Arsenal FC a very promising story

[Tal]

Of course its results orientated.

All I have ever said is that if he spent the money we could be where I think we could be. I  said earlier, I was happy with him 8 years ago, my issue is that what we have at the moment isn't working and yet nothing changes, so how long does he get, which you again have skipped.

I could be dead next year, so if he spends and we get success, I'm a happy bunny.

What if you just get really lucky in the next 8 games and win the league even though u haven't spent a penny like you would want?  You luck box 4 1-0 wins over your rivals and win the league by one point and the cup double as well on pens after playing terribly in the final.  AW still hasn't done anything you wanted him to do but he is now the greatest thing since sliced bread because u got lucky in 4 games and sneaked a 1-0 win and won the cup on pens after playing terribly.  Hard to take you seriously if you really are this results orientated over a sample of 8 games where anything can happen.

Lol arbboy, as much as I enjoy anyone taking apart an ars*nal fan, you've basically just accused Adz of being a football fan.

Win the league and you're the greatest manager ever; lose in the last minute to a moment of madness and you're a donkey. That's football and why the situation at the Emirates is so unusual.

like to think the people who post on here are slightly more 'bigger picture' than your average football fan maybe that's just wishful thinking.  There are a lot of smart cookies on here.

Lol more chance of getting people with something between the ears on rate my breakfast than in the blooming gooner thread!

(Aaaaaaaah that's better!)

[arbboy]

Of course its results orientated.

All I have ever said is that if he spent the money we could be where I think we could be. I  said earlier, I was happy with him 8 years ago, my issue is that what we have at the moment isn't working and yet nothing changes, so how long does he get, which you again have skipped.

I could be dead next year, so if he spends and we get success, I'm a happy bunny.

What if you just get really lucky in the next 8 games and win the league even though u haven't spent a penny like you would want?  You luck box 4 1-0 wins over your rivals and win the league by one point and the cup double as well on pens after playing terribly in the final.  AW still hasn't done anything you wanted him to do but he is now the greatest thing since sliced bread because u got lucky in 4 games and sneaked a 1-0 win and won the cup on pens after playing terribly.  Hard to take you seriously if you really are this results orientated over a sample of 8 games where anything can happen.

Lol arbboy, as much as I enjoy anyone taking apart an ars*nal fan, you've basically just accused Adz of being a football fan.

Win the league and you're the greatest manager ever; lose in the last minute to a moment of madness and you're a donkey. That's football and why the situation at the Emirates is so unusual.

like to think the people who post on here are slightly more 'bigger picture' than your average football fan maybe that's just wishful thinking.  There are a lot of smart cookies on here.

Lol more chance of getting people with something between the ears on rate my breakfast than in the blooming gooner thread!

(Aaaaaaaah that's better!)

adz doesn't realise my first bet for fred was £100 on arsenal to win the league at 8/1 2 weeks ago!!!  Kick on the ars!!!!

[redarmi]

I have 15/8 to finish Top 3
 
I have a decent bet at 7/2 to win a trophy this year

I also have a moderate bet at 11-1 to win the title.

I support my team.

I even agree that any successor to AW would struggle to emulate his achievements. My point all along is that he could have done so much better and the STILL unanswered and avoided question by nearly all you clever people(and Ralph) is HOW LONG do you give him? For me his time is up, but by Christ I shall still cheer the lads on, and hope he keeps his job by the default of their efforts.

Red gives him an open contract. I suspect he doesn't support a Top five/six team....all about standards and what you're used to/expect in life.

You are right.  I don't support a top 5/6 club but when my club won a league cup and got to a couple of domestic cup finals and a European cup final I was cognisant enough to realise that I was running very well and to enjoy it because it probably wouldn't last for ever which is a mistake that you are making with the Champions League.  Enjoy being in the top 4 and making Cup finals because when Wenger is gone it might not last for ever and, if it does, it is because of the smart financial management of these years.

[BigAdz]

As ever the Wise guys read what they want to read.

At what point did I say if he won he is the greatest thing thing s b if he won???!!

The day I worry if arboy or Tal think I am a true fan or not is when I have real issues.

Pair of plums

[arbboy]

As ever the Wise guys read what they want to read.

At what point did I say if he won he is the greatest thing thing s b if he won???!!

The day I worry if arboy or Tal think I am a true fan or not is when I have real issues.

Pair of plums

Everyone knows you are a true fan as you are blinded from the reality by your true love for your team.  It's very sweet to see that still exists!  I am nearly as big an arsenal fan as you Adz as fred got £100 at 8/1 on them on my recommendation to win EPL. 

[horseplayer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26680514

Probably old news but i found it interesting just how long David Dein had been tracking Wenger for before persuading the board to appoint him

Could have been very different

[tikay]

Meanwhile......

For those that missed it, last night, Sky Sports showed an AW "tribute" programme, mainly based on David Dein telling the AW backstory.

If you missed it, it is bound to repeated, it is called "Arsene Who"?, as it tells the AW-Arsenal tale from the very beginning, when he was first appointed, & nobody had ever heard of him.

Thoroughly enjoyable, & highly recommended, I loved every minute.

It should be a great day for him today, though no doubt Chelsea will ruin his special day, but no matter, bigger picture & all that.

[tikay]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26680514

Probably old news but i found it interesting just how long David Dein had been tracking Wenger for before persuading the board to appoint him

Could have been very different

That whole story was told by David Dein on that show last night, "Arsene who?" I think you'd enjoy it, John.

[tikay]

Nice one horsey. I think I felt the same in 2008.

We are six years later my friend. How long should the man be given? Another six? You tell me, cos no one ever answers that one?

Keep digging if your trying to find some evidence that you think will

a, make me change my mind

b, feel bad/stupid about thinking the way I do.

If he ran my club he would get a contract for as long as he wanted it.  You have to be careful what you wish for in this game.  I'll have a side bet with you if you like.  I will bet that the next manager wins less than Wenger does from this day forward until he leaves.  A win will be counted as any trophy and qualifying for the CL so, for example, if Wenger leaves in 3 years and qualifies for the CL every year and wins the FA Cup and League Cup then he scores 5.  The next manager would then have to beat that.  You have on your side that the next manager will almost certainly spend more money.  I have on my side that my horse is Arsene Wenger.  Nothing too crazy as blonde might not be here by the time the bet is settled but a couple of hundred would be fine.

Oucho, but as always, Stu reads the game well.

[Tal]

As ever the Wise guys read what they want to read.

At what point did I say if he won he is the greatest thing thing s b if he won???!!

The day I worry if arboy or Tal think I am a true fan or not is when I have real issues.

Pair of plums

Lol you donut, I was actually sticking up for you in an odd way!

[david3103]

always keep ahold of Nurse
for fear of finding something worse

Wenger has set the bar pretty high at Arsenal. Over-achieved one might say. Wouldn't rush to replace him, having witnessed the impact of losing an iconic leader...

[arbboy]

always keep ahold of Nurse
for fear of finding something worse

Wenger has set the bar pretty high at Arsenal. Over-achieved one might say. Wouldn't rush to replace him, having witnessed the impact of losing an iconic leader...

Amazing stat on bt sport.

Net transfer spend from 1996 to today.

Chelski £677m
Arsenal £65m 

What a manager. Stoke spent more than £67m net in the last 4 years to buy a load of carthorses!

[The Baron]

Is there a case that Wenger has built his reputation through the luck of being in the right place at the right time?

He arrived at the time French football was the envy of the world and everyone was watching their national side start to dominate. He had a club built on solid foundations with a rock solid defensive unit, strong leadership through the pitch and an excellent striker. He brought in some of France's biggest talents to complement the squad and won trophies playing French football.

After his squad got old, he found French speaking talents to come in and do a good job, but they weren't of the same ilk. He then struggled to keep some of the other talents he'd recruited and his belligerent refusal to change his ways and buy big, rather than buying young and cheap meant he could only really be looking at finishing second in the league and having a run at the cups. He found some real talents but bought a lot of dross and the French recruits didn't meet up to the standard he was getting ten years before.

He's been kept in a job because the board love how he doesn't spend their money but still gets in the Champions League. The fans are broadly happy because you keep finishing above spurs.

Not really my view but I think there is some element of truth to it, insofar as he was brilliant at recruiting in the late nineties and there haven't been many of that level in the last few years.

Good try young sir, and a very Happy Birthday to you too Simon but:

Have you not conveniently forgotten the move to a new state-of-the-art stadium in your theory and all of the associated limited budget over the immediate five or six years since the move that goes hand in hand with paying off the greater part of the debt that goes along with that?

Should the man not be given a chance to be judged on how he takes the club forward with the new greater self-generated spending power that he has been hugely instrumental in creating rather than the one that he had available during those restricted years, or should he tamely hand this larger budget over to some unproven johnny-come-lately such as AVB?

Nail on head.

The shackles are off, give the man a chance to spend the pot he's created.

[The Baron]

I have 15/8 to finish Top 3
 
I have a decent bet at 7/2 to win a trophy this year

I also have a moderate bet at 11-1 to win the title.

I support my team.

I even agree that any successor to AW would struggle to emulate his achievements. My point all along is that he could have done so much better and the STILL unanswered and avoided question by nearly all you clever people(and Ralph) is HOW LONG do you give him? For me his time is up, but by Christ I shall still cheer the lads on, and hope he keeps his job by the default of their efforts.

Red gives him an open contract. I suspect he doesn't support a Top five/six team....all about standards and what you're used to/expect in life.

But then isn't it your expectation that's too high?

23 top 4 finishes without Wenger in 92 seasons.
18 top 4 finishes with Wenger in 18 seasons.

He's surpassed expectation surely? Why should you be used to titles every year?

I'm not taking the piss, genuinely interested.

Whilst he achieves this level of success I'd sit in the longer contract camp. Give him a good few seasons to build his side.

[BigAdz]

I presume he has won a trophy since we last spoke?

You can maths it up all you like arboy, but I know most of this stuff and I still would swap cash for trophies.

We charge the fans the most expensive matchday ticket club in the country, and I for one think we deserve a bit more for their buck