Random Arsenal Shit (When it's not worth starting a thread)

[Niall_Quinn]

As a stadium it's about a million times better than Highbury. It is soulless - partly because of the lack of history but that can only come about with time. Were the internet around a hundred years ago your great grandfather would probably be whining on it about Highbury and asking what was wrong with South London. The fact that we haven't had a title there is a factor, we haven't had a really successful side since we've been there, things like that create memories.
The fact is we had to do it. We've pondered for years whether Wenger could really compete these days, clearly he can't. I held out hope longer than most but whatever, we're on the same page about that now. But the next chap would be massively hindered in his attempts to do so were we still at Highbury. Every other top club has expanded, moved grounds or is looking to. The fact that we have a fanbase large enough to fill it is pretty much down to Wenger and the success and style of football in the early years. Our average home attendance in 1993/4 was around 30,000, and that year we finished 4th and won the CWC. It was only a few years after the last Graham title.


It's nowhere near good enough, given our resources. But you have to concede that those resources and the fanbase which generates them are in no small part down to Wenger.


It matters because it provides some historic context. We've always been a big club but not since the 1930s were we the best side in the country for a sustained period of time.
I'm not sure what you mean by "pitched up". We won the FA Cup in 1971, 1979 and 1993 before Wenger joined.
We've won it that many times in the previous 4 seasons and everyone is wailing and gnashing their teeth. But that's because our expectations have changed. That level of expectation comes in no small part from Wenger's early time with us. Before that we never had that expectation.
We've pretty much never been properly shite enough to get relegated - but we never had any expectations of a title challenge. Maybe a hope we would but those hopes were generally dashed pretty early in the season. And we were much more erratic. We nearly became "Invincibles" in 1991, two years later it was the height of boring boring Arsenal and while we did win both domestic cups that year our league form was such that at one point I genuinely believed we'd be dragged into a relegation scrap. Our last 27 league games our results were W6 D9 L12. We scored 40 goals in 42 league games. That season we clearly concentrated our efforts on the cups but these days that isn't acceptable, we expect to be competing on all fronts. We didn't expect that before Wenger.

I hope Wenger goes sooner rather than later. Every season - it's getting to the stage where it's every match - further damages his legacy and reputation. But I hope when he goes and the smoke clears people will remember the good times. My happiest memories of Arsenal are from his time with us, most people's are. Clough took Forest down in the end and I think he's still regarded as a Forest hero, all Wenger's done is failed to sustain the early success and is now not even able to maintain his record of keeping us in the top 4.

Like any manager he has strengths and weaknesses. Those strengths revolutionised us as a club and it revolutionised the game over here. It brought us a sack of trophies and a level and style of football I never thought I'd see Arsenal ascend to. Those weaknesses failed to make the most of one of the great squads in English club history - he never won the CL, he never retained a title. Other clubs have caught up and now surpassed us. But while top 4 shouldn't be the limit of our ambitions, keeping us in there, and the FA Cups, show Wenger hasn't got everything wrong. I just wish he'd gone at the end of last season, that was his last chance to be applauded out the door.

That bit in bold, that's the bit that going to be disputed after Wenger has gone.

Did he love Arsenal or was he a con artist who stuffed his wallet at the expense of the club and the fans? It's now fairly clear the latter is true, that's why his legacy will be tarnished and possibly erased if he persists.

And it's starting to appear he has NO strengths whatsoever as a manager. Shit coach, shit motivator, shit tactically, shit in the transfer market when he doesn't have a head start, shit at bringing youngsters through, shit at getting the best from players, shit at adapting, shit at preparing for different opponents, shit at everything to do with what happens on a football pitch. Truth though, isn't it? I'm just going on the record. Take away all his early advantages and what's left in a head to head against the top coaches? Look at his European record. What does it tell you?

[Niall_Quinn]

Why is it important?

So Dixon tells us Adams was the coach who helped Ashley Cole develop, and that Wenger is a nice bloke but can't coach. And yet Wenger is held up as the guy who masterminded the Invincibles while Adams is banned from the club. That's just one player and one victim of the Wenger myth. Would it surprise you in any way if there are more examples like this? Wouldn't surprise me at all. So it could be we haven't placed the credit for past triumphs where it belongs. And it could be somebody is lording it up while the real legends get binned. Important to know if that's the case I think. So we can have a real history of the club we support, rather than a fantasy one.

[Letters]

That bit in bold, that's the bit that going to be disputed after Wenger has gone.

Did he love Arsenal or was he a con artist who stuffed his wallet at the expense of the club and the fans? It's now fairly clear the latter is true, that's why his legacy will be tarnished and possibly erased if he persists.

And it's starting to appear he has NO strengths whatsoever as a manager. Shit coach, shit motivator, shit tactically, shit in the transfer market when he doesn't have a head start, shit at bringing youngsters through, shit at getting the best from players, shit at adapting, shit at preparing for different opponents, shit at everything to do with what happens on a football pitch. Truth though, isn't it? I'm just going on the record. Take away all his early advantages and what's left in a head to head against the top coaches? Look at his European record. What does it tell you?

So till the last couple of seasons he's kept us top 4 every year and we've won 3 FA Cups in 4 years and he has NO strengths as a manger?
Behave.
And I disagree that is "fairly clear". I have literally no idea how you decide what to believe, on other topics it seems to be more-or-less based on whether it agrees with your prevailing world view. I just think he's deluded and thinks he can still do a job, if he still thinks so after this season then I despair.

[Xhaka Can’t]

As a stadium it's about a million times better than Highbury. It is soulless - partly because of the lack of history but that can only come about with time. Were the internet around a hundred years ago your great grandfather would probably be whining on it about Highbury and asking what was wrong with South London. The fact that we haven't had a title there is a factor, we haven't had a really successful side since we've been there, things like that create memories.
The fact is we had to do it. We've pondered for years whether Wenger could really compete these days, clearly he can't. I held out hope longer than most but whatever, we're on the same page about that now. But the next chap would be massively hindered in his attempts to do so were we still at Highbury. Every other top club has expanded, moved grounds or is looking to. The fact that we have a fanbase large enough to fill it is pretty much down to Wenger and the success and style of football in the early years. Our average home attendance in 1993/4 was around 30,000, and that year we finished 4th and won the CWC. It was only a few years after the last Graham title.


It's nowhere near good enough, given our resources. But you have to concede that those resources and the fanbase which generates them are in no small part down to Wenger.


It matters because it provides some historic context. We've always been a big club but not since the 1930s were we the best side in the country for a sustained period of time.
I'm not sure what you mean by "pitched up". We won the FA Cup in 1971, 1979 and 1993 before Wenger joined.
We've won it that many times in the previous 4 seasons and everyone is wailing and gnashing their teeth. But that's because our expectations have changed. That level of expectation comes in no small part from Wenger's early time with us. Before that we never had that expectation.
We've pretty much never been properly shite enough to get relegated - but we never had any expectations of a title challenge. Maybe a hope we would but those hopes were generally dashed pretty early in the season. And we were much more erratic. We nearly became "Invincibles" in 1991, two years later it was the height of boring boring Arsenal and while we did win both domestic cups that year our league form was such that at one point I genuinely believed we'd be dragged into a relegation scrap. Our last 27 league games our results were W6 D9 L12. We scored 40 goals in 42 league games. That season we clearly concentrated our efforts on the cups but these days that isn't acceptable, we expect to be competing on all fronts. We didn't expect that before Wenger.

I hope Wenger goes sooner rather than later. Every season - it's getting to the stage where it's every match - further damages his legacy and reputation. But I hope when he goes and the smoke clears people will remember the good times. My happiest memories of Arsenal are from his time with us, most people's are. Clough took Forest down in the end and I think he's still regarded as a Forest hero, all Wenger's done is failed to sustain the early success and is now not even able to maintain his record of keeping us in the top 4.

Like any manager he has strengths and weaknesses. Those strengths revolutionised us as a club and it revolutionised the game over here. It brought us a sack of trophies and a level and style of football I never thought I'd see Arsenal ascend to. Those weaknesses failed to make the most of one of the great squads in English club history - he never won the CL, he never retained a title. Other clubs have caught up and now surpassed us. But while top 4 shouldn't be the limit of our ambitions, keeping us in there, and the FA Cups, show Wenger hasn't got everything wrong. I just wish he'd gone at the end of last season, that was his last chance to be applauded out the door.

Good post.

Agree with it and most of the context within it. When we nearly became the Invincibles, it was during a more difficult time than when we did achieve it. That is because the difference between the haves and have nots was far less than it is today.

Back then, the League was far more egalitarian and competitive than now. I even remember fighting and losing against Sheffield Wednesday for Andy Sinton’s signature.

[Power n Glory]

Why is it important?

It's like finding out your favorite band/artist doesn't play their own instruments or write their own songs but for years have been regarded by fans and peers as a musical genius. It's important.

[Niall_Quinn]

So till the last couple of seasons he's kept us top 4 every year and we've won 3 FA Cups in 4 years and he has NO strengths as a manger?
Behave.
And I disagree that is "fairly clear". I have literally no idea how you decide what to believe, on other topics it seems to be more-or-less based on whether it agrees with your prevailing world view. I just think he's deluded and thinks he can still do a job, if he still thinks so after this season then I despair.

I'm basing my views on the way he's supported EVERY move by the club that stuffed the fans. Robbed them in return for empty promises. More fool the fans, of course, but it still doesn't excuse the thief. And even he admitted his contract negotiations fucked the club up last season. So I'm going on what's actually happened over the years. You're settling on a DIY psychological profiling. Not that I'm saying you're wrong. Plainly he's delusional too. Megalomaniacs generally are.

And go ahead and list his strong points as a manager.

[Power n Glory]

So Dixon tells us Adams was the coach who helped Ashley Cole develop, and that Wenger is a nice bloke but can't coach. And yet Wenger is held up as the guy who masterminded the Invincibles while Adams is banned from the club. That's just one player and one victim of the Wenger myth. Would it surprise you in any way if there are more examples like this? Wouldn't surprise me at all. So it could be we haven't placed the credit for past triumphs where it belongs. And it could be somebody is lording it up while the real legends get binned. Important to know if that's the case I think. So we can have a real history of the club we support, rather than a fantasy one.

[KSE Comedy Club]

So 12 percent are certifiably insane or hate the club?

somewhat bizarrely, 5 percent were undecided and 7 percent thought Wenger should make the decision when he leaves.



How fucking retarded are these people?!?

[Marc Overmars]

Why is it important?

In 2004, Wenger was rightly regarded as one of the greatest in the game. The weaknesses we speak of now were never spoken about back then, even though we claim they were always there. I’m not sure how much was already there and how much has developed over time once the players he inherited had all gone and he had a squad purely in his image.

The reason why Fergie is so revered is because he rebuilt when he had to and got the same results. Once Wenger had to rebuild he was never the same. Though I fully accept the stadium played a part in the quality of player he could bring in, it just wasn’t even close to replicating the same strengths from the players that he enjoyed success with. Polar opposites infact.

[AFC Leveller]

I read somewhere that we now qualify for the fucking Thursday by default as City will play CL football (winners of the carling cup qualify for the Thursday league). That’s depressing, really hate this competition and the way you have to play 79 games to get to the last 8.