Goodbye, Arsene

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The end is here, after 22 years in charge of Arsenal, Arsene Wenger bids farewell to the home fans.

It’ll be emotional. It’s a one of a kind moment you’ll never experience again. If you’re lucky enough to attend, cherish the afternoon because you’ll never see another manager like him.

He was the master innovator, he brought the swagger, he made foreign managers cool, he made sexy football a thing in the Premier League, he made boring Arsenal the best ticket in the world. He gave us trophies, art and an unbeaten season. His intellect was refreshing, his class unmatched, his impact on Arsenal will never be forgotten.

Think of the players he sent our way (I’m about to borrow Andrew Allen’s format from Arseblog here)?

I’ll never forget how exciting Nik Anelka was, that pace and coolness was electric to watch. Patrick Vieira was a colossal presence in our midfield, and those Roy Keane battles are the stuff of legend. That Marc Overmars goal away at Old Trafford. Freddie Ljungberg getting snapped up after England played Sweden, to score with a cheeky lob on his debut against United. Selling Anelka, and bringing in Davor Suker (who was a bit disappointing for the most part). Not signing Patrick Kluivert. Passing on the De Boer twins because of class reasons. Building a new training ground. Signing Thierry Henry and Robert Pires who were Championship Manager heroes. Giving life to the famous back 5. Petit and that porn flick song. That gold kit. Ray Parlour in the FA Cup final. Pascal fucking Cygan. Igor Stepanovs. Ashley Cole busting into the first team. Lauren from defensive midfield to right back. Thierry from the wing to striker. That goal where he set himself up and lobbed Barthez. The Dennis/Theirry axis of amazing. Sylvain Wiltord and that pirouette thing he did. Signing Nwankwo Kanu and that hattrick against Chelsea. Kaba Diawara vs Leeds United. Alex Manninger saving penalties. Wenger doing a madness and signing 8 players in a summer. Richard Wright being shite. Gio Van Bronckhurst.  The FA Cup finals and the wins. Learning to love Cardiff because we fucking owned the place. Jen Lehmann being our only transfer move. A whole season unbeaten. I could go on…

The second half of his tenure wasn’t quite as grandiose. But look, Arsenal fans are a weird old bunch, in ten years time, the hipsters will be watching back classic banter years games with a weird fondness.

Yaya Sanogo starting against Bayern Munich. Andrey Arshavin was the most explosively talented lazy boy. What the fuck is a Park Chu-young, Julio Baptista. Nik Bendtner on the right wing. Silvestre. Emmanuel Eboue at right back. Emmanuel Eboue as a right winger against Wigan. Wellington being a pizza eating tubbo. Hiding Fran Merida in the mountains. Waiting 2 summers to sign Chamakh. Robin Van Persie binning us off after one good season. Cesc Fabregas and that ponytail. Fucking up 2008. Rosicky scoring that screamer in the World Cup before we signed him to replace Robert Pires. Fucking up signing Cahill. Manuel Almunia as our first team keeper. Denilson being defended as a good player. Andre Santos as a serious signing. Carling Cup being proper fun. Top 4 Trophy. The Best Finances in the game. The War Chest. ‘One or two signings’. Abou Diaby revisionism. Flappyianski. Samir Satan. Adebaywhoooore. ‘Wenger is good at tactics’. BRING BACK DEIN. Christmas injury pile-ups. Gervinho’s hairline. Sol Campbell back at the club. Usmanov. Beckham training with the lads. Thierry back at the club. Lehmann back at the club. Sign Da Ting. Chezzers rollies. WENGER OUT. Planes with banners. Banners in general. Last 16 PTSD. Playing top 6 PTSD. Stan Kroenke OUT. AKBs. WOBs. #TeamPostiveGooners. Queen of Suburbia is a King. LOLgrove. Owen Coyle. Cash piles. MESUT OZIL. FA Cup Finals. Trophies. Spurs still shite. North London still red. JUDGE ME IN MAY. THE WINDOW ISN’T EVEN CLOSED. SEASON HASN’T STARTED GIVE HIM A CHANCE. PLAYERS LET HIM DOWN. Santi Cazorla. Aaron Ramsey. Hector Bellerin. What even is a Sporting Director. Commentating on transfer deadline day. The ‘we nearly signed’ world 11. Scorpion kicks. Assisting the assister. The Wenger smirk. Kicking water bottles. Brexit musings. That L’Quipe photoshoot.

You’ll be sad when the 70th minute lands and subs have already been made. You’ll be bored when our transfer business is done early and it’s good. You’ll roll your eyes when the next coach does his caterpillar coat up at the first attempt.

For all the craziness of the last ten years, you’ll never forget the Arsene Wenger ride. Even in his darkest hours, he’s capable of dropping a next level, is the next level, is the next level quote that’d make you laugh, cry, or reach for the internet to understand the reference. Wenger is a one of a kind, and I truly can’t believe this is it.

The timing is right, it’s been right for 6 years. There’s no looking back. This move is more epic than the one we made from Highbury to Ashburton Grove. This decision is the biggest one the club has made in 100 years. It’s the most exciting test of our future. I can’t wait.

I’ll be sad, sure. But I’ll be happy in the way you are after a relative dies a painful death. You celebrate what was, but you’re glad it’s over. The last 5 years have been unbefitting. I’m glad it’s coming to a close.

The club is starting to leak intentions of their next move to the internetz. Mark Ogden over at ESPN dropped a piece yesterday.

But the club are also keen to assess the options at the other end of the experience scale, with Manchester City first-team coach and former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta under consideration, and Julian Nagelsmann, the 30-year-old coach of Hoffenheim, another name in the mix.

Sources said the move to give serious consideration to a young coach is being driven by Kroenke’s son, Josh Kroenke, who is a non-executive director at Arsenal. The 37-year-old is also the president of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, both of which are also owned by KSE.

My loins are moistened, and my fears are starting to ease that we’re not going to make a move on a caretaker of the bland variety (Carlo, Löw, Enrique, Pards, Buvac). What makes this leak particularly interesting is it’s come from ESPN, so I’d imagine the source is one of Stan’s people.

It’d be a balls-out decision to go for a Tier 3 manager, untested comes with risks, but if the club has done their due diligence, the rewards could be massive. I’d be game for a risk. People are calling that sort of view hipster, I’d say it’s pretty f*cking smart. Josh K and Stan have already had a taste of youth in the US with Sean Mcvay and the press they’re receiving is incredible. Let’s see if this is real, or just clever cover to throw us off the scent of an Allegri or Jardim. Key point in all of this, no one has a fucking clue what is going on. Ivan gonna drop a new name like Beyonce drops a new album… gotta admire that as an advertising guy.

I want to be excited about my team again. Today’s game against Burnley is the changing of the guard. As some of the old school fans would say – we’re getting our Arsenal back – because be honest, Wenger has made the club all about him of late, and it hasn’t been good.

The team need to put on a magical show for Wenger. I hope the fans who are saying they won’t stay for his lap of honour reconsider what the great man has done for the club during the totality of his tenure, and sing his name loud and proud for the last time. I hope the day sticks in the memory, much in the way it did when the great Dennis Bergkamp called it quits.

Today is about Wenger and giving him the send off he deserves, enjoy him while you can, because next season, we’ll be throwing our support behind the future, and I cannot wait.

P.S. Horrible to hear about Sir Alex, our thoughts are with him and his family. Hopefully, he pulls through. One of the greatest in sports history.

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Pierre

Gazzap
“Selling giroud cost arsenal the Europa league and a subsequent place in next seasons champions league. And therefore probably a top manager. Thanks Arsene.”

More bullshit..

Redtruth

Pierre

It’s not about scoring goals, it’s about keeping it tight and winning 1-0.

Marko

Have you seen the side piece he comes with? Go on Max..

Oh yeah? Sign her up too

salparadisenyc
Redtruth

Marko

You talk of ‘Neymargate’ but the real scandal is your ignorance on football…

WengerEagle

‘Yes, WE was involved. He absolutely lost his head when I suggested that Neymar hasn’t demonstrated that he can be the decisive player in the biggest games and that he would likely disappoint at the World Cup. A point, by the way, that I stand by.’ Lol, Bamford back with the banter. I lost my head? That’s comical coming from you. Yoy got your arsehole ravaged that night and were absolutely embarrassed in front of the entire blog, very selective memory. Not even going to entertain the fact that after all that, you still stand by your BS POV. You… Read more »

E54_

“Judge me in may”

He set the conditions for his own accountability. So fair enough, all those seasons we finished top 4 or won an Fa cup, judging him in those months of MAY you could at a stretch argue he didn’t fail.

As this season. According to his own criteria for Judgment and accountability. Wenger failed.

Sid

Bramford, cc, marko- nobody gives a shit about your little girl fights. Stop clogging up the damn blog, it gives me a headache scrolling through your mind numbing bullshit to get to some relevant comments. Your comments to each other add absolutely nothing of value to this blog. I implore you to take your shit elsewhere.

Nw9 gooner

I am not a great fan of Wilshere but his ball control and getting out of tight places is pretty good – better than many

Champagne charlie

Sid

Haven’t you got toys to blow up?

Sid

CC – nah, you threw them all outta the pram during your last hissy fit

Alex Cutter

I hope Clitorious is ok.

The last I saw, his mum was tweeting out from the pub that she needed a good “Bammm-fording” in her pooper. Whatever that means! Is that some Brit euphemism?

In any case, Wenger went out as he deserved — with a blow-out victory over a relegation side in a match that meant nothing to no one!

All the while, TH14 was a sideline reporter for Chelsea/Liverpool!

Alex Cutter

s/b “promotion”

Champagne charlie

Sid

That would make sense, but I’ve not had a hissy fit over anything 🙂 that headache must be clouding your judgement

N'Gambo

Fuck there’s a bunch of absurd juvenile turds on here these days .

If Pedro doesn’t ban/block turds who have nothing more to say than pointless internecine arguments, I won’t be coming back.

Hey Pedro, this is a blog about AFC right?

Fucking idiots.

Black Hei

“Really this possession football has been the downfall of Wenger.”

“But because of this notion this was why Wenger was so nonchalant about his defence.”

I would like to state that possession football does not equate rubbish defence. The Spanish teams in the early 2000s were not just great tippy tappers, they had great defence too. And they play a high line. And they won the European and World Cup.

Emiratesstroller

Wenger raised an interesting point yesterday that our home form this season was amongst the best in his career at Arsenal. If you take out of equation the two Manchester defeats he might have been correct, but in reality we won only one home game to top five opposition and that is the reality. What cannot be ignored is our away form and the fragility of our goalkeepers and defence all season. As soon as we came under pressure whether at set pieces or counterattacks the team would buckle. One thing is for sure if we have a limited transfer… Read more »

gonsterous

can’t believe the dick measuring competition in here.. not to mention the dick sucking one…

Ishola70

Black Hei ”I would like to state that possession football does not equate rubbish defence. The Spanish teams in the early 2000s were not just great tippy tappers, they had great defence too. And they play a high line. And they won the European and World Cup.” Fair point good sir but different cases. In Arsenal’s case I think it did affect defence with Wenger so obsessed with emulating Barca and those Spanish teams you mentioned that he started to abandon the importance of defence. And he never got to the levels of that great possession football of the Spanish… Read more »

Pierre

Stroller I agree agree, we were bullied away from home and we need to be mentally stronger. We also need to rediscover our counter attacking football as that is what you need to beat teams away from home. This doesn’t allow home teams to get in your face as referees rarely give protection to the away side (and I’m not just talking about Arsenal). Quick, pacey one and 2 touch football is needed. We lost the ability to draw teams in and hit them on the break. Our attack, in my opinion, is the best for probably ten years… 2… Read more »

gonsterous

judge me in may only when I deem it necessary…

HighburyLegend

Thank God at last we won’t have to judge him anymore.

Leedsgunner

Chambers, when he first arrived looked like Mavropanos, then became ineffective as he lost his confidence. Hopefully with Wenger gone our who defensive core will receive some proper defence coaching and regain that composure.

Beautiful football only when nothing is on the line is pointless.

Give me 1-0 to the Arsenal every week if it means we are league winners every day of the week.

Leedsgunner

*league leaders…

Black Hei

Ishola70

Actually we have been alot more direct and varied in our approach.

We now do long balls, dead balls, etc.

But we have lost our tipp tappy skills.

Ishola70

lol said like a true Wengerite BH.

You want more tippi-tappi not less.

I think Pierre has the right idea in his latest post when he talks about sucking teams in and hitting on quick counters especially away from home.

That would not entail tippi-tappi I’m afraid.

Black Hei

Ishola

Now you know who is the true loyal Wengerite……

Pierre is just a watered down AKB.

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