While I agree with the approach of having a cannon-fodder stop-gap manager followed by a true-successor, I feel that if you get someone who is clearly a caretaker (like an Ancelotti) - that could hurt player recruitment and squad motivation. You send the message that we are going to get serious about rebuilding after this first guy is gone. While the next manager likely won’t take us to the level we want to reach, their tenure could lay the foundations for whoever follows. Someone who is just going to be not-Wenger isn’t going to move us forward.
But in your case, isn't it more like the girlfriend who you were sure would want to stick around for another year at least, only to find her telling you it's over now!
Anchovy is all wrong - Arsenal don't need an old style manager Arsenal has a stronger front office now need to hire someone younger in the mould of first team coach who is on top of modern tactics
it's like the girlfriend I cheated on for 3 years who finally took the hint Ironically I was one of the last Wenger In types in this forum - but it has all gone on so long that I guess it seems like i was most against him?
Two things caught my eye: Who amongst us isn't surprised with this? Thought the gap was significantly greater? Cue the next controversy
Search is broken so I can't find the first time I called him Dino Thinking about this - I am pretty sure I became Wenger out as late as 2015 I can remember apologising for him a lot round here I truly believed on the basis on 2013 year that Arsenal were going to go on to bigger things with Ozil having arrived and an excellent calendar year
I wouldn't say that. But my recollection is that in the last several months you had been predicting that he would definitely not leave before his contract is up. That's what I was needling you over. But did I get that wrong?
No that's right I believed Wenger would never quit and I thought Stan K still backed him - which meant he wouldn't be sacked By the way I don't believe for a second that Wumger decided to quit of his own free will He's been forced out
I wouldn't make any bets on that personally. And if I were the guy who got it wrong about him leaving early, then I wouldn't feel so confident. From all indications, if Wenger was forced out, then Kroenke was also forced by that person (Josh K? or Ivan G??) to go along. Stan's official comment seems to allude to how much love he had for Arsene.
I am pretty cynical If Stan K ever withdrew his support, Wenger was done - IMO that's what has happened Anywhere else Wenger would have been sacked immediately He's being allowed a graceful exit in exchange for them not having to sack him
I’ve questioned wenger since I started posting here The same weakness’ we had when vieira left and silva are the same we have now
That is not unlikely. The English "manager" model is prone to this scenario when the boss more or less has to sack himself. Yes there are owners but if the owner knows shit or has personal preferences then it is always going to harm the resp. club. In a "coach/sport director" setting Wenger would have been fired several years ago thats clear.
Just listening to the start of Gazidis's presser and if you take him at his word about the beautiful football philosphy that Arsene has instilled (permanently) in this club, then it's hard to image we'd be replacing him with the likes of Benitez, or even Rodgers I think. I wonder whether they'll leak the new appointment before Arsene leaves (intentionally or not)... I wouldn't be surprised.
I'll second this. Jardim currently has Monaco in second after key players from his championship side were signed by City (2), Chelsea, and PSG. In addition, the youngsters would almost certainly have a chance to prove themselves. I wouldn't mind Fabinho either, he could be Jardim's Viera.
I would have felt this way some time ago. I also would have felt more relief more recently than that. Right now, it's mostly numbness. "Yeah, at least it's over." Arsene Wenger is the football equivalent of Livia Soprano.
I think there is room for something in between, where rational conversation between human beings convinced Wenger it was time. You can cynically paint that as being forced out, but I’d like to believe that wasn’t the case.
Even if Wenger was forced out, who cares? It’s over, he is leaving. I don’t even understand why that’s part of the convo.