Once again, Arsene Wenger finds himself in a situation where he can excuse the rapid decline of the club. His team tanked in blue again, losing 2-1 to a very average Newcastle side, but somehow, the press has brushed this off as a byproduct of searching for Europa League glory.
Partly, that could be seen as true. However, as is everything with Arsene Wenger, you need to have context. If this were off the back of a scintillating season, you could perhaps acknowledge the changing shape of our form. That’s not the case though. Our form is an illness that’s plagued the club for years now.
This season’s particular ailment happens to be away form. We just lost our 5th away game in a row this season, we’re the only club in the league to not have registered a single point away from home in 2018. In the home league table, we’d be third, in the away league table we’re bottom half. It’s staggering how damaged we are once we step off the away day bus. What makes this problem even worse, is Wenger has teed up the atmosphere at home as a reason for poor form in the past. Maybe the lack of fans > the lack of venom is our secret sauce for away games? Maybe away fans are the problem?
The game wasn’t much to write home about. Lacazette and Auba combined nicely inside the opening 15 minutes, Lacazette reaching a teasing cross at the back post. Then it all collapsed in a combination of low energy and silly defensive mistakes. The whole defense was beaten route one from a Shelvey hoof to Gayle, he held onto it, laid the ball off for a tidy front post cross finish by Perez. The second time Mustafi has been caught napping in a week, in exactly the same move.
Who spoke to him after he made the same mistake against Southampton?
The second came from a throw. Mustafi made a hash of it, Monreal made a double hash of it, Slimani nodded to Perez, who laid it into Ritchie, with the finish inevitable.
Losing 2-1 to Newcastle is shabby, they are Championship level. It does show you how good Rafa is as a coach. He’s taken a very poor group of players and crafted a masterful season, hats off to those boys.
But what does it say about Arsenal? Wenger has let the concentration handbrake off on the season. Burnley are closing in on us, terrible records are closing in on Arsenal. It’s really not looking good. Mourinho pulled this stunt towards the end of the last season, but his path to Europa glory was easy… but it was still a gamble.
Wenger now has Atleti in the semi-final. I’m not sure bombing the league is in his interest, because if he gets beaten, which seems likely, all he has to fall back on are the facts from the season.
> You spent a load of money
> You didn’t improve the team in any way
> We didn’t make Champions League again
> You didn’t win anything
How can the club possibly back him for another season like this?
Also, there’s an argument to say that when you’re still playing for something, as a player, you should be fighting for your place. Keeping your game sharp. It’s hardly helpful that Mustafi and Chambers are recording disaster classes on the regular. It’s not a positive to keep getting your ass handed to you. I think it’s arrogant. Sure, we’ve had an extra gear in the Europa League this season, but that’s only because the competition has been absolutely dross. The idea that we can switch off in the league in prep for playing one of the best teams in Europe is quite horrifying.
What all this shows is that Wenger doesn’t care about winning. He doesn’t know how to motivate players. He is utterly lost as an elite manager.
Worth noting that Atletico won 3-0 vs Levante as they cement 2nd place in La Liga. They’re up to 71 points, still pushing for a league they have next to no chance of winning. That’s proper coaching.
I guess if Wenger shows Simeone how it’s done over 2 legs, we really will have no argument over this season.
There’s also an ugly rumour doing the rounds that Wenger reckons he’s going nowhere, goading the club into trying to fire him.
Can you imagine being that arrogant about your future? Only Arsenal would be meek enough to have their next seasons plan geared around the hope their manager is self-aware enough to fire himself.
Pathetic.
Right, see you in the comments. I’m back in England this week. Also, I have a treat coming up for you in a few weeks. I have a bonified expert in fitness, and he’s going to talk to us about red zones, player loads, j-curves and a host of other shit you had no idea about that goes into keeping players fit.
I am VERY excited about that.
Also, moving forward, no more drunk podcasts. I apologise for that.
All the best for everyone.
Lol at Wengers baffling comments. The only thing baffling his how this senile cunt is still in a job,
You amens wood
“Not forgetting Charlie had two spells at Derby
and actually scored a hat trick against Real Madrid
in the European cup.
He scored more goals for Derby than Arsenal.
A legend in my eyes.”
A legend without a doubt …..I was at the FA cup tie when we were away to Derby when Charlie scored 2 in the mud and then gave the famous 2 fingered saluteto the Derby fans and then he went and signed for them .
Michael24
I bet Fulham are putting up the bunting in anticipation of your arrival at Craven Cottage
Pierre thinking getting some new players in will change anything. New players managed by the same clueless manager. Daft cunt.
Someone should punch Wenger in the face.
Pierre
Your Idol would be ashamed of you if he knew the stance you took on the club
“I agree , all those season ticket holders who refuse to go to the games and withdraw their support like Ufraud should have their tickets revoked and let genuine supporters have the chance to see The Arsenal every week .”
Those who attend games at this stage are mugs and should be treated as such.
This blog is suffering from apathy
Steve, you’re quite the hard man!
Korenke isn’t that bothered about results and winning trophies as long as the value of the club continues to rise. He will have already doubled his investment if he sells tomorrow. Yes the extra revenue from champions league helps but it isn’t the end of the world
Pierre
“Personally, I think the Wenger out brigade started way too early after the invincibles and ces/ rvp era so they lost any credibility.”
Fuck right off with the disingenuous bollocks. Started way too early? You mean the best part of a handful of people who expected us to win the league year in, year out? No me neither.
You’re emblematic of why there’s such a divide when there doesn’t need to be one.
The issue with Wenger wasn’t that we failed to win the league, per se. It was more to do with the fact that Wenger had no idea how to build a cohesive capable of even looking like we had a chance in hell.
Supporters that saw this from the outset had every reason to suggest change, as far back as then. Where you’re painting those fans as myopic, at the time, sadly they’ve been proven right.
True Berg, but to use an analogy Kroenke’s said ‘stick’ a fair few times, I think a ‘twist’ is just around the corner.
Le Grove
Carts
The Wenger out campaign has been going about ten years , correct .
What I was saying was the campaign lost all credibility because at the start of it we had a quality side with ces ,nasri rvp , cliche ,ade,song etc …it was a team that was ripped apart by city and Barca who had money unlike Arsenal who had just moved to a new stadium and couldn’t go out and spend fortunes .
I thought it was disgusting that this group of ignorant morons (wobs)didn’t have the brains to recognise what was happening and subjected Wenger to undeserved abuse.
we were competitive in those days , often near thee top but we never had a large enough squad to cope when the champions league kicked back in and usually the injuries started stacking up plus a few broken legs( Eduardo ,Ramsey ,Diaby) at crucial stages in the season.(all dodgy tackles).
So no ,Wenger did not deserve the abuse as at that stage he was doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.
Michael24
Wouldn’t exactly say you’re fit for throwing mud at other posters considering you told a story last week about how many arsenal shirts you saw at a school football camp, then used it as “evidence” for our supposed commercial downfall.
Michael 24
At some point in your gap year at Craven Cottage,google the term cottaging
Pierre
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear………………..oh dear!
Are you really that naive?
Do you really believe that Arsenal suffered because of teams with “money” and because we couldn’t “go out and spend fortunes?”
Wenger wanted you to believe all these things. That’s part of his mission statement. Try and get you on his side by making excuses. It’s in his personal remit.
He has always had this ability to suck people in with his garbage rhetoric.
Wenger deserves the wrath of fans over these past twelve years, it’s just a shame he doesn’t give a toss about it.
Who on here actually thinks Korenke will sack Wenger and pay him off for a year? Doubt will make a big difference as without serious investment we won’t be challenging anytime soon
CC
See’s and believes in everything based on reports and spreadsheets, but not by applying basic common sense.
Got to have a good chuckle.
I see Pierre is pissed again..
Champagne charlieApril 16, 2018 20:21:17
Michael24Wouldn’t exactly say you’re fit for throwing mud at other posters considering you told a story last week about how many arsenal shirts you saw at a school football camp, then used it as “evidence” for our supposed commercial downfall.
—–
I did almost choke my drink on that one.Very funny indeed.
Oh-Le-Grove..
Brings up some chuckling moments..
You are funny CC-I’ll give you that.
“Throwing mud at other posters”, who I consider to be complete dipshits, is deserved. @A14 being a prime example.
Arsenal are in meltdown and have been for far too long, so those individuals who accept the status quo and continue to tolerate manic Wenger, must take the consequences.
Welcome to my world.
RedtruthApril 16, 2018 20:58:55
I see Pierre is pissed again..
————-
Hey Redtrruth,
Long time no hear.How are you doing?
What do you think of ZZ as a player and a manager?
For the slow decline and the recent utter embarrassment that he’s overseen he should be sacked. You can argue that he should have been let go or at least not offered any contracts the last couple ones offered but now we’re in a position where we have to sack him. We owe him nothing. What are we going to do waste another season because he’s too stupid to walk away himself? He doesn’t deserve that anyway he’s done a terrible job sack him move the fuck on
Pierre
10 years? Do you realise how small that contingent were? So small that it didn’t gain any real traction until about 5 years ago, properly.
Our poor contract management and Wenger incessant desire to play inferior players was the main reason.
Not addressing our goalkeeping or truly going out and buying a DM was his undoing. He expected loyalty from players that had greater ambitions.
I don’t even want to see the words by mutual decision he deserves to be sacked. SACKED. That is what he deserves
PhD07
Not half as funny as someone finding @CC funny.
Anyone who promotes their user name, based on a PhD, obviously is a natural comedian or a complete and utter ignoramus.
Take your pick.
Shit player shit manager.
Aubergine
Stop projecting your AKB’s on everyone..
Carts
5 years… Not backtracking by any chance are you.
5 years ago we won the cup final and you are trying to tell me that the Wenger outs were ” So small that it didn’t gain any real traction until about 5 years ago, properly.”…. Bullshit and you know it…
Pierre
10 years ago, it was only c.3 years since we had won the FAC against Utd.
The majority of supporters were still very much on Wenger’s side. The calls for him to leave were beyond minuscule.
5 years ago was 2013, and even then, the WOBs were rightfully campaigning for Wenger to leave on a high. Again, those supporters were still being ridiculed and getting smacked around the stadium
RedtruthApril 16, 2018 21:20:22
Shit player shit manager.
———-
Now you are certainly trolling.Lol
ZZ Player:-
Bordeaux
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995
Juventus
Serie A: 1996–97, 1997–98
Supercoppa Italiana: 1997
UEFA Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
——-
Real Madrid
La Liga: 2002–03
Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003
UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
UEFA Super Cup: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
————-
International
France
FIFA World Cup: 1998
UEFA European Championship: 2000
———-
Individual
French Division 1 Young Player of the Year: 1993–94
French Division 1 Player of the Year: 1995–96
Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 1996–97, 2000–01
Ballon d’Or: Bronze award 1997
FIFA World Player of the Year: Bronze award 1997, 2002
Onze d’Argent: 1997, 2002, 2003
ESM Team of the Year: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 1998
L’Équipe International Champion of Champions: 1998
L’Équipe France Champion of Champions: 1998
FIFA World Cup Final Man of the Match: 1998
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2006
World Soccer Awards Player of the Year: 1998
French Player of the Year: 1998, 2002
Onze d’Or: 1998, 2000, 2001
Ballon d’Or: 1998
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003[3]
FIFA XI: 1998
El País European Player of the Year: 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003
Onze de Bronze: 1999
World Soccer’s Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of the 20th century: 1999
Ballon d’Or: Silver award 2000
UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2000
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000, 2004
Serie A top assist provider: 2000–01
Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2000–01
UEFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003
UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2002
Don Balón Award: 2001–02
La Liga Best Foreign Player: 2001–02
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2002
FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2002
FIFA 100: 2004
UEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years: 2004
FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006
IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker: 2006
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2006
FIFA World Player of the Year: Silver award 2006
UNFP Honorary Award: 2007
AFS Top-100 Players of All Time: 2007
Marca Leyenda Award: 2008
Golden Foot Legends Award: 2008
ESPN Team of the Decade: 2009
ESPN Player of the Decade: 2009
Fox Sports Player of the Decade: 2009
Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009
Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade: 2009
Don Balón Team of the Decade: 2010
Don Balón Player of the Decade: 2010
Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: 2011
UEFA team of teams: 2011
UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years: 2011
Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP: 2011
Real Madrid Greatest XI of All Time: 2012
World Soccer Greatest XI of All Time: 2013
Real Madrid Hall of fame: 2014
UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (substitute): 2015
IFFHS Legends: 2016
UEFA Euro All Time XI: 2016
FourFourTwo’s Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time: 2017
Juventus Greatest XI of All Time: 2017
——————-
ZZ Manager:-
Real Madrid
La Liga: 2016–17
Supercopa de España: 2017
UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17
UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017
FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
———–
You are funny..Very funny indeed.Love your style.
A14
Twat enough said
Michael24
I live in a world governed by science and fact.
Excuse me for not using anecdotal nonsense to distort something into fitting ‘my reality’.
Your take on Arsenal as a commercial entity was/is hilarious. Continuing to defend a comparison of the school playground to measureable revenue figures and social media activity is embarrassing though…
…I’d probably quiet down on that a tad. Better to possibly be a moron, than confirm it.
Le-grove is certainly a leveller.That’s for sure.
Phil Neville
Manchester United
FA Premier League (6): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
FA Cup (3): 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
FA Community Shield (3): 1996, 1997, 2003
UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
RedtruthApril 16, 2018 22:14:44
Phil NevilleManchester United
FA Premier League (6): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
FA Cup (3): 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
FA Community Shield (3): 1996, 1997, 2003
UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
———-
& your point is?????
Phil Neville has won more trophies than Zidane lol
RedtruthApril 16, 2018 22:14:44
As I said before,you are funny.Love your style dude.But pretty hilariously.
RedtruthApril 16, 2018 22:19:38
Phil Neville has won more trophies than Zidane lol
—————-
I guess World Cup’s & European Cup’s don’t count then?
*But pretty hilarious
Is the nonce dead yet?
Oh good, TYAG has arrived to inject some intellectual debate
Not at all numb nuts. Just wondering if the child catcher has snuffed it yet. One can wish I suppose
You sound like you’re rambling about events from your childhood. It’ll be ok…
The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! That creature traumatised me when I was a kid. Wenger, son of child Catcher. Much is explained.
CC
“I live in a world governed by science and fact”
The scientific philosophies of Arsene Wenger and the fact that he is a crap manager.
Wonderful world you live in Charlie.
Try and live for the moment and don’t rely on others to hold your hand.
No wonder the world is in the state it’s in.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/apr/16/pep-guardiola-next-challenge-manchester-city-win-champions-league
“City have the most points, most shots, most goals and most passes. They’ve been strolling away at the top of the league since the fifth week of the season, a 6-0 win at Watford nestled in the middle of a 5-0, a 4-0, a 5-0 and a 7-2.
In reality it is not possible to win more convincingly than this. Not least when, besides the numbers, there is also the basic tone and texture of this league title, the sense of players stretching out into the fringes of their own talent, finding new patterns and rhythms.
From August into April these Premier League champions have been a rare joy, a team that keep the ball with the usual Pep-issue mania but come forward in a relentless swarm, spreading the game into every available part of the space whatever the score, whatever the time on the clock, always unapologetically itself.
It is worth noting that had City failed to deliver this season the same Manchester United team who clanked their way to a square-headed title-sealing defeat by West Brom may now be in line to win the Premier League.
In the event United’s expensive brand of stodge is a reminder of just how difficult it is to engineer drive and fluency in a standard modern team of expensive bolt-on parts. By contrast, the champions have been a rare gift, a reminder that for all its vested interests, its fixed hierarchies, elite modern football can still be a genuinely uplifting thing.”
Wallace, why did you miss out the next Paragraph
‘En route to winning the title and a League Cup Guardiola has spent £448m on players in two seasons, the greatest single transfer splurge in history.’
Wallace
Nice post, especially the bit about “United’s expensive brand of stodge”
“I live in a world governed by science and fact.”
Just like kim jong lol
Rambo Ramsey
“Wallace, why did you miss out the next Paragraph – ‘En route to winning the title and a League Cup Guardiola has spent £448m on players in two seasons, the greatest single transfer splurge in history.’”
Ronay’s already supplied my response…
“By contrast, the champions have been a rare gift, a reminder that for all its vested interests, its fixed hierarchies, elite modern football can still be a genuinely uplifting thing.”
It is so often said that to get success you need stability at a football club, allow the manager to create his own philosophy at the club and titles will come.
In the last 5 years City and Chelsea have dominated the Premier league(Leicester are the exception) … Have they had stability at the top, not really… City have had 3 different managers in the last 6 years as have Chelsea..
Because Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger had so much success and they were the longest serving managers it is still assumed, at Arsenal anyway, that that is the best way to achieve success.
Of course having an endless supply of money is a deciding factor as teams like city, Chelsea and united can blow teams out of the water when buying and attracting new players… Top players will always go where the top money is as they know they can maximise their earning potential and consequently have a greater chance of success on the field.
The Arsenal model of stability is not working because stability has led to stagnation and apathy and this needs to be changed asap.
A new manager coming into the club will create a healthy vibe and energy that has been missing…
Of course a new manager won’t automatically guarantee success but the club needs a new direction.. The change to the back room staff has helped, the dealings in the January transfer window is proof of that.
The perfect scenario for me is for Arsenal to win the Europa cup and then for Wenger to step down… I’m an Allegri fan, he is what we need at this moment in time.
“he is what we need at this moment in time.”
And he’s exactly what we will not have.
“The perfect scenario for me is for Arsenal to win the Europa cup and then for Wenger to step down”
Have a much more realistic scenario for you: how about not winning the ELC, plus le senile twat is gonna stay ??
@PierreApril 17, 2018 09:35:36
Very good. Agree with most of that I have to say.
“Try and live for the moment and don’t rely on others to hold your hand. No wonder the world is in the state it’s in.”
What does that even mean? I swear your comments are more and more bizarre as the days pass
It’s pure poetry, without a doubt.
The divide in the fan-base presently is shockingly mind-boggling,you need not look beyond legrove to witness first-hand how the WOB’s have further evolved into what now looks like a ‘cult’.. this set of fans are violent in nature and are ready to let go of any credibility left in them an attempt to undermine the achievements of Wenger and wish all sorts of evil upon the man,they even claim he is mentally unstable(despite being our most successful manager to date)ridiculous enough?……wait for it
The hatred is so strong and irrational that you’d be pilloried with all forms of insults when you make a balance argument in his favor,its really a shocking and equally embarrassing situation
You are called an AKB for wanting the club to be successful,an apologist for wanting the manager to bow out gracefully,a mug for attending matches,a 12 year old for not calling him a ‘cunt’or typing ‘Wenger out’ in every post you make, it really has become tedious and painfully sad to see supposed adults behave so petty
I have then realized this lot are not true supporters and will probably fvck off(at least I hope so)the moment Wenger leaves since its now apparent they have made the support of the club be about a manager(an employee)not sure they can help themselves to any Joy from Arsenal ATM,they’r strongly and hopelessly obssesed with the man,its bothering insanity,to them Wenger is Arsenal,very disgraceful and utterly blinkered idiots.
Victorious knows best, as usual.
Daily Mail reporting that low attendance at the Emirates has the board and ownership concerned enough that they will be reviewing Wenger’s status this summer.
Fingers crossed that we will be spared another season of dipshit.
We do have a board ?? Breaking news!!
Rumors that Pogba and Martial will both be sold this summer. If so, it will be interesting to see where each goes and at what valuation. Pogba’s stock has declineda bit, I think, Martial’s a little too, though his was so sky-high when he left Monaco that that might’ve been inevitable.
United made LESS playing in the CL this season (EUR 38.9) than they did from the EL (EUR 44.5) last season!
The primary reason being teams who enter the CL via winning the EL are not eligible for a share of their nation’s CL TV pool.
Obviously, they have done better overall as they have such enormous commercial revenue, and a lot of those contracts will only pay out in full if the club are offering CL exposure.
Will be interesting to see the EL numbers for us. I think you can only make reasonable money from it by both winning it and having the other clubs from your nation go out early.
https://twitter.com/SwissRamble/status/986147493846110211?s=19
Vicuntious the true fan has spoken lolololol. What an absolute dope.
The divide in the fan-base presently is shockingly mind-boggling
You’re an idiot.
you need not look beyond legrove to witness first-hand how the WOB’s have further evolved into what now looks like a ‘cult’.
Speaking of cults…you’re an idiot
you’d be pilloried with all forms of insults when you make a balance argument in his favor,its really a shocking and equally embarrassing situation
You’re so dumb. You’re more obsessed with terms like AKB and WOB than anyone else here. You’re a clown
“The primary reason being teams who enter the CL via winning the EL are not eligible for a share of their nation’s CL TV pool.”
This is a really interesting point to note – the fact that we could gain entry to the CL via the back door doesn’t stack up financially – we are better off (from a financial perspective) competing in the Europa again next year and finishing top 4.
Makes the “top four trophy” more important from a financial perspective.
Maybe if Kroenke is all about money we should hope Wenger wins the Europa so Stan can sack him for losing him millions!
(I feel like I have to put in a disclaimer that this is a light hearted comment).
City two days after coasting the league are being linked with Mbappe and Thiago. Already planning it seems
lol M’bappe is like kim jong, ain’t going anywhere.
Pogba on his way out, eh? I know Adidas pay Utd a truck load of money, and usually that’s where the buck stops. Howver, I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see him leave, so soon.
As for Martial, his days are numbered. I also read Rashford has refused to sign a new deal, while disillusioned at the amount of time he’s spending on the bench.
Mourinho really is a fun sponge.
MarkoApril 17, 2018 11:46:51
Who’s this in reference to?
I’ve got no love for Luis Enrique
Messi, Suarez and Neymar made him look good. Those three would flatter any manager including Wenger
He flunked out at Roma.
No Enrique. The premier league will eat him alive.
We have to start with a tactical that can make these current squad work. We aren’t a big money club.
Rafa is the best bet.
He knows the premier league very well.