Arsène Wenger to Step Down at End of the Season

[Panna King]

My Poem about Wenger

He came from Japan with a master plan, everyone thought he looked like Mr Bean when he was signed by David Dien. Wenger changed the clubs philosophy because of his degree, he was Bruce Riochs successor and later on known to become The Professor.  He bought us Thierry Henry he even won the league with Oleg Luzhny, he went undefeated and still no manager has done the same, he did the double at White Hart Lane, he even got the best out of Tony Adams who was known as the Donkey but then this bad man came along called Stan Kroenke.     Everything turned sour, things were so tight that he only allowed everyone to take a cold shower, the cost of the Emirates forced him to sell his best players,  Wenger had to come up with a plan to find the next Jose Antonio Reyes.  Things didn't work that way when he had no Bergkamp or Henry, he could only stare to what he was left with and that was Jermaine Aliadiere, There was also a wage bracket which stopped Wenger for doing up his jacket.  Things started to look up when he won the FA Cup but a lot of the fans started to turn as they wanted to see a spending Spree they take their aggression out on Arsenal fan TV.     Wenger just wanted one more crack at the title but finally the board after so many meets decided to pull the plug when they saw all the empty seats.     

[Harry]

56 minutes ago, 6666 said:

 

 

We were barely spending compared to the big clubs until Mesut Ozil arrived and during that period we were actually lucky to have him as I doubt any other manager with a name would have even bothered managing us under those circumstances.

 

I wonder whether you would have spent more in that time period had Wenger not been there, and been better for it.

There were no prizes for who pays off their stadium quickest and although you did remain competitive throughout there was an extended period of years where ambition was something that was not genuinely shown, only paid lip service to. 

You watched some of your best players depart to rival clubs several years in a row. You stayed competitive but that had a damaging effect. Players and fans can read between the lines from that and i think you are paying for that now, in a way. 

[Panna King]

5 minutes ago, Harry said:

I wonder whether you would have spent more in that time period had Wenger not been there, and been better for it.

There were no prizes for who pays off their stadium quickest and although you did remain competitive throughout there was an extended period of years where ambition was something that was not genuinely shown, only paid lip service to. 

You watched some of your best players depart to rival clubs several years in a row. You stayed competitive but that had a damaging effect. Players and fans can read between the lines from that and i think you are paying for that now, in a way. 

Kroenke bought the club when it moved to the Emirates, I think he only wanted to spend money when the club were able to fund the transfer instead of him putting in his own money, The club now is self sufficient, now there are  large transfer fees paid, the thought process behind it though has been costly.  

[Panna King]

Wonder if Sol Campbell will get an Interview 

[Honey Honey]

After years of Arsenal fans trying to get Wenger out, abusing him in the hope he'd quit, in the end it was watching Mo Diame dick his side that tipped him over the edge.

[Honey Honey]

so true

[Panna King]

Rodgers has had a larger number of bets put on him to be the new manager   

[Panna King]

If only Wenger signed that defensive midfielder he be still loved.  

[The Artful Dodger]

All turning very unpleasant now, Wenger has slammed the fans.

[SirBalon]

16 minutes ago, The Artful Dodger said:

All turning very unpleasant now, Wenger has slammed the fans.

He doesn't have to hang on much longer before he can do Werther's Originals commercials with a kid on his knee.  He should let it lie and live out the final moments with the fans' adulation which is what the fans really want to offer him.

[Inverted]

It's honestly very odd how mad he seems to be at being pressured into going. I read someone say that all he has in life is football and his daughter, which at the time seemed an exaggeration, but with his talk about "working 7 days a week for 22 years" he honestly has made it sound like he can't imagine a life outside of Arsenal. I even remember that any time I've heard of him beng asked about music or films he likes, he basically says he has no interest.

Like, Arsene, you're a smart, cultured man who speaks about 5 languages. You've made millions upon millions out of the game. Surely there's a life to be enjoyed outside of being a football manager?

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Inverted said:

It's honestly very odd how mad he seems to be at being pressured into going. I read someone say that all he has in life is football and his daughter, which at the time seemed an exaggeration, but with his talk about "working 7 days a week for 22 years" he honestly has made it sound like he can't imagine a life outside of Arsenal. I even remember that any time I've heard of him beng asked about music or films he likes, he basically says he has no interest.

Like, Arsene, you're a smart, cultured man who speaks about 5 languages. You've made millions upon millions out of the game. Surely there's a life to be enjoyed outside of being a football manager?

Arsenal Football Club isn't his toy though, it isn't a pensioner's club where he can play around like its a hobby. If he loves Arsenal so much, then do the right thing. They can give him a job on the board as long as he doesn't get too involved. 

[Stan]

27 minutes ago, Inverted said:

It's honestly very odd how mad he seems to be at being pressured into going. I read someone say that all he has in life is football and his daughter, which at the time seemed an exaggeration, but with his talk about "working 7 days a week for 22 years" he honestly has made it sound like he can't imagine a life outside of Arsenal. I even remember that any time I've heard of him beng asked about music or films he likes, he basically says he has no interest.

Like, Arsene, you're a smart, cultured man who speaks about 5 languages. You've made millions upon millions out of the game. Surely there's a life to be enjoyed outside of being a football manager?

I understand that he reads a lot and is a very philosophical individual. He probably reads about 5 or 6 books when he's not involved with football. 

Just because you have a fuck load of money doesn't mean you have to spunk it all on conventional things. I'm sure he still goes on holidays or spends time with people close to him. Or maybe he's just a very private individual and doesn't like to disclose much. In today's cynical world of how you can be perceived I don't blame him one bit for that. He already gets enough attention on his football and gets scrutinised enough for that. 

[Panna King]

Wenger is obsessed with Arsenal, it does seem he has been sacked as he would of stayed on, he just has become a very deluded  man who thinks he has a chance of winning the league again, plus that there is nothing wrong with what he is doing, he fails to take any advice due to arrogance. 

[Inverted]

4 minutes ago, Stan said:

I understand that he reads a lot and is a very philosophical individual. He probably reads about 5 or 6 books when he's not involved with football. 

Just because you have a fuck load of money doesn't mean you have to spunk it all on conventional things. I'm sure he still goes on holidays or spends time with people close to him. Or maybe he's just a very private individual and doesn't like to disclose much. In today's cynical world of how you can be perceived I don't blame him one bit for that. He already gets enough attention on his football and gets scrutinised enough for that. 

Yeah I only brought up the money thing to illustrate that he really doesn't need to worry about his security, even if he were a young man, he'd be very much set up for life and free to pursue whatever he wanted. Not to mention if he only has the one daughter, she's free to do whatever she wants with her life too.

I basically don't get why he doesn't seem at least a little relieved to be going. I get that he's a proud man and he has a lot of love for the club, but I just feel like he should be at least a little excited to not be working 7 days a week anymore at his age and in his situation. I don't know if that's ageist or not, but I certainly don't think I'd want to be working full-time up until I died. No matter how much I might like my job, there are certainly other things I'd like to have more time to do before I die than be at work.

[Panna King]

I am not sure where Wenger has done this latest interview of him blaming the fans for the reason why he is leaving as the fans have ruined the reputation of the club.    If this is true then that is an awful thing to say from a coach that has been at the club 22 years.

[Panna King]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the lack of unity among fans in recent seasons has been "hurtful" to the club.

The Frenchman announced on Friday he would step down at the end of the season after almost 22 years in charge.

Some fans have turned on Wenger as they look set to miss out on a Premier League top-four spot for the second successive season.

"The image we gave from our club is not what it is and not what I like," said Wenger, 68.

Arsenal beat West Ham 4-1 on Sunday to stay sixth in the top flight.

The Gunners finished outside the top four last term for the first time since Wenger arrived at the club, and are now 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, with four matches remaining.

Their hopes of reaching the Champions League rest on winning the Europa League.

Fans have held "Wenger out" signs at Arsenal matches, while there have been empty seats at home games in recent months.

"I was not tired," said Wenger after Sunday's win, when talking about his decision to quit.

"Personally I believe this club is respected all over the world, much more than in England.

"The fans did not give me the image of unity I want all over the world and that was hurtful because I think the club is respected".

Wenger, who has won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups at Arsenal, added: "I'm not resentful and I do not want to make stupid headlines.

"I'm not resentful with the fans, I just feel if my personality is in the way of what I think our club is, for me that is more important than me.

"That is what I want to say, it is nothing to do with the fans. The fans were not happy - I can understand that. That is my job and I have to live with that, I can accept that."

[Panna King]

Why does Wenger talk like he owns the club,  Wengers job is to manage the football team and get results which the results declined over the years,  also how can he explain Arsenals away form this season when its away from the home crowd but have not picked up a point in 2018!   

[SirBalon]

32 minutes ago, VanPaddy said:

Personally I believe this club is respected all over the world, much more than in England.

This is the problem with Arsenal... This is the issue! This is what’s fundamentally important to them because the only reason home fans’ attitude in recent times hurts them is because they’re the physical face of the club on match days. Ridiculous comments from him... Just go and have your rest mate! You’re history now, thanks for your service. 

[Panna King]

10 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

This is the problem with Arsenal... This is the issue! This is what’s fundamentally important to them because the only reason home fans’ attitude in recent times hurts them is because they’re the physical face of the club on match days. Ridiculous comments from him... Just go and have your rest mate! You’re history now, thanks for your service. 

He fails to see the failure in him as a coach and blames his own failure on the fans, this is not the end of it.

[Stan]

love how the quotes at the bottom of the interview are ignored. 

I'm not resentful and I do not want to make stupid headlines
I'm not resentful with the fans
The fans were not happy - I can understand that. That is my job and I have to live with that, I can accept that."

Also, when he says there has not been unity amongst the fans - what's wrong in saying that? Quite clear that some weren't happy (which is their right to do so) and equally clear that some still respected him and thought some criticism of him went too far. You get that at every club where fans are divided in opinion and it's no different just because Wenger has pointed it out. 

[Panna King]

27 minutes ago, Stan said:

love how the quotes at the bottom of the interview are ignored. 

I'm not resentful and I do not want to make stupid headlines
I'm not resentful with the fans
The fans were not happy - I can understand that. That is my job and I have to live with that, I can accept that."

Also, when he says there has not been unity amongst the fans - what's wrong in saying that? Quite clear that some weren't happy (which is their right to do so) and equally clear that some still respected him and thought some criticism of him went too far. You get that at every club where fans are divided in opinion and it's no different just because Wenger has pointed it out. 

The problem is, Wenger thinks he has been forced to leave because of the fans and not that he has been a bad coach. 

[Stan]

1 minute ago, VanPaddy said:

The problem is, Wenger thinks he has been forced to leave because of the fans and not because he has been a bad coach over the last 5 years or so. 

where does he say that?

[Panna King]

Just now, Stan said:

where does he say that?

He says the fans were not happy and he has to live with that,  but he needs to ask why they were not happy, but he never asked as he is so arrogant. 

[Stan]

7 minutes ago, VanPaddy said:

He says the fans were not happy and he has to live with that,  but he needs to ask why they were not happy, but he never asked as he is so arrogant. 

he's hardly slammed the fans then as Dodger said above. what he's said is hardly groundbreaking or worthy of an overreaction.