By LE GALL
Opinion is a flitting thing,
But Truth, outlasts the Sun –
If then we cannot own them both –
Possess the oldest one –
On the one hand, you have the never-ending gossip of the dirtymoney-grabbing “pundits”, including some renegades whose statue would well deserve the Lenin treatment.
Dear old Woody said it all about them:
On the other, you have the plain, simple, disinterested truth of the actual expert:
‘Arsène is just the best manager in the world.’ (Robin van Persie; January 2018)
Notice the “is”, not “was”.
Want more?
‘I enjoyed every day, every minute I worked, trained and played for Arsène.'(Robin van Persie; January 2018)
This post will consist in reminding a few facts which, directly or indirectly, back up Robin’s praise of the great man.
1. The guys, whose wealth depends on the quality of the information they get, agree with Robin.
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Some time ago, AW told those who were willing to – really – listen to him how far went his personal involvement in the new stadium project:
“When we built the stadium the banks demanded that I signed for five years,” ; or again: “Arsène Wenger reveals Arsenal stadium loan contingent on him remaining manager for five years” .
The “bankers demanded” …, you know, the very guys who have to make decisions on the basis of truths, not opinions (I’m certainly not forgetting anything about the mess these guys have put us in since 2008 … but that’s another story), which is the reason why Noam Chomsky’s source of information is not what might have expected from him those who regard him as nothing but a blinkered leftist:
“…/… the educational system is divided into fragments. The part that’s directed toward working people and the general population is indeed designed to impose obedience. But the education for elites can’t quite do that. It has to allow creativity and independence. Otherwise they won’t be able to do their job of making money. You find the same thing in the press. That’s why I read the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times and Business Week. They just have to tell the truth.”
2. The facts proved the money men right
From 2006-2007 (the season following the 1-2 loss of 10-man Arsenal to 11-man Barcelona in the Stade de France) to 2012-2013 (the season preceding the buying of Özil – which marked the (partial) end of the austerity years); the gooners not only qualified for the Champions League, but also made it to its knockout rounds, every year, under the direction of AW. If you look back on the depleted squads the man had at his disposal, just ask yourselves: under the same circumstances, how many managers in the world would have eventually boasted the same kind of accomplishment? Here is the factual answer:
None.
Of course, we were knocked out in the round of 16, seven times in a row, blah, blah, blah … This is not exactly the subject here, but just let me remind you that between 2009-2010 and 2016-2017, we had to face five times, either Messi’s Barcelona, or a Bayern looking very much like the Mannshaft that destroyed la seleção in Rio in 2014.
That alone would be enough to make any mathematician (anyone, in fact) familiar with probability theory, raise at least one eyebrow … But when, on top of that, you remember that at least three of these games ended up with a ten-man Arsenal against an 11-man (plus ref) “Barceyern”, you actually end up with a possible impossibility, the footballistic equivalent of the Schrödinger’s cat experiment in quantum mechanics …
Anyway, let’s get back to the point …
3. As soon as the “austerity years” came to an end, we went back to winning trophies
“Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”, is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels. All variations on “Arsène the loser” are such lies.
Mesut Özil (bless his magic touch: yes, I do admire the lad) signed for Arsenal in 2014, and since then Arsenal have won 3 (three!!!) F.A. cups!!!, i.e. one of the most prestigious trophies in the football world. I started this section with a monster, I’ll wrap it up with the evocation of another one. As it is well-known, Stalinist propaganda used to erase the political opponents from the photographs. This is exactly what the “4th-place-is-not-a-trophy-fa cup-is-not-a-trophy” brigade have been doing.
We do not have to bow to their cries, we have to stand up against them; that’s what Tony has been doing on this blog for quite a while. Let’s all be on his side, and let’s look forward to the moment when the Europa League cup will end up being a trophy as well. (Should we win it … Should we be knocked out, the flood of articles stressing the importance of the trophy, and our ineptitude at winning any, is alluded to in the title.)
As for me, whatever happens Thursday, March 15, 2018, at the Emirates, I’ll be by the great man’s side, if only for the five years of his career he was all too willing to sacrifice, for the sake of Arsenal Football Club.
I’ll say it again: to play at the level we reached at home against Leicester/ManUtd/Chelsea (Premier league game)/Liverpool, … it takes a special squad, managed by a special man. Having said that, for various reasons I am not going to bring forward here, we are suffering from the most serious disease any sport team can suffer from: self-doubt.
Abused children are familiar with that gnawing feeling; the so-called Arsenal supporters who will boo the lads instead of cheering them up at the next home game, will behave like molesting parents, who believe there is such a thing as beating a child up into improvement of any kind.
Watch out! I’m not saying they are molesting parents, of course; actually, I think most of them are very decent guys it would be great to have a beer (or two …) with, football-chatting the night away … and that’s the saddest part.
If only they could turn a deaf ear to the hysterical cries of the piersmorgans, jonathanwilsons, barneyrooneys, danielzeqiris, etc …, etc …, of this world, and consider a thing or two I’ve tried to present here:
- Why is refereeing in England so different from rest of Europe?
- Milan v Arsenal. What it is like under new management?
- Who exactly controls law and order in world football? We might be about to find out.
This is precisely why Arsenal are in terminal decline.
People afraid to embrace change.
Every king has his reign and eventually must stand down.
Arsene Wenger has had his day – nearly 8000 of them to be precise.
Arsenal NEED a new direction.
The team is tired, directionless and is going nowhere.
If the author of this blog was an Arsenal supporter he/she would be asking for change.
An Arsene supporter is more accurate…
And to use abused children as an analogy is just tasteless….
Well said. What more can this deluded man do to boost his bank balance and bring more EMBARRASSEMENT to this once great club His ego is HIS love NOT the club. R.I P.arsene F C
OT
Did anyone else hear a pundit on Radio 5 after the Juve game last night saying, “It’s not unrealistic that Tottenham could have won the Champions League.” ……as though we needed any more evidence of the media love fest with the Spuds!
Dear Author,
I am sorry to notice that you are flogging a dead horse. If you can’t see Arsenals decline as a football club so be it. Just don’t go around beating the mullberry bush. You have every right to your personal opinion and I respect that. Same way majority of fans who have had enough of Arsene are also equally in right to have their own opinion and I firmly stand by those who have had more than enough of Arsene. Earlier he leaves the better for us and those who believe the rejuvenation of the club can begin.
I can agree with the general point of the article but there are views that are more Stalinist than the author notices.
For instance…
‘I enjoyed every day, every minute I worked, trained and played for Arsène.'(Robin van Persie; January 2018)
Is that the same Robin van Persie who had chosen to leave Arsenal for the fiercest rivals in 2012 despite being offered the biggest wage at the time? The same Robin van Persie who shaked his head in disbelief DURING the game AS THE CAPTAIN against Manchester United when the manager made a substitution (Arshavin for Ox)? The same Robin van Persie who had left a sick goodbye note about the club direction before going to Manchester United?
So, he is a valid source when he praises Arsene but he is not a valid source when he disrespects him? The same man. That’s similar to how Stalinist media used to put words of certain people out of context to use them in a way they wanted.
Then, there is a mistake I made a few times for which Tony corrected me – placing opinion as a fact.
“If you look back on the depleted squads the man had at his disposal, just ask yourselves: under the same circumstances, how many managers in the world would have eventually boasted the same kind of accomplishment? Here is the factual answer:
None.”
Which evidence do you have to present this claim as a fact? Don’t get me wrong: I AGREE with your OPINION that only Arsene could have done it and literally nobody else but it still doesn’t make it A FACT. If the same squad of Denilsons, Squillacis and other Djourous had been given to all managers in the world for the same period of time, then you could verify your opinion as a fact.
Also, using abused children in any kind of comparison is tasteless.
The “bankers demanded” …, you know, the very guys who have to make decisions on the basis of truths,
As a person with personal experience of once working for the Royal Bank of Scotland . The basis of truth is not a precept that I would associate with them.
As for Arsene and the club , He has run his course .He has done the job that he was employed to do and since the move has kept our heads above water however we have been slowly sinking and the rate of descent is increasing and needs to be stemmed now.
If he won’t go on his own volition the board should step in and take the decision for him and let him go and enjoy a period of repose so that he can consider how he lives the rest of his life be it in football as a commentator or a pundit whilst he has the respect that someone will wish to listen to him.
Untold Arsenal: supporting the club, the MANAGER and the team – so why is the author deemed not to be an Arsenal supporter when writing positive comments about the manager? The site expects such support surely by its very nature!
Clearly, Untold Arsenal is not an appropriate site for the publication of anti-Wenger sentiment if no evidence based research is cited other than private opinion! The internet is full of appropriate sites for such anti Wenger comment.
I have yet to see any evidence that a ‘majority of fans’ have had enough of Arsene Wenger. I note that a recent report from the Arsenal Supporters Trust suggested that 88% of people, who voted on whether they supported Wenger or not, voted that they did not! Is this a majority of Arsenal fans?
I have since conducted a similar survey in my household and found that 100% of its members support Wenger. So perhaps I should report that a majority of fans actually support Mr Wenger as manager.
I have yet to read or receive a psychiatric report with inclusive evidence suggesting that Mr Wenger is deluded (if indeed delusion is regarded as a medical complaint).
Untold Arsenal supports the use of evidence based research and opinion whenever possible. As such, it would be most instructive and helpful if persons commenting on appropriate articles themselves give useful citations as well as evidence rather than mere opinions. We all respect the right of persons to hold opinions, but perhaps Untold Arsenal does expect something a little more from commentators, if those making comment are to be received more seriously.
“Everyone think they have the prettiest wife…” In the same way everyone here thinks their opinion counts the most, but for some its ‘never mind the facts’… be it the evidence of cups or top fours. We live in an age of doping of every sort and the one of the most pernicious is financial doping. I’ve not yet heard one person explain how teams can compete with the oil money currently flowing through the game. I have however seen Conte throw his arms up and park the bus against Man City. After only 2 years in the EPL he has decided on damage limitation to his team and his reputation. Yet AW has competed for the last 10 years with one arm tied behind his back with results which would be the envy of many clubs including the one up the road.
On this site the team has repeatedly provided the facts of what an amazing task AW has done to keep Arsenal in contention while building what has now become a billion dollar institution, a state-of-the-art Emirates stadium featuring a team known world wide for great football. If he has not earned the right to chose his day of leaving then his critics are neither lovers of sport or of football. I respect everyone’s right to speak but a calm assessment means the application of some reason, restrain and the facts.
greate article, thanks LE GALL
Grimandi Spot On!!!
Piss of Jack. You dont kick a man out of his house
I shall include here the latest from Grimandi:
“It saddens me, because guys like Thierry or Martin, I like them, I have good relations with them, but some go in the direction of the controversy and I deplore it,” he told L’Equipe, as translated by
Sport Witness
.
“To all those former consultants, I want to say three things. First, you must not have a short memory: they owe a lot to Arsene. And they sometimes went out of their way to return to the club after the end of their playing career.
“Then, they should respect the investment of Arsene in the club, the fact that he works like crazy every day. Arsene makes strategic decisions every day for Arsenal.
“Finally, I want to say to them: Get your hands dirty. Today, you are only in a role of judgment, but invest in a club and you will see that it is not simple.
“What is true is that possession guaranteed you results in the Premier League and that this is not the case today. We must adapt. But a coach judges himself over time.
“It has long been said that Arsene was an avant-garde tactician, because he knew how to develop a strong game identity at Arsenal, and now he would be on the street in this area? It doesn’t make sense.”
OUCH!!
There is football & there is Wengerball. Wengerball is what many teams are now playing while the PigMob try to ruin the reputation of the master. There are those whose opinion is the Wenger is leading Arsenal into decline while they forgive the PigMob their trespasses & want Wenger out so that we might decline under some dreamed up messiah.
There is only one way in football & Wenger knows. That is why he is loved by so many and hated by the unknowing. Depart ye evil for sites that preach about the devil as our professor still leads us into the breach with our faith still intact despite the losses bestowed on us by those thinking they have arrived only to find the departure gates open.
Fare well ye who know FA about the game yet believe the FA is all the game. Learn from Arsene that the game is more than just defeating the officiating but defeating the evil that use their position to despise the honesty of the Man.
I thought the only posters who abused others on this site were the AAAs but it seems to me like tough boy Hunter,menace and omg are the main culprits..
LeGall and Josif
Enjoyable exchange of views. But why use Lenin and Stalin as your reference point for all evil? Haven’t we got enough examples in our everyday capitalist world? A bit hackneyed, I think.
LeGall
Great quote from Noam Chomsky. I’ve posted it on Facebook.
Hey Nik, the Wenger traitors shall receive from me at least the same treatment they reserve for the clubs most succesful manager. A man who has carried that pittyful mediocre club of 10 titles scattered across 110 years with its drunks and drugstore cowboys into an era never seen in their entire history of the football club.
A man who changed the face of professional football in England forever. A man who does not need a chequebook to produce title winning teams. A man who does not to pay Raiolas and the rest of scum or roll in the mud with the rest of football mafia ala ferguson abramovic mourinho etc etc.
These are the exact principles that have made MILLIONS around the world fall in love with Arsenal.
Some pleasant facts for yuor shameless revsiionism ladies and gentlemen :
When Wenger arrived Arsenal enjoyed the magnificent european coefficient pos between 97 and 137….
With Wenger the club has climbed to pos between 4-20
In the whole of Europe!
And another one: Arsenal has climbed precicely due to Wenger’s managerial and financial nous to 7th in the world.
Panathinaikos first CL (EEC) final was at Wembley in 71. Arsenal was at 2006 in Paris…….. Im sure you graham revisionists consider ‘your Arsenal’ bigger than Panathinaikos who was defeating Juventus in the q/s and has reached semis twice in same competition. Soemthing Arsenal needed Wenger to achieve. So yes i laugh a lot at old Arsenal fans presenting their Tuesday club as anything worth of importance in the grand European football scheme of things.
In simple words, this Manager has taken a Roma..a Valencia and placed them in high class saloons they had no business being there in terms of history in the game. Got it ? Or shall i bring out the crayons?
20 years in the Champions league? Arsenal? ha….
Leagaue position finishes of 1-2-3-4 for 20 years? ha…
So, tell me tough guy, whenever did your ‘mighty Arsenal’ prior to Wenger experience such period of success at the top?
Go on….
Problem is i would expect the english old fans to be the first to tell the traitors and dissenters to shut the hell up as they have no idea how bad the club was before Wenger ?
But obviously serious people with serious responsibilities in life have realised (long time ago) that the club is in SAFE HANDS with Wenger
It is the unreasonable, the losers of society, the ‘judges’ who failed in everything they tried, the pathetically weak minded and with overdeveloped sense of entitlement who want the trophy to celebrate in the pub and mock their mates at work. That is all.
@Hunter13
“they have no idea how bad the club was before Wenger ?’
Actually it wasn’t all that bad at all (if you’re old enough to remember). Under George Graham we won six trophies in five seasons with mostly locally sourced players, something Wenger has yet to achieve. It all went a bit flat towards the end and GG would probably have been sacked anyway, as was Bertie Mee following his iconic achievements.
I can only assume that you’re referring to younger & wagon jumping fans who have no pride in the club’s history.
@Hunter13
Mate, you always nail it! Arsenal fans should be reminded each day that Arsenal had never been close to AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern München (whisper it – Manchester United or Liverpool)…except in the Arsene era when he brought us so close to those giants that we could breathe down their necks for the first time in history.
And that’s the most he could have done given all the circumstances. No sheiks, no oligarchs ready to spend a whole divorce settlement on their beloved club…nothing. Not even a stadium big enough so he had to build one from scratches.
@Pat
I’ve mentioned a piece I’m working at and that you might especially be interested in the topic given your political views. 🙂
OT: Arsenal Academy
MARCA had this for a subtitle:
http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2018/03/07/5a9ff53be5fdeae86d8b457c.html
@ Hunter, you beat me to it, great words from Gilles.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/arsenal/story/3411181/ex-arsenal-stars-like-henry-and-keown-should-lay-off-wenger-grimandi
One day these kids will understand what the word ‘decline’ really look like. If you can’t support the team and club in rough times, then you should pack your bags and go on a long vacation.
Let’s forget about all these Wenger out campaigns for now and focus on the Arsenal last 16 first leg ELC match away to AC Milan tonight and encourage the Gunners and their team manager, Arsene Wenger to win the match. This is important despite that I recognise the lack of major Title win over a decade disappointment the teeming Arsenal supporters are going through before and at present.
But notwithstanding, using this our AC Milan ELC match tonight at San Spiro, the Gunners who will play this match can use it a pivot for catalyst to stage a come back in their season campaign by winning one the Europe football major Titles, the Europa League Cup this season.
To achieve this quest, it has become pertinent for the Gunners to beat the Rosinneri tonight in their backyard, the San Spiro to start the job of knocking them out of the competition this season and advance to the quarterfinals.
It has been reported the Bellerin isn’t available for the AC Milan match. But Holding should be available for selection by Le Boss for the match to start the match in my Arsenal 3 centrebacks and 2 fullbacks back five defense-line formation intended to give Arsenal more game defending solidity that’ll be impregnable in the match imho.
My final reviewedOs Arsenal 5-3-2 starts and 7 Gunners bench for the match are as per below.
Starts:
Ospina
HoldingCham’ersKosc’lnyMustafiMonreal
Wilshere…………Oezil………….. Mkhitaryan
………………..RamseyWelbeck…………………
Bench:
Cech Mert’ Kolasinac Mailand ElNeny Iwobi Nkethia.
Does another 0-3 away win in this match by Arsenal looks to be in the offing tonight. I soiuld think so.
@ PTO
I was there from the 60’s mate, well before Graham and cannot agree with one word you’ve said. I had pride in what had gone before having been educated by elderly relatives as to what we were like in the 30’s. True we won a handful of trophies under George Graham but two were league cups, and one was the weakest of the three European trophies that were around at the time. Not to mention finishing in the bottom half of the division. And god was the football dire.
And, of course, George Graham was corrupt and that’s something with which no club or fan should be happy.
PTO dont worry i remember it all very well. We were a cult team. Our players would meet in the pubs with the local fans. Amazing stories for the chronicles no doubt but im talking about something totally different.
The consistency of an elite football club that year in/year out targets highest finishes and top trophies.
This sort of big club mentality ,imo, only arrived at Arsenal with Wenger.
Lets not fool ourselves. In themodern game the club/company must first become a money making machine. Especially when there is no Berlsuconi or Abramovic to take care of everything. Right or wrong?
What the hell did Arsenal prior to Wenger had to sell itself as a big club ? And i mean trully big club like Juve Real Madridetc etc…those guys.
Do we think millions around the globe switched on to Arsenal because ‘oh wow lets see whats going on with tony and the rest’ or because they wanted to see whats going on with Vieira Anelka Overmars?
And what does Arsenal have to sell abroad to attract global support and sponsorship? Their illustrious history? Their euorpean triumphs? Any serious identifiable era that would Arsenal as equals to the Big boys of world football? Nothing…
Secondly those english player, many of them legends of course for their contribution that Wenger found when he came were all scraping the bottom of the barrel and Wenger gave them a ‘2nd life’ figuratively speaking.
So Wenger gave Arsenal an identity and a style of play that has now become synonymous to the way the club approaches football as well as a symbol of methodology, preparation and respect for the game.
Wenger brought unheard of success at the club first decade. Not his decision that Owners decided to bank on that and fleece the fans.
Just like Ajax and Barcelona who pay huge emphasis in youth academies, like-wise Wenger set up Arsenal in the same way, not only to instill the football philosophy but also another vital money making machine…youth player development.
When you embark in such plans you try and match generations. Usually this goes in cycles. And if you dont have much money to spend (2004-2014) it is essential the conveyor belt keeps on brining talent after talent. Arsenal have done spectacularly well in that department finding players at 450k and selling them for 45 million for example.
The other element of the money making machine is the ‘brand name’ , the image of the club. thats what will bring fans form Asia, America, Africa, Europe, Australia. And in the modern game the income from the millions abroad dwarfs the income from ticket sales. Sorry but yeah we also need to sell pillowcases with Henry’s face on like Manuted does in India. Part and parcel.
Barcelona, who up until our final in 2006 were considered losers in world football because they would lose finals all the time, had to wait 4 decades and after serious work from cruyff and his disciples to reach to the puyol xavi iniesta messi era, and Arsenal fans expect it all to happen 5 years or 6 or even 10 and 20 years after building their new stadium?
You lot are mad……
Let’s forget about all these Wenger out campaigns for now and focus on the Arsenal last 16 first leg ELC match away to AC Milan tonight and encourage the Gunners and their team manager, Arsene Wenger to win the match. This is important despite that I recognise the lack of major Title win over a decade disappointment the teeming Arsenal supporters are going through before and at present.
But notwithstanding, using this our AC Milan ELC match tonight at San Spiro, the Gunners who will play this match can use it as a pivot for catalyst to stage a come back in their season campaign by winning one of the Europe football major Titles, the Europa League Cup this season.
To achieve this quest, it has become pertinent for the Gunners to beat the Rosinneri tonight in their backyard, the San Siro to start the job of knocking them out of the competition this season and advance to the quarterfinals.
It has been reported that Bellerin isn’t available for the AC Milan match. But Holding should be available for selection by Le Boss for the match to start it in my Arsenal 3 centrebacks and 2 fullbacks back five defense-line formation intended to give Arsenal more game defending solidity that’ll be impregnable in the match imho.
My final reviewed Arsenal 5-3-2 starts and 7 Gunners bench for the match are as per below.
Starts:
Ospina
HoldingCham’ersKosc’lnyMustafiMonreal
Wilshere…………Oezil………….. Mkhitaryan
………………..RamseyWelbeck…………………
Bench:
Cech Mert’ Kolasinac Mailand ElNeny Iwobi Nkethia.
Do another 0-3 away win in this match by Arsenal looks to be in the offing tonight? I soiuld think so.
Sorry for my reposting after doing some corrections on my 1st posting.
Thats ok then Hunter.Im sorry .I take it you are either related to Arsene Wenger or in love with the man.The way i see it is that Wenger has been a great servant for the club and has helped the club win many trophys along the way .That along with the invincible season, has elevated him to one of the greatest managers we have ever had.Time does move on and unfortunately the game has moved on and what worked for him a decade ago isnt working now and age is catching up with him.There is nothing i would love more than to see him lift the europa league cup and bow out on a high at the end of the season but fear its a hurdle too far for him!!
Arsenal fans should be reminded each day that Arsenal had never been close to AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern München (whisp
heh josif, been doing it since our weak-minded fans were getting trolled with taunts from chelsea and manchester united fans and media as early as 2007 mate
I know what i saw. I saw a team of youngsters playign superior football to anyone and they had to be taken out the picture. Smash them. We cant let wenger’s kids win it when we spend 1 billion with abramovic and manunited brings in glazers with 750m debt on the club, now can we?
It is interesting that whenever there is a positive article, the first few responses are all so negative.
I think that even the most positive of supporters will agree that the Wenger era is coming to the end.
Whether it is at the end of this season, or next, the end is coming and everyone accepts that, I am sure, including Wenger himself.
This season has limped along and clearly, will be one to forget, as we have had before.
What we all should be wanting is that the succession is carried out in a way that continues his good work and continues our position as a leading club in the Uk and Europe.
The insults and criticisms are unnecessary and uncalled for.
For him to go now would, in my view, be suicide for the club and only result in worse than now, not better.
I am convinced that the succession is well in hand, but kept close to the club’s chest, as everything of importance is.
When the time is ripe, we will be told and Wenger will depart with the hero’s accolade he deserves.
Until then both he and the team deserve our unquestioned and complete support in each and every game we play.
Nik i dont understand. He signed 2 year contract last summer. Why the urge to kick him out?
Are you telling me that such an influential and important figure of world football (not just arsenal) will be chased out by uneducated ill-informed trolled to death little men?
The world will laugh and Arsenal will never hire a serious manager ever. Noone will want to come. Noone will take us seriously. ‘You sacked Wenger? hahaaaa very smart’
Hunter13,
well said. A true fan.
As for the future, we are going to see a big game of musical chairs.
PSG will most probably be looking to get Zidane, so Mmadrid will be needing someone…as do Bayern, etc etc
This summer is going to be interesting…
Yet, take any other manager and Arsenal will still not be able to go level financially with the likes of PSG and City. If its owner had 1 billion to spend over 3 years, he’d have let it be knonw, don’t you think.
Hunter 13,
Thank you for the blunt but pertinent home truths. The ‘you lot are mad…’ are not only so but always give themselves away as people who cannot think on their own and reach a well reasoned conclusion on the tenure of Arsene in AFC. It is good that Kroenke is a realist and not otherwise. The man sure knows whereabouts Arsene is as AFC Manager and not what these pundits and their collaborators say about him.
@Chris
Arsene is apparently a friend of the PSG-owner. Pochettino played for PSG once so he might be their choice. PSG need a manager who can give them anything that resembles a style of play. They don’t have anything but 11 star players on the pitch and they hope one of those stars will pull off something out of his arse and win the game. TBH, I wouldn’t mind to see Arsene winning CL next season with the unlimited budget of Qatari owners supporting his ideas.
Oh, yes: big like for Grimandi. Finally someone who gave a proper advice to those players who forgot who gave them careers.
Twenty years of CL qualification sounds great until you look at the qualification criteria at the time and compare apples to apples. Some very basic facts:
Number of times Graham qualified for the European Cup/Champions League: 2 from a possible 8 (ignoring the ban on English clubs that had nothing to do with AFC)
Number of times Wenger would have qualified for the European Cup/Champions League under the same qualification criteria (League Champions only qualify): 3 from a possible 21
That’s 25% success rate for Graham and 14% for Wenger. Doesn’t look so smart does it?
Throw in that Graham actually won a European trophy, something that AW has never done with any of his clubs in around a quarter century of trying, and suddenly his European track record looks to be pretty poor.
Tell ’em hunter13, tell ’em!
Excellent and thoughtful article. It is unfortunate that some posters abuse the author and Untold rather than try to understand the article and have an intelligent debate.
Come to think of it , Bertie Mee’s 1970 side won Arsenal’s first ever European Trophy.
And under him , Arsenal also qualified for the (then) European cup in 71-72 reaching the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual winners , Cruyff’s Ajax. Impressive, no?
Are there any stats or averages or percentages for his monumental achievement ?
andy1886
But surely you have to factor in the arrival of Roman at Chelsea followed by the Mansours at City.
When Wenger arrived he proceeded to finish:
98 1st
99 2nd
00 2nd
01 2nd
02 1st
03 2nd Roman arrived at Chelsea
04 1st
05 2nd
That’s 3 titles in 7 seasons which is almost 50%. Looks very smart now doesn’t it ?
Apart from RA’s arrival at Chelsea, and the Mansours at City, Wenger also had the financial restraints resulting from the building of the Emirates, and the effect of moving Stadiums, to deal with.
From around 04 onwards he had a ZERO transfer budget for over 10 years, whilst 3 clubs were spending between £30 and £50 Million, net, every season.
In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, without those events, Wenger would of won many more titles and perhaps eventually even the elusive European trophy.
Some of you people just cant help themselves can they? Sad Andy, very sad.
@Josif,
french press is basically saying : Zidane to PSG, and in 4 years time taking Deschamps’s place leading Les Bleus. To their mind and to I think most french fans, Zidane taking charge of les Bleus is not a matter if, but when.
Then again, it is the press… ! Read in Germany that Klopp could have a shot at Bayern, or if Tuchel gets it he could move to Dortmund….
I think this summer is going to be very interesting. And then there will be the question of Löw who may want to get into a club ?
@Nitram,
right said. And now that he can spend, we discover the ground has shifted, no more FFP and clubs like City on a 1 billion buying spree over 3 years. Any fan who thinks a change in manager is going to have any effect is delusional.
At some point the way the PL is organised (and probably european football) is going to have to be sorted out
@Chris,
Low is under contract with the German national team until 2020.
Ok Andy lets go assault Wenger cause Fifa/Uefa realised there is more money to be made introducing the 2-3-4th best teams of the best leagues instead of the champion of belarusia and san marino. Sorry for that.
You proceed with what youre given
But because i like you and your stats have a look at this:
1953, 1971, 1989
36 years…3 league titles ..in average 1 in 12 years. Why? Did Arsenal have stadiums to repay? Arabs and Russians to compete against? Or were we a bit..shit..?
Aston Villa 1, Nottingham Forrest 2, Arsenal 0 . explain please …
Come on….
@Jerry,
yep, this is a fact. And as we all know, things change and managers switch teams.
And I can bet that after all the time he spent with the Manschaft and the results he brought, if he were to ask to leave, they’d probably accomodate – if the successor is lined up…
Anyways, I was talking theory and fantasy football just to highlight how all is shifting so quickly.
@Hunter13,
I don’t see your point. Wenger was not in charge then, and the whole discussion that is going on is how utterly useless and incompetent he is and how bad Arsenal fans have had it since he joined.
Well, apparently many are nostalgic for the old 1953, 1971, 1989 days…
But then, it shows just how it was before him.
How about this series : 2014, 2015, 2017
We are being asked to ‘embrace change’, pray tell me from what to what? Do you just change because some emotionally charged commentators say you should or change when change is going to do you a world of difference? It takes a lot of courage to embrace change and you don’t do it as fickle minded reaction to all the noise being made by those who are doing so only to feather their own nests.
What is so pathetic about all this drumming up of AFC “is in decline” noise is some of our so-called fans join in on it without using their brain cells to draw their own conclusions. By the way, I heard that some wise old man said ‘…thinking is so much hardwork that is why very few engage in it…’ Sounds very true!
Thanks be to GOD if all the morons in here who hate Arsene and Arsenal where on the board we will be like Leeds Or Nontingam forest with due respect to Those teams but thankfully you Are not and you will never be,so we Are safe.
A mate of mine who supports Newcastle United told me “Arsenal is a great club with an enviable record, so what are your fans moaning about? Only an Arsenal fan can bitch after winning the FA Cup thrice in 4 years” Interestingly enough, and against what’s been said by pundits, media, and the Wenger bashers, Arsenal beat AC Milan 0 – 2, ending their 6-game clean sheet and 13-game unbeaten run records. Seems inconsistent for a man touted as useless by his critics, to still produce good results.
I may not like our recent poor form in the EPL, but recognize that even the best of clubs have bad days. If all the screaming and shouting at the club, players and manager hasn’t produced positive results, why not try supporting them with positive comments (even if it includes some constructive criticism) for a change and see if it works. Great article by the way, even if it does have some cringe-worthy moments.
Everyone wants to be heard, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of objectivity. Most fans love, respect and appreciate the club, players and manager; but that does not suggest that we’re in Lala land over the difficulties and challenges our club is facing. Always have, always will be …. Arsenal for life.
Feeling abused NIK….please write an article like i have done many times and whine oujt your com plaints, or better still, try and justify your hatred of Wenger and the Arsenal. I never see you here when things are going well, only when you can kick Arsenal and Wenger when they’re down….a true pseudo-supporter indeed. If that offends your sensitive soul, well too bad.
Hunter you can fall back on history you like but I’ll remind you it took a new manager to take us to the next level in 96….using the same method again would be a smart move considering that was 22 years ago. Suggesting we need a new manager isn’t an attack on the club just like being unhappy with your president or leader isn’t being unpatriotic.
Bobome, numbers don’t lie, last 2 seasons we have dropped out of the CL and fallen further down the table, you really don’t need pundits and the media to draw your own conclusions it’s all in the results and performances and clear as daylight furthermore Spurs are doing better in the league with half the wage bill but go ahead and pretend everything is fine and dandy while we compete for 6th with Burnley.
Oh yes but we was shit club back in the day so let’s be happy with 6th and watch our Wenger glory years dvds.
Lol so because City spent 1 billion we don’t need managers….great point!
Pep and Pep alone is the reason city are the best in England and probably Europe…many city managers have spent and not succeeded. But let’s cry poverty!!! While we spent 110 million on strikers and lost money on Alexis going to united for Miki.
GoonerDNA
‘you really don’t need pundits and the media to draw your own conclusions it’s all in the results and performances’
Absolutely right, it’s all in the results…. 3 FA cups in 4 years, and my conclusion is what a fantastic return which 99.9% of clubs would be proud of. But not it seems a large percentage of the pathetic Arsenal fan base.
GoonerDNA
“PEP and PEP alone is the reason City are the best….”
If you believe that then you really are deluded.
Answer me this. If he didn’t NEED to spend over £100 million on players why the f*** did he ?
Just to piss the Mansours off ?
You numpty.