16 May 2017 15:07:28
Max (and others)
Corrupt? No integrity? Really? Honestly?
Naïve, perhaps. Arrogant? Certainly. But to say he isn't acting primarily with the clubs best interest in mind to me means you e never listened to him or paid attention to what he does.
He has admitted conferences are often for him to communicate to the players. He doesn't believe in wasting money so won't spend £50m on stones when £5m on holding looks like an all round better way to spend the clubs money and doesn't support the crazy money he doesn't believe in. He wants to develop youth but wouldn't hinder their careers (i. e. wanting to keep gnabry but allowing him to leave as needed game time) . And how about his judgement Most on here ridiculed him for holding over stones and Ashley williams. Most wanted the ox gone last summer. And now? Xhaka not good enough. I wonder what the end of next season.
Chelsea, man u, city, Liverpool can all similarly expect their club to challenge for the league and champ league every season, so why do we have a divine right to win?
The biggest criticism I'd lay with arsene is that he hasn't experimented ebough with tactics, he's been too supportive of players that didn't reach their potential, and he worries too much about value when he should let others worry about that. That doesn't help us win the league but it shows far more integrity.
If I were the board, years ago I would've tasked him with a plan for his successor (might be ljungberg though? ) Right now i would say that he can only identify transfer targets and the club will determine the value etc and ideally issue performance related contracts. For me the board hasn't helped him or the club.
Criticise him but don't call him corrupt, lacking integrity or deluded. He makes mistakes and although consistently very good, Perhaps he's just been beaten by better teams/ managers/ budgets.
16 May 2017 15:33:14
Jim, as always I respect your right to air your opinion, but I cannot agree to your comments.
This is a man who simply bleats that life is unfair, when he is patently passed his sell-by date.
I have persistently said how grateful I am for him, what wonders he has done, but that is in the past. To complain about the integrity of the league is just a pitiful clutching at straws. We've not bene good enough to compete at the very highest level in the league. It's got little do with what everyone else is doing, influence what you have control over (your squad, your tactics, your players) not persistently whinge about how unfair life is.
Jeez, he is becoming a self parody and I find it staggering that there are still apologists for his blinkered stubborn "I am right, everyone else is wrong" attitude. He is like an aged relative, that is sadly suffering from Alzheimers. I love the man for his dedication, for what he has achieved, for so much. But for his own sanity, and ours, please go!
16 May 2017 17:01:00
I think the reality lies somewhere between. I have not read the corruption but so going by your word Jim but that's not the case in my opinion. However no integrity is completely correct. In the past wengers opinion on fairness and the like was spot on but he's been banging the same drum for years and in that time it's grown arms and legs like the comment about other teams been on Holliday etc. The rules are the same for everyone and the billionaires who have invested in other clubs in years gone by has undoubtedly affected our own chances! But that been said the same opertunity has been offered to use but the powers that be have knocked usmanov back and the likes of bracewell smith refused to sell to him and now we have kronke. In many ways we are a victim of our own success because at the time of investment we were a club that was an attractive money maker unlike chelski and abu Man City who were a yo yo club. But we can't be bitter and can't moan we can only look after our own side of the road and it has now got to the point where we are trying to play catch up with a drunk driver at the wheel. God forbid Wenger doesn't pull out some top end signings in the summer because it's going to be a colder season next year and the atmosphere will make this season look like a fortnight at Disney land.
16 May 2017 17:13:04
Holding has been a gem. For every holding you have a chambers. Higuain I feel was the one to bring the title home. He then had another chance with suarez both proved to be good value at prices quoted and we bottled it.
Gnabry wanted out when he ended up at Westbrom. I feel we will regret that one.
16 May 2017 17:14:53
I got to say Jim I find this post excellent. Really hit the nail on the head for me with the problems with arsene tactically and committing to players. Other than them things I do get disappointed and embarrassed with the treatment our fans give him at times. And players such as xhaka for example. He has improved the last 5 games it's funny how people have got quieter. Anyway great post and I do value everyone's opinion but I'm 100% in agreement with you here.
16 May 2017 17:33:28
Xhaka has been great of late but still not at a level that's going to bring us silverware. Someone said he's good on the ball and poor off it but he's very poor off it! He's desperate at times and his positioning is awful. But boy his long range passing is up there with the best. He's a bit like ozil in the sense that what he does well he does very well but when our backs are against the wall he's a passenger. If we get a stronger team around ozil then we're onto a winner but for xhaka to be pardoned he needs to sort out his off the ball antics because we could look at replacing him. For me if we don't cover bases needed in the transfer window and have to make the best in what we got then I'd be for moving ozil deeper and Ramsey in ozils possition. Oh god to be honest I don't really know we have so many incomplete players that have pluses and minuses in each possition. Wenger does like a jack of all trades and master of none.
16 May 2017 17:49:55
D xhaka is not good enough and was far too much money. I haven't gone quiet on him, he would have been a great buy at 10 mil but for 36 mil grossly over priced.
16 May 2017 17:58:19
I think he is week by week getting more and more embarrassing. He is alao planting his seeds in to peoples minds, to excuse his failures. He is a narcistic old man, who can't do it any more at the level required. Like all dictators his end will be nasty because they don't know when they are the problem and don't see it until the end is unsavoury.
16 May 2017 18:01:58
Jin, I do agree with your comments in some respects, and in particular over personal attacks on our manager. They can be pretty disrespectful to someone who is still our most successful manager, and at the end of the day its only football. However, on the other hand I do understand why people are getting completely frustrated as some of his actions and comments are just pushing people that way. For example, his silly cat and mouse games he is now playing at every press conference over his contract just infuriates. IMO the only reason he should be keeping quiet on his future was if he was leaving, and that we were currently in some delicate negotiations with a replacement that could be jeopardized if it became known that he was going and if that was the case i would be first to say what a wonderful man, who loved Arsenal to the very end) . However we all mostly suspect that he is staying, and if correct, this behavior just stinks of arrogance, like how dare anyone question my future! Sadly I fear Arsene is becoming more like the misrepresented King Canute story every day.
16 May 2017 18:31:29
His excuses are annoying now. Just admit you have not been good enough and want to give it another year. I think he knows he's stayed too long.
16 May 2017 22:30:47
Derby, every manager moans. Klopp was just the other day. They have a microphone shoved under their nose 24/ 7 to fill sky sports news. Truth be told - He is stuborn and makes mistakes. But how do you compete with Chelsea and City funds year in year out. Wenger doesn't elect who owns the company and their investment philosophy and to be fair West Ham were shite and on holiday. Top 4 for however many years plus a few FA cups is pretty f-ing good. Who gives us a God given right to win everything? How do you compete with IBMs budget if you are a smaller company? Every so often someone gets lucky ( Leicester ) and performs well above their station and then the correction happens. The luck isn't Leicester winning but everyone else being shite.
Wenger isn't corrupt - he loves our club and is a bad loser. Simple. So am I but it doesn't make me a bad person or corrupt.
I agree with the above - biggest issue is stubbornness - tactics and help. Still a good manager and deserves respect. As far as I am concerned - he MEETS board expectations or he would be fired or not had contract reviewed or begged to stay. Issue is the board, our budget and desire to SPEND proper money ey 200m each summer to compete.
16 May 2017 22:51:58
Meets the boards requirements sy4 but not without top4 absolute game changer. Any of the top6 managers won't last in a job outside top4 for two seasons at the most.
His excuses carry more weight has he's been making the same ones for over a decade mate.
16 May 2017 22:57:31
Sy and obviously the board meets wengers expectations too, otherwise he would not be here now.
17 May 2017 00:54:09
Pep said if he had finished third for his last two clubs, he would have been sacked.