Well it is another embarrassing result and a weekend which has been ruined by a gutless performance and a manager who has lost his way.
Arsene Wenger has done wonders for us in the past, but this season has proven to many that this should be his last in charge of Arsenal football club.
We were in fine form in the first-half of the season and actually looked like genuine title contenders. However, in the past two months we have seen our side challenging for the title to contending for a fourth place finish – a task which could prove difficult if recent form is anything to go by.
We got smashed 5-1 against Liverpool, 6-3 against Man City, 6-0 v Chelsea and today 3-0 against a side we will have to fend off if we are to finish in the top four. In the games that matter we haven’t delivered. The players have to take some responsibility for their performances of course, but like it or not, everything stems from the manager unfortunately and he will ultimately be the one criticised for the club’s results, not the players.
The players don’t look like they want to play for Wenger and it seems the Frenchman can’t seem to motivate them either. When Romelu Lukaku scored today the Belgian busted a gut to the touchline and celebrated with Roberto Martinez, showing to me that he wants to play for the Spaniard – this is what I like to see, player and manager on the same page. Not a manager keeping his butt cheeks warm and murmuring something to his right hand man (Steve Bould in this instance) who probably isn’t even listening to him anyway!
At 2-0 down and with 45 minutes to go, Wenger did nothing to try and change the game. It was only when we conceded the third when Wenger made two changes. It was too late.
Wenger still has no plan B, his tactics are outdated and his substitutions are at most times questionable, making me think that we haven’t progressed as a club as many of you might of thought. He also had the January transfer window to bolster our attacking options and he failed to do so, leaving Olivier Giroud as our only established forward. This in turn proved to be his biggest error this season, a costly one at that.
Yes we can still win the FA Cup and attain a top four finish, but is that really enough? Can Wenger truly take this club to the next step? Personally, I don’t think so, and I now think its time for Wenger himself to seriously consider his position at the club, even if he does win the FA Cup.
Thanks for the memories Arsene, but your time at Arsenal appears to be up.
Has Wenger run his course at Arsenal?
Let us know what you think below
I have been asking for Wenger to go since we lost to Birmingham in the League Cup final. The longer he stays, the more seasons will be like this one. He has done very well over the last few years since we moved, as we have had no money. But now, we have money, and the results are still the same………………..technically good players that are mentally and physically fragile, poor tactics, playing the wrong players in the wrong situations, refusing to try new things when required, providing the environment every season in training sessions that creates long term injuries for many players, (think about which team in the Premiership over the last 9 years has consistently had the most injuries to the most significant players, and where the injuries have not occurred during matches). He inherited Graham’s back five, which were arguably the best in Europe. This provided the backbone for the first three seasons. Then, as the defence slipped away after 2004, and players like Henry, Pires and Vierra left, we stopped playing the successful counter-attacking football, and started playing the tippy tappy passing game, which looks good but has won us nothing. Yes, the billionaire sugar daddies that came in to Chelsea and Man City and bought them the trophies have made it hard to compete, but even so, the tactics have not changed, and Wenger’s philosophy is not ultimately successful. Players want to win trophies, and Wenger’s teams don’t have the physical and mental strength to win trophies. If we want to win trophies, we need a more ruthless manager.
He has to go out . there won’t be any chance arsenal will be close to winning any title while this guy is in charge .
Thanks for the things you have done to the club but it is time to go
I leave in Finland.and have been a fan for 20years; I stop writing on the blog,, because thy is no change at Arsenal ,all thy care about is the profit that comes in:::even a blend man knows that mr wenger’s should have gon 2years ago.
I actually wish arsenal will lose its fourth place this year so the fans won’t be living with another false promise for another year .
WENGER OUT !!!!!
Wenger ??????v??? run down arsenal team since january window,,, mean W?????? many ??????ƒ our player ??????v??? injure since november ,, an were supporting.& praying for ???????????????? to mantain ???????? chance to coming january ,,an St?????r?????????????gt?????? ou team ,, but W??????t?????. wenger do for us ?? Poising our mind @ last ,, i hate wenger since ???????t????? january pls go wenger,,, with your giroud
We had in an example in the Dallas Cowboys, American football, for all you Gooner, a coach who stayed with the team 29 years. Won trophies and championships in the early years. The team went on a decline and man was fired, a new owner hired a new young coach, got rid of all established players, brought new ones in and a new attitude and toughness. The team won three championship trophies in three years in a row. Now Arsenal, there is lesson to be learned.
Absoluty rubish wenger,, time to go ,, we need another manager ,,,@ under our bad board
Yes! Wenger har to go! He is very very predictable in terms of play style and has done nothing to improve in d mordern day coaching skills. Wenger needs a 1 year refresher course before taking d job of France national team coach
Yeah, I am an Arsenal supporter for a long time, but I also think Wenger should leave. This year was disgrace.
Wining the FA cup would not Chang any thing,,But wenger stepping down will do this club some good.
Can’t understand why everyone is quick to blame Wenger. To discerning minds, he is only trying to prioritise. This becomes necessary due to the very limited resources at his disposal.
We have all bn crying for a trophy irrespective of type, color, shape or size. That’s what all gunners have bn screaming about. For several years we have never had the finance to put together a squad with the required depth like ‘those teams’ that have sugar daddies throwing cash at them like there’s no 2moru. These teams can put together two powerful squads without qualms. That costs money Arsenal don’t have. So we have to manage.
We must remember that any time Mr. Wenger discovers a gem not previous know a gem that will cost what we can afford, these thieving clubs swoop and offer scandalous fees & wages which we cannot match. Last year some funds started trickling in thankfully (about 60m they said). We felt on top of the world and loudly proclaimed this to the world believing that we were going to be able to NOW compete in d transfer market and acquire at least 3 world-class players with the cash. The rich teams who were laughing derisively at us made this impossible by throwing into the market almost 3 times what we boasted we had. The result? The price of even average players who were no longer even needed in their clubs shot up to btwn 20m – 30m. Players whose true value was around 25m (e.g. Suarez) shot up to 50m. Now they say he’s going for 100m – just one season later. Remember Bale? He was a shade behind RVP who was sold for a WOOPING 25m! At d time we were telling the world we had 60m, Bale was bought for about 100m. With our small ‘change’ we got Ozil (may be his position was not a priority but it was a good buy). The balance couldn’t get us anything more. The price for Higuain and later Benzema sky-rocketed to over 30m.
This year, we are already targeting or expecting N100m to be thrown into the transfer market. Does anyone still think this will be enough to get us the 5 or 6 world stars that we need to challenge for trophies, with the way the market keeps spiralling?
So, let’s grow up and just support our team knowing that Wenger is making the best of an unenviable financial position. And we are still up there in the Champions League every year. It is not that that’s what we prefer, but that’s a lot more than what our meager finances could ordinarily get us. Any more wonder why other coaches (apart from the arrogant, disrespectful and insolent Mourinho) greatly respect Wenger? Gooners, beware what you wish for.
Arsenal for life. In Wenger I trust, even though I sometimes question some of his decisions, actions and inaction.
P.S: Going back to my first two sentences, I just want to say that with the limited player-resourcesat his disposal at this point in the campaign, Wenger is simply prioritising. Is that so difficult for gunners to see? Bearing in minding that we have been crucifying him for not giving us a trophy – any trophy but ONLY taking us to the Champions League every year!!! We’ll get our wish, perhaps at the expense of CL qualification. Wouldn’t that be what we have always craved for???!!!
We had the chance to win the League Cup against Chelsea and played a weakened team because its the League Cup. Finances weren’t the issue then!
We lost to Birmingham in the League Cup Final…………..Birmingham!!!! Finances weren’t the issue then either. Wenger had the chance to win a trophy, and his team bottled it.
When it matters, Wengers Arsenal in the last eight years, bottle it. It has become so predictable.
Finances didn’t stop Wigan or Portsmouth from winning the FA Cup!
We need solid no-nonsense defenders, and also return to counter-attack football. Wenger won’t buy solid defenders and won’t return to counter-attack football. We need someone new.
A team that has a defence that lets in three goals to Everton, six to Man City, six to Chelsea and five to Liverpool are not going to win anything. George Graham knew that. As far as I am concerned, he was a better manager.
I agree. GG was a coach. AW is no coach, is tactically inept and is living on past glories. Should have gone at least 4 years back. Gooners deserve more respect. To be honest he has made us into the laughing stock of Football.
If you know Arsenal’s history you would have noticed that the FA cup has never been our priority. It has always been a welcomed bonus. On the situations you enumerated above, because we have always operated on a lean budget which makes it difficult for us to have a deep squad, we have always been on the receiving end when injuries strike. Hence, it has always been wiser to play our second eleven in other competitions while we keep key squad members fresh for league games with the projection of getting us to play in the elite CL.
Truth be told. Until we finish paying every single dime we owe on our Stadium, we would continue to play second fiddle to the Chelseas and the Man Cities of this world. Unless, of course the FFA comes into full force. We leave within our means. Some of us will not like, but that’s the way it is, that’s the way it should be.
The good thing which a lot of people don’t want to admit is that ours has been one of the very few stable clubs over the past 18 years, maintaining a top 4 finish year after year. I know a lot of clubs we are envying today don’t have that pedigree. they are only beginning to make their mark now.
What I can’t get is us saying a top 4 finish is a disaster as long as we don’t win the epl. Some of us have gone as far as saying that it is better to win the FA cup than play in the CL. Now, Wenger is being forced prioritise in order to give us our wish. Yet, we are already calling for his head!!! Ludicrous.
Fact: As at today, we do have a great team, but lack the depth to carry us through the whole season. Depth costs money we don’t have at the moment. We always fail midway because fatigue which exposes us to greater risk of injuries sets. There’s not much we can do about it until we get out of the financial woods. It will be a very successful season if we won the FA cup. And I’ll be over the moon if we add CL football to it. Anyone who thinks that’s failure should have his head examined. See you all at the other end. Gunner for life.
You, sir, are not a real supporter. AW should have gone long ago. PRIORITISING!, don’t make me laugh. It’s not the fact that we have been trophyless for 9 years that concerns me, it’s the fact that we could have done so much more with a manager in charge who could have acted on the teams obvious weaknesses and given the fans a little respect. Yes, Mourinho is an arrogant and disrespectful individual, BUT, in some respects, he speaks the truth! 5th place and another tropyless season is the only way forward. TAXI for Mr Wenger…..
@ Graham Baughan, Can you tune your ears and listen to yourself? here is what you wrote, “It’s not the fact that we have been trophyless for 9 years that concerns me, it’s the fact that we could have done so much more with a manager in charge who could have acted on the teams obvious weaknesses and given the fans a little respect.”????!!!!!
If you said being trophyless for 9 years [not winning the epl, not winning the FA cup, nothing] is not what concerns you, what then does since obviously since coming consistently coming 2nd or 3rd or 4th like we’ve always achieved doesn’t count? what then would you have your preferred manager achieve since being trophyless is not what concerns you? mid table? relegation? I want to believe what you wrote did not adequately articulate what you had in mind. Happens to all of us. Respect for the fans? In what sense? Am lost. I think Wenger is a very respectful man and always feels deeply the pains fans feel at times like this – even more so.
We all are pained when things go bad. But let’s not just rave like Piers Morgan and his co AAAs do. We think Wenger is shit. If that were the case, all the top clubs in Europe including all powerful, all conquering FC Barcelona will not be so keenly monitoring our situation with the view to snapping him away at the slightest chance. How many managers would be able to achieve what Wenger has always achieved with meager resources at his disposal?
Pius Wenger’s time is up at Arsenal. He has lost it all. He has no tactical ability, a plan B for his team and his changes during matches are just awful. Has does not have what it takes to be a modern coach. And coming to your issue of lack of money to make big signings that is not an excuse for losing games against the big teams. When Dortmund beat Madrid last season it wasn’t about big names in the team. Wigan didn’t beat City last season to the FA cup because they had big names in the team. It all boils down to to good tactical play from coaches and player commitments. With Wenger there’s no future for Arsenal is time for him to go. He has paid his dues it’s enough.