A rant is what this may turn into, so I start with that to put you in the right frame of mind.
I’m quite tired of hearing Arsenal supporters not supporting our coach. Our very successful and intelligent coach, I shouldn’t have to add, but will. I’m also tired of all this talk about having to bring in a big name. To me that sounds a lot like Galactico talk.
Wenger has changed Arsenal football, (and English football), to where supporters of all clubs, love our style of play. He has done so without billionaire bankrolling, without public shares, and without blind desire to have the biggest names. He thoroughly understands and takes action in ways to ensure success now and the future. Need it be reminded that his first signing was Vieira, a then 20 year old, whose name was not amongst the biggest of the time, I think. What Wenger does is get quality players, develops their game, and he MAKES their names! How great is that?!?!?
Question.
What has Wenger done in his time at the club to warrant such doubting?
22 Responses to “We are Arsenal Football Club… NOT Real London”
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July 17th, 2005 at 5:42 pm
Hi Dc,
Don’t know who’s upset you so much but I think, deep down, most genuine Gooners agree with you and realise that Wenger is THE man. His judgement, apart from a couple of dodgy defenders, is beyond question and I can’t think of any other manager who I’d rather have at the helm. Yes I was sad on Friday, seeing PV4 training with his new buddies, but not because of what his departure means to our team but purely out of genuine fondness for a guy I’ve watched week in week out since his debut against Sheffield Wednesday, giving 100% on every occasion.
So to emphasise your words, Wenger will continue to improve and cultivate our beloved Arsenal and I’m convinced we will be the ones to watch this season.
Vive le Boss!!!!
NorthBank
July 17th, 2005 at 5:48 pm
What are you on? And what do you mean by NOT Real London?
Everyone with common senses knows that Wenger is a great coach and even SAF & Mourinho have said it so what you chatting about? If you want the media or even fans to be singing his praises everyday then I will say you are in the wrong sports. That is part of the beautiful game special in England.
Saying that Wenger is not God but just another a Human being likes you and me. Like you, he is not prefect and gets things wrong at times.
No one doubts him. People are allowed to asked questions and seek answers. There is nothing wrong there.
Example as thing stands at the moment we don’t have a Goalie for the first 2 games of the CL so I’m right to demand questions about that. Like the guy from Dorset who came all the way to watch the game at Barnet yesterday asked a very sensible question about our defends. That proves he love his club not doubting Wenger.
July 17th, 2005 at 5:52 pm
A good question? who setup him or is he helping this site by over loading too much information.
July 17th, 2005 at 7:56 pm
I think Wenger is a genius. I wouldn’t want anyone else at the helm. I defend him on this site all the time. But, there are always questions to ask. We have not improved (YET) during this off-season, and Chelsea and Liverpool have.
Things change and people change. Hell, Ashley said he wouldn’t sign for the Arsenal for 200,000 a week… he apparently is gonna sign for 70,000. We are apparently in change mode here at the Arsenal. I don’t have to sit idle and fold my hands with everything Arsene does or doesn’t do. Part of being a supporter is being able to question moves, hope for certain players to come in, and be able to put ourselves in the manager’s seat.
I think Arsene’s done a magnificent job. Nobody questions that. But he has WORK TO DO this off-season. If he doesn’t sign some players shortly, he will be questioned over and over again. Get used to it. Its part of the fun of following sports. As Gooners, we hope we are WRONG and Arsene is right on everything. We all want us to win.
July 17th, 2005 at 7:57 pm
I have to admit, as much as I’m a vocal Wenger supporter, in the back of my mind I sometimes long for that big name to help settle my summer nerves. My heart knows better, but my head tends to get frayed on occasion.
But I will say this?Wenger has trouble motivating the club in Europe. Its the only weak spot on his resume, and I’m one who believes that its not to do with big names and tons of experience on the pitch, but a way of playing the more chess-like, somewhat lumbering style of tournament football. It puts our players in something of a strange head, and frustration sets in much too quickly.
But aside from that, criticizing Wenger is a sport played by many who have grown weary of hearing so many accolades about him in an effort to balance our minds. I don’t think there are as many as you do, maybe, but they do tend to be louder.
UTA, KTC, KTF.
July 17th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
I just have a funny feeling that Cesc is going to make a lot of people question why they were so worried when they heard Paddy left.
The only question in my mind is when. I have a sneaking suspicion the Boss thinks it may be this year.
I wouldn?t bet against it.
The thought of a regular pairing of Gilberto Silva and Fabregas in central midfield is one I find comforting.
Look: the alternative was the 2006 Vieira this season, not the Paddy of prior years. That Vieira is IMHO gone for good.
Watching just the performances on the pitch last year and forgetting about the dodgy effects on morale of the Real soap opera, I wonder if Arsene didn’t rue that he didn?t let PV grab the gold ring 12 months ago.
Cesc was player of the year, bar TH. Not Vieira.
Maybe I?ll have to eat my words! I hope not. But I would go with Wenger?s judgment over anybody else in football regarding the club?s best personnel.
July 17th, 2005 at 9:14 pm
huh?
July 17th, 2005 at 9:15 pm
It’s interesting to note that the sale of Vieira was prompted this summer by the manager, not the player. Clearly Arsene has his targets in mind. If we sign Baptista, Song and Viera next week, and several of them play well in 05-06 along with Hleb, who looks superb, the sale of Vieira could be remembered as another Wenger milestone. You’ve got to give the man credit for boldness in his personnel moves over the years. The contrast to RM and our West London rivals is dramatic. A nice article to this effect in the Guardian:
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1529046,00.html
July 17th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
I am on nothing.
By saying we are not Real London, I mean that we do not need to sign big name players in order to compete for trophies. This is something that I feel many supporters feel, and I have read it on this board and on others.
I do not wish media or fans to sing his praises everyday. He is not God and I know that, and I know I am not perfect and nor is he.
If no one doubts him, then why are there so many threads saying he’s crazy for selling Vieira, etc, etc.
People are allowed to ask questions and seek answers. I agree, there is nothing wrong there.
We don’t have a goalie for the first 2 CL games. Do you think Wenger doesn’t know that? Do you think he’s sitting back thinking, “Things will come right.”
There is a line between asking questions and doubting. I’m saying people have crossed that line and personally, I’m tired of reading about it.
July 17th, 2005 at 9:23 pm
What do you mean by this?
“I don’t think there are as many as you do, maybe, but they do tend to be louder.”
July 17th, 2005 at 9:25 pm
I think Silva and Fabregas in MF is a fine pairing. It’s depth that I’m worried about.
July 17th, 2005 at 11:12 pm
Frankly, Silva and Cesc in midfield is LIGHTWEIGHT.
Vieira was an imtimidating physcial player. Silva isn’t and Cesc? Is a skinny kid. He is not going to provide a crunching tackle, thats for sure. He is a finesse player. We lack physical players. We did even with Vieira, and thats why United bossed us in recent meetings. Chelsea play football… thats why we compete with them. Teams that play physical give us trouble. Cesc/Flamini/Gilberto are NOT physical players with any kind of presence in midfield.
THAT is the PROBLEM with not having a replacement for Paddy come in.
If we have a physical match, who is going to step up with a crunching hard tackle… or get in the face of the opposition… or even take a yellow card for a hard foul for the team?? Captain Henry?
No, he is not that kind of player at all. Who will it be? I can’t name anyone on our squad. Winterburn & Parlour are gone… maybe Toure or Sol.
Thats the only problem I see.
July 17th, 2005 at 11:27 pm
Well said DC. I really don’t think saying goodbye to Vieira should be considered a potential downfall caused by Wenger. I mean honestly, I think Patrick showed great skill and awesome control throughout the entire last season. He is a phenomenal player, but let’s not forget the rest of the first team. They are all amazing players in their own rights.
Even I have my reserves about Henry filling Vieira’s shoes. To be honest, I’d prefer a midfielder as a captain moreso than a striker seeing as he can guide the team throughout each play more easily than always being at the head of a play. That’s just preference moreso than anything else though. Plus, I’m also pretty partial to Pires. Was hoping he might get a shot at toting the armband sometime.
You are definately spot on about the supporters faulting Wenger though. It really has nothing to do with him…. if anything the money made from Patrick’s sale will do wonders in the way of making the first team more well rounded than anything else. You can’t have one phenominal player that you spend millions on and then the rest of the squad playing like they belong at Aston Villa or something. Wenger knows what he’s about with his decisions for the season…. and I for one, am backing his choice 110%.
July 18th, 2005 at 8:05 am
I just meant that I don’t think there are as many “Wenger bashers”, assuming that was the crux of your post. But he is picked on for a lot of crap?his youth policy (Steve Cohen calls him a pedophile), his accent (Cohen again), his ridiculously alledged fixture fixing (Fergie and Moronho), his failure in Europe (the world, including his own players)?and these critics tend to make a lot of press noise.
But overall he is respected and trusted.
July 18th, 2005 at 8:16 am
I would agree, Stag, if you were talking about the Paddy of a few years ago. Last season he went down more than Jonathan Barnett in a London hotel, and used his looong legs to try and neatly pick away the ball rather than tackle it away. I preferred that he did that, really, as he was becoming too injury prone. Where we really got kicked was up front with Reyes, who was a large part of our attack down the left, and on the wings whe we tried to mix it up. Sadly, Vieira’s intimidating presence was more or less dwindling, and could have been all but gone this coming year. I have a feeling he was more concerned with getting hurt than tackling, and it would have been unfitting to let him wash up any further.
That being said, I agree that we need to replace the grit he once had for us in key areas. A big striker, like Baptista, a dispossessing midfielder (Cesc has the attitude to bounce from flair to grit but it remains if he has the strength to do both for 90) and, of course, two CD’s in the Terry mold who are unmoving. What’s encouraging to me is I get the sense that Wenger is developing players to be even more well-rounded, which I hope means he’s taking them a little bigger.
But I agree, Parlour was the last vestige of the pure bulldog who could grab moments of pace and score. Could Jenas be our man? Many see him as sh*t, but I think we need to remember how Wenger spots potential. He may have just got to Jenas a little late.
July 18th, 2005 at 12:47 pm
Wenger is the best thing that ever happend to Arsenal and his great moves with picking up great talent is just fantastic.
If we sign Baptista and Helb is already on board, + Cesc and a few more talented players take a front role, we will be amazing next season.
July 18th, 2005 at 4:18 pm
Look no one in their right minds who support Arsenal is moaning about Wenger, but that still does’nt mean that certain questions can not be asked. Although these should be directed more towards the board at Highbury rather than the manager! The whole saga of the new stadium (no matter how magnificent) the time it took to finally decide on the site and the clumsy way in which it seemed the financial side of things were going,kind of makes me edgy as to the way things are being run at the top! We were led to believe that transfer funds would’nt be affected but clearly that does’nt seem to be the case,what I mean by that is for all the good youngsters that we HOPE will go on to become great players, there have quite clearly players that Wenger has seen (Peter Chech being one of them) but not been able to bring to the club! That should not be happening at a club like Arsenal. It looks like over the last few times we’ve won the title,the following season we’ve failed to retain it is, in my humble opinion, because the squad has’nt been strengthened! If you look at our transfer dealings since Wenger took overyou have to ask yourself,”where has all the money gone?”
July 18th, 2005 at 10:21 pm
agree, scotty. too many equate vieira’s play with that of 3 years ago. he simply is not the force he has been. his play has gone down two years running, and we couldn’t risk it going down further. the fact that his selling price dropped so much is an indication of that. we did not simply accept a lower fee, we took the best fee that was offered.
also am willing to give jenas a try. some say he is shite, but he’s also played for a shite team for the last few years. playing with us could bring out the quality that wenger apparently sees, and lets remember he is still a young’n.
that all having been said, if spurs beat us to baptista……..
July 18th, 2005 at 11:39 pm
Where has all the money gone?
We’ve spent less than the top 1/3rd of the EPL, and have far more to show for it. Wenger bargain hunts like no other manager. Get the facts right!
July 19th, 2005 at 3:52 am
But that is exactly my point! Why is he having to almost always bargain hunt? Would you not have liked W-Phillips? Why not Mexes instead of Cygan? Flamini or Essien? Come on! Once we start to look at it from a player calibre point of view,you have to admit that for a club as sucessfull as ours has been over Wengers reign we should’nt be having to buy so many “Bargains!” Once again I re-iterate my point of statements from the board about transfer funds not being affected,when quite clearly they are!
July 19th, 2005 at 8:27 am
if spurs beat us to baptista……..
Gods, the inhumanity. If it happens I’m calling in a planet alignment foul and demanding a do-over. ;^)
I also think its important to note that Wenger facilitated a move for Vieira that would put him in good standing to win things, including the CL. Its not like he went shopping. I’m still somewhat confused about all the talk of who made the first move. For me, this was one of those things where Vieira had his usual list of suitors, and both knew it was time. Wenger capitulated to his first choice, and they parted as friends. Neither party really had a choice.
July 19th, 2005 at 11:59 pm
scotty, some relationships just come to an end. they run their course. it was time for paddy to move on, and both he and wenger knew it. kudos to them for handling it as well as it could be handled.
in the end, though, it was poetic that we seemed to be the ones nudging him towards the exit this time.