WENGER IS STAYING !

Well - its good news for City, Chelsea & Liverpool - we're the team they all use to get their goal average up.

:rolleyes:

I'm probably one of the few people who would have been fine with this either way - I think Wenger is probably coming to the end now, and that it's time we started considering other options, but I also still like the guy, and don't think it's the end of the world if he stays on for another couple of years.

IMO what we're seeing here is the beginning of us gradually transitioning him out, and I think that's probably the right call, even if it means another couple of years of more of the same. After nearly 2 decades in charge, Wenger is tied to nearly every part of this club - more areas than he ideally should be - and that's not something you can just tear out without making a mess. We need to gradually strip his role right back to that of a head coach again before we let him go (because that's what his successor will be), and we need to make sure any responsibilities (and power) he currently has that he shouldn't has been redistributed to other people (ideally new people, who are tied to the club and not loyal to one man). I think this process has already started, with the appointment of Jonker and a couple of other coaches (and the telling reshuffle of who's in charge at what age groups), and I suspect similar moves might be happening with whoever handles transfers, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

But in the meantime, it looks like it's Wenger for two more years - if/when that contract gets signed, there's no choice but to get behind him and support him...

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Originally Posted by I am invisible

I'm probably one of the few people who would have been fine with this either way - I think Wenger is probably coming to the end now, and that it's time we started considering other options, but I also still like the guy, and don't think it's the end of the world if he stays on for another couple of years.

IMO what we're seeing here is the beginning of us gradually transitioning him out, and I think that's probably the right call, even if it means another couple of years of more of the same. After nearly 2 decades in charge, Wenger is tied to nearly every part of this club - more areas than he ideally should be - and that's not something you can just tear out without making a mess. We need to gradually strip his role right back to that of a head coach again before we let him go (because that's what his successor will be), and we need to make sure any responsibilities (and power) he currently has that he shouldn't has been redistributed to other people (ideally new people, who are tied to the club and not loyal to one man). I think this process has already started, with the appointment of Jonker and a couple of other coaches (and the telling reshuffle of who's in charge at what age groups), and I suspect similar moves might be happening with whoever handles transfers, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

But in the meantime, it looks like it's Wenger for two more years - if/when that contract gets signed, there's no choice but to get behind him and support him...

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:gp:

yeah, this is pretty much how I view it though with a slightly less rational head as I want him gone now. Saying that I don't think he will do us any harm being in charge for the next 2 years...I just don't believe we will make any real progress.

I am definitely coming round to the idea of a gradual handover of his duties which as you said seems to be happening now.

I am worried because we seem to have stagnated as a club while every other major team is in transition and seeking to move forward. Each year it seems we fluke 4th place with one of the other teams, City, United, Chelsea or Pool having a lousy season. Like it or not the CL is what gives this club the little prestige it has left worldwide and losing out will not kill us as a club but it will empower another team to gain an advantage on us. 5 into 4 places just doesn't work. With Wenger sticking to his failed strategies I am afraid we will likely be the ones who will miss out.....Ergo the death of Arsenal as a superclub. Not that we really were anyway

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Originally Posted by selassie

:gp:

yeah, this is pretty much how I view it though with a slightly less rational head as I want him gone now. Saying that I don't think he will do us any harm being in charge for the next 2 years...I just don't believe we will make any real progress.

I am definitely coming round to the idea of a gradual handover of his duties which as you said seems to be happening now.

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Also gets a :gp: from me as well.

I dont think 4th place and the FA Cup means he deserves to stay on, but I have never been in favour of him being forced out either. I was hoping he would decide to call it a day, but as that decision clearly hasnt been made yet we could end up in a bit of a mess if he were to be forced out. As mentioned above, their needs to be a clear and thought out succession plan. And with the board keen for him to stay on, it just doesnt sound like we're gearing up for a change.

That said I will go into the next couple of seasons with no real expectation of challenging for the league or CL, which is a shame.

That's the spirit! If you go into every season expecting nothing, then you can only be pleasantly surprised! It works for me anyway - I go to work every day thinking everyone is a total bastard except me, and I'm rarely let down...

at the start of the season winning a trophy would have been the improvement i sought for me to want him to continue with us, although my concern is that the apalling defeats to chelsea, city, liverpool and everton really make me question whether he can push on....that plus his outright refusal to sign a striker makes me more concerned that we will slip out of the top four with a rejuvenated liverpool and a man united side fresh from taking a season off.

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

at the start of the season winning a trophy would have been the improvement i sought for me to want him to continue with us, although my concern is that the apalling defeats to chelsea, city, liverpool and everton really make me question whether he can push on....that plus his outright refusal to sign a striker makes me more concerned that we will slip out of the top four with a rejuvenated liverpool and a man united side fresh from taking a season off.

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I'm not sure it's fair to say he refused to. Top class strikers - players who would genuinely improve us - don't grow on trees. He tried to get Suarez last summer (I wonder how this season would have panned out had he succeeded) and it's rare for a real top signing to be made in January. It's bound to be top of the shopping list for this summer.

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Originally Posted by Letters

I'm not sure it's fair to say he refused to. Top class strikers - players who would genuinely improve us - don't grow on trees. He tried to get Suarez last summer (I wonder how this season would have panned out had he succeeded) and it's rare for a real top signing to be made in January. It's bound to be top of the shopping list for this summer.

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He may not have directly refused to but he sure as hell made a complete mess of the situation. In a indirect way he did refuse to by not paying the "market value" for the strikers he was chasing.

I think if he didn't have history with screwing up deals over his "valuations" then he would have been given a lot of leeway last summer.

To go two seasons with only 1 senior striker at the club is simply not acceptable, it wouldn't happen at any other top 4 club. The sad thing is our senior striker isn't really good enough to start for us either.