Another good thing about smaller clubs and that Wenger not responsible for.

Saturday afternoon.

Going to the football.

Remember that?

Watching some of the tributes envokes a strange feeling.

When they stick the honours list up all you can think of is "hmmn 3 titles in 22 years " Then your watching that Gazidis gushing press conference when he's trying to compare Wengers work to that of Ghandi and that he can never be replaced. I mean *%^@*** hell, he manages a football team.

Bob Wilson said on the radio that Wenger is in the top 3 human beings of all time. I mean Christ who are the other 2 Jim Bowen and David Icke.

I'm not saying a moment of reflection is inappropriate and people remembering his achievements is in order but nobody is mentioning we're 6th in the league and well adrift and he leaves the squad In a terrible state with departures incoming and a whole new defence required.

Funny feeling

He said top 3 men that he had known....

PS u23s won the league last night and are in the premier league international cup final at the start of May.

And U18s are 2nd in their league, and are in the fa youth cup final...

No funny feeling here TG. He overstayed his welcome by 8 years and is getting paid 11 millions to walk away. Ive watched countless replays of the good times over the years so have no nostalgia about Wenger leaving whatsoever. Gloriously happy that he's finally going.

1. I wouldn't even put Wenger in the top tier of managers, excellent though he was.
2. A negative that stands out even more than the final years (which are understandable--a matter of not disposing of product at the used-by date) is how sh*te we were in Europe. That gawd-awful Uefa Cup final, and the defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory efforts against Liverpool and Chelsea in the CL were even worse than the array of humiliating thrashings and no-show efforts. For me they encapsulated Wenger's main limitations, even in his best years.
2. So, stating the obvious, AW <<< Sir Alex Ferguson.
3. Brocolli
4. etc.

To be fair, Top Gun, it is hard to strike that fine balance between mawkishness and the hard truth when giving farewell speeches and obituaries. It is quite natural to fend off the whole balance thing with a bargepole and lay on the praise with a trowel.

Not that I want to give any credence to Top Guns in my view, largely idiotic posts on Wenger, but we were robbed that night at Anfield by a last minute dive by Ryan Babel.


That was one of the sorest nights for me in Wenger's reign.

No that was vintage Wenger and typical of the 2nd half of his reign to score a last minute winner yet incredibly still not progress. Dive or not

It will be interesting if we don't play well for the rest of the season. Fans will come back just to see Wenger 'one last time'. We have two big matches left (possibly more if we get into the Europa cup final)
Atletico and Man United. He can be forgiven for a loss to either. The other matches, no. It would be nice if he beats Mourinho on his way out but I won't hold my breath.

Well said

It would be quite something if he were finally to win a European competition AND crack Mourinho, all after he has announced his exit.

My two pence worth.
All the over the top tributes are making me feel sick.

Grateful for the great memories from the first half of his tenure.

Pissed off that he's overstayed for at least 5 years, pissed off that he tarnished all that he achieved. For the first time ever I have actually felt disinterest in our games and results.
Delighted he's finally going, really thought we were going to have to suffer another year.

Arsenal beat Manchester United last season when Mourinho was their manager.

No chance this time round sandwiched between 2 Athletico legs.

Can see him resting half the team tomorrow as well. Can't see the point myself Win it first half and rest them second after parking the bus or using the youngsters.

Alexis scored a beautifully headed goal for MU. The energy of the 2 teams are good. So much better than watching our slow-mo.

Bus parking *%\**€

Spurs lose in yet another FA Cup SF. 8 defeats in a row. Alexis man-of-the-match.

Wenger and spurs out in 2 days , if carlsberg did weeks k

Whilst arsenal truth is pretty brutal , the fact is it has called the power crazed megalomania of Wenger’s situation for years and that he would hang on for his own needs pretty accurately imo, and also the damage it has caused to the fan base : and In the end most began to see this, the wider ills of football are a wider issue, as you know we’re not going to agree on the financial stuff regarding Wenger because too many things contradict this which we’ve done to death ; and now doesnt matter anymore anyway

Sure the alternative football experience thing applies as you say , although in my case the club have ended up in the premier league ( and look like staying there, at least for this season ) so some of the issues are the same . Having said that what BHA went through 20 years ago , has created a great bond between club - fan base and city which hopefully will last for a long time whatever happened on the pitch

A supporter of a football club breaths that football club, loves that football club. It’s alright ex & current players, opponents & media having a view on Wenger, but ultimately it’s the fans that make those clubs. Then fans that decide futures of boards, managers & players.

Once the games against City, Stoke, Saints and CSKA had empty seats and gates start falling, those fans are talking big. The people that really matter decide the fates of those mentioned above.

Ultimately the protests may not have worked as people steer away from them, yet the inevitable happened once the club saw those empty seats.

I’m going to enjoy going v West Ham as I support Arsenal FC, not Arsene FC.

On hearing the announcement yesterday my initial reaction was one of relief. We've all been waiting patiently for this moment as our league form declined over recent years with the manager obviously powerless to reverse the trend. Today, I'm still pleased that we will finally have a new manager for next season as supporting Arsenal became stale and many lost interest as a result. But I will always feel so fortunate to have witnessed the style and success which Wenger's teams delivered during the first half of his stewardship.

...and how sweet it was watching sperz fail to win a major trophy yet AGAIN despite having their best team in almost 2 generations.

What if by some cruel twist of fate (for you), Wenger ended up as BHA's manager?

Now there’s a thought

Think his ego wants bigger , and the local spud is doing a grand job anyway

How about Hughton for us?

Indeed Brom .... as I said couple of days back ; hard to start waffling tributes about Arsene ; when a milli second before the news I fervently wanted him to f***& off to the highlands of Ethiopia .

One of the overlooked benefits of watching sh****t football , listening Wenger's inane drivel .... it has driven many to

[a ] getting their footballing rocks off at smaller clubs

[b] discovering there is a life outside of football , take the wife / kids somewhere , build a birdhouse , bit of gardening etc etc

I doubt fan support is something you can switch on and off like a light and I'd think many driven away who have discovered other interests ....... might not come back to the same level of Arse support even with a new manager .

Ha ha brilliant reposte

I was hoping Spurs would win. Much prefer them to the dour Mourinho outfit

The finality of the Wenger leaving Arsenal ( I firmly do not believe he resigned of his own accord) matter gives a much better feeling than our wins against Spurs. That is how much of a relief it is for me. Although polite tributes are coming through for him, he would have received so much more and with much more sincerity, had he listened more to his fans instead of being arrogant with them. I can't bring myself to pay him tribute after wanting the see the end of his tenure for years. I hope he retires and starts to enjoy his life again. Everybody deserves to enjoy their life, and I hope he calls time on his coaching career.

http://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/the-mat ... g-trophies

Looks like they are becoming us. Similar traits. Comments from manager fairly similar to Wenger.
Poche will only leave them in another 20 years

I am on the same view as you that he was sacked. A number of articles suggest the same - as an e.g.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/p ... 65892c2332

It would explain the Gazidis press conference and the wording used. Also Wenger is quoted as saying 'After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season.' Following discussions with the club... hmmm.

If he was sacked then it shows he still never got it and was never thinking of the club or fans.

Some of the nonsense being written and said about him is getting to embarrassing stages - embarrassing for those saying or writing the twaddle. I acknowledge he was a great and innovative manager and introduced new ideas to us and the league. He had some of the greatest Arsenal teams and players but a great leader knows when to go and when he cannot inspire any longer. I think he was one of our greatest managers but when you average his achievements over 21 years not our greatest. You cannot isolate part of his time at the club to justify such comments.

People talking about singing 'theres only one one Arsene Wenger' for the rest of the season. Really, at least half of those people would be ones who wanted him out - bit of guilt perhaps. Give him a clap on the last day, if you really must, but if he was sacked his cheque should make him feel a little better.

I never want to see him have an other position with the club.

It seems to me that the supporters who have only ever known Wenger are more likely to want to laud him and elevate him to a god. Those older fans have seen a number of managers and just want to get on with it. At least some of our players may put in some real efforts from here on to impress the manager to be.

The test for me is the Atletico and Man U games. Personally, and many will not like this, I would ask Bould to run the team for the remainder of the season because I don't think Wengers head will be in the right place. Assuming he was sacked, I am a great believer in marching the person out of the door then and there. They do more damage staying. Sorry if this offends the sensibilties of those who wanted him out but now feel guilty - grow some.

To OMOH and Goonie who remained steadfast in wanting Wenger to remain- I admire your resolve and hope you are both okay.

Shh!! Don’t say that down here you’ll have em out with pitch forks the man is adored in these parts

It’s an open seceret that he didn’t resign of his own accord , he was given The loaded revolver

This is the crux of that arsenal truth quote I put up yesterday ( forget arsenal truth in general and lomekian’s view that’s about a wider issue) the past year -18 months I have become an arsenal observer more than a fan and it’s not easy to just switch back.

The other knock on ( leaving BHA out of it )is that I would hate to feel like this and then my level of interest in the club to start being dependant on how well the next manager does. Once we are out of the unique bubble of the Wenger situation , this would be wrong and is the sort of behaviour ‘ plastic fans’ get accused of and quite rightly so, but this whole saga has taken many of us long term arsenal fans into very strange places, and is inadvertent not deliberate either

Add all this to the factions still out there (which will rise in reverse as soon as any new manager hits a sticky spell) and you have a very turbulent mix bubbling along the next few years. What it could do without ( 6 months down the road)is Wenger sticking his oar in with the odd barbed comment from stage left. Which remaining disciples ( and I potentially include certain ex players in this )can latch onto.

Unfortunately knowing that Wenger is likely to be absolutely seething at being removed from what he sees as his divine position ( and breaking his contract, although this would’ve previously happened when he was sacked at Monaco back in the 90s anyway ) and knowing the type of personality he is I fear this is wishful thinking

I completely understand that many blame Wenger for the malaise which has engulfed the club for many years now, but lets not forget the role of the board who could and should have fired him whenever THEY wanted. Also, lets not forget that the football landscape in the premier league has changed beyond recognition and despite some obvious positive changes overall it has lead to a more sanitised and commercialised experience which has killed a lot of what being a supporter was about.

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ars ... ve-arsenal
One of the best pieces on events I’ve read

Absolutely , their as guilty too and I hope fans never forget this either, but now they haven’t got that Wenger shaped shield ( to quote arseblog) to hide behind , and they should be judged on who they hire and how they support him , also we get to see Kroenke with a different manager finally

Still time for the board and Wenger to make a u-turn on that decision.

Sounds like Wenger in early 2000s.

I wonder if Steve Bould is being considered for the managerial position.