i feel bad for saying this, but i feel i should anyway - is wenger losing the plot?

[darcgun]

Last season definitely showed that Wenger still had it. after henry left all of the media said we were finished as a major EPL force, but if we had more mental strength we would have finished as champions.

but that was last season. as things stand now, some of the young players aren't performing up to par. should wenger revise his transfer policy, and do what he did from 1996-2004, by buying the classic "initially unknown who turns excellent" youngster (Ljungberg, Vieira) as well as experienced players (Overmars, Henry, Gilberto, Pires)?

i hate to say this, but is arsene losing it? if we win a cup this season, we'd probably look bad for raising questions, but say the next season is trophyless? how would things with arsene stand then?

[GetEmGooners]

no hes fine.....every team has good years and bad years

[TheArgonaut]

No I don't think so. Like Get Em Gooners said...every team has good and bad years (and I don't really know if you can call a year bad when we still have a faint hope of a title around christmas, are still in the FA Cup, still in the CL and are probably certain to finish in the top 5... especially if you look at the season with a bit more of an historical perspective). I just think he was trying to accomplish something and had a certain plan he wanted to follow. It hasn't really worked this year and I expect we'll start to see him make some adjustments along the way this year and maybe some smaller and larger changes in the summer transfer window.

[G dot Ozo]

In terms of matchday tactics and team selection he has left a lot to be desired of late. As far as his transfer dealings are concerned, it's debatable, but I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[juanca]

No I don't think so. Like Get Em Gooners said...every team has good and bad years (and I don't really know if you can call a year bad when we still have a faint hope of a title around christmas, are still in the FA Cup, still in the CL and are probably certain to finish in the top 5... especially if you look at the season with a bit more of an historical perspective). I just think he was trying to accomplish something and had a certain plan he wanted to follow. It hasn't really worked this year and I expect we'll start to see him make some adjustments along the way this year and maybe some smaller and larger changes in the summer transfer window.

Two Quality statements, ones which i fully agree with and back.

1. Even if i do sometimes come across as a pessimist here, I do not think that our "bad years" , since our last trophy are in fact, That bad. Consider the fact that we changed Homes-from highbury to Emirates. Consider the fact that we sold our talisman and all time leading goalscorer, TH14, basically broke up the entire Invincible squad restructuring everything for the future, so we can be a self sustaining Club, And we've still managed 1 CC final, 1 CL final, 4 points off 1st Place last year in the PL,and weve remained a top4 club. It could be worse, much worse:cool:

2. AW has to know that things arent going the way he thought they we're, and im positive he allready knows who is going and who is staying, But, the winter transfer window doesnt open for a month, and very few Superstars that would be available or in our price range would probably be attainable, therefore, Wenger will *probably* grab some youngsters that could improve the team NEXT year, and then in the summer, I think he will clean house and completely re-do the team.

That said , He IS right, at the moment, this is the team we have, and they need our support, we need to believe in them and help push them towards achieving a top4 finish again, also, we have yet to start the FA campaign,and we still have everything to play for in the CL.

[GetEmGooners]

i didnt say we were having a bad year.....i said every team has good years and bad years, you have to stick by your club during those tough years

[juanca]

wasnt being a pessimist......and didnt say we were having a bad year

What:confused:

I dont understand what you mean

[Silva 5]

I cant wait for when we win something with the current philosophy. Put a lot of these naysayers to bed.

[juanca]

I cant wait for when we win something with the current philosophy. Put a lot of these naysayers to bed.

Problem with that is...

In the end, we all want the same thing. we want AFC to win

While some prefer to wait by speculating about transfers, tactics, whether or not Wenger has lost it, etc,etc....

Others prefer to "wait" by calling the former gloryhunters, plastic fans, eternal pessimists.

[Silva 5]

well there's a difference from wanting the team to win and getting some sort of pleasure out of being justified when the team doesn't perform that day. There's a fine line and many like to dance on it.

[darcgun]

no hes fine.....every team has good years and bad years

this is true. villa's result today to me means that they're a serious contender for a champions league place this season. and not all of the young players we have aren't performing. i don't know whether denilson can cut it, or whether bendtner can be a consistent scorer, like adebayor is.

I guess since 2005, we've come close to winning something in all of those seasons, even though it was a transitional phase. i think in the summer, wenger needs to buy some experienced players, in midfield and in defence. toure needs a new centre-back partner and IMO we need a strong midfield presence that can add steel. with more experience, i think we put in a serious EPL challenge.

[DaPrince84]

Last season definitely showed that Wenger still had it. after henry left all of the media said we were finished as a major EPL force, but if we had more mental strength we would have finished as champions.

but that was last season. as things stand now, some of the young players aren't performing up to par. should wenger revise his transfer policy, and do what he did from 1996-2004, by buying the classic "initially unknown who turns excellent" youngster (Ljungberg, Vieira) as well as experienced players (Overmars, Henry, Gilberto, Pires)?

i hate to say this, but is arsene losing it? if we win a cup this season, we'd probably look bad for raising questions, but say the next season is trophyless? how would things with arsene stand then?
http://i33.tinypic.com/2ih5hqb.jpg

[Skizz]

^^ Rep

But seriously, I'm getting quite bored of people questioning Wenger needlessly. We've lost a few games this year but we're not majorly behind. We've beaten last seasons top two already this year, if we were that bad a team would we be getting results like that? Seriously it's a consistency issue, there's not much AW can do about that...

[ArsenalGooner]

^^ Rep

But seriously, I'm getting quite bored of people questioning Wenger needlessly. We've lost a few games this year but we're not majorly behind. We've beaten last seasons top two already this year, if we were that bad a team would we be getting results like that? Seriously it's a consistency issue, there's not much AW can do about that...

We're not majorly behind, but the inconsistency is probably due in GREAT detail to the fact that we have a very very very young team. The big reason we have a very young team? Wenger doesn't like to buy, and when he does, it's Aaron Ramsey or that really young French guy whose name I can't recall right now...

But, this has been killed to death, so maybe I shouldn't have even posted anything. Sorry.

[TerpSoccerFan]

^^ Rep

But seriously, I'm getting quite bored of people questioning Wenger needlessly. We've lost a few games this year but we're not majorly behind. We've beaten last seasons top two already this year, if we were that bad a team would we be getting results like that? Seriously it's a consistency issue, there's not much AW can do about that...

As the guy with complete control over the entire football team... It is his fault. Just the way it works. He would get the credit if the team won, he takes the blame when they fail.

No matter what leads to failure, he is at the root of it because he picked the players to bring here, he picks them to play, he has coached them, etc.

[Highbury]

His only failing this time around is not surrounding the youngsters with a few more experienced players. I believe what has made Cesc what he is at such a young age was his exposure to such class players early on. These youngsters don't have the same class to look towards.

[Henry Porter]

well there's a difference from wanting the team to win and getting some sort of pleasure out of being justified when the team doesn't perform that day. There's a fine line and many like to dance on it.

And many like to dance to close to the line of calling other fans not true fans. It's getting old to repeatedly hear that you're only a true fan if you agree with the rainbow and sunshine crowd.

[Henry Porter]

To answer the OP, no he isn't losing the plot. He's made many signficiant mistakes over the past year and should be taken to task for that but losing the plot to me means there is no way back. I don't think Arsene is there yet but the next two transfer windows will help clarify this question for many.

[juanca]

As the guy with complete control over the entire football team... It is his fault. Just the way it works. He would get the credit if the team won, he takes the blame when they fail.

No matter what leads to failure, he is at the root of it because he picked the players to bring here, he picks them to play, he has coached them, etc.

Exactly, we must all remember that AW is in TOTAL control of Arsenals football team. He has the final say on everything minus Board room topics.

His only failing this time around is not surrounding the youngsters with a few more experienced players. I believe what has made Cesc what he is at such a young age was his exposure to such class players early on. These youngsters don't have the same class to look towards.

Who will ramsey learn from? who will JFW learn from? from song, from eboue??

Its makes no point now, but there were a few guys who were shite on, and it still hurts. Guys like gilberto silva, pires, lehmann, even sol.

If big nose fergie can keep giggs and scholes,and give 38yr old VDS a new contract, and not even guarantee him the #1 shirt for next year, why couldnt wenger keep lehmann, or gilberto 1 or 2 more years?

And many like to dance to close to the line of calling other fans not true fans. It's getting old to repeatedly hear that you're only a true fan if you agree with the rainbow and sunshine crowd.

Too true:cool:

To answer the OP, no he isn't losing the plot. He's made many signficiant mistakes over the past year and should be taken to task for that but losing the plot to me means there is no way back. I don't think Arsene is there yet but the next two transfer windows will help clarify this question for many.

Exactly, Wenger has this winter and then the summer transfer window to PROVE and SHOW to us that he Will fix this.

[darcgun]

http://i33.tinypic.com/2ih5hqb.jpg

lol...

i'm free to express an opinion. if it's too touchy to people here, i cannot help that, since i don't control people's feelings.