I am sure Wegner offers an opinion, advice even - but not direction. Direction is provided (not unsurprisingly) by the directors. Call me crazy if you like, but I think you are 100% wrong. No one who owns a company is going to be "directed" on how to operate, run, or invest in that company by an employee.
Of course Wenger has huge influence over the board and decision making, to think otherwise is ridiculous. Wenger not only talks about football but continually talks about finances. He was one of the main guys behind building the Emirates stadium. While other managers talk about just buying players, he always talks about "value for money", "wages" and "living within our means". I bet he is involved a lot in the financial side of the club than you think. After all, he has a masters in Economics!
Most directors (and certainly owners - unless it is a small business) in business sign cheques after listening to business cases from the people who actually run things - the management. I think Wenger decides exactly who he wants, how badly he wants he them, where they fit in, and what level they are at compared to others to determine wage scales. The board sanctions only and someone else in the club (certainly not the owner) will negotiate with agents - probably Gazidis.
You used the word "direction". That is a polite word in business for ordering someone to do something. The board may not direct Wenger much, but Wenger directs the board to do NOTHING. You are 100% wrong!
Please don't look at this as a WUM, was having a deep chat with some gooner mates on the weekend about wenger, some loved him some hate, I was thinking how this thread beautifully highlights just how fickle gooner fans have become, Arsene knows, I'm not so sure. The guy has single handledly turned your expectations from winning championships to being content with finishing above spurs, Oh how the mighty have fallen.Wenger has to go down as one of the GOAT managers, however he inherited a back 4 from one of the greatest defensive managers of all time in GG, and has not addressed the problems since, thus affecting his leg Turning down opportunities to sign Gary Cahill instead choosing Mertesacker (who some of you proclaimed was miles better than my own Jonny superman Evans) , one thing that surprises me is Wengers lack of loyalty to old pro's, instead taking a scientific approach. By taking a leaf out of fergies book and keep some of your oldies, would reep dividends...you let Sol, Gallas, Lehmann and Pires leave way too early, think of the epxerince they could have passed to the younger players ala Giggs, Scholes, Neville, VDS, Hughes and even sicknote Ferdinand. So I still feel jurys out as he has been pretty poor the last 7 years, compounded by overlooking the carling cup final , how you lost that was beyond words, it seemed like your players thought they had won a trophy before a ball was kicked, which again is bad man management.
Well my whole position on this is that fans over-simplify and imagine things are more clear-cut than they are. Take your point about keeping oldies. We haven't a clue what Scholes and Giggs and VDS were earning, but we do know that they were in the team right up to this year. Henry, in his last year was not successful for us. The following year he was going to be dropped, and we had a lot of players coming through. It was a much tougher decision.
The same Henry that was in his prime and chose Barcelona and was very succesful for you, and recently came back older and slower, yet inspired your team to vital points and a fa cup win.lets not forget Giggs had a period of not being effective and having to adapt and Scholes recoevred from a career threatining inhury and took a long time to get back to form. Would Wenger have stuck with his old guard through these times, history points to a big resounding no. You let Gallas go over a ludicrous policy on 1 year contracts same with Lehmann and Sol as for Pires the guy was class til 37 years young, I just feel that in many ways Wenger scientific approach has hindered your clubs progress when it comes to the business end of each season. Everybody knows what experience can bring in sport, especially to the young lads coming through, looking over at Pires or Gallas when losing at half-time, knowing they gone a season as champions even invincibles. Like I say I'm not Wenger bashing as the respect I had for him in the early years was enormous, I just feel he has lost his way and maybe a change of backroom staff may help him, a different word in his ear about his philosophies, tactics, players etc... I miss the old days of United and Arsenal title fests, now I'm lumbered with plastic club Chelski and the Abu's millions Citeh challenging, and it's just not the same.
In your opinion. Mine is that Wenger makes the decisions on the playing side and does indeed direct the board on salary levels. I don't think he will be involved deeply in the negotiations but he I do think he sets the parameters. I very much doubt that Wenger would allow Gazidis for instance to go out and sign a player on any wage Gazidis thought fit.
This one is not an opinion. As an employee Wenger has no power to direct the owner or shareholders on anything. And If Kronke "directs" Gazardis to sign a player, Wenger can quit or lump it. There is nothing he can do about it.
Yeah, but back in the real world, that is not happening. In my view Wenger is making the decisions on the playing side - who to get, how much to pay, and what they should earn (guide). Gazidis will then negotiate and sort the details.
This is where the discussion started and it is, I agree, much more of an opinion. I took issue with the term "directs". From my experience in the business world, I doubt strongly that Wenger ultimately decides the financial terms. The only real debate is on how wide the ranges he is given really are. I'm guessing, but reading between the lines, my bet is that he managed to get pretty broad dispensation on transfer fees, but the inflation of wages caught him off-guard and he didn't have much control over the money he could offer players. This is why he failed to keep Nasri etc and he failed to sign a few others, when he seemed confident of getting them. You don't see him talking much about wages and the board are always keen to point out that he has a sizable transfer kitty, but they don't say much about wages. We will probably never know.
I think this and the fact that the board were committed to a rigorous wage structure to protect the club managing it's debts, whilst then dealing with a totally skewed market; was responsible for us not being able to compete to sign the best players.
Well this is true and is the main factor. Whatever we did the last 5/6 years whiilst paying off the new stadium it would of been hard to compete with the super money of man u, chelsea and city. To get top 4 every year is a great achievement from arsene. But city wasted so much money (wayne bridge 85k a week etc.), chelsea are a shambles and man u arent such huge spenders (still alot more on wages and transfers than us but not to same extent at the other two clubs). I feel that we made mistakes in our wage structure and in who we gave good contracts too and this has hurt us. Overall I still think objectively wenger and the board have done a good job.
