Arsenal FC a very promising story

[Nakor]

Purely hypothetical

if Wenger were to leave in the summer, in whatever circumstances, what would the plan be? (when is Arsene's contract up?)

it wouldn't be steve bould would it?

with klopp and pep out of the frame someone like Simeone?

and just like succeeeding SAF its a huge task for anyone isn't it?

IF this year

Fear - Rafa, Martinez
Accept - Simeone, Hiddink, 
Would Like - Low, Eddie Howe

Contract expires May 2017 I believe.
Can't see a situation where its Bould - not a good year to look for a manager imo.

[bookiebasher]

As a neutral, I would like to say, if Wenger can't win the title this season. Then he can't win it any season. And for that reason alone, he should go in the summer.

I said it at the start of the season , he needed to change his ways and spend big for a centre half and a striker who could get him 20 goals a season.

I am a big Wenger fan , love watching them play and they might still pull it off but that will only be because of other teams
ineptitude.

Do think he should go gracefully in the summer if he can't win the poorest Premiership , in terms of quality , for many a year.

Can you name me one world-class striker or defender who we could have acquired in the summer Jamie? Chelsea offered £50M for Stones.

LVG was desperate for a top defender and couldn't find one either and he ended up taking a massive punt(which seems to be working out fine) on Martial as he was the only striking option.

He should have at least "took a punt" and gambled. We are obviously not privy to all the shenanigans that go off in the transfer windows but Wenger seemed quite happy after buying Cech that his squad was good enough to win the League and he might still turn out to be the messiah , by default.

As to the LVG comparison , now please , who really wants to spend all their time in Manchester.

[DungBeetle]

As a neutral, I would like to say, if Wenger can't win the title this season. Then he can't win it any season. And for that reason alone, he should go in the summer.

I said it at the start of the season , he needed to change his ways and spend big for a centre half and a striker who could get him 20 goals a season.

I am a big Wenger fan , love watching them play and they might still pull it off but that will only be because of other teams
ineptitude.

Do think he should go gracefully in the summer if he can't win the poorest Premiership , in terms of quality , for many a year.

Not sure that having 2 teams run away with is means "high quality".  It can be argued that it is the strongest Premiership in terms of strength of depth ever.  I think it is easier for Barca/Madrid to win their league as it stands than it is for Arsenal this year.

Atheltico would absolutley walk the Premier League this season Dung i have no doubts

I'm not so sure.  It's the constant hard games in the premier league that take a toll as opposed to having a one off match up between Athletico and Spurs (for example).  Away to Stoke, away to Everton etc etc.  If our top teams are lower in quality (they are for sure)and our midtable/bottom teams are as well then something has gone disastrously wrong given the money we get!

[PokerBroker]

I could see Jose at Arsenal, it would be the ultimate challenge to him.   Bigger than Man U in my book.    I've just spent a number of days on a training course with come Manchester lads born and bred who don't want The Special One, I think Simeone could end up at United in the summer and Jose to the Arsenal.   

As for players they could have signed, I don't think they had to go down the route of offering £50 million for Stones.  But look at, for example Huth at Leicester.   He has been immense and what he gives them is strength, positional sense and good organisation.   Goalkeepers, Arsenal should have taken Fraser Foster when he left Celtic, he is by far England's best.   A much better option than Cech in my view and has longevity on his side.   The big dilemma is up top for me, who could and should they have gone for, is interesting because they have an array of attacking talent but for me it's the style of football that frustrates and the lack of goals from chances created.   I've held that view of Arsenal for some time though, they too often try and score the perfect goal. 

[TightEnd]

i dont think, bottom few aside, positions 8-16 in the premier league are weaker than previous seasons. i think they are stronger. the tv money has lifted all ships + attracted players to teams they would never previously have played for. this in turn is positive for the competitive balance of the league but a challenge for the top six who can turned over any premier league match week

this will only accentuate with the new deal next year with £120m gtd for finishing 20th. more shaqiri types at stoke, more payet types at teams like west ham etc etc

[TightEnd]

Arsenal have a soft defensive centre - one of seven hard truths Wenger will not address

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/12181855/Seven-hard-truths-Arsene-Wenger-simply-will-not-confront-at-Arsenal.html

again, posting this as good broadsheet journalism and because i think it is interesting and pertinent to the discussion, not to wind anyone up



cliffs

being suggested

1. There are no leaders in his side
2. His team has a soft defensive centre
3. He should have bought attacking reinforcements in January (not sure i agree with that, january is a tricky window)
4. Alexis Sanchez needs a rest (but he's only just back?)
5. He still lacks tactical flexibility
6. He is failing to influence games
7. Luck has nothing to do with it

[horseplayer]

This the same Shaqiri who made no impression in a poor Inter Milan side?

And the same Payet who has spent most of his career bar last season as a complete enigma in France?

[hhyftrftdr]

i dont think, bottom few aside, positions 8-16 in the premier league are weaker than previous seasons. i think they are stronger. the tv money has lifted all ships + attracted players to teams they would never previously have played for. this in turn is positive for the competitive balance of the league but a challenge for the top six who can turned over any premier league match week

this will only accentuate with the new deal next year with £120m gtd for finishing 20th. more shaqiri types at stoke, more payet types at teams like west ham etc etc

Agree with this. On any given weekend, any team can beat any team. Results that a few years ago would have been considered 'freak' results are now just part and parcel of the modern game.

[TightEnd]

This the same Shaqiri who made no impression in a poor Inter Milan side?

And the same Payet who has spent most of his career bar last season as a complete enigma in France?

yes, but two of the signings of the season, no? and 4-5 years ago the prospect of stoke or west ham getting similar was pretty remote?

now both stoke and west ham are in the top 30 wealthiest european sides and can get talent (however flawed) out of the bundesliga, serie a, la liga etc

go back a few years and the spread of talent top to bottom of the league was much broader. now 14-15 sides in the league have match winners (on a day they perform).

[DungBeetle]

This the same Shaqiri who made no impression in a poor Inter Milan side?

And the same Payet who has spent most of his career bar last season as a complete enigma in France?

Isn't the point that a lower half Spanish team can't really buy a misfiring Shaqiri from Inter.  A misfiring Capoue from Spurs.  Bony when he went to Swansea.  Ramirez when he went to Saints.  (i.e. lower half teams in Premier League can buy players other country counterparts cannot).  Watford have spent £18 million on 3 "prospects" who aren't anywhere near the squad or out on loan (Oulare/Doucoure/Peneranda).  The effect on this (in my opinion) is harder games on a consistent basis for the bigger teams which makes the league harder to win.  

[horseplayer]

Fair enough still think the league has a lot of faults.

No team would score a lot against Athletico in the premier league or any other the tactical shape and defensive awareness is miles clear of any English team.

I very much go against the grain by suggesting Barca would stuff Norwich et al quite easily every week as they do against the lesser lights in Spain

[DungBeetle]

Fair enough still think the league has a lot of faults.

No team would score a lot against Athletico in the premier league or any other the tactical shape and defensive awareness is miles clear of any English team

I agree the league has a certain "exciting" style which is at odds with technical excellence.  But I think Arsenal will get to coast on a lot fewer occasions than Barca/Madrid will in a season, and that has to be a factor in terms of making a league harder to win.  Guess it comes down to do you judge quality of a league by who the best teams are, or who the average teams are?

Going back to the original point, I'm not sure this is such an easy season for Arsenal to win as has been made out by the media, just because it isn't Man Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal smashing it up. 

[TightEnd]

Fair enough still think the league has a lot of faults.

No team would score a lot against Athletico in the premier league or any other the tactical shape and defensive awareness is miles clear of any English team

don't disagree but there is a confluence of factors here

- a couple of the "top six" are on bad/inconsistent years
- the talent in mid table PL sides is higher than it was, and will be more so next year

the result is a competitve balance in the PL for the first time in (at least) a decade? before Abramovich, qatar, the invincibles?

of course city will go again next year with whoever pep brings in and presumably chelsea will recruit heavily too and maybe next year sub 80 points is not going to get a team anywhere near winning it, which it will this year 

this is the challenge for Arsenal, the transfer market will go ballistic, the PL are all going to be spending and no player is going to look "value" in the way Wenger looks at it

[George2Loose]

The guy is just stubborn.

Needed a top class keeper for years. failed to get one until this year.

Numerous problems at centre half. Failed to sign anyone. When he does he's signed poorly. Gabriel looks utter shit.

Midfield- failed to sign an anchor man for year. Pre Coquelin they've had no one. Wiltshire too injury prone.

Forwards- failed to sign a word class forward.

This isn't isolated to this year and it's no coincidence Arsenal wobble at the same time very year. No bottle, no resilience and most importantly an unwillingness to adapt to the modern game.

He hasn't achieved anything for years. Over rated as a manager and saying he can choose to go when he wants is overstating his legacy

[baldock92]

I hear so many frustrated gooners due to Wengers lack of top class signings, but then when an outsider, such as myself, questions it I hear "which striker would you have signed as an improvement?". Let's be honest, money talks. There are plenty of improvements on giroud & Welbeck up top that, if wenger has just waved a fistful of cash at, could have been bought and significantly improved his team. He needs the balls to make a "holy shit that's big money" signing as is becoming/ has become the norm in this league.

For me the one that took the piss is offering £40,000,001 for saurez when he had a release clause set at £40m. Even if Liverpool weren't willing to sell to a rival, give them a number that's at least going to make them sit up and have a think, slap a £60-70m offer on the table and offer stupid money for a player who can single handedly win you a game if needed.