Let’s Get #KroenkeOut & #SaveWenger Trending!

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It’s got to the point now where everyone has had enough. It’s the same old story and Arsene Wenger is getting all the flak – but what about the board?

We have a board which is old and stagnant, and has been ever since David Dein was ousted back in 2007. The only man on the board who actually had any football knowledge (and passion for success) hasn’t been at the club for the last 10 years and he’s never been replaced.

Arsene Wenger has been taking a lot of shit recently, some of it justified and some of it not. Now don’t get me wrong, Arsene Wenger is a stubborn man who makes mistakes but at the same time there’s no getting away from the fact that he is a talented coach, excellent manager and well respected man across European football.

And while Arsene has been getting criticised left, right and centre, no-one has said anything about the board. Currently the combination of Silent Stan Kroenke, unambitious board and Arsene Wenger is resulting in consistent Top 4 finishes with no real intention of winning either the Premier League or Champions League. We do enough to do well, but nothing to suggest we can go to the next level.

People have been calling for Arsene Wenger to leave but for me, especially after what he has done for the club, that’s the completely wrong solution. The real solution is getting Stan Kroenke out. This man is killing out club.

He sits there in America somewhere making a tidy profit every season, with completely no interest in Arsenal achieving any success. There’s only one man who desperately wants Arsenal to win things and that’s Arsene.

But as long as Stan Kroenke is at the club nothing will change. Arsene Wenger is basically told to get into the Top 4 every year – and he achieves that. Now what we all want is to go to the next level right? Well that comes from the owners and board.

Arsene Wenger deserves his chance under new ownership. Arsene deserves a season or two with Arsenal under an owner who is ambitious, forward-thinking and wants success.

IF after that Arsene doesn’t win the Premier League then that would be the fairest time to let the man go.

But under Stan Kroenke do you think a change in manager would make a blind bit of notice?

You are delusional if you think that getting rid of Arsene Wenger is the answer – the real solution is getting rid of the terminal disease at the club and it’s name is Stan Kroenke.

Anyone Else Had Enough? Sadly Arsene Wenger Is Staying!

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Yesterday was yet another predictable performance and result – so much so that I put a bet on Arsenal to lose 3-0 and 3-1, therefore making a tidy profit:

It’s the same old story with Arsenal isn’t it? In terms of guarantees, Arsenal have become so consistent it’s easy to predict what will happen in a typical Arsenal season.

Here are just a few of the following:

  • Arsenal will challenge for the title until about February / March, at which point the wheels will come off and we’ll end up fighting for 4th spot.
  • Arsenal will overcome some late scares and achieve 4th spot.
  • We will reach the last 16 in the Champions League, and then get battered by Barcelona or Bayern Munich..
  • We will lose at Anfield, conceding quite a few goals in the process.
  • We will lose at Stamford Bridge, conceding quite a few goals in the process.
  • We will travel to Old Trafford full of confidence and form, but either lose or draw because the Arsenal team have bottled it and couldn’t go and get the win.

I could go on and on, but won’t.

It’s reached a point where I’ve almost lost the will to live. I’ve not supported, but loved Arsenal since 1988. I’ve seen the George Graham years, the Bruce Rioch years and the Arsene Wenger years. They’ll all had highs and lows (except for the Rioch era where it was mainly lows) but what’s worse is the mind-numbing predicability of Arsenal.

We have no leaders, we need a world class striker, we’re missing a top class goal keeper, we have too many injuries – it’s the same old shit year after year, campaign after campaign, season after season.

Now don’t get me wrong, the consistency Arsene Wenger has brought to the club in terms of Champions League football year after year is impressive and whatever your feelings about the man – no club in Europe has enjoyed that kind of consistency of the last 20 odd years – even powerhouses like Real Madrid and Barcelona have finished outside the Top 4 in that time. If you asked any owners of any club, they would most likely snap up Arsene Wenger in a heart beat.

But for the fans, it’s just boring. We pay the highest ticket prices in the league (and I think in Europe actually) but don’t get the success. I think it’s got to the point where if you asked any Arsenal fan they would tell you that they would get rid of Arsene Wenger and risk finished 7th in the table just so that it’s something different. It’s the predictability and refusal to change and adapt which is the killer.

But why not make some money from the predictability? After all, there’s a lot of offers to get through these days.

But good news, Arsene Wenger is going to stay! Most of you will laugh at that but trust me, come back to this in 5 months and I’ll be saying I told you so!

Other Clubs Could Affect Arsenal’s Destiny This Season

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With the league table very tight at the moment, the Gunners need all the help they can get to seize a commanding position heading into the final stretch.

Let’s get one thing straight – the Premier League is tough and winning seasons are not to be taken for granted, not even by large clubs. Finishing in the top five is a pretty successful feat, yet for Arsenal fans anything but the league crown seems like a huge disappointment. From that perspective, sitting in the fourth place more than a dozen points behind the leader is hardly a reason for celebration, especially since things could well take a turn for worse if the team stumbles again. However, with improved performance and some luck, the team could easily finish in the second place or even give Chelsea a run for their money if a few critical games break their way.

Because of this state of affairs, Arsenal fans are following the fortunes of their rivals very attentively. Outcomes of other matches have a huge impact on the delicate balance of the table, and any gains that one club gains may be entirely erased by an unexpected win of a direct competitor. Likewise, any slips by the team could be salvaged by good luck if one of the upper echelon squads surrenders points to a bottom feeder. Local fans are often switching from one match to another, trying to do the math in their heads in real time. This kind of tension will only increase as the season draws to a close, provided a cluster of teams are still very close in the standings. Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool are all chasing the league leader right now, and these clubs will probably continue jockeying for position until the very end.

Of course, there is plenty of football left to play and Arsenal could well right the ship in the coming weeks. Anyone associated with the club would prefer it to be in full control of its own destiny, but that’s a very unlikely scenario given the situation. Recent level of play has been far under expectations, so any optimism emanating from the Emirates Stadium must be very cautious for the time being. As it appears, The Gunners will need to start playing much better just to remain in contention, let alone win the Premier League title this year. This looks like a season when all the bets are off and predicting the final placement for Arsenal or any other top-tier club is very tricky to say the least.

On the bright side, such a close finish will be interesting to watch, with success rate of rival clubs playing a significant role. If a few teams can approach Chelsea and create some drama, each remaining match between the frontrunners will become must see TV. It isn’t a stretch to say that fans across England and the world will watch with hypnotic focus, regardless of the side they support. Hopefully, Arsenal fans will be among those that still have something to cheer for, as their boys will be vying for one of the top spots in the best football league in the world. In any case, they will have plenty of reasons to watch a lot of football this spring, even games that don’t feature their own squad.

A lot of fans like to place bets on matches they are watching, so this situation plays right into their hands. There will be a lot of important games played over the last few months of the season, bringing numerous chances to guess the winner and pick up some profits on the side. That’s why it would be wise to identify the most capable Premier League bookmaker in advance of the season finale. With great odds on all Premier League games under one roof, William Hill is a great candidate for such a role that can be fully trusted to honor any bets you may win. It won’t take you long to open a personal account so you can regularly wager on football and other sports, and you might be entitled to some interesting bonuses as a new member of this well regarded gaming site.

My Heart Wants Arsene Wenger To Stay Forever

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The 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich still hurts, even though it wasn’t a surprise. Capitulations like we saw last night are pretty common with todays Arsenal – in recent seasons we’ve been totally battered at Anfield and Stamford Bridge, and who could forget the 8-1 thrashing at Old Trafford – simply no-one does collapses quite like Arsenal.

Look, I’m going to say this from the outset – I love Arsene Wenger. No-one has done as much as he has for the club I love. He has revolutionised the whole club, and you can see why the board are happy to give him a job for life. He has made Arsenal into a major player on a global scale and his attitude, approach and love for the club is second to none.

He is loved by everyone in football for what he has done, is majorly respected and ask any former player about him and they’ll praise him to the hilt. I remember when BBC did a documentary on Arsene Wenger and had Ian Wright, Martin Keown, John Hartson and Piers Morgan on the panel, discussing Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal. It’s no secret that Piers Morgan wants Arsene to leave but the passion and respect from Wrighty, Keown and even John Hartson (who was only under Arsene’s tenure for a season) was clear to see. Whenever you see Lee Dixon asked about Arsene it’s always positive and complimentary – and it’s the same for every player who’s worked under him.

But in here lies the problem. Arseblog pointed out that Arsene Wenger always talks about mental strength – we have it if we win, or we don’t have it when we lose. These kind of phrases are typical Arsene Wenger spin, deflecting any of the blame or responsibility away from the players. When we play well he will publicly praise the team, but when we play awfully he will always talk about concentration and mental strength – when most top managers will generally call a spade a spade, and tell the world the team played crap. Jose Mourinho is the typical example – he’d never take responsibility for a poor performance from his team.

Because Arsene Wenger defends his players it means that in theory, the players should respect that protection and fight for him. Unfortunately, this approach hasn’t worked in a while now. He gets the respect and love from the players (which is plain to see) but he’s not getting a response. What has happened is Arsene has created a culture of over-pampered babies who don’t fight for the cause. Instead of having a team of men, we have a team of boys.

No leaders, no strong personalities and no passion. Look at Chelsea – their whole mentality is worlds apart from ours. Their team is full of aggressive, mean and determined players who would literally fight for each other. They’re a team that fight to win and even if they were losing in a football match you’d back them to come back because they have character. Arsenal on the other hand, like you saw last night, don’t respond but collapse instead.

Every football team has a defining period in their season and ours has been over the last couple of weeks. The games against Watford, Chelsea and Bayern Munich would (and have) pretty much determine how our season would pan out. Wins against Watford and Chelsea would have put us 3 points behind the runaway leaders – but instead we are 10 points behind. Against Bayern Munich, the scoreline was 1-1 going into half time and even though we were being outplayed we could have even been 2-1 up if Xhaka or Özil had taken their chances. At that point, losing 2-1 as a worst-case scenario wouldn’t have been a disaster. But we collapsed in spectacular (and typically Arsenal-like) fashion, rendering the second leg a pointless exhibition match.

But for all Arsene’s faults, he is still a top, top manager. He consistently gets Arsenal into the Top 4, and into the last 16 of the Champions League. So it’s clear he is by no means an awful manager, and if you’re honest with yourself it’s a pretty amazing achievement. And that’s what makes this a whole lot harder.

We haven’t won the league in 13 years and apart from the 2008 season never really looked like winning it since. Our season always ends around February / March time and that’s the frustration. Despite reaching a phenomenal level of consistency (something you will never see in football again) it’s reaching the next level which is the problem. A couple of seasons ago when Arsenal were winning FA Cups and bringing in players like Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez, I would have said Arsene could have been the man to take us back to the glory days, but today I just don’t believe any more.

There comes a time when enough is enough. I completely believe that Arsenal fans have been extremely patient. Until a couple of seasons ago, my stance was 100% behind Arsene Wenger – even when about 10 years ago a lot of fans pointed out the same points I’m making today. What I’m saying isn’t new, they’re facts which have been played out for years now. But my faith in Arsene was down to wanting to give the man who has given Arsenal so much, a chance to win things once we found our financial feet as it were.

In modern football, Arsenal’s situation is unique. No other club (apart from Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson) is so reliant on one man. Football has changed and we have Directors of Football, men appointed specifically to deal with transfers – while Arsene Wenger does the job of 10 men. We can’t just “sack” Arsene Wenger without having a contingency plan in place. The bottom line is Arsene Wenger has “delivered” in relative terms (consistent Champions League football, etc.) for the board and they’re happy to go with the status quo. And that in itself isn’t a crime and look, I’m not naïve – football is a business and Arsene Wenger in that sense is the perfect man for the job.

The frustrating thing for me is while I want Arsene Wenger to leave; I still love the man, the manager, the icon for Arsenal Football Club, and in a way, would love him to stay.

If you ask me who is to blame for the malaise then I wouldn’t be putting Arsene at the top of the list. But the problem is with the whole setup at the club and how it’s run – and in a way Arsene is the fall guy. The problem is if Arsene Wenger stays at the club then nothing will change. The players need to take responsibility for under-performing and pretty much cruising through games at vital parts of the season. The board and our owner, Silent Stan, has never even talked publicly about the club and I don’t know an Arsenal fan who actually knows what his vision for the club is? Or if he even has one? The board are stale and are happy to take no responsibility for the club at all. So Arsene leaving would mean they would have to actually do some work and have the clubs best interests at heart.

For me, if Arsene could stay forever I’d be happy. Unfortunately it’s everyone else around him that’s let him down. Arsene Wenger gets slated left, right and centre, while who criticises the players? Who criticises the board? Who criticises the owners? Yes, Arsene has his limitations but he’s not the main reason we’re limited to a Top 4 finish and last 16 of the Champions League – every man needs a support network and the big problem is he has too much responsibility and has been let down by the players and the board. Unfortunately though, when things aren’t going right then sadly, the man in the firing line is Arsene Wenger.

In a perfect world, Arsene would leave with a trophy in his hands and leave on a high but barring an FA Cup triumph; it’s not looking likely.

Reports today suggest that Arsene Wenger won’t make a decision on his future (he has a 2 year contract on the table) until the end of the season. That to me says three things. The first is that he is seriously thinking of staying on – because if he was thinking of leaving then now would be a good time to announce it because it would get all of the fans onside and he would get complete support from the Arsenal faithful right until the last game of the season, whatever happened. He deserves goodwill and he would get it. Another thing it tells me is that the board have no idea on what to do once Arsene does want to leave. With a contract offer on the table and no decision to be made until the summer, it leaves no time to find a replacement if Arsene did actually turn it down. And the third point is that Arsene Wenger might have already decided to stay on – but officially announcing that a decision won’t be made until the end of the season defuses any animosity and anger towards the boss. Imagine if Arsenal came out now and said Arsene Wenger was staying on? The majority of Arsenal fans would end up losing their shit.