Originally Posted by
LDG
Simple fact is, not ALL of this is down to Wenger. The board are just as culpable, and I have a feeling our new owner is even more so.
You can blame Wenger for buying trash like Squillacci and Chamakh, but don't forget he also bought Vermaelen and Nasri and Cesc etc etc. He makes some errors, and the fact that he didn't sure up CB when TV5 was out, and Squid was stinking the place out is unforgivable....as was the Almunia situation.
His tactics have left a lot to be desired. Putting faith in youth in big games, and naively / stubbornly / unprofessionally sticking to his guns when it's clear to all what needs to be done in certain situations.
It was his fault for the loss of mental strength within the side, and his fault for not demanding / seeking much needed back up at the crunch time last season.
All that said. There are CLEARLY financial issues here. I firmly believe that SOME of what Wenger is doing, is to serve the club long term, and sacrificing some of his integrity for the sake of the clubs future.
I garuntee that the next manager will be a good one, and that they'll have funds, and that they will have NONE of the pressure AW has had throughout the current period of debt and financial prudence. And I think the debt will be gone when the new manager takes over.
Some corners of the fanbase will point and say "see, Wenger lost the plot and was shit". But anyone with common sense, or respect for a CLEARLY decent manager, will know that he has sacrificed his best years (to a degree, I add) for the sake of the club. I'm still convinced he's a winner, and someone who is passionate about his team. He has done things wrong, but he's also done a lot right.
There is a middle ground.
But it is quite inexcusable the way we collapsed last year, as the majority of that was down to our boss.