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.
I honestly used to love wenger, my best mate was a Man U fan and I would compare wenger to fergy, and even the seasons we didn’t win were exciting and the football was good. I hate that wenger took that away from me and ended up making me totally apathetic to arsenal and football.
If I not he’d have gone 6 years ago. I’d have looked back on his time there with fondness. Now, I feel like a cancer patient who has just got rid of a particularly large tumour.
Fucking off to craven cottage,whilst telling us how good Brighton are,bore off you twat.you are the type that give Arsenal fans a bad name.
GOH
I have always taken great pleasure in The Scum getting beaten
What’s the problem ?
The akb cunts really are a bunch of fucking sore losers. Can’t take a loss.
Wenger got sacked. How about that? Haha
GOH,
I’m laughing at Spuds. You’re supposed to laugh when your rivals lose. 10 years without a trophy. Almost 3 decades since they won the fa cup, which in itself isn’t a big deal. Most people who watched them win the league are dead. Small Spuds. We will put them in their rightful place with our new manager. Fuck off Spuds.
Steve, you must be a poet, ever had anything published?
You have a real way with words.
The great reveal by Michael…Graham62 who the f**k? Who f**king cares!
Bob
Yea struggling to see the significance in Michael24 being Graham62, useless input whatever the name. Have to chuckle at chav Steve trying to goad arsenal fans lol you wot?
M24
M62
This guy must be seriously into cottaging in service station toilets
Those who are heaping praise on Wenger are doing it for no other reason than sheer political correctness. Wenger has underachieved by a very large margin. Anyone who wants to deny that or to try and sweeten the bitter pill that all of us on this side of the argument have been swallowing for at least 12 years is deluding themselves. I don’t care who says it. Henry, Dixon, Wright, Keown or whoever. All these people know the truth of the matter but are too polite to say it and don’t want the backlash from the football brand of soft-bellied… Read more »
M62
Are you into dogging as well
“NYCFC has improved its position in the combined MLS standings in each of Vieira’s years with the club, improving from 17th in 2015 to 4th in Vieira’s first season in 2016 and then to 2nd in 2017. Through its first 7 games in 2018, NYCFC is undefeated and atop the MLS table with 17 points” Not bad at all.
Jeff
Very very very well said.
100% spot on.
Can’t wait for next season.
New manager.
Hopefully new winger(s)
New CB (2 at least)
New MF (2)
Shot of jack, Wellbeck, plus many others.
I think Jeff just summed it all up
Since we’re all doing big reveals today my name isn’t Marko…It’s…Mark. Yep just plain Mark with no numbers at the end. Feels good to share
My real name is Robert!
Certainly one view Jeff. You do know Wenger is going to have his name chanted for the rest of the season and it’s going to do your head in. Hope you can cope. You can always vent on here, they’ll always be people who support your view.
Great post Jeff, summed it all up perfectly.
Champagne Charlie
“. Have to chuckle at chav Steve trying to goad arsenal fans lol”
Allow Steve a bit of slack Charlie… I think he has a form of Tourettes and has to shout out “cunt” or “AKB’S” at least ten times a day.
Bob
If we lose to west ham, think there will be one Arsene Wenger chants at the end of the match?
You’re right, Take me back…..but unless West Ham take the lead early in the game they’ll definitely be songs chanting his name. I can pretty much guarantee if we’re comfortably winning they’ll be a ‘Wenger, Wenger gives us a wave’.
I’m expecting a buzz that’s been missing for ages. Of course if we lose……
Pierre
Now that it looks like Wenger is fucking off which club will you be now supporting..
Mine is Peter and my Uncle is Dennis
How many players will look to the exit before being pushed by Julio ingleasis ?
Red what’s yer view ..
Bob N16April 21, 2018 21:40:32 Certainly one view Jeff. You do know Wenger is going to have his name chanted for the rest of the season and it’s going to do your head in. Hope you can cope. You can always vent on here, they’ll always be people who support your view. – WOBs we’re the first to suggest an honorable exit plan for Wenger. To spare him shame, embarrassment and to give him the proper send off he deserved. AKBs wanted him to carry on even though his reputation was being tarnished season after season. Enablers, giving an alcoholic… Read more »
Will Julio ingleasis have a big clear out or see what he has?
Players out
Mustafi
Xharka
El nanny
Carzola moved into scouting
Welbeck
Jack ?
Lot of talk about Enrique, have to admit I’m not sure. Don’t really know if he’s the man. How did he do at Roma? Doing well at Barca doesn’t reveal all that much to me. Raul likes him…is this part of a power struggle?
E54…read your post three times- too deep for me.
‘We’re the first to suggest an honourable exit plan….’ Am I missing some irony here?
Mystifying.
Are you suggesting the WOBs ( I really dislike these terms) somehow facilitated Wenger’s departure in a sympathetic way? Again, is this ironic? Or are we talking about a couple of beers too many? Creative though, have to say.
http://arsenaltruth.squarespace.com
Hillwood, I though it was your Dad who was Denis not your uncle.
Are you being completely truthful?
What will Julios iniation song be .
When they begin the beginning
RSPCA….is Julios = Enrique?
Bob
Yes
Is it his looks RSPCA or are you coming up with the most well known Spanish person that you can think of and substituting his name in a slightly mocking, vaguely racist way. Or am being too precious?
Bob
Your being way to precious fella….
It’s his looks lad as for the racist ting … back off snowflake
Personally I ain’t happy if it is him
Most famous person who is Spanish ain’t that Franco bob ?
A brilliant assessment of Ivan’s thinking. And how exhilarating to read, enough to make one jump for joy. Everything (more or less) set in place for a glorious future. Watch out, Arsenal are back! Okay, you have told us what goes on in the CEO’s mind, and it’s hard to disagree with a single word (I’ll come to that next.) But it’s what goes on in Stan’s head that counts most of all. And it’s my belief you omitted to mention something that explains a lot of the stuff Ivan mentioned. He knows Kroenke will not allow the Club to… Read more »
I am one of the old commentors on Le Grove and although I read every day I don’t comment too often. Firstly I am so relieved of ot the numbing toothache I have suffered for so many years. I wanted Wenger out in 2006 after the third European Final loss. Wenger WAS a great Manager before the Invincibles team but after going unbeaten there was not much else that should better that as no team will ever WIN every match in a season. I think back then He just thought I have done this and complacency set in. The CL… Read more »
Pedro
Have you tried Yuenglin (hope I spelt it right) beer while in the US?
It is my favourite although the new Guiness lager is good too Hophouse 13 I think it is called.
It’s now D Day +2, beachhead established, the powers that be are making serious inroads , if they haven’t already
El Tel. Man it’s like the expendables up in here. All these golden oldies returning looking old as shit but still packing a wallop
Interesting:
“Arsene Wenger knew a MONTH ago…
He told Arsenal players and there was a stunned silence, then he said: ‘Let’s prepare for West Ham’
“Arsene Wenger knew four weeks ago his 22-year reign at Arsenal was over
It was made clear to him that he would be asked to leave at the end of the season
Wenger has not been involved in club’s recent meetings at Highbury House
Raul Sanllehi, the new head of football relations, wants Luis Enrique to take job ”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5642403/Arsene-Wenger-knew-MONTH-ago-axed-Arsenal-boss.html#ixzz5DMx2vkKk
Poor spuds. After all the hype they’ll go trophy less AGAIN. If we win the EUROPA LEAGUE, we should have a big banner of the side of our victory bus which says “POWER SHIFT? WHAT POWER SHIFT?” Hilarious that even though are finishing above us in the league, with arguably one of the best strikers on the planet they are finishing the season empty handed! Surely Alli, Kane and Eriksen will want out this summer? Would not be surprised to see this team get dismantled as we were when our new stadium was coming into view. They will need to… Read more »
If PV4 is brought back into the fold, I would love to see Dennis back at the club as his assistant. 😉
My 2 cents on Spurs and Pochettino 1. Pochettino,although a very good manager, has been showing signs of overinflated ego for a while now. For a manager who hasn’t won a trophy in his career and as a representative of a club which had lost 7 FA cup semi finals in a row to suggest in his pre match conference that the game against United wasn’t a must win game was absolutely shocking and unwarranted. Mourinho on the other hand takes each knock out game very very seriously as if his life depended on it. It’s ironical that the man… Read more »
TR7,
Kinda agree with you re Ramsey and Alli. If Ramsey were to play in Alli’s role, he’ll produce atleast as many goals+assists if not more, provided fitness.
El Tel
“We have seen small cameo moments in most of our matches where we look fantastic but we are talking 10/15 minutes in the odd match. In those moments we can see what this team are capable of and with a proper tactician there is no reason why they can’t perform at that level for longer periods of every match.”
agree. a quality CB & CM and we’re a very useful side. there’s plenty of talent for a new man to work with in the current squad. although don’t see us catching City, and possibly Liverpool, any time soon.
How was Dembele, a no show in another big occasion? Meanwhile the much maligned Ramsey has two cup winning goals to his name.
I think Poch’s quality. if he was interested in making the switch I’d be delighted. at the minute the Spuds showing how hard it is to win something, anything, when you have a lot of young players, and when even the more experienced players haven’t won anything.
‘I think Poch’s quality. if he was interested in making the switch I’d be delighted.’
A coach that blows hot air out his bottom? Not what we need.
Rambo Ramsey
“A coach that blows hot air out his bottom? Not what we need.”
he takes good young players, and turns them into excellent players. his team are the fittest in the league, and he’s been consistently competing with, and in some cases besting, clubs with far more resources. and I don’t see him remaining at WHL next season.
The best thing to come of all these is, we will now be able to identify people on this blog whose lives are really miserable.
They will no longer be able to hide under the cloak of #wengerout. He’s out now, don’t be overly negative. Be constructive
I have one criticism of Dembele’s, with all his attributes especially at ball retention, he doesn’t affect the game offensively enough for me.
Hardly do you see him involve in goals either with a key pass, a final pass or even scoring.
I mean fucking xhaka, even gets that.
No Aubergine, it’s the AKBs that have been beaten like a housewife all these years and refused to acknowledge there was a problem. You kept saying – it’ll change, he’ll win the PL, it’s all because of “other factors”. And sure enough, you’d get another walloping the following week and go quiet for a while but not for long. You’d emerge with fresh hope within days still bearing the scars telling the world that “he’s a good man” and making up all sorts of excuses why he should stay on. After all who would replace him right? Well what’s the… Read more »
there are some posters genuinely seem to think Wenger was all that stood between us and repeated PL glory. boy, are they going to be some baffled motherf*ckers over the coming seasons.
‘there are some posters genuinely seem to think Wenger was all that stood between us and repeated PL glory. boy, are they going to be some baffled motherf*ckers over the coming seasons.’
🙂
Spot on Jeff
who ever is coming in, is not going to offload ramsay. he’s a talented boy and under the right manager I’m sure he’ll be a very helpful player to the squad…
Wallace,
I’m not sure about the repeated PL glories but atleast we will properly compete?
Get real TR7
No one expects repeated EPL/UCL glory, just to realistically challenge again in a manner befitting a club of our financial status.
It’ll take a few seasons to get to the level where we can win a major trophy but at least we’ll enjoy the wins and learn from the losses.
Once you fully let go of Wenger, you’ll understand this.
Wallace
wenger was ONE of the main reasons why we didn’t win a title. no one expects the manager to win the title in his first year. but if there’s a 5 year plan as to how much we should achieve then that’s more than enough for me..
Akilan
“I’m not sure about the repeated PL glories but atleast we will properly compete?”
hopefully, but we could be competitive and still finish 4th a bunch of times. city are way out in the distance, and Liverpool under Klopp have been doing a lot of things right recently.
Tony, Just read that article you put up from the Mail Online. If it’s correct, (and I can’t really think of a reason to doubt it), it means Wenger effectively got the sack. He never leaves before a contract expires so it would stand to reason. It also means there an ongoing paradigm shift at the club. I don’t quite know who’s behind it (perhaps it’s Josh Kroenke like people have been suggesting) but whatever it is, it certainly sounds like good news to me. It is time we come out of this abject stagnation and started behaving like a… Read more »
gonsterous
there were definitely some things Wenger could have done that would have given us a better shot at success, but, as the Spuds are showing, you can get pretty much everything right for 4/5yrs, and still end up with nothing but a bunch of 2nd and 3rd place finishes to show for it.
Tony D
‘Once you fully let go of Wenger, you’ll understand this.’
Are you sure you meant to address me? I have been Wenger out for over 7 years.
TR7
Excellent summation on the spuds, well written and totally agree.
Tony “It’ll take a few seasons to get to the level where we can win a major trophy but at least we’ll enjoy the wins and learn from the losses.Once you fully let go of Wenger, you’ll understand this.” I always enjoyed the wins and will continue to do so whoever is the manager. It’s you and your ilk who need to let go but I’m sure in 4/5 years time if we are trophy-less , you will still be blaming Wenger ….. Put it like this , if the new manager wins 3 ( possibly 4) trophies in the… Read more »
Winning the league isn’t a complex task neither is it a straightforward task. The best a coach can do- prepare and motivate the team is 50% of the reason you win. You need not more than a couple of matches to instill that. You could be 16th this season and 1st next season without changing much- Leicester. You could be 1st this season and 10th next season- Mou with chelsea. What I have discovered is the main ingredient to winning a league is momemtum. And luck takes you over the line. All this nonsense about some coaches guaranteeing you the… Read more »
Wallace,
IMO, we’re the second biggest club in the PL and the biggest club in London.
Right now financially we’re atleast on par with pool & Chelsea, if not better. Our wage bill I think is higher than pool’s and are on par with Chelsea.
Even with this horribly imbalanced squad, a proper manager would have us compete fo
What Wenger started lacking was motivation, which invariably led to games being lost on days we aren’t playing well. Which leads to loss of momentum.
And refs not feeling pressured, leading to not getting penalties and being a victim of dubious pens and freekicks.
Not winning led to good players leaving..
I don’t for once believe in tactics winning any game.
Any formation can win any formation. It’s all about things that led up to those matches resulting in players, officials and coaches taking decisions that finally result in the outcome of matches
I think some people are still missing the point about failure and success. It’s not about who’s at the helm but how the club goes forward. It’s about what’s best for the club. The next manager may be successful or may not. That isn’t the point. The point is, what does the club do about it? Burying heads in the sand and hoping it turns out better next time isn’t a solution. It’s a cop out. Any manager should be able to prove whether or not he can take the club forward in a matter of a few years. It… Read more »
Wallace, Right now financially we’re atleast on par with pool & Chelsea, if not better. Our wage bill I think is higher than pool’s and are on par with Chelsea. We’re a massively underachieving club. Spurs are a overachieving one. Even with this horribly imbalanced squad, a proper manager would have us compete for top 4. Now with a proper system behind, you’d expect us to become efficient in recruitment AND sales. More often than not Arsenal will finish in top 4 and if we happen to overachieve we’ll compete for the league and even may win it. IMO we… Read more »
Wallace
“There are they going to be some baffled motherf*ckers over the coming seasons”
Agreed…..and one of them will be Tonyd’s 7 year old son who has been brainwashed by his dad to hate Wenger and believe that winning some trophies are worthless and that Arsenal will be back on top of the league in a couple of years …. When he is 12 he will look at his dad baffled and realise that he is clueless
Sanmi
“What Wenger started lacking was motivation,”
yeah, agree with this. after the third title it felt like he then tried to win it playing in a certain way. and wouldn’t budge from that even when it was shown to be flawed.
Expect the resident AKB’s to stick around just waiting for that “I told you so” moment over the next five years, should be fcuking hilarious.
Know one thing, no matter what happens from here on out your god was sacked for being an underachieving fraudulent imbecile. What would really make this a period of true celebration for us Arsenal fans, would be if you followed your god and saviour out the fcuking door.
Pierre With all due respect though, if the new manager comes in and wins 3 F.A Cups BUT he finishes 30 points off the league champions and in 6th, he will have failed. All I personally want is for us to be competitive in the league – if we finish 4th but the league is tight enough that we are within 5/6 points of the champions then what can you do? By the same token if (as is the case this season) a team like City are having a frankly ridiculous season, all you can want is to be part… Read more »
Please ignore the post at 07:57:13.
Liked your most recent post Jeff. Most of us recognised that the board/owner were negligent in allowing these last few years to come across as a slow motion car crash. They should have been much more proactive, recognising the need for new ideas. I do understand that AW’s first seven years and then say the next 4 years, through the stadium move, Wenger earnt so many brownie points that they got overly sentimental and retained him. The FA cup winners and mostly finishing in the top 4 muddled their thinking. Still the future is now exciting. Choose the new manager… Read more »
Bob, Yes I certainly agree with that. I dread to think what would have happened though if (as I suspect) the unexpected saviour (Josh) didn’t take the bull by the horns and told his dad enough was enough. I am pretty sure we’d still be treading water and putting a brave face on it. It’s a godsend really if Josh is behind it all and I wish him the best of luck. It means we can expect more changes and more emphasis on giving the fans what they want rather than the board and manager. It’s time the long suffering… Read more »
Here’s to the next 50,000 substitutions. LOL.
I went to Luton yesterday to buy an e- bike. On my way back I got caught up with Spuds fans on their way to Wembley. I was totally engrossed with my new purchase ( 2nd hand but new to me anyway) so I hadn’t noticed the carriage slowly filling with spurs fans. A few around me were talking about Wenger going & who did they reckon was gonna succeed him. The way they were talking , I actually thought they were Arsenal fans looking forward to the future. Which was what got my attention, I look up only to… Read more »
It’ll be interesting where folk put the blame/accountability going forward now, I’ve a feeling there’s going to be a good number still harbouring Wenger fixations long after he’s left the building. Let’s get it straight, we are primed (even as is) to challenge for the top 4. So with the right appointment and some standard player turnover there’s no reason we shouldn’t be back in the fold next season. Anyone that suggests otherwise is unnecessarily creating a buffer of underachievement imo. A strong personality is needed to take us on, but the raw ingredients are unbelievable. Be keeping a keen… Read more »
Some on here need to stop the repetitive criticism of Wenger. He is going. Givethe man some credit for his achievements even if he outstayed his welcome.
I hope that Le Grove now moves on and delivers some positivity and constructive suggestions on how the team can be rebuilt and improved. This will not
be an overnight process.
The new head coach [manager] has to be allowed to rebuild and not as I expect
from some quarters a couple of months and then the usual bile if we fail to get
the hoped for results.
jasongms
“Expect the resident AKB’s to stick around just waiting for that “I told you so” moment over the next five years, should be fcuking hilarious.”
all the AKBs do seem to get a genuine buzz out of us winning, so who knows, maybe they’ll be too gutted to point it out?
Laughing at the Wenger apologists continually referring to winning multiple league titles.
He didn’t get anywhere near competing for the bloody thing for the last 14 years, never mind winning multiple ones.
No divine right to win it, but every single team in that top six have come closer than we did. Spurs twice,and Liverpool twice,and the others have won it.
Hardly ever seen posters on here give out that they will criticise a new manager after just a couple of months.
Great thing is though the new manager will be now under the same pressure to deliver or face the consequences as any other manager of a big club within fair and reasonable time period. No more sentimental leniency.
The departure of Wenger is like the albatross removed from around the neck and I am delighted that my prediction of a few months ago that he would not be at the club for the start of next season proved correct.
Ishola, Paulinho, all the way with you my friends. We have waited for this moment a very long time indeed. That some people still find it difficult to hear criticism simply shows how far behind the curve they’ve been all these years. It’s shocking really.
That’s why I think it is important not to recruit an ex Wenger player so that means Vieira may not be a good idea.
We will again have the sentimentality creeping in and that can be harmful as we have seen with Wenger. Not to the same extent of course but can be troublesome.
Clean break from Wenger please and that includes his ex-players coming in to take over.
Akbs and their history revisionism the last few days. Hilarious.
Ishola, I agree with you there too. And in fact I don’t think there are any ex players who are ready to take the reins anyway. It has to be someone who’s hasn’t already managed in the PL and failed. That would be the first check box on my list of criteria.
Speaking of AKBs, has anyone looked in on Untold? What’s the mood like?
offer Allegri 10 million a year …job done..no way he will turn that down .
Maybe Charlie Nic really did know something, just got his timing a couple weeks out.
Would love to know what josh found on his mission, i would imagine something horrific now fully explained to him by football people.
Still its over, we move on.
Cannot get my head beyond ancelotti plus fairly young ex player for future manager but imagine serious leaks soon
One thing is pretty much clear that Wenger was pushed out. Perhaps Ivan wanted him gone last summer but he didn’t have enough power to push him out. It took Josh Kroenke’s intervention to convince Stan that Wenger was not the man to take the club forward. That Wenger still hasn’t retired and is possibly looking for a new challenge corroborates the theory. Wenger really should have called it a day last summer. He achieved nothing except humiliation by signing a new contract.
Steve, Jeff, get over your untold, Wenger, AKB obsessions. That is over. Why keep regurgitating the same old shit when there is so much more exciting subjects to talk about.
Untold v legrovers….yawn.
wallace
there were definitely some things Wenger could have done that would have given us a better shot at success, but, as the Spuds are showing, you can get pretty much everything right for 4/5yrs, and still end up with nothing but a bunch of 2nd and 3rd place finishes to show for it.
I’ll take my chances.. better than being stuck under wanker…
Jeff
“Ishola, Paulinho, all the way with you my friends. We have waited for this moment a very long time indeed.”
Yes indeed Jeff.
I could see from your posts that you thought that Wenger was never ending. Well it is finally over.
Enjoy post Wenger Arsenal. Enjoy Arsenal FC once again.
All the best to you.
I am of the opinion that barring we get hammered 4-0, wengers name will be sung to the high heavens win or lose, who gives a shit bout the result? Stadium will be jam packed and an absolutely electric atmosphere. Not even the end of season yet and we already done our best business. Only 52 days to the world cup so I expect an announcement regarding the new man over the next 2 weeks. A deal has probably already been agreed and a wishlist has been given to Raul. Allegri get in lad!