Resources? What about defence skills, corner taking, free-kicks, counter-attacking, closing down the game in last minutes, mental attitude....... plenty he should have improved.
If Wenger hires a defense coach, that would solve numerous problems all in one go. He can focus on attack (which he's pretty good at) and the coach can get our defense in top 4 shape.
I think this post states the case against Wenger pretty well and as with many like it, is stated with absolute confidence and authority. OK lets look at it. The truth is 7 years without a trophy is not acceptable for the size and stature for Arsenal. Well no, we are now the fourth largest club - par (punching our weight) would be finishing fourth in every competition and a quarter final in the CL. It may seem seven years without a trophy is bad after the successes we had from 1999-2004 but we are probably performing slightly above average since. Arsene Wenger has been given free rein to do what he wants with the club, buy and shape the team the way he wants. No - Just no. Roberto Mancini doesnt even have free reign, and Wenger is constrained by a budget just like every manager in the league, now we can argue over its size, but there is a budget and it is set by the board. He is also constrained by the foreign player rules and a whole host of strategic decisions by the club. Now, Wenger may have helped them make those decisions back in 2004, but he is still constrained by them. Is this acceptable for someone in charge of a large and successful club like Arsenal and get paid £6m a year, no. Well, I guess we all make up our minds. I certainly think it is acceptable. Is it disappointing, yes. Do I hope we can do better yes, but do I think someone else could do better, no.
Our defense isn't as bad as everybody makes out. At one point last Christmas we had allowed the lowest number of goals in the PL and people were still saying our defence was crap.
I will kill your argument with one comment: Wenger has repeatedly stated that he won't buy certain players because it will hinder the development of the likes of .. Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby, Walcott, for example. So your argument is null .... its void .. its dead. Wenger chooses who to buy, sell and replace, if we don't buy players it is because Wenger doesn't want to.
Nonsense .. and here is why: Dalglish hasn't been at Liverpool for 2 years yet, they are above us in the table, are in the final of a cup they will win, knocked out City and United in cups Won the Champions League in 2005 which would immortalise an Arsenal manager if they managed it. AVB - rebuilding ageing team, spent half a season with the club, unlike Wenger he spends fcuking money so the fans CAN'T complain, they did the double a couple seasons back. There is no comparison between AVB, Dalglish and the situation Wenger is in. Wenger has taken us backwards ever single year of the last 7 except one !
The point is very valid, much more than when your lot trot out that tired excuse about .. "doing a Leeds" The point is we should get no satisfaction from the fact that the teams around us are in a "similar" situation. The teams around us are in a better situation for starters, secondly it is a small club mentality to think that way, to accept that others around us are poor too. We should be focusing solely on ourselves and what we need to do.
hey mate, calm down. i saw the title of this long discussion and had to throw that in there as a joke. getting to tense here.
Drudeboy, why are you telling him to calm down ??? What's not calm about what he wrote ? Don't make an issue where none exists. If you don't agree with his post, fine, but considering how things have been on the board recently don't inflame things.
Liverpool haven't won anything in 6 years. Not based in fact. No worse form than other clubs around us, as already pointed out. Ferguson's had a few dreadful starts to seasons, is he "****" too? Assumption that any of that is purely down to Wenger. Of course it doesn't. Nobody ever said it did. The point wasn't about Wenger or any manager ... it was about the fans behind them. You don't see prima donnas at any of the other clubs nearly us much as you do here, and most of them as you're proving base their moaning and constant whining on a deep-seated hatred of Wenger, and then try and make reality fit into that hatred. And the result is that while there are perfectly legitimate reasons for believing Wenger isn't doing a good job, you just end up bitching about anything and everything in a constant wall of whiny noise, preventing any logical discussion taking place. Just because you have some legitimate reasons for moaning doesn't mean all your reasons for moaning are legitimate. And trying to defend a completely ridiculous and irrational point of view by saying "well, I'm right on these other points, so there" just reduces any argument you and your brethen of whingers try to make into a white noise of useless complaining. It's like politics in here ... no legit argument is heard because it's all drowned out in a mad scramble to criticise anything and everything the other side does, whether or not what you're doing makes sense. Whatever though, no more than I expect from this place at this point.
Murray - are you from the same school of "stubbornness and staunch refusal to admit anything" as PISKIE and Wenger ?
1) Liverpool have had 3 managers in that time and, in any case, we know they are crap 2) Only Stoke, Everton, Norwich, QPR, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan have conceded more than us. 3) The clubs around us have more points than us and are in a final at Wembley so higher chances of silverware. 4) Ferguson's teams finish the season strong and actually win things. If that is the best you can do I suggest you stop because I take no pleasure in arguing against these points. At least put some meat into your argument.
This is factually incorrect. Nobody has been able to suggest one single player that has been transferred to any club in the world in the last 2 years, that hasn't gone to a club that can out-bid us, and that would have certainly improved our team. And if you come out with drivel about we have the money to compete with Chelsea, Man City and Manchester United, I'm going to have the men in the white coats come round for you!
It is worth remembering that in those seven years we have reached 3 cup finals and almost won the league, so with 3-5 different results in 7 years we could of had 2 league cups, a CL and a League title - which isn't a bad haul. Yes i know you get nothing for comming second, but football is a close game which can change with the smallest decision by a ref or player. Wenger has got us into those positions and with a little bit of luck on his side would have a better trophy haul. We are having an off season but i am still confident we can get top 4 and the FA cup is a possibility as well as an outside chance in the CL. Wenger is still capable of winning us trophies and im sure he will. He is a top manager and he is showing signs he will make the changes people are asking for, yes he makes mistakes like everyone else does but he's still the best man for the job currently.
Cabaye Stekelenburg who went to Roma for £5 mill (ish) Shay Given? Gokhan Inler. In the old 606, there was alot of talk that we were going for him. He went for around £15 mill Both of those goalies are better back-up than Almunia and Fabianski.
