He should have been sacked/retired a few years ago. The longer he is there, the worse for Arsenal's trophies.
Should Wenger be sacked?
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They are definitely spending more in the last 3 seasons. If you look at the net spend in that time, it is up quite a bit. For me, that points to Wenger not being a penny pincher and just someone who was forced to spend less by his circumstances. Was Wenger talking about things that were happening recently (read: last 3 years) when he blamed the stadium?
Like, personally?
His staff historically drills players in a strange way so that muscular problems are a constant but he is learning this art too, this year is the best of his 6 years at Milan and Juve in that respect.
Obviously no. Not as good a manager as he once was and a bit too stubborn but they consistently finish about where they should given their spending. And when you take into account how Wenger kept them in the top 4 when they were selling their best players and building their own stadium it would be ludicrous to sack him.
Before he got bored? Is that the latest theory? Do you think that makes more sense than "Chelsea spending hundreds of millions and Arsenal financing a new stadium"?
In the decade before Wenger was hired, Arsenal finished 4/6/1/4/10/4/12/5. It wasn't an established top four club consistently like it became when Wenger came.
He doesn't have to be sacked, but equally, Arsenal don't have to renew his contract either and that's what I think should happen. They should have a private chat with him and make it clear they won't be renewing and offer him the chance to resign should he wishes.
Before he got bored? Is that the latest theory? Do you think that makes more sense than "Chelsea spending hundreds of millions and Arsenal financing a new stadium"?
In the decade before Wenger was hired, Arsenal finished 4/6/1/4/10/4/12/5. It wasn't an established top four club consistently like it became when Wenger came.
Established top four club - I think there lies the issue. Is that good enough? Would you be happy for us to be finishing 4th every season? I wouldn't!
No, I would much prefer you finish 7th. That was a hilarious year.
I'm a United fan so I voted No.
The money argument is a bit simplistic. While Arsenal may not spend like United, City or Chelsea, they have not mounted a genuine title challenge for years, unlike, in recent seasons, Spurs, Liverpool and (ok, an outlier) Leicester. Also, Wenger has had the advantage of being in situ for years, with total control over football matters. Surely that fact alone should enable him to outperform rival managers who are often parachuted in to clear up a mess? Instead, he's turned into an upmarket version of Moyes at Everton.
The biggest proof of how far his stock has fallen is that most United fans now like him whereas 15 years ago he and his team were paid the very genuine complement of being loathed.
The biggest proof of how far his stock has fallen is that most United fans now like him whereas 15 years ago he and his team were paid the very genuine complement of being loathed.
His continued reign shows only the limit of the club's ambitions.
Wenger's been given free reign at Arsenal for a long time now, and if he's not meeting expectations, that's all on him. The problem for the Arsenal fans who want to win titles and trophies is, what exactly is expected of him by his bosses?
I don't think it would be right to sack him, but I do think that as his contract ends this season, it would make sense to agree to end things there, give him a job upstairs if they must, but that team need a new coach.
They have come close on a few occasions. But then they capitulated.
I think this is right from an Arsenal point of view. They have been static for too long. They need a new strategy, that will only come from a change. I voted 'sack', but really he doesn't deserve the sack, he needs to be replaced either through not renewing his contract when it is run down or him resigning.
I enjoy the way Arsenal plays under Wenger. Not an Arsenal fan, but a fan of Wenger style.
As a united fan it would be pretty bad for us if they went and get someone who can actually win trophies. Kroenke seems to be happy with being in the top 4 every season, hiring a new manager would rock the boat. Personally, I'd like for him to stay and sign the rumored 2 year extension, one less team going for the title (plus arsenal fan tv will collectively explode)
When was the last time they really challenged?
2016 - Leicester and Spurs
2015 - Chelsea procession
2014 - City, Liverpool and Chelsea
2013 - United procession
2012 - City and United
That's already 5 years without a genuine challenge (defined as having a realistic chance into April and May).
He will never get sacked as long as he crawls into top 4 every year. If they get a new manager, they must invest heavily in the squad and they obviously don't want to do that. Arsenal is run like a business, not like a club that aims to win trophies.
In 2014 they were first going into February. That was when they got 5-1'd by Liverpool. But I guess you mean still in the race come April.
I like Wenger's style and had I been an Arsenal fan, I would have liked to see him at the club.
The problem with their fans are some unrealistic demands. I mean, if I'm from Wenger Out brigade, I'd like to have answers to common questions ready and the answers should be realistic.
Just for example, a couple of years ago, Arsenal fans wanted Pep to be Wenger's replacement, when it was pretty well known that he's headed to one of the Manchester clubs after Bayern stint. They also had Ancelloti as potential successor when he was at RM. When you say stuff like this, and this becomes a common occurrence by the louder of the fan base, the board won't take you seriously. You lose whatever voice you have because the board thinks that these are those guys who have absolutely no idea how football works.
Had they started this WengerOut protests post 2013, but praising the club's positives in the same manner (Like their FA Cup triumphs, which has become a mickey mouse trophy for that section of fans), with these guys listing realistic names, Wenger may have been put under some extreme pressure to step down.
The problem with their fans are some unrealistic demands. I mean, if I'm from Wenger Out brigade, I'd like to have answers to common questions ready and the answers should be realistic.
Just for example, a couple of years ago, Arsenal fans wanted Pep to be Wenger's replacement, when it was pretty well known that he's headed to one of the Manchester clubs after Bayern stint. They also had Ancelloti as potential successor when he was at RM. When you say stuff like this, and this becomes a common occurrence by the louder of the fan base, the board won't take you seriously. You lose whatever voice you have because the board thinks that these are those guys who have absolutely no idea how football works.
Had they started this WengerOut protests post 2013, but praising the club's positives in the same manner (Like their FA Cup triumphs, which has become a mickey mouse trophy for that section of fans), with these guys listing realistic names, Wenger may have been put under some extreme pressure to step down.
I used to think otherwise, but I now believe he should go. Maybe not be sacked but leave by mutual agreement something like that. Retire maybe..
It is the same story season after season for Arsenal fans. Even if they go out of top four doing so, it'll be a blessing in disguise. They never mount a serious challenge for title or CL these days, hardly even in FA cup/league cup. And Wenger himself seems to have lost the hunger, just ploughing on like a robot. It'll be best for the league. Sampouli maybe??
It is the same story season after season for Arsenal fans. Even if they go out of top four doing so, it'll be a blessing in disguise. They never mount a serious challenge for title or CL these days, hardly even in FA cup/league cup. And Wenger himself seems to have lost the hunger, just ploughing on like a robot. It'll be best for the league. Sampouli maybe??
I honestly thought he was going to retire in 2015 when he won the FA Cup.
Will be interesting to see if Arsenal will suffer as much as we have since Fergie left.
Don't think they shoud sack him but they'll have to take his age ( and health ) into account and at some point he'll have to go. Obviously an orderly exit is better than a surprise one. There are no guarantees in management but presumably SAF's retirement is now used worldwide as an example of how not to handle executive handovers.
Should Wenger be sacked?
MUFC Fan: no way. Keep him at AFC until he dies.
AFC Fan: get him out of here, asap.
Basically AFC won't be winning any titles while he is there. His target is to save money, make money for the owners and maintain top 4 position. As long as he is there, it's one less team competing for the title, which is good for MUFC.
MUFC Fan: no way. Keep him at AFC until he dies.
AFC Fan: get him out of here, asap.
Basically AFC won't be winning any titles while he is there. His target is to save money, make money for the owners and maintain top 4 position. As long as he is there, it's one less team competing for the title, which is good for MUFC.
They need players but we don't know if wenger doesn't want to buy them or if the owners left the checkbook in the states.
It really isn't as easy as some make it sound to consistently be in the top 4 and there sure as hell is no guarantee Arsenal will be in there when they transition to a new manager.
You'd think we would know having spent ridiculous amounts of money and still missing out 2 years out of 3, and by all accounts struggling to be in it in our 4th year.
Financially, probably the cost of missing out on top 4 is higher than the potential benefit of winning the league. So from the Arsenal board's perspective, why would they take the risk of sacking someone who guarantees that excellent baseline? The potential reward is not guaranteed and might just not be worth it.
You'd think we would know having spent ridiculous amounts of money and still missing out 2 years out of 3, and by all accounts struggling to be in it in our 4th year.
Financially, probably the cost of missing out on top 4 is higher than the potential benefit of winning the league. So from the Arsenal board's perspective, why would they take the risk of sacking someone who guarantees that excellent baseline? The potential reward is not guaranteed and might just not be worth it.
They've been massively outspending the likes of juventus and atletico madrid, only to have a far worse team over the last 3-4 years. It's not like arsenal are some minnow with no money
Look, I know they can spend more and i know they have spent more in recent years but it`s not just about spending per se, there are other things involved. Arsenal were spending 10m when United, City, Chelsea were spending 50m. Now they are spending more like 40m but others are spending 100m (numbers are not accurate, just examples). More important thing is how you spend that money, just spending money doesn`t mean success. You have to spend that money right and they are not spending it right.
I`m not saying they are not winning because they are not spending, we are spending money crazy and we`re still behind them. I think they have a great squad to win the league and and they have a team playing with each other for the longer than any other team, add the fact that the league was really awful so they should have won the league at least once in recent years. I think they suffer from weak mentality. This weak mentality have a lot of aspects, on the pitch and outside the pitch, and one of them is spending. I think if the mentality of winning was there instead of haggling over players they would go all in for the player they think they need to buy him, that would have helped them massively to win the league. That`s where the spending issue comes. The mentality is that let`s try, if we buy him then great, if we can`t then no big deal we still have top 4. And after that there are reasons they say which i call excuse, " We can`t spend like that for a player, we can`t pay wage like this" and ... . He may not say that but he definitely thinks that way. It`s because instead of thinking as the manager of Arsenal he is thinking as the owner of Arsenal.
Again i say that spending is one of Arsenals problems not all of it. Their weak mentality on the pitch is also hurting them.
If you look when they are on the race to win the league they always lose points easily but when they are on the race to finish in top 4 (specially on those years when they had to fight for it till the last week) they look impossible to beat. That for me is a sign of a team that finishing top 4 for them is a must, but winning the league is not. In RVP`s words they want to win but they think they have to. And these kind of things go on and on.
I`m not saying Wenger is a bad manager or something, I just think both Wenger and Arsenal will benefit from a change, sometimes change is all you need.
Arsenal might crumble like United once he goes, or appoint a great manager who makes them win trophies. Either way, Arsene is so entrenched in that club that once he goes, they are likely to have an identity crisis.
Good to see Eboue as (almost) the most popular answer.
I genuinely think they should take a page out of their bitter rivals book in Tottenham.
They know they can't splash the cash but they can still pay a slightly higher wage bill than their arch rivals. They should bring in a budding manger with lots of potential and new ideas with a system to get the best out of the young talent he has at his disposal.
I think Wenger is out of touch on how to maximise the use of his squad, and I genuinely think the new ideas of any of these guys would have a better impact on Arsenal's results: Simeone, Allegri, Sampaoli, Koeman, heck even the 29 year old Nagelsmann is worth serious consideration.
They know they can't splash the cash but they can still pay a slightly higher wage bill than their arch rivals. They should bring in a budding manger with lots of potential and new ideas with a system to get the best out of the young talent he has at his disposal.
I think Wenger is out of touch on how to maximise the use of his squad, and I genuinely think the new ideas of any of these guys would have a better impact on Arsenal's results: Simeone, Allegri, Sampaoli, Koeman, heck even the 29 year old Nagelsmann is worth serious consideration.
What a load on nonsense that is, Arsenal are only a big club because of Wenger, they've always been a big club with a decent history. Wenger was helped massively by the top four clubs given access to the Champions league, so with the finances he's had at disposal he's failed pretty badly in my eyes.
His finance has been limited for a bulk of that time when they moved stadiums and you cannot deny that Arsenal are where they are because of Wenger in the first place.
It's truly amazing how he still has fans that want him as manager.
There is no way our fanbase would be divided if Wenger was our boss and was still in charge. 99% of Utd fans would want him gone.
We still aspire to win league titles and CL trophies though. A lot of Arsenal fans see 4th place as a trophy.
It's sad but true. Chelsea and Spurs are the London clubs going places these days.
There is no way our fanbase would be divided if Wenger was our boss and was still in charge. 99% of Utd fans would want him gone.
We still aspire to win league titles and CL trophies though. A lot of Arsenal fans see 4th place as a trophy.
It's sad but true. Chelsea and Spurs are the London clubs going places these days.
Yes. 9 years ago.
No, he should be forced to retire.
He should be sacked, have not been in the title race for a decade now and seems not bothered by it.
For our sake, I hope he stays for another decade.
For our sake, I hope he stays for another decade.
Would be interesting to have a look at the PL wage bills from 2005/6 until 2012/13. Then we'd have a clearer picture of quality of his job during that stretch. From the outside, you'd say he did well. Neither overachieved nor underachieved. Last four seasons are another matter though, especially 2015/16