Okay so after the cup final we know that there is going to be a board meeting. Feels like this meeting is going to be one of the most significant in some years, because it will decide the future of Wenger. We know that there is a 2 year deal on the table for Wenger and it's likely that he will sign it, but it seems there will be other factors at play, like the coaching staff, players coming in and going out and possibly a complete change of set up within the scouting and recruiting section of the club. For me, unless the board have an ace up their sleeve, I want to see Wenger sign this extension, because otherwise we're going to end up with Steve Bould in charge next season. The other things I'd like to see are the board and Wenger committing to bringing in top quality players and no penny pinching or dithering. No more Sanogo's please. I'd also like to see a radical overhaul of our recruitment strategy, the combo of Dick Law and Gazidis just isn't efficient enough at negotiating deals for us, and we've missed out on too many top targets over the last 10 years. Ideally I'd like to see David Dein brought back in from the cold, as he is still Wenger's right hand man. On the coaching side, things might be a bit more tricky as Wenger seems to want to have ultimate sanction over the whole set up, but it's clear that something is missing. Far too often players have gone missing over the past season and at times they just didn't seem up for it. We need to have a do or die attitude from every player, for 90 mins in every game. The root of this issue is Wenger, and it might be that the change will come when he leaves. But I hope he and the players have learned something from watching Chelsea and Spurs this season, who have been relentless in their games. Other than that, something for the fans would be nice. We've been paying some of the highest prices for a number of years and on the whole, the fan base has been very patient. I'm not expecting a reduction on ticket prices, but I'd like to see something done at the Emirates to encourage a better atmosphere - a singing section would be nice. thoughts ?
I don't think the Board have a clue and if any changes happen they will be cosmetic. Instead of being proactive and make changes in advance, they've been forced to make changes to appease the financiers, and to a lesser degree the fans. What we see is a reactive action which won't make a great deal of difference when you see what we are up against in the league. This kind of change should have happened years ago when the league was easier and we were close to winning. In my opinion we are due for a radical overhaul to stand a chance of competing for the title now. Unfortunately we will have to experience more decline before real change happens.
Other than a change of manager, which is unlikely to come out of this meeting, what changes would you like to see ? That goes to both of you including @cini65
Have a competent person in charge of our transfers. Get in what we need, when we need it when we have a weakness and get it done more rapidly. Sell on non performing and injury prone players. Get in someone to change our medical department so that we reduce injuries and produce more accurate injury reports. This will help with making important changes during the season and future planning. Bring in coaches that are not scared to challenge Wenger. This would include technical footballing issues and identifying problems. Someone to look into our youth system. There needs to be some accountability onto why we've failed to produce and look into ways of Improving for the future.
Lastly someone to identify our targets and KPIs on the football pitch. This would lead to future planning and issues of succession, which seems strangely absent. I genuinely believe that since we sucessfuly completed our stadium and revenue targets, they failed to address what was most important, on the pitch. We have too many business men and not enough footballing men.
I can picture the memes now... Arsenal miss out on the Champions League and loose to Chelsea in the FA CUP final. Wenger signs new deal.
Wenger leaving could cause a player mass exodus. At a time when there is no big name replacement that could attract new high calibre recruits. In short without a quality replacement in place we could be ****ed. The blame here has to lie with Arsenal FC. How the **** have they allowed Wenger to get to the end of the Season without having his future tied down. Allegri recently signed a new deal at Juve - could have been the perfect acquisition for Arsenal but our Club is clearly being run by ****ing idiots.
Would also like to see the contract negotiating issue sorted out. We let far too many players contracts run down which creates unnecessary problems for us.
Constantly let our best players run down contracts. Even failed to sort managers contract negotiations before end of Season. Have serious medical & strength and conditioning problems at the Club that have not been fixed. Injury problems are still abnormally high. Regularly fail to sign top transfer targets If people think thinks are gonna be rosey and all our problem are Arsene related they in for a rude awakening when he leaves. The above issues have very little to do with the manager.
Totally agree. The club management have royally ****ed up. Unfortunately we're in a culture where the manager gets all the blame whereas those in charge get away Scot free. Wenger is one of many problems we have at the club now.
I'll try to be objective and I'm certainly not trying to WUM, but I do really think the board meetings going to be a lose - lose for most Arsenal fans. If Wenger takes up the offer of another two years, I honestly think that nothing significant is likely to change. I cannot see after 20+ years (and Wenger's age) that he will embrace any type of change, in fact he is likely to see it as a direct challenge to his authority. He's been doing it his way for so long that I'm not sure he could even change if he wanted too. For example, I'm led to believe that when Wenger joined you, you did not even have a training complex. He demanded and had built a state of the art facility built, but that's now 20 years ago. Is it still fit for purpose, does it need a major overhaul, etc. etc. How does Arsenal football club move on to the next level, when he's had so much input into the club for so many years? If, on the other hand, he chooses to call it a day, then you have the Fergie type situation. A few years in the wilderness, whilst a root and branch overhaul is carried out. If, as being reported, succession planning is not in place then Arsenal football club deserve the turmoil which will follow (my apologies to the fans here). Looking in from the outside, I cannot see beyond a few turbulent years. I've no doubt Piskie will be along to "big up" the FA cup win, but I think that cup win is only papering over some very large cracks that are staring to appear.
It looks highly likely that Wenger will sign another contract, which unless we have somebody like Simeone or Allegri lined up ( we don't ) then it's the right decision to take. The alternative as you mention, is that we have a Fergie type situation and for next season at least we have Steve Bould in charge. Then possibly a merry go round of managers. In terms of Wenger's succession, and I think he should be replaced when we've secured a proper successor, the club should now be seriously scouting for our next manager. Will Wenger embrace any type of change ? He already has. Changing the formation to 3-4-3 has already made our team stronger, better defensively and yielded better results. We've won 9 out of our last 10 games since the change and beaten Man City and Chelsea. I think we'll keep this formation next season, and with hopefully the addition of a couple of players, and depending on whether we can keep Sanchez and Ozil, then we are in a good position. As for the training ground, I'm sure that's still fit for purpose. I would have thought that equipment is updated regularly along with new trends, in fact Arsenal along with most PL clubs now, use an array of technology to monitor player's fitness, performance etc. The one thing I do think needs addressing is our coaching and injury management, because something is happening that seems to put our players at far greater risk of injury than most other clubs. As for the FA cup, I agree it's not the Premier League trophy or the Champions League, but it's still a major trophy and there are 18 other PL clubs who didn't win one this season. So credit where it's due, especially as we beat both Man City and a rampant Chelsea, who everybody predicted would tear us apart. Wenger got his selection and tactics spot on for that game. Clearly he motivated the players as they steamrollered Chelsea and didn't give them an inch. Wenger rightly deserves criticism when things don't work, but equally you have to give the guy credit when they do. There are other changes that I want to see at Arsenal this summer. A more ruthless transfer policy, no dicking around trying to get a deal at the last minute. I also want to see David Dein brought back into the negotiating team and back on the board. I want to see our players coached to within an inch of their lives so that they go into every game completely focused, for 90 mins. And I want to see some changes as mentioned with regard to our fitness and conditioning regime. What I do not want to see is Wenger sacked, or for him to walk away with no clear successor in place. I know a lot of Arsenal fans want to see the back of Wenger, but if that happens this summer, then we are ****ed.
When I was typing my original post, I wondered what your response would be and it is exactly as I expected. Sitting on that fence will give you splinters in your arse! Your completely missing the point. Winning 9 games out of the last 10 is irrelevant unless it leads to something. It is the least you should expect from a club of Arsenals statue. It's what the big clubs do consistently! The FA cup in terms of prize money and overall standing is now behind top 4 and Europey. Why, Because CL is the footballing holy grail in terms of revenue and attracting players. I didn't see the game, but I gather he got his tactics spot on. However, is that enough for Arsenal FC, is that enough to attract the really top players. My comments around the training ground were not about whether its had a makeover, it was more around the fact that when Wenger was employed it was to get Arsenal ready for the next 20 years. There's no doubt in my mind that Wenger was a visionary, but that's the problem, it was his baby that he has nurtured over the last twenty years. Having fans come out and criticise his methods has got to sting a bit. It's like telling someone they are a bad parent. I don't see Wenger changing his overall management style off the pitch, which will be your ultimate downfall in my opinion. He does not seem like a guy who embraces change. lm not talking about the 4-4-2 / 4-3-3 type changes ( any top manager should be able to do that as and when needed), it's more around adapting to the demands of today's football. The reality is that there is no standing still in the game, you either continually move forward or go backwards. My final comment (probably the most contentious) is that I think you're a million miles away from a title challenge with your squad. Turning up for half a dozen games is not going to get where you want. You saying you're only a couple of players short is not only the old "Arsenal tinted spectacles", but wearing a welding mask on top for good measure.
Funny reading a non Arsenal supporter understanding our issues completely, but you're not the only non Arsenal fan too. The FA cup was a very good win but it did paper over the cracks, which we will see widen come next season. Wenger might have tweaked a few things but the problems still remain with him. The more Arsenal management try and introduce changes, the more stubborn and entrenched he'll become. But as they say let's see. I hope I'm wrong but rarely can you teach old dogs new...
I'm not sitting on the fence. I've spelled out exactly what I think should happen. Also winning the last 9 games out of 10 led to us winning the FA cup Wenger has made a change and it's yielded results. Whether we can kick on from this point for next season will be the test.
For the Arsenal fans, I think winning the FA cup will turn out to be a curse rather than a success. It will possibly relieve some of doubt in the boards mind and strengthens Wengers hand. I have no axe to grind with any Arsenal fan, the early years of Wenger were a joy to watch for any fan of football, but like everything in life, it inevitably comes to an end.
Can I have that welding mask when you have finished with it? And the FA cup will get you what exactly? Possibly not the players to help you kick on, certainly not the riches, and an extremely challenging playing schedule next year (which Maureen couldnt cope with. And I think he has a stronger squad than you).
No I said it could turn out to be a curse. If it papers over the ever widening cracks, then your really only going to prolong the inevitable fall from grace.
