The most important announcement of Le Grove’s entire history.
Arsene Wenger has left the club.
The greatest manager in our history will leave at the end of the season.
I’m speechless.
We knew things were going to get tough for the big man this summer, with the imaginary reviews. But it looks like our theory about Josh K being the grim reaper were true. He was sent over by Stan to takeover the club, and the PR team probably told him the best way to start a new era is with decisive action.
Wenger is going, but the side story for me is this announces Josh Kroenke is now going to be a more solid part of the club setup moving forward.
Ivan Gazidis finally pulled through. After being near-fatally wounded last summer by a horrible back alley deal between Wenger and Stan K, Ivan worked some behind the scenes magic. He hired Raul Sahnelli, Sven Mislintat and attacked Wenger’s power grip on the club. I was told he actually tried to take things further, but a furor was caused by some of the proposed additions to the team.
Those moves made it very difficult for Wenger to work his political magic this summer. The new guys came in, ripped out the deadwood of the squad in January, they added new blood and high-quality names, and the rot continued.
At the heart of it, Wenger had no fail-safe.
He was damaging the club financially. We lost a huge amount on Alexis Sanchez, not only in cash, but in pride. Losing your best player for under half price is a terrible look. Not just that, because contracts were so badly organised, Mesut Ozil was allowed to hold the club over the barrel.
Going beyond just those two names, Wenger has been hoarding average players for years. He’s been fattening them up on a hideous socialist wage structure which has left the club nursing a £200m wage bill, whilst Spurs are above us competing on £60m less. Wenger was no longer offering value.
Not just that, he was destroying the careers of young talents. Project British core was an out and out failure. Kieran Gibbs went to shit, Jenkinson shouldn’t have been in it, Jack Wilshere lost interest in the game, Theo Walcott never fulfilled his great potential, Chambo went to Liverpool and made a semi-final of the CL, and Aaron Ramsey was always injured.
The club stopped being a sporting entity. The objective wasn’t about greatness, it was about an old mans ego and his rampant desire to hold onto power. The club didn’t exist for trophies and elite glory, it was a vessel for a long retirement. When you stop operating on a sporting values level, it makes it dull for fans who’ve been paying huge amounts of money to see their heroes compete at the highest level.
When fans don’t show up, don’t expect sponsors to. The empty stadiums started in February this year. That’s not because of bad fans, it’s because they’re seeing the same old dross week after week. The ultimate protest is not going to a game, the ultimate show of how Arsenal had fallen is fans couldn’t give their Arsenal tickets away.
The time had come. The Champions League Top 4 trophy didn’t arrive, Wenger wasn’t developing players, the fans were bored and not showing, and the football was drab.
I think ultimately, the success of The LA Rams helped push this move. Stan is enjoying the great press around his LA team, and I’m sure he wants some of that over here.
Wenger is gone.
It’s the right move for the club.
The next two years will be tough, but at least we’ll be watching an exciting project.
I’ll write more on Wenger at a later date, but damn, I’m going to enjoy this moment.
A new Arsenal will rise, and we’ll look back on the banter years and wonder why we didn’t do this sooner.
Have a great day. x
Jeff
“I know a lot of you celebrate the first 7 years but I mourn the last 15.”
I’d say the last 2yrs, and have a little bit of sympathy for those who’ve been whining since 2013/14, but if you think anyone was doing a better job between 2006-13 when our net spend was about £40 and our rivals were throwing money around like confetti you’re deluded.
Sky Sports News have got the big exclusive with Arsenal TV’s Claude. Sadly, things have not gone to plan. Claude offered up some top insight: “I don’t want to go into the manager too much.” I think you’re missing the point of your appearance here, Claude.
———–——————
Lolz
I think that whoever comes in will have exactly the same ideas about what is needed. GK – is a mess, definitely need a new, first choice GK. LB/RB – I think Bellerin and Monreal will work under a new manager, longer term we will need a new LB CB – a complete mess, at least one, more realistically 2 needed CM – a complete mess, we dont have any defensive ability in MF AM – Ozil & Mykhitaryan arent going anywhere, but we have a real lack of quality after that. Welbeck and Iwobi are bums. Desperately need a… Read more »
Guedes, Martial or Bailey could well be my top 3 option as wide attackers
The next manager has to hit the ground running
I’m sure the next managers job will be get top 4, in the first season..
Yeah 3 crisis positions are deinitely GK, CB and CM, especially GK and CM.
people are deluded if they think the new manager is going to bring in 6 players.. we need to off load a lot of dead wood first and foremost. the board won’t allow the manager to spend more than 150 mill
None of the current bunch are Captain material.
Have to hope that whoever comes in brings in a wily older head as Captain.
Oh prayers have been answered!!! The thrill of next season and this summer has already hit me and was so needed for us all. Its time we all reunite under the banner again and cheer on this new manager and squad with everything we have…….I will now begin to stalk Diego Simeon and all his moves hourly in hopes he come to his senses and chooses the finest club. Think about what is being offered to who replaces Wenger!!! It all on a silver platter waiting to explode for the next manager.
“I’d say the last 2yrs, and have a little bit of sympathy for those who’ve been whining since 2013/14”
Some us since that horrid performance at Old Trafford in the 2009 Champions League semi-final.
That was the performance which showed the deer-in-the-headlights mentality of a sole Wenger creation; and acted as a foreboder for the many performances of an identical nature that would come in the years ahead.
gonsterous
Our squad cant get any smaller, so if we sell 6 players, we will probably sign 6.
nice to be going to the semi and to enjoy the thought of winning the trophy and not having all the trepidations and worries that go with it because of wenger threatening to stay
The new manager isn’t going to spend a penny. Our Head of Recruitment and DOF (Sanllehi’s title will change in the next month or so) will on the other hand spend money – that’s the point of the new set up. Coaches come and go but planned player recruitment continues without a change of direction.
also let’s be realistic. people are flying off the handle. first and foremost, the task for next season will be get into the top 4. maybe the season after would the board demand a title challenge at the very least.
Wenger will probably want to work somewhere else after us. He looks like he cannot live without being a manager and being part of the day to day football regime.
What will be very interesting over the next few weeks is our level of transfer activity both incoming and outgoing.
Unlikely to wait until after the world cup or the last month of the window like usual. Probably get in a couple early signings like a progressive football club.
Arsenal does not have unlimited resources to spend this summer. I think that
our maximum budget unless we make sales is likely to be £100 million
Even if that was the case you can sell Bellerin, Mustafi, Ospina, and hopefully Xhaka and Ramsey to have a bigger budget. Oh and Welbeck
Summer 2008 was when I officially became Wenger out.
Got rid of Lass Diarra, Flamini and Gilberto and replaced them with a load of shit. Didnt want to go the extra £2m for Alonso, because he always thinks he knows best.
Then we started the 08/09 season terribly and he kept up this delusion that everything was fine.
Whats worse is he slowly spent years lowering the standards completely, to where people were happy with the odd win against Chelsea.
Paulinho Even the 2007-08 season, as great as most of it was epitomised the team’s mental softness under Wenger with the four most important matches of the season in the Spring time all very similar- Birmingham away where we threw the game away leading 2-1 with seconds to go, Chelsea at SB where we lead 1-0 with Sagna’s goal and ultimately caved under the pressure conceding twice, Drogba brace. Then there was OT that was similar to the SB match, went 1-0 up through Ade and were good value for it before we bottled it and conceded twice. Then Liverpool… Read more »
what a day…. my head is spinning.
In reality I think this was the only solution… we would have been released in the summer. Now lets see if the boys can win the EL and get fired up….
I think we will all see a re-energized squad
On the captain front it’ll probably have to go to a new signing honestly. There’s no one here who screams captain. Manolas or someone like Fabinho or Oblak could do it.
If there is no word from Victorious, then it confirms my suspicion that he was Wenger all along.
He was one of the reasons I started following Arsenal as a foreigner arriving in this country in 1996.
Mixed feelings of sadness for what he was and what he contributed to the game as a whole and excitement for what’s to come which has to be better for The Arsenal.
Given Gazidis does not produce Brenda that is.
Gambon I think the transfer business will be left to the staff we have recruited for that purpose, but will no doubt consult the new manager. My bet is that the transfer negotiations are already being done now as is the case with most leading clubs. Highly unlikely to be done after World Cup although contracts might be delayed until afterwards in case there are some serious injuries. As I said I think that our priorities are in defensive segment of team. One potential option, which might happen in midfield could be an exchange of Ramsey for Pogba. We know… Read more »
players will be shitting themselves secretly….will the new coach keep them or move them on….
Hello Jack…. Rambo… Iwobi…. Mustafi…. Laca
What a day. I’m so excited to have the 2018-19 fixtures announced and scour for a good weekend to head to London. Just can’t wait for the football to be something different… anything but the stale shit that’s been on offer for years.
Pogba is a beast. I dont need to say anything more.
Second PV4 in the making
After all the hype for Wengers 1000th match, losing 6-0 to Maureen was a real show stopper
Next 2 transfer windows should be about fixing the defense.
Top 4 next season would be a bonus.
Not a stretch to say that there will be a lot of very worried and nervous players whose sole reason for being on Arsenal is Arsene Wenger.
Time to clear out a lot of absolute deadwood.
Pogba needs to be in a 3 man midfield really, Ozil cant play in that system.
I dont think Ozil and Pogba can play in the same system.
I would actually like to see us sell Ozil and go to 4-3-3
Im not a fan of a system with a #10
WE – Yeah, 2008 when he didn’t sign someone to replace Rosicky was when I wanted him out, but at least in that season he played good football, so we could claim a high ground in a sense. 2009 was just horrid football against any sort of decent opposition. Our performance in that 4-4 draw at Anfield was horrendous as well. 2008 showed that mental aspect in full glory, more so I suppose because we played good football. Birmingham had ten men that day as well, and somehow we were defending our own box for the last ten minutes, which… Read more »
Who in their right mind is going to take on Ozil and that bloated contract, Gambon?
@Guns SF – Pogba has yet to prove he’s a beast in the Premier League.
I mean… HOLY FUCK!
Wanted to Salute each and every one of you for making Wengers demise all the more interesting and somehow manageable, notably you Pete for keeping the Le Grove machine ticking. Epic battle, we’ve hit Valahalla people.
Whose the next victim!
“Arsene Wenger’s teams were horrible to play against, absolutely horrible. And make no mistake that is praise not a criticism. My best memory of my career was the battles I had with Arsenal. They were so good we had to play differently against them. We had to change our tactics. We had to be aggressive on and off the ball. We had to disrupt the rhythm of Arsenal because if you let them get into a rhythm they were unstoppable. There were times when they did and they beat us easily. They were Premier League games that were on a… Read more »
Pogba has more goals and more assists than Mesut Ozil, despite playing in CM, while Ozil just does what he wants.
Pogba also gets through much more defensive work.
Ah, Sal!
You’re back, too 🙂
Frankie- Mourinho is wasting him. Either he has pissed him off to a point of him not performing or the system does not suit him.
They were Premier League games that were on a different level to any other Premier League game I’ve ever played in. These games were, in terms of level of quality, almost like a Champions League game – with that real eyeballs-out concentration.”
Begs the question as to why we were so hopeless in Europe under AW in the prime years of 2001-2005.
How would posters on Le Grove react to such a possibility?
Pogba for Ramsey? Sign my ass the fuck up that’d be amazing. Yeah I don’t like the idea of continually stockpiling number 10’s and it’s worth pointing out that there’s so many successful big clubs who don’t play with a number 10 let alone two or three on the pitch. I’d rather have two legitimate wingers either side of a striker
What a day! Haven’t had the heart to post in a long time. The future is wide open gents! Ask Simeone what he wants and add a million.
I’ve always considered Ozil a luxury player. He’s great when surrounded by equal/better talent with more motivation (Madrid, Germany), but he is no leader, and when things get tough, he disappears. People give him too much credit for shining when we are blowing out teams.
Totally agree, GunsSF?
Sorry, i do totally agree SF…damn fingers!
Gazidis is live……
Right now, Pogba is looking like a fit Diaby to me. I’ll take the cash from UTD and spend it somewhere else.
Also as Gambon has said, Ozil, Pogba and Mkki in the same team is recipe for disaster.
Halleh….forking…lujah!!
*pops Champagne*
listening to Gazidis he doesn’t sound like a man who’s been at loggerheads with Wenger.
Gazidis is a politician.
He hates Wenger,
Gazidis is a slimy snake-oilsman himself, never understood Pedro’s admiration for him.
This is definitely a “look walk now gracefully or we will sack you” situation.
No way he fell on his own sword. no chance in hell. Either way I’m tickled pink about this 😉
For all the idiots that feel sad about this or that Arsenal treated him badly give me a break. He lasted 10 years longer than any other “big” club would have allowed him to stay. He fleeced us for at least a decade.
Gazidis is a fucking slimy snake. So disingenuous in his press conference right now.
Let’s see the AKBs give the new manager the rope they gave Wenger
(lol)
“The club has never been better prepared for this situation”
LOL.
By the way Gazidis confirmed a lot of the things Pedro has been claiming here a long time.
In terms of general control and was slightly ‘coy’ about the decision.
Even Maureen can muster enough respect for Wenger, says a great deal about those incapable of it here.”
If he was humble and didn’t fleece the club for about a decade you might have a point.
You seem to have mixed emotions. Unable to control them.
Wenger constantly took the piss out of the fans and undermined on the pitch results for his own job safety.
He’s been handsomely rewarded for doing sweet fork all.
I’ve never and I’ll never like Gazidis. Always looked like a bad person to me.
I hope the new manager cleans house… its the best time to shake things up and turn the club upside down and shake hard…
Allegri sounds good everyday. Take some of Pjanic, Dybala, Costa
Sell our shit. get Pogba
Hello Arsenal/ Juve mk2
lol
dream midfield!
Curious question
Will the new manager pool be brought up by Gazidis to the owner and board? What is the mechanism here?
“someone who will continue to play progressive, exciting football…”
ain’t gonna be Simeone 🙂
Feels good to back on Le-Grove.
Feels good to finally get the good news that the man is finally leaving.
Lets hope we have learnt our lesson and appoint the best footballing candidate out there.
Wow!!! I know am late to try party but who the fuck cares. Wenger is gone. Am absolutely sure he will remembered as an Arsenal great but my o my!! The future is very bright. Best day in a long time and le Grove is buzzing. Now let the fans come together and give the man a befitting send forth. Win the Europa lads. Fans fill up the Ems on Sunday and sing his name to the high heavens. I hope this invigorates the whole team. Wow! I almost cant believe this. I screamed so hard people had to ask… Read more »
Ha ha, Wenger got sacked.
No doubt at all based on this press conference.
Just heard gazidis being interviewed……emotionless cold speech saying the corporate obvious.
Why this great almost superhero. Respect?
Get fckin real, the club stupidly kept him on at the expense of success both on the field and financial.
Anyway I’m gonna pop that bubbly…won’t last 10 minutes!
Friends
A new dawn is rising.
Like a phoenix from the ashes
my optimism is at all time high right now again….
What a great Friday!
new coach, new players, new shakeup.
We will wreck the league next year ……
Its incredible, never thought he’d see the sack.
The delusion somehow caught up with him.
Now watch, Gazidis will hire Pardew.
Laughing when he’s saying Wenger left Arsenal in a better place than when he came. We’ve come full circle, and need a hell of a lot of work to fix it. At least, a new manager won’t ignore these issues then play dunce/victim when the same failings occur.
Your Comment Heremobiles must be been on meltdown this morning…I had 3 calls and about 8 texts in half an hour. I had some queueing…..yoooooooo!
Hey anyone got an untold reaction? Has attwood topped himself?
Ty from Arsenal fan TV recieved a lot of ridicule but his Interview today was quite gratuitous.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L9jaM5uYADE
Is there any shirts to say
” I was alive and on Le Grove when Wenger said goodbye”
That are available to Purchase?
Probably, after the 5th or 6th time Ivan ‘hinted’ to Wenger this would be a good time to step aside, and Wenger said he will see out his contract, they were forced to do it.
The transfer window starts today if you think about it….
The new manager needs to be brought in now… make the hire public and get going on identifying our targets.
I hope we jump fast in the transfer window. Get it all done in a week or 2.
Gone are the days of waiting months before the last week before Wenger bought some shit or no one. That to me was the worst part of every summer.
This – from coverage of the press coverage -I do not like:
‘Gazidis says it’s important Wenger’s successor continues with the “football values” of the club.’
Now we will see many changes in the FA & PGMOL. The corrupt bastards must be quaking in their boots. They no longer have control over Wenger & cannot stop him opening the box of hope & letting out the evil that has held Arsenal back.
I hope Wenger exposes his truths without fear of reprisals. The FA & PGMOL cannot silence him.
Some sad sack over on untold. Who by the way haven’t managed to post an article since the news broke. Tony Atwood must be on suicide watch. Prey for Tony
Alexander I’m pretty sure he said Arsene’s values. It’s just words though what matters now are actions
In his hey day, Arsene was so good, it took the entire British football establishment coming together to beat him – British managers banding together with referees and Premier League administrators to ensure they defeat the ‘French’ manager! Yes men like Allardici of Bolton and mangers of northern clubs like Birmingham, Blackburn, Hull, York, Stoke, banding together with SAF to break legs, roughen up Arsenal players, get in their faces, all just to subdue the ‘French’ man! Of course not forgetting the role of MOTD crew led by Linika and BBC staff writers like Mcnumpty who worked tirelessly to poison… Read more »
Imagine if Allegri comes in we will all be AKBs
What don’t you like about it exactly Alex? Pretty sure most of the fans wouldn’t like us to become a Man City alternative and spend a billion on players. I think the investments recently have been enough and it was all about buying well and selling well which with Wenger at the helm, we didn’t do either of. We have been buying bad for a while, and top money transfers have flopped badly. Also we have been selling bad, keeping below average players at best in the club for years. Add to this the main problem I have with Wenger’s… Read more »
WE
to be fair, I like Jorginho, Allan and Diawara. Would take 1, 2 or all 3.
Think diawara could be special under someone like Allegri
Now that Arsene Wenger is leaving, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see the back of the Wenger obsessives… They are an embarrassment and cancer to the club…. The problem is, they are so thick they don’t realise the harm they are doing to the club. Hopefully the players can go on to the pitch now without the burden of negativity that surrounds the club that was cultivated by the media and the obsessive minority. But If anyone thinks that’s it, it’s all going to be rosy in the garden, then they are in for a shock.. This… Read more »
Gunnersince1996
Spot on…
You fucking bell end Pierre. You cunts were the cancer. We wanted what was best for Arsenal football club. You wanted what was best for Arsehole wonga. You cunts along with wenger turned us into a fucking laughing stock. Prick
This crap of wilshere and Ramsay can both lev the club now. Both British core crap have had almost 10 years.
What’s the matter, Pierre? Your first attempt failed so trying again to goad people into a reaction?
What a sad old man you are. Wenger’s decided he’s had enough, when will you?
HO LEE SHIT! I can actually get excited about signings again because we might have a manager who wont turn them to shit
To little P….you complete TURD.
We all wish you well with your next club that Mr cancer descends on. Perhaps he will reward your loyalty by using lube when it’s your turn.
Complete arsenal enemy.
Ty&g
So slagging off the players and manager and, along with the media, creating a negative atmosphere for the team to play in and succeed is “wanting the best for Arsenal football club”.
As I said….. Thick as shit.
Today is memorable…the day I got my arsenal back!
@Pierre
The only embrassment to the club have been the akb cunts who were more than happy to keep Wenger in a job for as long as possible.
Today stands as a reaffirmation that it was a flat out mistake that the board committed to giving a contract extension to Wenger last summer.
No one, moving forward, should be questioned regarding their faith in ownership, the board, the CEO, no one. Despite Wenger leaving i have great reservations of the competence of those remaining. Today is but the start, but No mistaking there has been damage done over the last number of years.
I am so looking forward to watching The Arsenal become a force again. The club badly needed to move forward. I am raising my glass (of Stella; Cheers!) to the fact that a new page is being turned in the History of The Arsenal and that we all here to witness this. As for AW, I will always respect what he did for the club for the first 14 years, this includes the stadium move as his top 4 philosophy bs kept us afloat. After, for me, his desperate attempts at clinging on with an outdated philosophy and his obvious… Read more »
A disappointingly classless post from you, Pedro. I’m not enjoying this moment. He’s a man who poured his life into this club and despite all of us knowing his time was up, it still feels more appropriate to celebrate his achievements than his departure.
Lol if you actually believe any of that shite Pierre, patience? We’ve been the most patient footy club ever with AW, name me one other top end club anywhere in Europe that would tolerate no on-field success for such long periods? As for fans turning on a new manager after a few matches, you aren’t stupid enough to really believe that are you? Even the most ardent WOB’s (hate that term and AKB) weren’t shouting it from the rafters until around 2011 when he sold off our two best players in Nasri and Cesc, that’s 7 years since we won… Read more »
@Pierre
Poor little Pierre his daddy has been fucked off at long last for being a shit nonce of a manager. Xmas has come early as you cunt akbs will now fuck off.
Dumbo Ramsey
Stop living up to your dumb name.
Let’s be honest it’s not difficult to goad you lot…
Bacary
“A disappointingly classless post from you, Pedro. I’m not enjoying this moment. He’s a man who poured his life into this club and despite all of us knowing his time was up, it still feels more appropriate to celebrate his achievements than his departure.”
yup, disappointing post from Pedro, and disappointing reaction from the majority on here. not unexpected.
And yes, we’ve had a horrible season but still made the League Cup Final and still in Europa at semi-Final stage.
And i suppose Pierre, that it was your job as designated messiah, to make people see the error of their ways?
To close firmly, you are an unmitigated asshole of epic proportions. You came with an agend to be a thorough and complete nuisance to those who post here and to that end, you were but a mild irritant.
Be the good little old donkey and take a very long hike off a short pier.
Wallace, I love this site but always found so many posters to be unhappy and mean-spirited in general. They’ll just re-direct their anger at future managers now.