Stop Dragan this Out: The Wenger Succession Thread

Yep...Wenger be done at AFC. I hope we win the league cup as a farewell trophy.

 

We might have a better chance of UEL trophy. Unless Bristol City can pull off the biggest upset since ???

Shoot, let's take both cups and give Wenger no reason not to leave!!!

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/robin-van-persie-arsene-wenger-11902132

There are a lot of issues with Wenger, but while this is the last man I would have expected it from, he does generate a lot of loyalty from former players.

 

Because he is a grandpa to his players with all the candy and no accountability. The post Highbury period is emblematic of that. He had no real money so he gave them candy.

 

My thoughts too. He lets them get away with anything. They also generally know they will always play no matter what.

 

Strange people still say he had no money. Arsenal's wages were almost the same as United until Fergie's retirement.

 

It really is amazing to me when I see people still try to defend him. I just don't have any words for them. It's like talking to a brick wall.

 

This is hot nonsense:



Only in one year (2006-2007) were Arsenal's wages anywhere close to United's. United's wage bill has consistently ranged from 15-20% higher.

And that ignores transfer spending: Arsenal's transfer spending was practically zero those years while United spent 30 million every window.

There's valid criticisms to be made about Wenger, but spouting untruths for the likes of cantona to latch on to just makes the signal to noise ratio here worse.

 

Hey I'm not latching on to the money thing. I don't agree with the amounts and whatnot although I do think we had far more money than Wenger wanted to let on to or rather let go. I'm just commenting on how I don't see how anyone can really defend the guy anymore, it's like talking to brick walls. Appreciate the acknowledgement though, THANKS!!

 

The point isn't to defend Wenger: it's to be fair in both one's analysis and criticism.

And, as much criticism as Wenger deserves for certain things, the job he did up until 2013 was phenomenal: it's unusual for teams to build stadiums in Europe. Only other team I can think of that tried it in Europe and pulled if off is Juventus, and the Emirates cost three times as much. Give credit where it's due (keeping the team in the CL at a time when missing out would have been a financial disaster), and blame where that's due (poor squad planning in the last five years, an inability to build a functioning midfield, poor tactical instruction as the league has gotten more rigid positionally).

 

I still think he could’ve done better with his team composition

Even when we were poor surely a better gk than almunia was available or a hokding cm?

Books were managed well but now we are waiting for the promise of competing with top clubs to be close to fulfilled

 

Ronaldo sale kept United's net spend very low for a long time so not sure why you would bring that into the discussion.

Otherwise, it ranges from nothing in 06-07 to 13% in 2012 and 20% in 2010.

Compared to the difference between United and Chelsea earlier, and later United and City in wages until 2013, it is a lot less.

We are not discussing something new here and was brought up a lot even back then - he had the wages to compete at least regularly in the league but wasted a lot of it on a more equitable structure.

 

Pulling numbers from transfermarkt, United's net transfer spend from the beginning of the 2005/2006 season to the end of 2012/2013 season, when Fergie retired, United spent a net of 176 million in transfers. That's taking the sale of Ronaldo into account.

Over the same time frame, Arsenal made a profit of 30 million on transfers (doing the numbers in my head, so could be off by a million or two).

It's hard to take you seriously when you're ignoring a difference of over 200 million quid in transfer spending.

 

You seriously do not believe that do you?

Truth is we were dead broke after 2008 up until like a year ago. Like mebesajid says, give him credit where it is due. He helped build a stadium and kept us in competition but it was a different world back then. He still had that aura of the invincibles lighting his a$$ up and could attract elite young talent. Now it is a different world. Many more teams to splurge cash around and ready to stockpile young talent.

 

Exhibit 1 of that period was Arshavin's belly.

 

Wenger benched Arshavin. Took a while, but he did bench him. Also, Arshavin was really good for his first 18 months at Arsenal.

 

Marco Silva...get him in at the end of the season.

 

Why not just go full 98 degrees and sign Nick Lachey?

 

At that point, he could no longer run.

 

Me thinks a lot of people misuse the word "apathy" when talking about their relationship with the club these days.

Most times I think better words would be "disappointment", "frustration", "disgust", "anger", "hopelessness", or something else.

But to be apathetic means you don't care. And most of the people who say they're apathetic about Arsenal, come back to this board to talk about the club and it's issues.

They care. They still have emotions for this team. Which is good. If they really didn't, they wouldn't come back to talk about our crappy situation.

This team and it's large number of caring fans are badly in need of a new era... one that sadly isn't likely possible until the boss leaves.