West Ham away (PL) Match Reaction Thread

I'll tell you who will be sad when Wenger finally leaves. Opposition fans. Many of them have the same sort of attitude to Wenger as Ferguson had when Wenger ceased to be a threat. They'll be graceful on the one hand but thinking "shit!" in private. As worried as we are happy when the glass ceiling is eventually removed. And for all those mancs and scousers in the past who said we were spoiled and they happily have Wenger at their club, I wonder will they feel the same if Wenger really does end up hunting around for a new challenge?

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

Perhaps but i often get the impression that his haughtiness is often directed at the journalists who claim to be acting as the mouthpiece of the fans

If i was a manager i would acknowledge absolutely no failings in press conferences whatsoever, so you never know it could be what Wenger actually thinks it could be that + he has to present an image of inscrutability. I think there is an element that feels he is owed a bit more respect because he feels he has kept things ticking over despite a difficult period of transition and yes if he was prepared to acknowledge that he was making mistakes you would see changes in his approach, and whilst there have been changes it's always done like For Example oh well i got my side to defend deep and play on the counter against city so that will work against every big side away from home and i don't have to adapt my approach depending on who i play.
But on the other hand he hinted quite openly that he may well have walked away in 2014 had he not won the FA cup, and whilst the offer from the club was there waiting for him to sign he did not sign the contract until after we won. So there is perhaps something there to suggest that he may choose to not sign a new contract even if one is offered to him.

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In part, like LVG, I understand why he treats the press with contempt for bothering him with their bullshit so they can generate their next batch of clicks. Doing any job for thirty years and having to justify yourself to a room full of people who will shake your hand and stab you in the back with the other wouldn't be anyone's idea of fun. They just write a bunch of shit and he lives and breathes it.

But. Wenger has to appreciate that these press conferences and after game interviews are the only direct fans get to hear what he thinks about the team and their performances. Sure, he's always been the perfect politician type, fencing off questions, giving back neutered answers that don't mean much but if he cannot react to the frustration rising in the terraces with anything different, then the frustration will only grow. He is a man that constantly talks about intelligence but at the moment he doesn't seem to be showing too much of that himself right now. That's if he cares about the growing chorus of boo's that is.

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

Perhaps but i often get the impression that his haughtiness is often directed at the journalists who claim to be acting as the mouthpiece of the fans

If i was a manager i would acknowledge absolutely no failings in press conferences whatsoever, so you never know it could be what Wenger actually thinks it could be that + he has to present an image of inscrutability. I think there is an element that feels he is owed a bit more respect because he feels he has kept things ticking over despite a difficult period of transition and yes if he was prepared to acknowledge that he was making mistakes you would see changes in his approach, and whilst there have been changes it's always done like For Example oh well i got my side to defend deep and play on the counter against city so that will work against every big side away from home and i don't have to adapt my approach depending on who i play.
But on the other hand he hinted quite openly that he may well have walked away in 2014 had he not won the FA cup, and whilst the offer from the club was there waiting for him to sign he did not sign the contract until after we won. So there is perhaps something there to suggest that he may choose to not sign a new contract even if one is offered to him.

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I don't think it's a front for the press. I think he's out of touch with the fans. His comments about ticket prices, transfers, the atmosphere around the ground with fans somehow affecting the teams confidence....it all points to a man out of touch.

I just find it interesting that the comments you mention mirror exactly the attitude of the board, when that old fart Hill-Wood was knocking about he used to tell us we were ungrateful plebs.
But importantly in a press conference even if he thought the fans were justified he's not going to admit it, and I wouldn't if i was a manager.
I personally think he knows he has fouled up, what makes him a bad manager is that he doesn't know why it has happened.

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Originally Posted by Özim

If he walked away acknowledging he can't take us any further people would thank him for all the great things he's done and that would be the end of it, it's his refusal to acknowledge that anything is wrong that is irritating, since he doesn't recognise anything is really not right, he's never going to see the need to improve anything.

I feel his arrogance about how secure his position is can be grating too, it feels like he's sticking two fingers up at the fan and saying I'll stay here as long as I want and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it and the laughing at them.

It's things like this that just don't endear him to some fans, if he was a bit more humble opinions might be a bit different.

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Aye, I'd be the same Zim and feel the same about the current situation.

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

I just find it interesting that the comments you mention mirror exactly the attitude of the board, when that old fart Hill-Wood was knocking about he used to tell us we were ungrateful plebs.
But importantly in a press conference even if he thought the fans were justified he's not going to admit it, and I wouldn't if i was a manager.
I personally think he knows he has fouled up, what makes him a bad manager is that he doesn't know why it has happened.

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I agree but I'm not so sure he doesn't know why, I think he knows why but is too pig headed to admit it. It's his way or the highway.

He's not going to change, he's what 66? I highly doubt he's going to change now or adapt to the point of having to completely change the way he works.

Possibly but the fact is Arsenal have undergone changes under him, but it's a bit like when he replaces the front wheel the back one falls off....he's too slow to adapt.

And I agree that he's too old now

I just hope that if he does go end of next season, we don't bring in Roberto Martinez

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

I just find it interesting that the comments you mention mirror exactly the attitude of the board, when that old fart Hill-Wood was knocking about he used to tell us we were ungrateful plebs.
But importantly in a press conference even if he thought the fans were justified he's not going to admit it, and I wouldn't if i was a manager.
I personally think he knows he has fouled up, what makes him a bad manager is that he doesn't know why it has happened.

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I’ve always made that connection. It’s not even a case where I think he’s playing politics in the press. Even if he thought the fans were justified, there are ways to handle it in the press without saying all he says.

I only have one hope this season.. Leicester 1st, Tottenham 2nd. We can come 3rd or 4th or 7th... I frankly dont care as long as Leicester wins it and Tottenham finishes ahead of us.

I dont care that Spurs finish ahead of us.. to me, the team I dislike the most is Chelsea and if Tottenham finishing ahead of us means means 0.01% of extra pressure on Wenger, then I am all for it. I dont want any morally superior cup or 4th place trophy. Something needs to give at this club, and may be, just may be our shitty neighbors showing us up with less resources will wake the cunts in the boardroom to fire our 'world class' fool.

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Originally Posted by fakeyank

I dont care that Spurs finish ahead of us.

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That's because you don't live in England.