Ivan Gazidis took to the stage yesterday in an odd press conference. He didn’t really give much information away when it came to specifics, but he did give a lot away about the thinking behind moving Wenger on now, rather than at the end of the season.
Here are the topline points he tried to deliver.
1. Arsenal moved Wenger on
There is no doubt that the move to find a new manager was sparked by the club, not the manager. The resignation was the nice way out. Reality is, Wenger could have taken us down two divisions and still not moved on voluntarily. Ivan was keen to impress this without saying anything. When asked about whether it was a mutual decision, he said, ‘I’m not here to talk about any private discussions.’
This part of the press conference was to tell the world he runs Arsenal football club moving forward.
2. The reasoning behind now
‘Our players, staff and fans are behind this great man and we will give him the send-off he deserves.’
Quite a simple one here. Ivan is telling the fans that nothing was saving him this summer, not even a Europa League win. He could see how the season was going to pan out, he could see the protests, the empty stadiums, the banners, so he stepped in to make sure Wenger’s last few games were special.
Parting company now allows the fans to pay their respects, it forces the players to buck up their ideas and try and win the Europa League, and it gives the club time to plan an immense last game for Wenger. Very smart, something we mentioned last year.
3. The reasoning behind now pt II
“We’ll have a process around that which begins today. I want to keep that process in house. In accordance with Arsenal values and out of respect for this man, we haven’t had any discussions today regarding that. I don’t underestimate the challenge of that. You don’t find a replacement for Arsene Wenger, you find a new path forward.”
The club wanted to start talking to prospective managers right this second, and they didn’t want Wenger to have to deal with questions about the rumours. You can’t talk to Allegri in private, it’d be classless of Arsenal to start doing that before Wenger was told of his future. From what I’ve been told, talks really haven’t started yet, how true that is, we’ll never know, but the public narrative is they want to start the process now. Again, a good move, and very thoughtful.
4. We have the people to make the next move work
“I doubt there is a more experienced group in handling coaching changes but having said all of that, this is a very unique situation and none of us have been through a coaching change, a managerial change that’s been like this. I recognise the size of the challenge but I think we have the resources, the people and the know how to make the best choice for the future of this football club.”
This part of the story perhaps leans into the ‘why’ of last season. I think Ivan is admitting he wasn’t prepared, so he’s basically spent this season getting his ducks in order to make the move. I’m not sure changing manager would have been disastrous last season, I just think most modern managers don’t want to do everything. Ivan let the deal for Wenger roll last season, then as soon as the window shut, he started making moves. Now we’re in a great position to advance our new agenda.
Also worth noting this, expect a lot of additions to the coaching staff. Wenger going sparks the end of his trusted lieutenants. Peyton, Primorac, Colbert… they’ll all be moving on and I’m sure we have been eyeing up some of the sharpest coaches in Europe to replace them. There will be an all-out progress assault on the club this summer, no doubt about that.
5. We are not hiring a king, we’re hiring a coach
“We have to go through that process. There is another value which I didn’t talk about which is young players. Our academy teams are doing extremely well. Under the radar we’ve got a lot of players coming through into our first team. Not just ones that you already know about, but the next generation as well. So that value of giving youth a chance is also very important to the football club. I think we’ve got to be open-minded and also brave in the decision. When Arsene was appointed, I don’t think he was on many people’s radar screens. And that doesn’t mean that we have to make an another appointment that not everybody is thinking about and talking about. But it does mean we need to be bold in the appointment and get the person that we believe is the right person.”
I think this section is very important, and it’s one I’ve spoken about at length when we talk about new managers. There are tiers to the types of coaches you can sign. The bigger the reputation, the more expensive they are, the more people they tend to bring with them, the more disruption they bring to the infrastructure.
Note this: The most important thing about the new coach is fitting into a structure that is controlled by the CEO. Call that weak, call that lacking ambition, but the simple reality is, we have suffered immensely from a manager who controls everything.
The club is clearly moving to a situation where power is decentralized among specialists. Expect to see that built out. Sven looks after player recruitment, Raul makes the business happens, the manager looks after the playing side of things. All work together to drive the club forward.
Allegri looks like the perfect name, but moving to Arsenal would be a step-down. He’s used to working in a very rigid structure (and you do so, because it’s Juve), but he might demand 20 of his people come with him if he moves to Arsenal, he might demand control of buying players, he might have an outsized ego because he feels he’s bigger than Arsenal.
We might look at a tier 2 manager. Someone who is at a smaller club, but has demonstrated big thinking, flexible approach, and the ability to coach young players. It’s hard to think of a manager better suited than Jardim. Arsenal would be a huge step up for him, so the club could maintain control of him, and he’d be comfortable working in a setup like the one we now have. He works with young players, he can play defence or attack, and he has a vision of how the game should be played.
Then you have the tier three managers. The balls out, ‘let’s see where this goes’ types of names. You’d be looking at Thierry, Vieira, Arteta and Nagelsmann in this category. Each have their unique special skill which could work out incredibly, each come with very big risks. I’m not sure Arsenal are settled enough to go this direction, but you never know, the LA Rams did exactly that last season and it worked out really well.
Also worth noting that sometimes it’s good to have a placeholder manager for a year. Someone who can lay the foundations, someone the players trust, someone the fans will get behind because they’re part of the club fabric, this move is one the club are interested in, but it’d be gutsy and hard to justify to a media who are already bleating on about Brendan Rodgers (Shut it Merson). I know that sounds like a weak worry, but look at how much shit the press gave Pep G, the greatest coach in the world, because he endangered the British press’s notion of how the game has to be played to win in the Premier League. A new coach might not be able to hack that.
So all in all, Ivan Gazidis has made the right decision. He’s taken control, he’s put his neck on the line and he’s done it with as much class as you can to a manager of 22 years.
I’ll save my wrap up post for Wenger for another day, but look, I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have witnessed his brand of football over the years. He’s a good guy, he loves the club, he just held on to the position far too long. The rest of the season is about celebrating his life’s work. The season is written off now, it doesn’t matter if we lose every single game. The #WengerOut battle is won, it’s taken ten years, but now the focus is what’s next. Let’s give him the send off he deserves. #MerciWenger
I couldn’t be happier. This blog was never meant to be a platform for moving Wenger on, it was always supposed to be one for exploring the best bits of Arsenal through the lens of a fan. Moving forward, nothing changes. We’ll still push on the club to do what’s right, we’ll still have a good old moan, but the new remit is about giving the new man a chance and making sure we all get back to being a united fan base who loves the Arsenal.
Remember, like moving to The Emirates, it doesn’t matter how bad things get, Wenger leaving is always going to be the best decision for Arsenal football club.
I’m so emotional about all this… cannot believe it happened. When I was in London! What a day.
Right, see you in the comments. Big love to you all! x
P.S. Here’s some of me on Bleacher Report, and below is me with Dan from Ballstreet with my hair full on holiday mode.
Bamford
I don’t actually like either team but as far results go I reckon and would prefer a ManU win. To then see Mourinho get beaten in the final by Conte will be highly amusing.
So he was sacked. Otherwise let us keep the money Arsene.
Your Comment Here
No one else unsure about Allegri? He plays full backs as wide midfielders, Mandzukic wide because of his work rate and thinks playing Matuidi and Khedira in midfield together is a good idea. I mean he’s obviously a good manager but I’ve not seen him achieve anything that surpassed expectations. Like Jardim last year, Simeone with Atletico or I guess you could probably argue Sarri this season.
“The boys created the atmosphere in the group. In a successful team, there is always a good atmosphere. Other teams can have very good players, but no group.
“There is so much that is positive – we are a team. The boys are all together.
“We have a big chance here to create something for the future. We are still young and full of potential. My impression is that they are all excited about being in this group.”
JKlopp
—
s
I have been an avid reader of Le Grove for years. I enjoy Pedro’s column and, I should add, am truly amazed how often he manages to produce something of interest. So, as a first-timer, I want to say “thank you Pedro.” I attended my first match in 1964! I had to bear those horrible games in the 1960s until Charlie George and then Liam Brady rescued us from our misery. So, I think I have some perspective. I have shared many people’s concern about Arsenal’s decline, and have wanted Arsene gone for the last few years. Having said that,… Read more »
Bob Wilson’s tribute to AW on radio 5 is top class. What a man.
Seems that AW wanted Martial in the Sanchez swap and Mislintat wanted Mkhitaryan. AW wanted to sign Smalling in January as well. Looks like Mislintat got his way. I think Sven made the right call on both deals.
http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/21/arsene-wenger-overruled-ivan-gazidis-sven-mislintat-alexis-sanchez-swap-7485325/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Dixon’s also very good…
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/21/arsene-wenger-legacy-arsenal-lee-dixon
Dream10
very happy with Mkhi, but if Martial was also a possibility I think he’d have brought something we don’t currently have, whereas Mkhi does overlap a lot with Ozil.
Will Geoff be writing a piece on Le Grove about the last days of Wenger Pedro?
A hot air balloon just coming in. Messi wants to join Arsenal – trying to add weight to Enrique or that flop Argentina coach ?
Wallace
Yeah. Lot of Martial fans on here.
Think AW was right to be skeptical on signing Mustafi’s though. I hope Gazidis isn’t involved in the acquisition of players &
Just sticks to corporate talk from now on.
The consensus from Untold…
“In essence, the replacement for Arsène Wenger is Arsène Wenger!”
Honestly, you couldnt make this shit up if you wanted to.
There is useless and then there is Untold.
The club shouldn’t allow Sanlehi to sign Enrique.
I hope Gazidis won’t let people bring their cliques intern the club.
Messi will make any manager look good, especially when combined with Neymar and Suarez. That’s the story of Enrique.
I hope Enrique goes to Chelsea and leaves the field clear for us to sign Allegri.
Hoffenheim just destroyed Leipzig in the first half. 3-0. Think they’ll atleast finish in top 5. Their match against BVB in the final match could well decide who finishes in the top 4.
Dissenter,
Agreed. Not a big fan of Luis Enrique TBH.
They have already signed there new man and we will be told soon,,,
1,he will be chain free no compo paided
2. He won’t be English
3. I hope it’s Allegri but I think it’s the ex Barca man
Has untold gone bust
Looks like Mislintat got his way. I think Sven made the right call on both deals.
He did in the sense that there was no way United would have swapped Martial for Sanchez so it was either Mhiki or nothing. I disagree about Smalling though he would have been an upgrade on Mustafi. Not much of one but one none the less
Dissenter
Don’t think we’ll sign any tier 1 managers like Simeone, Luis Enrique, Conte, Allegri or Ancelotti.
They will want a say in transfers just like Wenger has. Gazidis wants to run the show. Don’t think we’ll sign Arteta either. He has had the taste of being at a club which has access to elite players & money.
We’ll end with Jardim or a Bundesliga coach.
But, if Mislintat/Gazidis are regularly pulling Holding, Chambers, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Xhaka, Elneny signings, you better temper your expectations.
Akilan
Second time Nagelsmann is comfortably beating Leipzig. Seems the type Gazidis would hire. A young upstart manager would be his guy. Less spending, more coaching & expect the team to punch above their weight
Dream10
“But, if Mislintat/Gazidis are regularly pulling Holding, Chambers, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Xhaka, Elneny signings, you better temper your expectations.”
Mislintat wasn’t at the club when any of those signings were made, as for Gazidis taking transfer decisions – won’t happen because if he does Mislintat and Sanllehi will both leave.
Dream10,
Yeah mate. Humiliating Leipzig in their own backyard. 5-1 up now.
Dream10
Even with a DOF, the manager will still have some input into signings, I think. The manager cannot be completely separated from that process, as that would produce a disconnect between the manager’s thinking and the DOF’s thinking. The two have to work together, along with the head scout.
I feel like you’re suggesting the manager will have no input on that front, and I think that’s wrong.
The Wenger ass licking at Untold hahahahaha.
Bamford
I hope I am wrong
Bamford
Dream10 is finding conspiracy theories where there are none. He previously spotted the man on the grassy knoll, was involved in faking the moon landings and spent 20 years reverse engineering UFO’s at Area 51.
Marc
Loool good one
Dream10
Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paranoid though!
Hoping The Scum get tanked today
The only thing Wenger did that ‘Arsenal F.C’ hadn’t done before was go unbeaten.
We’ve won Leagues and Cups before. We’ve signed World Class players before, we’ve even moved stadiums before.
When I look at Wenger I see the Invincibles. Well done Wenger, thats the 1 achievement you can claim is exclusively yours.
He was obviously sacked. If it happened to Jose at UTD in exactly the same fashion you ALL would say, Ha! Jose got sacked. Either way, why give Non-Arsenal men the job. Give it to our legends and lets really build a new dynasty using Arsenal DNA.
Paddy Vieira said that he wasn’t feeling ready enough to coach us.
Gazidis is the key guy who has to make sure the new hires wont cross the boundaries. It’s going to be awkward initially I imagine.
Hopefully he’s learned some few tricks from Wenger.
In France of course wenger is linked with psg…
Hard to understand, did they really follow his few last seasons with Arsenal ??
And they are interested by a coach with the “champions league dna”… WTF ?? lol
I wish we had not renewed Ozil’ contract with a massive wage increase.
I hope Wilshere leaves because the offer on the table is too little and insulting.
The new manager needs to be able to start with a new lease of life.
Laca is definitely gone. His transfer fee and wages can pay for a second striker that can play a different way as well as an upcoming good winger.
Ok my mistake.
Psg wants to hire wenger to be their new general manager, with Tuchel as a thier head coach.
*their
https://youtu.be/bvhIDJKtsBc
Julian Laurens (sp? ) reckons he jumped before he was pushed.
Doesn’t take a genius to figure out.
Your Comment Here
Yep, very classic stuff.
It’s been a great two days. Very funny to still see people blaming other factors like oil money and the stadium as to why Wenger failed and kept failing well into 2018.
Three stages of his career.
1.Utd Arsenal
2. Utd Arsenal Chelsea City
3. Utd Arsenal Chelsea City Liverpool Spurs.
He floundered after the EPL changed and couldn’t keep up.
My Word.
Pedro. Get some sleep.
And comb your hair u scruffy man!
Lool
Trippier should have been booked there
I predicted that Weng Jong Un would leave through ‘fan power’ by December last year. It didn’t happen, but I will take this one. I believe the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the loss to Newcastle. His position which was untenable became hopeless. Let’s hope this is the beginning of good times for the Arsenal. Apart from Rodgers and Ancelloti all the others being mentioned, including Arteta and PV can do a good job bearing in mind the future that Gazidis and his cohorts want for the club. Lots of luck to the future of our dear… Read more »
Tottenham sensational so far, great tempo to their game.
Nice one Alexis
I want Spuds to go trophy-less until 2063
C’mon United.
https://sincespurslastwonatrophy.co.uk
10 years 2 months 71 days 19 hours 16 minutes 51 seconds
…tick tock tick tock
Wenger as GM. Would be a terrible hiring.
He’s not good at transfers. Identifying youth
What qualities would he bring as GM
Ah who cares. He’s gone from Arsenal. That’s all that matter
And at paris they also like his “great experience” regarding the UCL… Amazing lol
Hard to chose today…
I hate manure almost more than the spuds.
I can not wait to see our team early season under a new manager. A stadium full of hope and alive. Emirates will be rocking as has before on nights like v Barca etc.
We have our Arsenal back.
I don’t want to give this Spuds squad any whiff of momentum.
A trophy could transform them immensely.
Ancelotti is too safe of a hiring.
Allegri.
Jardin.
Conte.
Sarri
Enrique.
Tuchel.
We need to make a statement
Avoid a moyes type signing but on that note,
Anyone but Wenger
What do we think of Benitez as a possible successor?
Terrific first half
TR7
Agree. That was entertaining
Alex
Benitez wouldn’t be the worst hiring. But I think we need one tier better than him.
Dissenter
Agree 110% – the Spud’s lose today and the question has to be asked how long can Poch go without winning something before his reputation as a great up and coming manager turns to always the Bridesmaid.
Rogers or Rafa would be absolute disasters.
I know because the idiot pundits are all saying they should be given the job.
“Rogers or Rafa would be absolute disasters.”
unfair to lump them together like that. Rodgers will never be asked to coach Madrid.
Wallace
Rafa won’t be asked again either
Any Arsenal fan should hope the spuds lose simply because they are the spuds
Marc
That’s blatantly unfair
Rafa has won two la liga titles along with a UEFA cup with Valencia.
He won the CL with Liverpool and the Europa league with the chavs [under vey difficult conditions]
I can’t believe you lumped them together and is still digging in further when challenged.
Rogers isn’t in his class.
Rafa has a terrible Newcastle side only 13 points behind us. We have Wenger as manager mind but still.
Don’t think he’d be a terrible hiring but don’t think he’s the one we need to take us to the next level
I’d lump him in with Ancelotti.
My mind wandered over this in sleeping. Most reasonable people recognize the value of Arsène Wenger. We all have finite lifetimes, so mankind has only ever hoped to capture the memories or essence of a person forever. But computing science has considered artificial intelligence for a long time. I don’t know if we yet know enough to capture a person in memory and algorithms, but there seem to be lots of researchers who think it is possible. It would be exceptionally difficult to do this after a person has died, or suffered some injury/illness such as a stroke or dementia.… Read more »
Fuck The Scum
From a poster on FB: We live in a fickle cheap society…full of flip floppers and Turncoats. I wanted Wenger to leave 10 years ago. Why? Because he didn’t work the basics on the training ground, the players he kept buying were mentally week. His strikers were not even good enough for the bench let alone the first 11. He refused to organise a defence or address the lack of Colonels in the midfield. He persevered with crap players for 10 years. He would be thrashed again and again and again by The top sides. Most of us knew this… Read more »
Even better than the goal is the little Spud whose written THFC on his own face in a mirror. Poor little fucker got no friends, his parents don’t love him and he supports a bunch of cunts.
Spuds are chokers, losing the game despite playing better football.
Any manager in the world would be interested in the arsenal job. We are a massive club, unlimited potential. Sure pep, Zidane mourinho are doing well, but if fortunes changed for them, they would consider arsenal.
We are a sleeping giant and it wouldn’t be difficult for the new boss to follow the dismal last 7 years of Wenger’s reign.
My only hope is that the board select a really successful proven manager and not a “punt” on an unproven one.(arteta, Vieira)
Rogers almost brought Liverpool their 1st EPL title. One Gerard slip away.
Safe to say regardless of what you think of him that’s closer to winning than Wenger’s come in 14 seasons with much more money than Liverpool.
Wenker,
100% agree. We pay our manager well. We are in London. One of the biggest teams in the world(even with what Wenger has done to us the last decade). We have funds for transfers. Have Ozil, Laca, Aubu.
Any top manager would come to us.
Wenger’s come in 14 seasons
—————————–
How close were we in 2008 before Eduardo got destroyed?
If Wenger had lost the league the same way Rogers did you wouldn’t hear the end of it from some on here.
Rogers was out his depth at Liverpool, found his level at Celtic – with a similar record that Lennon had. Fuck right off if you think he’s challenging City, Liverpool, Spurs, next season. Not to mention the money bags.
Happy days! Finally he’s on his way! It will be an interesting time ahead…. I’d love to see Simone at our club but his loyalty seems to be to Atletico
It would be criminal to celebrate Wenger’s past glories when he should of been sacked 10 years ago.
If the board had listened to the right supporters we wouldn’t be in this messy situation.
I guess that the spuds loss is the cherry on the cake for this week end lol
The Scum – 10 years and counting.
‘Spuds are chokers, losing the game despite playing better football.’
When will you and the other Spud admirers ever learn, TR7?
Pochettino is a joke, the fact that this loser who hasn’t won a single trophy in his career sneers at domestic cups and talks big about CL ambitions should tell you everything.
Never seen such arrogance from even the very best coaches.
The heat is on Poch
The project can’t go in without a trophy.
Ha ha….Spuds have lost.
“Never seen such arrogance from even the very best coaches.”
Erm… Are you sure ?? 😉
OK all we need now is Chelsea to beat ManU in the final, Poch to leave the Spud’s and us win the EL and get Allegri.
I’ll be happy with that!
“For Spurs, an eight consecutive FA Cup semi-final defeat.”
I’ve seen managers / coaches who are more arrogant than Poch but they have always won something.
I’m going to start a petition – Martin Jol to replace Poch – he’s got a peanut for a head!
Marc…Southampton to beat United surely!
Bob N16
What with Mark Hughes in charge will never happen. Whilst I don’t like Chelsea if Mourinho is beaten by Conte and his old team he’ll go mental.
I agree Conte over Mourinho ….still think it’s the dream scenario Southampton win but of course v.unlikely.
What a fantastic weekend
The Sun’s Out
Wenger’s Out
The scum are out
To resume, our best week end since a while.
Spuds haveost 8 semi finals in a row
Bottle fc
Rogers shouldn’t even be in the conversation, it would be the case of one step forward and two steps back with his appointment. Personally, I want Allegri and just on the basis that the guy is tactically astute. I have become inured to the Wenger’s team selections, formations and tactics, with the players clearly not understanding their roles within the team structure. And sick to death of the so-called free role that Ozil and Ramsey seem to have, add to that where the entire forward line wants to occupy the number 10 role, with a defence that spends more time… Read more »
To all bloggers.
Thanks for the amusing dialogue and apologies for going a bit ott on occasions.
Time to call it a day on Le Grove.
See you at the Emirates next season.
@Pierre. Well done, you just about sussed me out last week.
Cheers folks.
Aka Graham62!
M24
Thought you were going cottaging
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says Diego Costa has “no chance” of being available for the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Arsenal on Thursday.
The Spain international limped off with a hamstring injury against Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals and there were fears he could miss both legs of the tie against Arsenal.
But speaking ahead of Atletico’s game against Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday, Simeone suggested the 29-year-old will only miss the first leg at the Emirates.
I honestly can’t remember a Graham62. Kudos lad
Not Rogers….Celtic could win that Mickey mouse league without a manager. Not Vieira….much as a respect him as a player, we need more than a manager in a razzamatazz league.
“Cheers folks. Aka Graham62!”
Who are you gonna come back as next?! Nicklas52?
Do not laugh at spurs. Shadenfraud is a vile little affliction.
Spurs are not our problem. Remember that.
As for Danny’s stupid comment about Eduardo ‘being destroyed’. Nonsense. It was a bad thing but so what? Should the whole club capitulate becasue of an unfortunate injury? No. Did Utd crumble after the horrific David Busst injury? No. They went on.
Arsenal under Wenger were weak. Let’s hope the new chap has a couple of bollocks behind him.
Get a fucking grip on life. Shit happens.