One for our resident Gooners. Arsene Wenger.

[southern muppet]

Still no Arsenal fan's opinion on this ?

Scotland WC 2010 on the first page is an Arsenal fan I believe

 

[TCIB]

Still no Arsenal fan's opinion on this ?

Scotland WC 2010 on the first page is an Arsenal fan I believe

Hopefully he replies as the one i txted is a hardened wengerphile and will not hear a bad word about him, he just rants and will not discuss issues.

 

[City Raider]

the young 2005 league cup team will come good soon

 

[am41410]

Yeah, his salary is high but there are very few managers who could have navigated the last few years as he has done. Moving us from Highbury to the Emirates and maintaining top 4 football all the time? No, it doesn't compare with trophies but it's still a hell of an achievement. You just need to look at Liverpool to see what happens when you drop out of the top 4. It gets harder and harder each year to get back there, harder to attract star names without that guarantee of European football.

He hasn't been helped by things behind the scenes. David Dein's ousting from the club worked against him in more ways than one. He not only lost his best friend and confidante, more importantly, the club lost a savvy businessman. A man with contacts, a man who would never have allowed the Fabregas and Nasri sagas to go on as they did. Ivan Gazidis has yet to impress and Dick Law spent last summer chasing Joel Campbell across Costa Rica when there were more pressing matters to be dealt with.

He also hasn't been helped by players jumping ship at the drop of a hat but equally, he's made some massive mistakes as well. Failing to organise our defence properly, failure to invest in a top-quality keeper, putting too much trust in under-performing players, keeping faith in those who clearly weren't good enough, poor management of certain individuals and certain situations have all contributed to this lean spell. It's not all been a bust. We made 3 cup finals, were leading the title race in 07/08 and were still in with a slim shout in 09/10. We've failed to capitalise on these moments or improve after them.

I actually think we've got a great set of players now and crucially, Arsene seems to be spending early and in the right places. If we keep hold of RVP and add 2-3 new faces, I think we could surprise people this coming season.

*goes back to lurking*

 

[TCIB]

Yeah, his salary is high but there are very few managers who could have navigated the last few years as he has done. Moving us from Highbury to the Emirates and maintaining top 4 football all the time? No, it doesn't compare with trophies but it's still a hell of an achievement. You just need to look at Liverpool to see what happens when you drop out of the top 4. It gets harder and harder each year to get back there, harder to attract star names without that guarantee of European football.

He hasn't been helped by things behind the scenes. David Dein's ousting from the club worked against him in more ways than one. He not only lost his best friend and confidante, more importantly, the club lost a savvy businessman. A man with contacts, a man who would never have allowed the Fabregas and Nasri sagas to go on as they did. Ivan Gazidis has yet to impress and Dick Law spent last summer chasing Joel Campbell across Costa Rica when there were more pressing matters to be dealt with.

He also hasn't been helped by players jumping ship at the drop of a hat but equally, he's made some massive mistakes as well. Failing to organise our defence properly, failure to invest in a top-quality keeper, putting too much trust in under-performing players, keeping faith in those who clearly weren't good enough, poor management of certain individuals and certain situations have all contributed to this lean spell. It's not all been a bust. We made 3 cup finals, were leading the title race in 07/08 and were still in with a slim shout in 09/10. We've failed to capitalise on these moments or improve after them.

I actually think we've got a great set of players now and crucially, Arsene seems to be spending early and in the right places. If we keep hold of RVP and add 2-3 new faces, I think we could surprise people this coming season.

*goes back to lurking*

Thanks for that mate.

I do feel to much is made of how he has juggled finances with players the last few years. I agree he has done a fine balancing job but feel this should never have been the situation to start with.
I think this is mainly due to your board members being quiet happy taking their cut and having trips abroad with the cl.

In some ways it would be good if you had a catastrophic season and fans were really really livid.
I think that may be the only way you guy's can shake of this apathetic mentality via boardroom shitting it and Wenger realising it's your club and not his baby which is how it comes across to myself atm.

As it is it seems the board seem content with the odd few chanting outside, now if that was thousands and thousands they would stop sniffing the bouquet of the nice chateuxneuf du pape they just opened and possibly listen to you, the fans.

 

[bluemoondays]

From the point of view (if I was an Arsenal fan) I'd say he's done OK, Europe CL footie every year and been manager over a big transition to a new stadium without spending much money. However, I'd now be expecting some money to be spent and some silverware to be won over the next 2-3 years at the most.

From the boards point of view he's been bloody brilliant and worth every penny of the £9m wages he's on. How many other managers could have even come close to them staying competitive, raking in the CL cash and all without hardly any net spend at all.

There's little loyalty in football though and now they are over the hump with the stadium I'd expect him to be out of the door in a few years if he doesn't deliver a trophy or two .More because of fan pressure than anything else if he continues to deliver good financial results.

 

[more lazy than useless]

Yeah, his salary is high but there are very few managers who could have navigated the last few years as he has done. Moving us from Highbury to the Emirates and maintaining top 4 football all the time? No, it doesn't compare with trophies but it's still a hell of an achievement. You just need to look at Liverpool to see what happens when you drop out of the top 4. It gets harder and harder each year to get back there, harder to attract star names without that guarantee of European football.

He hasn't been helped by things behind the scenes. David Dein's ousting from the club worked against him in more ways than one. He not only lost his best friend and confidante, more importantly, the club lost a savvy businessman. A man with contacts, a man who would never have allowed the Fabregas and Nasri sagas to go on as they did. Ivan Gazidis has yet to impress and Dick Law spent last summer chasing Joel Campbell across Costa Rica when there were more pressing matters to be dealt with.

He also hasn't been helped by players jumping ship at the drop of a hat but equally, he's made some massive mistakes as well. Failing to organise our defence properly, failure to invest in a top-quality keeper, putting too much trust in under-performing players, keeping faith in those who clearly weren't good enough, poor management of certain individuals and certain situations have all contributed to this lean spell. It's not all been a bust. We made 3 cup finals, were leading the title race in 07/08 and were still in with a slim shout in 09/10. We've failed to capitalise on these moments or improve after them.

I actually think we've got a great set of players now and crucially, Arsene seems to be spending early and in the right places. If we keep hold of RVP and add 2-3 new faces, I think we could surprise people this coming season.

*goes back to lurking*

I pretty much agree with what you've put there. However, I'd look at slightly differently.

Going back a decade or more, he had money to spend, he bought players, he won things. So far, so good. Then they needed a new stadium. He had a good and well established squad so could expect to 'coast' for a few years while while spending little. He hasn't spent nothing (as some seem to think), just relatively little.

To keep it simple, the property development on the old stadium has paid for the new stadium. Slightly more to it, but that is the relevant part here. Wenger seems to have had some input on this, but it could and would have happened without him.

Over the past few years he has had to live off the 'fat reserves' so to speak. Tried to keep new players to a minimum; keep wages increases down; etc, etc.
Now that the finances are back on an even keel he can go back to spending and developing.

As far as I can tell, his major parts in this are twofold. First, to help convince the fans that expectations should be put on hold for the longer term good. I'm surprised that so much effort seemed to go into convincing the fans that it was necessary, but then I'm not used to a high level of success!

Secondly, to keep them in the financial plenty that is the CL, or it might all have been for nothing. But it's not as if they didn't have the chance to prepare beforehand. Also, when they went down this road the CL was a 4 horse race to 4 places, so the risk and competition was nowhere near as big as now. Its only the last few (3?) years when there has been serious competition.

All in all, he's done well at a difficult time, but its not as if he didn't start out holding all the cards. As a manager he should probably be judged on his teams success. Success is easier when there is money to spend, and he has done reasonably well over the past few years, all things considered. He can probably justify his wages given the amount of money he makes the club, and this is what just about everybodies wages is judged on.

My problem with Wenger is his smart remarks on finance and his seeming belief that he is somehow doing it 'the right way'.

 

[Juan King]

Arsenal lose their top players because they won't pay them what other clubs will. It's probably because they need the money to pay Wenger's ridiculous wages. Unbelievable that he gets paid more than Baconface.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, his salary is high but there are very few managers who could have navigated the last few years as he has done. Moving us from Highbury to the Emirates and maintaining top 4 football all the time? No, it doesn't compare with trophies but it's still a hell of an achievement. You just need to look at Liverpool to see what happens when you drop out of the top 4. It gets harder and harder each year to get back there, harder to attract star names without that guarantee of European football.

He hasn't been helped by things behind the scenes. David Dein's ousting from the club worked against him in more ways than one. He not only lost his best friend and confidante, more importantly, the club lost a savvy businessman. A man with contacts, a man who would never have allowed the Fabregas and Nasri sagas to go on as they did. Ivan Gazidis has yet to impress and Dick Law spent last summer chasing Joel Campbell across Costa Rica when there were more pressing matters to be dealt with.

He also hasn't been helped by players jumping ship at the drop of a hat but equally, he's made some massive mistakes as well. Failing to organise our defence properly, failure to invest in a top-quality keeper, putting too much trust in under-performing players, keeping faith in those who clearly weren't good enough, poor management of certain individuals and certain situations have all contributed to this lean spell. It's not all been a bust. We made 3 cup finals, were leading the title race in 07/08 and were still in with a slim shout in 09/10. We've failed to capitalise on these moments or improve after them.

I actually think we've got a great set of players now and crucially, Arsene seems to be spending early and in the right places. If we keep hold of RVP and add 2-3 new faces, I think we could surprise people this coming season.

*goes back to lurking*

Thanks for that mate.

I do feel to much is made of how he has juggled finances with players the last few years. I agree he has done a fine balancing job but feel this should never have been the situation to start with.
I think this is mainly due to your board members being quiet happy taking their cut and having trips abroad with the cl.

In some ways it would be good if you had a catastrophic season and fans were really really livid.
I think that may be the only way you guy's can shake of this apathetic mentality via boardroom shitting it and Wenger realising it's your club and not his baby which is how it comes across to myself atm.

As it is it seems the board seem content with the odd few chanting outside, now if that was thousands and thousands they would stop sniffing the bouquet of the nice chateuxneuf du pape they just opened and possibly listen to you, the fans.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that mate. I think the board are in a win-win situation. Arsene carries on as is and they are delighted to carry on paying off the stadium and keeping a high profile through top 4 Prem & Champs League Qualification. If they fail with that and the fans revolt big time, then it will not be the board who ultimately pays the price, it will be Wenger with "on pitch performance" cited as the reason. In comes new manager who will be in exactly the same position as Wenger and so the cycle continues.

Wenger has the choice to deliver the boards needs and take his huge salary or rock the boat, demand transfer funds and be fucked out the door in the process.

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas, generally.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Yeah, his salary is high but there are very few managers who could have navigated the last few years as he has done. Moving us from Highbury to the Emirates and maintaining top 4 football all the time? No, it doesn't compare with trophies but it's still a hell of an achievement. You just need to look at Liverpool to see what happens when you drop out of the top 4. It gets harder and harder each year to get back there, harder to attract star names without that guarantee of European football.

He hasn't been helped by things behind the scenes. David Dein's ousting from the club worked against him in more ways than one. He not only lost his best friend and confidante, more importantly, the club lost a savvy businessman. A man with contacts, a man who would never have allowed the Fabregas and Nasri sagas to go on as they did. Ivan Gazidis has yet to impress and Dick Law spent last summer chasing Joel Campbell across Costa Rica when there were more pressing matters to be dealt with.

He also hasn't been helped by players jumping ship at the drop of a hat but equally, he's made some massive mistakes as well. Failing to organise our defence properly, failure to invest in a top-quality keeper, putting too much trust in under-performing players, keeping faith in those who clearly weren't good enough, poor management of certain individuals and certain situations have all contributed to this lean spell. It's not all been a bust. We made 3 cup finals, were leading the title race in 07/08 and were still in with a slim shout in 09/10. We've failed to capitalise on these moments or improve after them.

I actually think we've got a great set of players now and crucially, Arsene seems to be spending early and in the right places. If we keep hold of RVP and add 2-3 new faces, I think we could surprise people this coming season.

*goes back to lurking*

Don't go back to lurking because that's a bloody good first post and a very accurate and honest assessment. I'd agree with pretty well all of it. It's also nice to hear from a Gooner who isn't spewing bile about our wealth yet forgets about Danny Fiszman's £50m injection in 1994/5 that allowed Wenger to build such a great team.

I admire Wenger in many ways. He buys well mostly (usually seems to be the big buys that don't come off) and plays a superb brand of football. He's also got a superb system of ensuring the younger players can perform well at first team level. So much so that City are trying to copy it.

David Dein and Danny Fiszman were visionary directors and although I don't know Dein, I do know people who do and he's supposedly not happy with things there now. That's largely why his agent son is moving his clients out. I think there's only RVP and Song left there now of the senior players he represents. The board set-up at Arsenal is now very different with Kroenke holding the majority of the shares and Usmanov the rest. No one really knows what their plans are, particularly Silent Stan's. They've been a bit lucky in the sense that there has been no serious competition for a top 4 spot but they nearly blew it this year. If Spurs hadn't screwed up again on the run-in & Chelsea not under-performed under AVB, there might have been no CL football next season. That could have made life difficult as the windfall from the Highbury development dried up at the time they might have to stretch the finances a bit to stay in touch.