I would get Ancelotti to have a crack at it. He is a very underrated coach. but there are loads of people that could do a good job with the players and resources Arsenal have. We are not exactly thread bare. I think the players we have have the potential to do good things . I think the coaching is whats wrong. To me , tactically Wenger is not up to the job anymore. The whole way that the teams in the league play is different from when he was successful. He hasnt changed .. Playing the " Arsenal way " is HIS way. It dont seem to work now. We have to change and be more direct.
I don't think Wenger is perfect, but I do think he's the best manager for Arsenal at the moment. One of the things that frustrates me about the Wenger out fans is that they don't really seem to have thought through what would actually happen if we did sack Wenger. A new manager will be working with the same set of parameters, players, staff, board, coaching etc. And he would need to be given time to change things around to suit his own preferences - how long ? Some fans are calling for heads after 7 years of no trophy. So how long to we give a new manager ? 2 years - 3 years ? We would have to accept that simply bringing in a new manager is not going to equate with instant success. Also, Wenger has been working within a limited set of financial restrictions since the move from Highbury, particular to our own club and the changing face of football with the billions poured in by foreign owners. I strongly maintain that if it weren't for Wenger during these years, we would have already fallen out of the top 4. I basically think we've been punching above our weight compared to the resources of those around us. Another thing to note is that the 'youth' teams that Wenger built after the invincibles were actually pretty successful and but for some cruel luck probably would have won the League, the CC and possibly the CL. It wasn't Wenger's fault that Nasri, Fabregas and RVP wanted to **** off either. I think Wenger has done well to tie down a new core of British talent for the long term 'new youth' project. Like I said, Wenger isn't perfect, but sacking him in my opinion is more likely to result in a downturn in our fortunes than an improvement, certainly in the short term.
If we employed a new coach , and we dropped to mid table for a couple of seasons that would not bother me in the slightest , as long as we could see green shoots of something strong developing. What we are witnessing now with Arsene is a multitude of stagnation or a decline that is so slow it can be hard to see it. Many now believe that things WILL NOT get better under his direction, despite assurances. And if that is indeed the case. Its better to grasp the nettle that is change , even if in the short term we take a dive. Lets face it , he is going to be gone soon anyway one way or another. Lets give him his due , say thanks for the past , and draw a line under his dynasty. edit . I am certainly NOT in favour of kicking him out mid season .
A new coach would actually coach the players. They'd also likely not play so many players out of position, and address the obvious errors within the squad rather than not spending a penny. In addition, they'd delegate, and not try to run the club as a one man army. Even if it took 2 or 3 years for their ideas to come to fruition, I'd rather see the Club spend that time with someone on the up, rather than someone so painfully obviously on the decline. I've thought it through - thoroughly - and I don't expect instant success. Wenger is not a man who can take the club forward now. It is clear to see that Arsenal are on the slide, and he is refusing to arrest that fall. He is no longer the best man for the job.
My view hasn't changed just because we lost a game of football against the champions. We should not change the manager mid-season and so this is not something to discuss now.
For me, Wenger has been doing a decent job with limited resources and with the board seeing fit to sell the players he's turned into world class stars. The board are now saying that we're in a position to spend and compete at a wage level with the top clubs in Europe. So I would like to see what Wenger can do with that new freedom. I don't think January is a good measure either, I'd like to see where we finish and what we do in the summer before I make any judgement on whether we need a new manager.
The question is "If Arsenal don't finish Top4 this season." The issue is, not spending in January could cost Arsenal their Champions League place, and millions of pounds with it. If that happens, it affects sponsorship deals (current and future), as well as the calibre of player that can be recruited. This is actually an absolutely VITAL transfer window, and with so many games, a VITAL period of time for Arsenal, in which nothing is being done to strengthen the teams position. Giving Wenger the summer to spend will not solve his other inadequacies, and will hamper any new manager that comes in the following summer with the World Cup going on.
That's all very well, if a deal can be done for the right player then I'm sure we'll do it. But I don't want us to just sign anybody, simply to try and appease the fans. Transfers are not just down to Wenger to decide either. It's up to the player, both clubs, and the agents.
You can add any hypothetical you like, but if we win the Champions league and finish outside the top 4, the situation is entirely different. I would argue that I can think of several more situations where finishing outside the top 4 wouldn't automatically lead any sane person to sack Wenger. So, again I say that I wouldn't consider this question mid season. It is a pointless and divisive exercise.
I think there's a debate to be had, so I wouldn't call it pointless or divisive. But I do agree that the hypothetical nature is problematic. We could win the CL, the FA cup and finish outside the Top 4. Or it could come down to a Penalty in one of cup comps, score we win and he stays, miss we lose and he goes. I think the ultimatum approach is too rigid. Far better to look at the situation from a wider perspective, did we perform, what were the circumstances, did we do as well as we could have. Then to look at the players we have, who is available, who would strengthen us, what resources do we have at our disposal, do we change the coaching set up and ultimately is there another manager available who could do better ? What if we finish 5th and we've made a pledge to sack Wenger because of it, yet only Fat Sam is available ? It's not as clear cut and simplistic as sacking Wenger and thinking it will be an instant magic wand for success.
i dont think even the most anti wenger fans would think it would be. We are under no illusions, you are suggesting that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. I am suggesting even if it is not , in the short term , we will be crossing that fence before too long regardless. and that its not been growing at all on THIS side for a long time . Arsenal are not going forward , we are very slowly sliding backwards. I cant see how making one good signing is going to stop that. We have signed lots of good players over the years and failed . People cite the loss of great players Like Fab , Clichy .Judas et al as the reason . The fact is that we won NOTHING with those "great " players . Even when we finally made it to a cup final , we failed . Players come and go , the only common denominator for the past 7 years has been the man himself. Is it unusual to start looking at him as the sticking point and not the team he fields . Who knows.
Piskie - It was Wenger's fault that Nasri, Cesc and RVP wanted to **** off. They all wanted to win something and it was the lack of ambition that motivated them to ask for a transfer.
How is that bollocks? Do you think that all three players woke up one morning and thought 'I know, I'll join another club because I feel like a change of scenery'? It was because THEY WANTED TO WIN THINGS AND COULDN'T SEE THAT HAPPENING WITH THE WAY THINGS WERE BEING DONE AT ARSENAL. Wenger is the biggest influence on how things are done at arsenal therefore it was his fault that they ****ed off.
He'd cost a wedge of money to pry from PSG, and is on a good £3m per year more than Wenger. He'd have to be willing to leave a club who give him a blank cehquebook to one who'll pay him less and allow him to do far less.
Wenger works within the parameters of what's available for our club. There was no way he was ever going to be able to match the money or buying power of Utd or City, or prevent Cesc wanting to return to his boyhood club.
I've said it before and i'll say it again.We won **** all with them in the team and then they leave because they want to win things.Perhaps thet should admit their responsibility in us winning **** all
Well it's bollocks, because all the evidence points to it being bollocks. I don't know how you can decide that they left "Because they wanted to win things" and not because they were being paid more, or were being offered a "better deal". For most normal people, being offered a substantially better financial package is more than enough to cause them to change employer. In fact earning more money is sufficient motivation for other footballers as well. So why look for another reason when earning more is sufficient reason for everyone else in the world apart from these players. You would only have a good case, if they had joined for less money (which is why I say Fabregas is a special case). But in his case, he never said he wanted to win things. You need to come up with proof that these players were motivated AT ALL by a desire to "win things" as just moving for more money doesn't prove anything at all.
