Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal fans that a top four finish next season is not guaranteed.
This is the last thing we wanted to hear. As if suffering a season of failure wasn’t bad enough, and the board also deeming it right to increase ticket prices by 6.5%, Wenger now comes out and states there is no guarantee of a top four finish next season. What does he think he is playing at?
When every Arsenal fan around the world is crying out for silverware, is this really the correct way to respond to your followers?
Arsenal are not a mid-table side who have one great season once every decade like Tottenham or Liverpool. We have been one of the most consistent sides in the Premier League in years and a place outside the top four, given that we don’t win trophies, is like being relegated. Wenger told several national newspapers and online publications:
‘People take it for granted that we are in there every year but, believe me, it is hard work. You have clubs like Liverpool who are out of it at present, and Tottenham were a big candidate this season.’
Correct. Everyone knows that it is hard work to acquire a top four finish, especially given the way clubs evolve. Finishing in a Champions League spot season after season is a very credible achievement. Wenger has to be lauded for his consistency at the top since taking charge of the North London club in 1996. However, a majority of Arsenal fans want silverware to return to the club. The fact that the Gunners finish year after year within the top four and compete in the illustrious Champions League merely gives us something to cheer about. But should we not achieve this, then surely the clubs credibility and reputation will fall (just look at what’s happened to Liverpool, and recently Tottenham).
So, I feel it only right that we have a look at who our challengers are for a top four finish next season:
Manchester United: A team in the rebuilding phase, but will surely obtain a place within the top-four next season despite the retirement of Edwin van der Sar.
Chelsea: They will want to splash the cash, but the new UEFA financial fair play rules will cripple them to an extent. However, they have the team spirit and fight to once again occupy a spot in the top four, even if they are an aging team.
Manchester City: With Champions League football to look forward to, and cash to splash, you can’t look past City to claim a top four finish. There will be a lot of movement both in and out this summer at the club, but they can only get stronger with time.
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It’ll be even more difficult for us to finish in the Top Four if this deluded old fool is kept as our manager!
GET OUT WENGER! GET OUT!!!
WENGER SHOULD SIMPLY LEAVE. HIS MEDIOCRITY IS A CANCER THAT HAS BEEN EATING AWAY AT THE PRIDE OF A GREAT CLUB FOR SIX YEARS. WE NEED A CONFIDENT MANAGER WHO IS ABLE TO CHALLENGE THE ELITE OF EUROPE FOR TOP HONORS
It’s sad but simple. If Wenger doesnt strengthen the team with at least three top-class, experienced players, then not only would we not win anything but we probably wont make champions league either..
Of course he’s right. And until Arsenal join other Clubs in signing essential new blood, pending the justified promotion of young reserves, attaining qualification to the CL each season is by no means guaranteed.
In addition, some of the tactical coaching is simply not working and changes must be made. Our inability to defend set pieces is one failing, as well as the need to introduce a Plan B when things are not going well during a game.
He has said what has describe himself. A top-four finish, and i can bet that will be his no.1 priority next season. Disgusting.
do you ever hear ferguson tlaking like wenger does? Ferguson is one tracked, and determined to win and nothing else, he will stop at nothing but trophies, for wenger it seems its about finishing int the top four. Its become a f***ing disgrace. While the fat cat directors and shareholders get rich, the club stagnates. God job wenger you a**hole. Ferguson will never accept fourth, fifth or even second, his a winner, unlike wenger. Any money wenger has gotten rich of player transfers and dealings. The whole thing stinks tbh.
The previous writers got it. If anyone needs a translation it is this” I am afraid to risk the money necessary to toughen up, strengthen to defense. I refuse to spend 15-20 million pounds on veteran Central Defenders who will not go brain dead on set pieces. Oh and b the way I will use only the same formation for every match against every opponent regardess of wat style they play”.So good bye Cesc, Samir,oh we can keep Denilson, diab , Flappianski and Bendtner because you will gladly pay higher cable and ticket rates to watch me be a genious.
Damn that deluded manager.. He forgot Aston Villa. We might be in tenth next season unless we do what the other teams up ther are doing and thats strengthen… We cant have other Squillaci’s we need a terry-esque type of defender. We cant have Almunia and Fabianski, we need Lloris/Neuer/Akinfeev. We cant have another Arshavin we need Hazard. We cant have another Rosicky, get M’vila. We cant wait for JET forever, get Bojan instead. We cant keep wasting Vela, play him or send him somwhere he’ll get games. Im sick of watching Bendtner playing ahead of him. We cant keep Eboue for another season, get a real RB understudy like Davide Santon. We cant play without English players, get Parker/Adam. Lastly we cant have another season of Clichy, get a real left back, Cissokho/Baines/Contreao/Bastos. We cant have another Bendtner, We need Benzema/Pato/Aguero IMMEDIATELY.. We cant have another under par Cesc season, motivate him with signings Wenger.. Spend big or leave it to someone who can.
If wenger did not change his pattern of football,he is not going to achieve anything,for instance look at barcelona,they take some shots that make sense especially when they approach ur eighten yard box but in arsenal case they are not like that,where u can see arsenal players playing shot is if they losing.i just want to advice wenger to ask his players to start playing shot where it is applicable
Pat rice has been a good servant but the news he is to carry on for one, maybe two more years, rings muffled bells in my ears. Some major changes are required in order to seriously compete next season but for those expecting big exits and quality inports (like me) I fear we`re in for another disappointment. Not replacing the number two means much of the same thinking.
Even at this early stage I can see United, City, Chelsea and Liverpool dominating the top four spots.That`s pretty negative thinking I know but looking at the faces on Wenger and Rice I don`t feel inspired.
Even if you spend 100m pounds and change managers would you say top four was guaranteed? Am sure if he had said it was guaranteed you would be slating him just as hard. So what’s the use of this conversation? A competition of cynicism? By the way, was top four guaranteed before Wenger came? Food for thought.