Wenger

dushanbe · Post by **dushanbe** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:54 am

Going after the season finishes

claret wizard · Post by **claret wizard** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:55 am

Wonder if our game goes on TV now?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:56 am

I was just going to start a thread but already beaten to it. I don't think it is a major surprise, does mean his last Premier League game in charge at the Emirates will now be against us.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:57 am

Patrick Vieira next in line?

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:59 am

Which premier league manager has been at the helm of their respective club for the longest, now Wenger has gone?

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:00 am

RingoMcCartney wrote:Which premier league manager has been at the helm of their respective club for the longest, now Wenger has gone?

Howe then Dyche?

martin_p · Post by **martin_p** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:00 am

Eddie Howe

edison · Post by **edison** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:01 am

ClaretTony wrote:I was just going to start a thread but already beaten to it. I don't think it is a major surprise, does mean his last Premier League game in charge at the Emirates will now be against us.

We will definitely win now - although we were going to anyway before this news

Shore claret · Post by **Shore claret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:02 am

Milltown1882 wrote:Patrick Vieira next in line?

I think a certain 2 faced messiah will have his name written all over that job, and a bonus for him he is currently out of work.

Lancasterclaret · Post by **Lancasterclaret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:03 am

Not a surprise to be honest, and its such a shame for him that he's hung on too long and possibly tarnished his legacy.

But he was a breath of fresh air when he came in and I've always liked him (though he can drive you up the wall with his "I never saw it" ********)

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:03 am

I hope it’s Henry.

It’ll be ******* hilarious.

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:06 am

ClaretTony wrote:I was just going to start a thread but already beaten to it. I don't think it is a major surprise, does mean his last Premier League game in charge at the Emirates will now be against us.

Would absolutely love to be the party poopers.

We owe them 3 for the appalling refereeing decisions that went their way in our last 3 games.

COYC

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:08 am

The best comparison I could say is he was the Pep of his day, changed a lot of things in English football, some amazing teams, brilliant players and styles of play.
He's overstayed, but after what he's done you could hardly blame him.

Arsenal and English football are better off for having had him here.

Going to be interesting to see if Arsenal suffer like UTD did.
They've got a very good solid base of players, but maybe need a clear out of some.

I suspect Wilshere will be off, Cazorla will be lucky to get the new deal that was being mooted recently.

New manager will have a hell of a job keeping up with the top 4.

edlass · Post by **edlass** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:08 am

It feels weird more than anything. During my whole footballing life Arsenal means Wenger (I'm 30) and so its almost like a link to my childhood Burnley supporter self has been cut. And I don't even like or care about arsenal.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:10 am

What looked like being a game played in a stadium with thousands of empty seats, will now be played out in front of a packed out and emotional home crowd bidding farewell. Should be a good day out.

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:11 am

edlass wrote:It feels weird more than anything. During my whole footballing life Arsenal means Wenger (I'm 30) and so its almost like a link to my childhood Burnley supporter self has been cut. And I don't even like or care about arsenal.

Agree. Same with Fergie too.

Be interesting how this turns out.

Is he retiring now?

THEWELLERNUT70 · Post by **THEWELLERNUT70** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:16 am

It sets things up nicely for our 6th place play off in Wengers last home game

THEWELLERNUT70 · Post by **THEWELLERNUT70** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:19 am

I bumped in to him once in the hotel we were staying at in Mannheim for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he was in the room directly across from ours. I couldn't believe how tall and gangly he was in person.

Strange chap

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:27 am

The script is already written. They'll have to win that last home game and they'll do it with a last minute penalty or dodgy offside handball goal. The commentators will love it and say 'you couldn't write it'. But you could. I just did.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:28 am

Outstanding contribution to English football. Shame he didn’t go a couple of years ago and avoid all the negativity towards him.

Will this be the day when WE get a penalty? He won’t have seen it of course.

claretblue · Post by **claretblue** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:30 am

[quote="THEWELLERNUT70"]I bumped in to him once in the hotel

he didn't see it!

Sutton-Claret · Post by **Sutton-Claret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:31 am

I heard a rumour from a very good source that Dyche and Wenger are doing a swap...

Only joking

quoonbeatz · Post by **quoonbeatz** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:31 am

Rick_Muller · Post by **Rick_Muller** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:32 am

Up until this announcement my plans for watching the match was to get a spare ticket from a friend who's an Arsenal ST holder (they often have spares) - been told to forget it now - all spares now sold out in 15 minutes

UpTheBeehole · Post by **UpTheBeehole** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:35 am

Perhaps we took a tiny allocation to allow Arsenal to sell more tickets for his farewell game.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:35 am

Echoes of Gerrard's last game for Liverpool. Massive build up with an anticlimax of getting battered off Palace. 2-1 Burnley.

Bordeauxclaret · Post by **Bordeauxclaret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:38 am

Did a fantastic job early to middle part of his Arsenal career. They were great to watch.
Dined our on it ever since, for me he seemed to stop developing players. Very few improved under him over the past 5 years.

His antics on the touch line and in the media have become a bit of a joke when he really should have been severely punished.
His antics against us last season would have embarrassed a child.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:22 am

Every seat full for sure, now!

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:30 am

Has he been kicked or did he jump?

ClaretinMyBlood · Post by **ClaretinMyBlood** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:31 am

Hoping this will take an opposite effect to what they are hoping for, and further demotivate their squad.

Lancasterclaret · Post by **Lancasterclaret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:31 am

Or even head hunted by PSG?

Vintage Claret · Post by **Vintage Claret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:35 am

KRBFC wrote:Has he been kicked or did he jump?

He was probably told to get his coat..

Dy1geo · Post by **Dy1geo** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:37 am

It amazes me when people say he has hung on too long, he has managed to get in Champions League every year bar this one and won FA Cup three out of last four seasons. The reality is first Abramovich and now Sheihk Mansour have changed the game with their spending power with Arsenal struggling to catch up. The top teams can’t allow time for young talent to progress, how many of the current Arsenal youth team that has reached the Youth Cup final will make the first team on a regular basis?
These owners want instant sucess and are prepared to pay for it look at what City have spent on their full backs. Football has come to the stage when winning the FA Cup is not seen as a successful season amongst supporters and owners of some club. Qualifying for the Champions league is now seen a bare minimum for the top six clubs and for the two that miss out unfortunately even given past achievements you are on your way.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:41 am

Herts Clarets wrote:What looked like being a game played in a stadium with thousands of empty seats, will now be played out in front of a packed out and emotional home crowd bidding farewell. Should be a good day out.

Packed out with most 2 faced b@stards on the planet

hampsteadclaret · Post by **hampsteadclaret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:54 am

29..32. Some Arsenal supporting pals of mine have told me that the top guys at Arsenal, with all the power (Kronke ?) would never boot him out... the decision to go would be his.

4:20 · Post by **4:20** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:56 am

Can't wait to see home sent out on a low at home. 0-2, seats emptying with 5 to go, yum yum.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:10 pm

Vintage Claret wrote:He was probably told to get his coat..

: wenger coat.jpg (88.87 KiB) Viewed 3148 times

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:13 pm

Dy1geo wrote:It amazes me when people say he has hung on too long, he has managed to get in Champions League every year bar this one and won FA Cup three out of last four seasons. The reality is first Abramovich and now Sheihk Mansour have changed the game with their spending power with Arsenal struggling to catch up. The top teams can’t allow time for young talent to progress, how many of the current Arsenal youth team that has reached the Youth Cup final will make the first team on a regular basis?
These owners want instant sucess and are prepared to pay for it look at what City have spent on their full backs. Football has come to the stage when winning the FA Cup is not seen as a successful season amongst supporters and owners of some club. Qualifying for the Champions league is now seen a bare minimum for the top six clubs and for the two that miss out unfortunately even given past achievements you are on your way.

He didn't get top 4 last season either, 2 years in a row. When you're playing Bellerin LWB and Ox RWB with Xhaka in midfield you have officially lost the plot. His team selection and ignoring obvious flaws has cost him and held Arsenal back. Arsenal who still haven't picked up an away point in 2018, what's the excuse? does City spending £50M on Kyle Walker stop Arsenal from picking up points away from home against lesser sides?

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:31 pm

: wenger paddy.jpg (65.24 KiB) Viewed 3085 times

I think I prefer this statement.

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:36 pm

The problem with Wenger was. Rather than see himself for what he was, one of the custodians of Arsenal football club.

He believed he WAS Arsenal football club.

Dy1geo · Post by **Dy1geo** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:52 pm

KRBFC wrote:He didn't get top 4 last season either, 2 years in a row. When you're playing Bellerin LWB and Ox RWB with Xhaka in midfield you have officially lost the plot. His team selection and ignoring obvious flaws has cost him and held Arsenal back. Arsenal who still haven't picked up an away point in 2018, what's the excuse? does City spending £50M on Kyle Walker stop Arsenal from picking up points away from home against lesser sides?

I agree with you regarding his team selections at times, but the point I was trying to make is that he has still won silverware, Pochettino is lauded yet has won nothing yet. The fans with their sense of entitlement got Wenger out, but it’s the clubs reluctance to match the spending of others that has ultimately led them to where they are. Yes there away form for them has been garbage but they are in Semi Final of Europa League/Cup and could still qualify for the Champions league. As Kevin Keegan once said “I would love it” now that the fans have forced him out if we beat them to 6th and they lose the Europa and have to start in the qualifiers in July in next year’s Europa.

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:00 pm

ClaretTony wrote:I was just going to start a thread but already beaten to it. I don't think it is a major surprise, does mean his last Premier League game in charge at the Emirates will now be against us.

It will. No surprises really given the ticket allocation fiasco. Arsenal already knew hence the “deal” with our ticket muppet.

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:00 pm

Dy1geo wrote:As Kevin Keegan once said “I would love it” now that the fans have forced him out if we beat them to 6th and they lose the Europa and have to start in the qualifiers in July in next year’s Europa.

Would this happening not go against the point you made? Surely this will confirm the board/wenger made the right decision and the fans were correct in wanting him out?

Dy1geo · Post by **Dy1geo** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:12 pm

Dyched wrote:Would this happening not go against the point you made? Surely this will confirm the board/wenger made the right decision and the fans were correct in wanting him out?

The point I am trying to make is and I don’t really know is whose decision was for him to go? I suspect it wasn’t his and the board have listened to the dissenting voices. For the service he has given them I think it should have rested on if they won the Europa League or not whether he saw out his contract.

The reason I would love it if they ended up in the Second Qualifying round in July with us coming in later is to get at their “sense of entitlement fans” the ones on Arsenal Fan TV moaning at entering a competition at such an early stage a competition they think is beneath them.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:15 pm

Dy1geo wrote:The point I am trying to make is and I don’t really know is whose decision was for him to go? I suspect it wasn’t his and the board have listened to the dissenting voices. For the service he has given them I think it should have rested on if they won the Europa League or not whether he saw out his contract.

The reason I would love it if they ended up in the Second Qualifying round in July with us coming in later is to get at their “sense of entitlement fans” the ones on Arsenal Fan TV moaning at entering a competition at such an early stage a competition they think is beneath them.

Specifically that massive bell end who was complaining about the aggro his son gets now Arsenal have dropped a little etc.

They need a dose of championship football.

My Bro-in-law said to me this morning he hopes they get the next managerial appointment correct or he thinks they could end up in the championship...

Cubanclaret · Post by **Cubanclaret** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:27 pm

Still rate the Invincibles as the best team I've seen in the Prem.
Wenger constantly worked wonders in his early years, generally spending lot less than United on his squad building, while winning trophies and managing a stadium move that - although wholly necessary to meet demands - led to corners being cut in the playing budget. They were the best team to watch.
Shame they never quite converted to European glories, although they did come close.
I think the spending power of other clubs is what finally did for him. Arsenal have responded almost reactively in the last couple of years but Chelsea, United and City have left them in their wake.
His bloody-mindedness could be responsible for a lot of what he achieved, but also a double edged sword. Not sure if its an Arsenal thing or a Wenger thing but they've allowed too many players to run down their contracts, failed to strengthen certain positions and have had a collective blind spot when it comes to the art of defending in more recent times.
The best man to carry the 'values' of the club forward and put some trophies in the cabinet is probably Sean Dyche, but he's unlikely to be considered.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 2:16 pm

He has been an outstanding manager and very much part of the premier league. Be strange without him and his histrionics on the touch line.

Love to see us put one over on him during his swansong though.

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:05 pm

Dy1geo wrote:I agree with you regarding his team selections at times, but the point I was trying to make is that he has still won silverware, Pochettino is lauded yet has won nothing yet. The fans with their sense of entitlement got Wenger out, but it’s the clubs reluctance to match the spending of others that has ultimately led them to where they are. Yes there away form for them has been garbage but they are in Semi Final of Europa League/Cup and could still qualify for the Champions league. As Kevin Keegan once said “I would love it” now that the fans have forced him out if we beat them to 6th and they lose the Europa and have to start in the qualifiers in July in next year’s Europa.

They're competing with us not Man City, Wenger has to take responsibility, you can't blame Man City's spending on Arsenal not picking up a single away point in 5 months of football. Their record against the other top 6 clubs over a long period is horrendous. The entire club has gone backwards and I think losing in the Europa League will be a good thing for the club, it will be a reality check for all involved, they simply have to pull their finger out. Winning a Europa League would just paper over cracks that have been there for 10+ years, FA Cup wins have papered over cracks and kept Wenger in a job for to long.

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:16 pm

Cubanclaret wrote:Still rate the Invincibles as the best team I've seen in the Prem.
Wenger constantly worked wonders in his early years, generally spending lot less than United on his squad building, while winning trophies and managing a stadium move that - although wholly necessary to meet demands - led to corners being cut in the playing budget. They were the best team to watch.
Shame they never quite converted to European glories, although they did come close.
I think the spending power of other clubs is what finally did for him. Arsenal have responded almost reactively in the last couple of years but Chelsea, United and City have left them in their wake.
His bloody-mindedness could be responsible for a lot of what he achieved, but also a double edged sword. Not sure if its an Arsenal thing or a Wenger thing but they've allowed too many players to run down their contracts, failed to strengthen certain positions and have had a collective blind spot when it comes to the art of defending in more recent times.
The best man to carry the 'values' of the club forward and put some trophies in the cabinet is probably Sean Dyche, but he's unlikely to be considered.

Interesting you mention Chelsea in that list, they certainly haven't splashed the cash for a long long time. Nothing like they used to be when Roman arrived, Chelsea also have the best youth set up in world football, they must generate an absolute fortune from the youth set up. Chalobah, Matic, Ake, Cork, Bamford, Hutchinson, Mceachran, Solanke, Traore, Van Aanholt, Bruma, Bertrand, De Bruyne, Lukaku are just a few who they've sold. (I know they didn't produce Matic through the youth set up but he was brought in as a young play when he was 18). They have some they haven't sold yet like Loftus Cheek, Kennedy, Abraham, Christensen, Courtois(signed young).

Stan Tastic · Post by **Stan Tastic** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 5:31 pm

Can't see us getting too many 50/50 decisions in his last game at The Emirates, it's like playing against twelve men at the best of times.