately Wenger’s legacy is dying, just because he is being stubborn as he will always be.… Read more »
Bring on march but wish he could take kroenke with him.
Yep, and with that in mind, I think our best choices to stay around the top is to try and get Diego Simeone or Massimo Allegri.
I have more faith in Diego, only for the reason that his team always competes at the top in a tougher league than Massimo, and that they have been in the CL final a couple of times recently.
But im sure both would be fine.
Man United signed up Moyes, then Van Gaal. Anyone could see Moyes was a huge gamble because he had never managed a big team, and had never won anything. As for Van Gaal, he was an awful manager, despite what anyone says.
Our situation is completely different to Man United’s. We are not replacing someone who has won the title in the past few years. We are replacing a top 4 manager.
Love the man but the lack of clarity either way doesn’t benefit the club at all.
The decision was made yesterday – by the fans.
I will always adminre what you’ve done for this club Arsene.
Just don’t extend it.
The only way fans get a say in the club is season ticket renewals. And there was a waiting list for those despite losing the title to Leicester.
If Arsene stays and they dont sell out the stadium, then maybe fan outrage counts for something. Til then it’s just a massive circlejerk.
The fans get a say if the atmosphere of the stadium itself turns hostile for the home team. I think a few banners here and there earlier left a message. But banners everywhere will have to force someone’s hand surely? Surely?
Thing is that waiting list is around 90,000 people long, if you don’t renew they’ll just get bought up by someone else and you’re put to the back of the 20 year queue and a red membership at best. STs are just numbers to the club’s balance sheet, they know someone will pay, and most holders are stuck in this vicious cycle of ownership so never give them up.
Not to say I disagree with the notion, but why do so many fans seem to believe their opinion matters when it comes to Arsenes contract?
We’ve been here before haven’t we?
do the right thing. we have been stagnant for too long. nothing is guaranteed but it’s time for change either way
It is time for change though and not just at the top. Several of the players need to start justifying their ridiculous wages, several need to be shown the door and we can’t replace AW (ie a man who does it all with another man who does it all) we need a new coach, manager and guy to look after transfers.
Be nice if we could just win the FA cup so he could go out on a high.
To be fair, Arsene had a chance to go out on a high winning the FA Cup in 2014 & should have taken it then. I said then that I wanted him to go because it was clear he wasn’t going to win the league again & the longer he stayed the harder it would be a) for him to leave with the gratitude & love he deserves and b) for his successor to get us back to the top. Everything since then has suggested I was right. We’ve wasted a lot of money in the transfer market on Arsene’s… Read more »
If you said then…
Castigate anyone who dared to call for Arsene to go when it wasn’t popular……and then when almost everyone has come around to thinking that way, cast doubt that anyone ever did back then…..and then people wonder why Gooners are such a split group these days ? Tragic really.
Have to agree with all you’ve said Tony. Some of these players earning far more than there worth. A bit of tweaking to the squad , and a more modern approach from a management point of view needed,i.e. A coach AND “director of football” .
If Eddie Howe comes in I will cry very real tears.
George Graham had never managed in a higher division.Within 3 years he made us league champions
Arsenal need a change from top to bottom.Have we moved on inch forward since we left Highbury.The answer is no
George Graham situation was once upon a time, doesn’t mean it will work in this era. Just like how Arsene won the league undefeated once upon a time… doesn’t mean he’s still the best man for the job.
One of my biggest fears. No ability to attract top class players. We would end up with harry arter and benik afobe making a sensational return.
We should bring in joachim low. Get the best out of Ozil and the germans.
I just cant see us touching simeone.
seriously, Howe might be worse at organizing defense than Wenger. Not what we need.
No matter where you stand on the Wenger In or Wenger Out stance, the day he leaves, will be a seismic day in the history of the club. It will be hard to leave emotions behind and I think I will truly feel sad when he goes. I really hoped the two FA Cups would spur us on, but we have fallen in another rut now. Time to call it a day. In hindsight, we will all remember those scintillating performances against Inter Milan and Real Madrid away, demolishing Everton 7-0 with the Bergkamp masterclass, the way Henry turned the… Read more »
Very true! It will be sad to see him go on such a low. That’s why I don’t think the process should be rushed, all the work will have been a waste. I respect that man a lot to see him accused of being incompetent because some real scum have learnt to use social media and freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is over rated! Some speak out of their arse and some listen with their mouths. I will always be a fan of Arsene’s Arsenal and no one can take that away.
Wenger is and will always be a legend and an inspiration. He is just a classy man. I would like our supporters to put down their banners out of respect and the pundits, or whatever you call them, on Arsenal fan tv to speak with less emotion. Sowing discord amongst fans contributes to a negative atmosphere that puts pressure on players. We can critique with respect.
We are going to have to make the post wenger step someday and it should be at the end of the season, I think.
“..contributes to a negative atmosphere that puts pressure on players. We can critique with respect”. You do realise that for the last 3 games, the player that has been given the most pressure by the fans going into the game has also put in the best shift on the pitch? (eg: Ox & Ospina). Just food for thought. Also why should we “critique with respect” a player that really can’t be arsed to show any respect in return. Yes, I know it was an away game in Munich, but regardless of the Chelsea result, the players had the fan base… Read more »
‘pundits’ on arsenal fan TV? More like a rabble of potty-mouthed blowhards
Its 8 years too late.He should have gone in 2009.We havent really challenged since 2008.Wenger’s claim that 4th was a trophy would have got him sacked at any other to club in Europe
7 years getting knocked out of the CL at the same stage stinks of blind incompetence.We are in 2017 not 2004
Some of our dopey fans wont let go of Wenger like a baby wont let go of the tit
Chances are we will get worse before we get better once he goes, but I’m ready for that. I just need a different narrative.
Wenger to make one more signing this summer: Julian Nagelsmann. Then he can move upstairs.
Just curious – does anyone fancy making a case for why they think Arsene should stay?
Great question! I’m looking forward to the replies, if any.
Since it’ll be such a massive change, give him a one year contract to get a proper succession plan in place and get everything in order, instead of rushing it all in the summer
That’s the best I can come up with, but personally I think it’s time to step aside
If the presidency of the United States can be handed over with 2 months notice i don’t know why we need a year to get a new football manager.
Wenger should man up and announce his retirement now and that way the board can line someone up to step into the job the day after he leaves.
Arsenal are a world class football club and i expect them to appoint world class professionals to replace Wenger, it’s not that difficult.
Yeah lets have more more yeah of pain.Maybe yo can talk Sanchez into staying and Ozil to turn up for a big game.I know what why dont we give Wenger a job for life.He only leaves when he dies
Some of our fans have been brainwashed to expecting failure.
Just a thought….why not move Wenger into the position of director of football for the next 2 years and then bring in a new manager to focus on the team i.e.Thomas Tuchel from Dortmund! He can focus on the football side while the transition in the board of directors carries on in the background. A suitable replacement can then be moved in for Wenger’s last year to provide as little disturbance to the team as possible!
Antony. He should stay cos he helps make me a shit ton of cash every year. Hugs, Stan
Dear Stan, FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s a pretty tough job on this forum after such a beating. I want him to stay until he does a epl, champions league double and I don’t think we’re a million miles off. So many teams had barca as favourites for this year and they got spanked too. It’s fucking hard work to be an Arsenal fan sometimes but the reason I am is because of the way we play football. When everything falls into place it’s a sight to behold. I’m also old and I really like the loyalty between board, manager and players, the trouble obviously is… Read more »
I think he should stay as director to help out with transfers and football decisions, but leave the coaching to someone else now…
I’d like to see AW stay because I don’t think there are many better managers than him around. I trust his skills and his vision for the club feels right despite the fact that we haven’t won the league in many years. Arsenal was never a club that dominated English football for decades (except in the 30s). I don’t believe a new manager will make us a dominant force. AW has as much a chance as the next manager has of winning trophies. Having said that, I’d like to see the owners step up and start to invest in the… Read more »
It’s Groundhog Day. You know the script…. We’ll win 8 and draw 2 of our last 10 finishing above Spurs on the final day after they hilariously lose 6-0 to Hull. Everyone will then say Arsene has learnt his lesson and he’ll sign a new 2yr deal. We’ll then twiddle our thumbs all summer and finally decide to buy some new players on transfer deadline day after we lose out first two games and AFTV goes crazy for a change. Walcott will then score a few goals and tell us how great he is before signing a new 5yr deal,… Read more »
Time for change is needed. I love the man and it’ll pain me to see him go, but it’s just beyond a joke now…
Hopefully he leaves this summer with his head held high after winning the FA cup (I hope), and he takes Walcott, Coquelin, Gibbs and Ramsey with him.
The only ‘rinse and repeat’ ad nauseam is your type of post, riddled with all the clichés and half truths from the anti-Wengerites
One thing is for certain…we need a very good technical director when Wenger leaves. The board is truly shit and have been made to look good by Wenger. On the pitch, Wenger is shit tactically. I’m sorry, there is absolutely no excuse for him to lose 5-1 with the team we have. I said earlier we could get something out this game if Wenger thought outside of box or get thrashed if he was predictable. He did what we expected him to do…Disgraceful. No balls at all…he doesn’t take risks anymore, he doesn’t try out new things. He’s gone stale.… Read more »
Trez, not sure I can agree we have been “shit” for 8 years. AW has produced a level of consistency never seen before at Arsenal. He has produced teams the like of which we may never see again at Arsenal. He has transformed how the club is viewed by players, fans, & other clubs globally. I think the man deserves more respect than he gets than certain sections of the fanbase & media give him. BUT…the time has come for a change. The unfailing familiarity of what happened last night & at Chelsea proves that. We are a top 10… Read more »
There certainly may be a few that would be better off elsewhere, but what i really want to see if the change happens is someone that will put a little fucking fire into the players we have the way Conte and Klopp have. I get the feeling we don’t know what some of them are actually capable of.
That is my biggest complaint about Wenger and what I feel is the missing piece. We’re not getting that proud, disciplined, structured strength and swagger out of our players that should always be there for a team the magnitude of the Arsenal.
Its like the end for a long affair sad tearfull but inevitable and unfortunly messy
Its more like having a relationship without the sex
I think we are now at a stage where regardless of what side of the fence you find yourself on – it’s pretty clear that a change is necessary for this club to move forward (even if it does cause some initial steps backwards). Enormous respect for the man, he will always be a sporting icon for me; but this footballing landscape doesn’t need le professeurs anymore.
Why can’t he leave now, why wait till end of the season? Leave us now and save our season plz…
At this point what do you think will save the season? Chelsea seen to have the league wrapped up, Europe is as good as done, so it’s down to the VS cup and top 4 which Wenger has a great chance of achieving already
Nothing needs to be saved… there is nothing to play for_ bar the wengert 4th place trophy which means nothing for fans given the perennial failure ( 20 years) in the UCL. Finishing 4th is not an achievement, it has never been an achievement. Thats why we need to get rid of Wenger now- this mentality that finishing 4th every year is good enough is not acceptable for a club like Arsenal. The mentality will only change when Wenger is gone.
If you think the board are going to start demanding success then think again.
They’ll demand relative success though, surely? By that, I mean finishing top 4 and getting Champions League football.
They may not know football, but they’re not stupid. Lack of ‘success’ means lack of CL prize money/TV money and (more importantly) lack of exposure to a global viewing audience, which equals advertising/sponsorship revenues being decimated.
I know that what I’m saying is that they won’t push for anything above top 4, but logically if we have a manager that is good enough to get us top 4 we’ll be doing no worse than we currently are, and hopefully more.
(I hope.)
Your views on Usmanov blogs? He talks the talk and makes the owner of that small club in Fulham look like a pauper.
He’s powerless as long as Kroenke holds his shares, and Kroenke will never sell to Usmanov.
http://news.arseblog.com/2016/08/alisher-usmanov-could-sell-arsenal-stake-to-take-over-at-everton/
So were stuck with stan then. Feel sorry for the next boss already.
Champions League is still important. If Arsenal is already in an upheaval turning over to a new coach, but we want quality players, Champions league is a big factor. If we look like we’re likely to spin down to mid table and could be there a while attracting big talent will be twice as difficult and much more expensive.
Someone’s mention of Liverpool above is exactly what we should be careful of.
I’m very ,very grateful for all the hard work the boss has done and I’m sure lots has gone on that us fans know nothing about behind the scenes , but we can only judge him on what we see and hear. It is very clear the players have let him down time and time again over the last ten years , but you have to ask why this keeps happening with different sets of players. Wenger is famous for letting players reach their own conclusions on things , and when you factor in that most players these days are… Read more »
Would you give Wenger a spot on the board to help the transition, or go for a clean break?
And if he leaves where do you think he’ll go? Another management job on the continent? Maybe a national team, I’m sure England would still love to take him, or France
Winning(!) the FA cup will just delay the change needed. Am sick of pundits saying things like careful what you wish for. They are not paying the most expensive ticket prices in Europe for regular embarrassment
Simeone, please. We need someone to kick the team into any kind of fighting shape. We can’t change the whole team, but a manager that’s vocal and isn’t afraid to call out players is something we could use, not just right now, but in the future as well
What If Wenger came out and said i’ll stay BUT i need Help . Help from staff ,help from the Board , i need this type of person, this type of support , this player ,that player. He must be killing inside but to proud to admit that it aint working anymore.!
Hold your horses. We still got 2nd leg to play. We might put up a good fight…and who knows. We got FA Cup to play too. We are not going to lose that game. I know some fans will love us to lose that too. Shit fans!! 14 PL games to play. Support your team. If you cant please go away. Too much shit. Saying Bournemouth will play better against Bayern Munich. That is shit coming from a fan. Go away. I will support them to the end. Win, lose or draw!! The rest of you who want change. Fuck… Read more »
Hey. We’re all allowed opinions mate. Doesn’t mean we support the team any less than you.
As for the rest of it, there are 13 games left in the league, and even if we take 39 points (unlikely) Chelsea would win if they keep picking up points at the rate they have been over the season. In terms of the CL, only seven teams have ever turned around a 2 goal first leg deficit. 1 team has turned around a 3 leg deficit. Number of teams to turn around 4 goal deficit = 0. I’m all for optimism, but that’s a stretch. You can love Arsenal, respect what Arsene’s done, but still want him to walk… Read more »
“The rest of you who want change fuck off” how ironic! Suppose those who are complaining that we aren’t challenging for the league should fuck off as well right! How dare people want their team to do well….outrageous
So to be an Arsenal fan you have to blindly follow a manager who has failed to challenge for the league only once in 13 years and in Europe has been a complete failure in 20 years.Fans who disagree with how the club is being run dont have a voice
Welcome to North Korea
so eloquently put.
Why can’t someone say “Bournemouth would play better against Bayern Munich” if it happens to be true? Please don’t blame the fans for that as it is the club (Board, manager & players) that made it that way. Bournemouth might not win, & NO ONE is actually suggesting they would. However, they would put in a shift as they would view CL as a novelty, & therefore make the effort. Our lot (major shareholder down to the players) view it as a right or entitlement & it’s not. There is no desire to actually win it from the top of… Read more »
Is that you Ty??
We should be embracing change. The days of one manager doing everything are long gone, Arsenal footbally are way behind other clubs. It’s time for the board to show their hand and long term plans for the club, do they want sustained mediocrity for another couple of years or do they want Arsenal to be successful and drag us into the present. It’s not just Arsene you are replacing, it’s coaches & key staff and I can’t wait. Get rid of Yes men like Banfield, Boro Primarac & Gerry Payton. Every keeper Payton has had under him has got worse.… Read more »
Pedants Anonymous here, Mr Bloggs; it’s change ‘tack’ not ‘tact’ it’s a nautical allusion!
I know this will probably be unpopular but I’d be happy enough for Wenger to extend for 1/2 more years on the condition it’s his last and that he will assist in the transition. In the meantime he needs to show a willingness to do things differently for that to work and to earn that opportunity, but I think that stability would really help in the long run. Also that clarity will help unite the fan base a bit more than what we have now.
I think anything in the way of an extension will only polarise the fan base further.
Extensions will only prolong the inevitable: going out with an underachieving whimper without a bang in sight.
It obviously needs a change but I have a fear that a seismic shift could have long lasting negative consequences. I wonder what people would think if they bring in a new team around Wenger now, a successor to work alongside him for the first year and take the reigns in the next. One of our old players, too soon for TH? Bring Arteta back? Or Francis Jeffers? hes a clever lad, he’ll pick it up quick enough. We need to bring the pride back. Its fair to say that in the current era players play for the money and… Read more »
Wow, I never realised his German is actually better than his English. I’ve been one of his ever dwindling apologisers for a while now, I love him more than I’ve loved any Arsenal player (bar maybe Dennis and Cesc, but those are to a certain extent more for playing style and less for personality). Will be truly sad to see him go, but it’s time and I do hope he announces it as soon as possible.
He grew up in Alsace-Lorraine on the Franco-German border, German is his second language. English is his third.
I know, still he’s lived in England for 20 years (the last 20 years) and never in Germany, you’d expect his English to have evolved and his German to have stagnated to the point that the former is better than the latter. I guess it makes a massive difference what you learn at a young age.
Beside the results that are obviously the most important metric, it is an ultimate crappy and unprofessional behavior from the board and Wenger likewise. You can’t have the same manager for 20+ years and not know whether he’ll still be there in couple of months or not. You can not be the manager of the same club (that you love) for 20+ years without letting your beloved club know way in advance that you’re leaving. Unless… you’ve already decided long ago. So if we don’t get any breaking announcement from the club in coming 2-3 weeks, I am almost sure… Read more »
An announcement of such magnitude when there is quite a bit of the season to play is not the best approach. If Arsene really doesn’t know what he is going to do, it’s really unlike him. He probably knows the board probably knows. They have a timeline set for announcing it, us fans have to be patient.
Change is part of football every club goes through it and we’re no different, we have a long and proud history, it’s time to look forward and plan ahead,a new dawn is on the horizon. The club have previous in selecting a manager who perhaps was a bit under the radar. I do worry that our board would rather have a steady Eddie than a proven big time winner who might rock the boat, spend big money and change half the team.
Whatever happens it’s better to try than to stay as we are.
I can’t go all Wenger Out without knowing what I’m getting afterwards. There are plenty of managers out there that I would rather not have and keep Arsène instead. If we’re talking Simeone/Allegri level candidates, then perhaps it’s time to appoint one of them. But how will the rabid Wenger hounds feel if they achieve their dearest wish, and we end up with Alan Pardew?
I still reckon the mans man that is Big Sam is the man for the job. Big Sam will get us out of the rut. Big Sam knows!
Build a new team around the Ox.
Devising a successful succession plan could very well be his last great shake. I, for one, really hope it is. I’m unsure whether he’s qualified to do so but certainly seems the most qualified at the club at the moment.
Either way the bloke’s an Arsenal legend and when he goes we’ll be like all the rest. Like it or not; he’s a huge part of the club’s identity.
It’s hard for me to say, but it clearly is time that we need new leadership in the squad after so many lifeless performances this year. In all major sports there comes a time when the players stop listening to the coach/manager and paying it out there for him and that has clearly happened with this squad.
Personally I can’t see him leaving as long as he believes he can do the job. As much as most of us want the change I don’t see it happening this coming season. I think he will sign another contract (his last) and that will be it for him. So we might have to put up with more of the same for the foreseeable future. ?
I say put wenger as director or whatever we don’t have to be without him just because he can’t manage the team and the entire club.
It is time Wenger…thanks for the memories gaffa
Wenger must announce his “retirement” soon. This will quieten the “Wenger Out” fans and bring unity of purpose instead of scuffles amongst supporters at the grounds.
Fights amongst the fans is a very bad thing for the team if you consider the fans as part of a larger “team”
On the contrary! Arsenal supporters must look within, find their True identity; and do their duty to rid out the Wenger Out crowd! Haul the lot out of the stadium. Beat them bloody, be it a man, a woman, or a child.
Wenger is God.
Blessings be to him, for now and for ever.
Amen.
You can want him to leave whilst still acknowledging how important he has been to the history of the club, instead of being sarcastic and nasty.
Arsene for life!!!
May he have his final days with us; at age 104.
May he be buried underneath the kick off zone one day.
Arsen/al was made for you Arsen/e; and you for Arsenal. The name is not a coincidence. Your parents knew of destiny.
One Arsene Wenger!!!!
Our eternal manager. King of all managers.
Here’s the problem with this year’s FA Cup. All the PL teams drew lower teams this round which likely means many strong teams will remain and the road will be very difficult. To be honest, the way we are currently playing doesn’t fill me with confidence against any opponent.
The reason I think it will be Eddie Howie is because the board would love someone who they can sort of push around a bit. Someone who won’t threaten to leave when the club refuses to sign the big names that he might want. Have the board turned us into Everton?
They wouldn’t know when, where, why, or how to push a manager. But I do think they will be looking for someone that won’t call them out when decisions ($) are being limited by the board.
This is why they love him. He takes that heat for them and performs “good enough” for them.
Who cares about top four, it’s not as though we do anything with it. I’d accept 10th if the next season our season didn’t finish in Jan/Feb the season after.
SIF lost any connection with reality long time ago. I know that he wants to stay deep down. But he has no enough support for it.
On Wenger: It would be lovely to think that we have the ability to decide Arsene Wenger’s future with our angry sentiment but unless everyone united and either stopped attending home matches or made it so uncomfortable for him to be there but until such time it’s only Arsene who will decide. We’re not in freefall, however, we’re not going anywhere fast either and I do not see the players doing what the Chelsea lads did and giving less of a fuck than our current lot and getting him sacked – ironically let’s hope for Top 4 and a cup… Read more »
I’ve been going over Arsenal since the late 60’s and Wenger was responsible for the best football I’ve ever seen the team play but it’s no longer working. In light of what’s gone down over the last few years I’d like to see the club revert to character by shoring up the defence and winning one-nil. I found people hating Arsenal far more palatable than I do them laughing at us.
That post match interview on BT sport was one of the saddest things I’ve seen in football in a long time. I’ve felt Wenger should have gone a few years ago, he isn’t the manager he once was and you can’t keep giving someone the opportunity to turn around a situation when it’s clear they are no longer capable of doing so. There’s been some pretty horrible I’d even go as far as saying vile things said about Arsene, by so called fans who were very happy to worship him when trophies were coming thick and fast. These people seem… Read more »
@Neil G: well said.
High five…..Arsenè✋
Can you imagine if he leaves, goes to Barca and wins the Champion’s league next year by beating Arsenal in the finals? THAT WILL BE GUT RENCHING
This is a real possibility. There is no doubt in my mind that he would win a lot more trophies at one of Europe’s super clubs (Real, Barca, Bayern). The PL is the toughest, most competitive league in the world. We forget that too often.
Comment: KOSTAFI THAT IS TRUE. IN FOOTBALL EVERY THING IS POSSIBLE.
I can’t see Barcelona will pick him since he is similar with Enrique(Only have one tactic), Enrique failure tells us that you can’t survive in this football era without ability to adapt even when you have trio MSN upfront.
It will get worse before it gets better, but he still needs to go.
Yep
Comment: I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL RUN ON MUNICH. THIS IS FOOT BALL.
It’s not impossible. Players just have to turn up n play like how we should
Maybe the boards decision has something to do with the % of debt left over from the stadium, that remains to be paid off, and the likelihood of being able to pay it off/the length of time it will take to pay off if CL qualification isn’t guaranteed year on year.
Wenger guarantees CL qualification as a minimum.
Fans don’t own the club.. They r only lead to believe they have a stake. All fans will ever lose is bragging rights. But the management will lose money if ever they let Wenger go as manager.