Originally Posted by Wiltord's Winter Wonderland
russians
awful slovakians.
awful slovakians.
"I really like Arsenal. Do you really like Arsenal, or only Arsenal with trophies?" - Dennis Bergkamp.
"Which Arsenal do they want back, the one Arsene created?" - Tony Adams.
I think you both make fair points. With our wage bill, we shouldn't be struggling against certain teams and we should have at least won a few domestic cups.
But it's flawed to say we should be higher in the league with our wage bill. It's fair to say we should be spending more wisely, we can all agree on that. The recent signings of 5 unproven players while letting go of RVP, Song and potentially Walcott, really pisses me off. We should have a smaller squad with more proven players that know how to deliver if we're trying to progress. Guys like Wilshere, Gibbs and Ox won't be looking for the exit just yet because they know this is the best and one of the few clubs in England that will give young players a shot!
We're doing exactly what City and Chelsea do except with younger unproven players. We're paying over the odds and competitive wages for young players and inflating the rates but won't do it for proven players. Madness.
You need to go back to school.
As always, the issue is not straightforward. Wenger hasn't underperformed in terms of overall spend, relative to the richer teams. But he has arguably underperformed given the player resources at his disposal. In other words, there is good reason to believe that a better tactician, a more reactive manager who sets up his teams according to the opposition, and who doesn't seem to manage solely according to the training ground and the lap top would have done better with the players AW has. Of course, its Wenger himself who is responsible for bringing the technical talent that we have to the club, so the argument can easily become a little circular.
The main focus for criticism, IMO, is that the manager has squandered his financial resources by indulging experimental players. Without doubt, we pay untested and mediocre players too much - and they are millstones around the club's neck. There is good reason to suppose that had the manager behaved more judiciously, and had a more flexible wage structure (this wage parity has done nothing to foster togetherness and loyaly), funds would have been released to allow the club to keep its best performing players.
Anyways, for me the buck stops with the manager. The board and owners are not without blame, but the criticisms above are down to Wenger.
Last edited by IBK; 21-12-2012 at 01:49 PM.
Putting the laughter back into manslaughter
As always, the issue is not straightforward. Wenger hasn't underperformed in terms of overall spend, relative to the richer teams. But he has arguably underperformed given the player resources at his disposal. In other words, there is good reason to believe that a better tactician, a more reactive manager who sets up his teams according to the opposition, and who doesn't seem to manage solely according to the training ground and the lap top would have done better with the players AW has. Of course, its Wenger himself who is responsible for bringing the technical talent that we have to the club, so the argument can easily become a little circular.
The main focus for criticism, IMO, is that the manager has squandered his financial resources by indulging experimental players. Without doubt, we pay untested and mediocre players too much - and they are millstones around the club's neck. There is good reason to suppose that had the manager behaved more judiciously, and had a more flexible wage structure (this wage parity has done nothing to foster togetherness and loyaly), fans would have been released to allow the club to keep its best performing players.
Anyways, for me the buck stops with the manager. The board and owners are not without blame, but the criticisms above are down to Wenger.
This argument has been running for years. It's just further confirmation of Wenger's authority. Too many times I've heard people try to absolve him from blame as if he has no say in the financial side either. I feel a more ambitious coach would push the Board to aim higher as a true sportsmen should.
Just to add a little granularity to your last point.
Clearly profit-mongering is the policy.
Wenger is gaming the system, targetting the most saleable assets, raising their value and then selling them on. All this while holding a level that just manages to exploit Champions League money without spending to attempt anything more ambitious.
In gaming terms, we're min-maxing.
And in reply to the OP, yes, of course Wenger is scapegoat for the board, but that's part of the job description, that's part of what they're paid for. Every manager in history has been scapegoat for the board in times of on-field problems.
The manager isn't just the guy who picks the teams, he's also figurehead, PR man and meat-shield.
sure, i'll ask to join your tutor group.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...his-hands.html
Please Oh Please... let him not be around for one more season. Its been 5 seasons too late now.
Arsene Wenger, the only football manager that got paid 8 million quid to do nothing but sit on his arse..
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...his-hands.html
Please Oh Please... let him not be around for one more season. Its been 5 seasons too late now.he says that everytime, unless we fail the 4PT can't see the board not extending.
Society is now one polished horde
Formed by two mighty tribes, the bores and the bored.
"After all, it was the Gunners’ goalkeeper who started the move that culminated in Thomas’ crowning glory. It was Lukic who, in injury time, decided to throw the ball out to Lee Dixon rather than lump it long..."
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