Winter Transfer Speculation

[Özim]

One the one hand I want to see us spend money, on the other I don't want Wenger to waste it on unknowns and cheaper sub-standard players.

The guy just can't be trusted in the transfer market, he wastes a lot of money by buying crocks and unknowns when that money could be put towards signing top quality players.

His transfer record in the last few years is more miss than hit and the amount of money this club has wasted due to his blind faith and total belief in certain players is ridiculous, he really needs to move on so we can bring in someone with fresh ideas, more desire to succeed and modern football methods and tactics.

[Kano]

For sure, but I sure as hell don't expect Wenger to spend it wisely, if he does at all. He absolutely cannot be trusted.

As other have stated, if he isn't willing to pragmatically go out and buy the required quality then he needs to push what he has in the squad to the their absolute limits. He needs to find defined roles for the players and tell them that's where they play and this is what is required of them, if they don't follow instruction then put them up for sale. For example, if Theo isn't happy playing a bit part role as backup striker/winger then he should be sold. He has no right complaining about not getting chances upfront when he can't even control a football, Ramsey is the same, complaining about not getting chances in Central Midfield, yet when he plays there he has the likes of Danny Drinkwater playing him off the park.

Thing is, I think it makes more sense to look at the reality of the situation. This is why I’m not calling for Wenger to leave, even though I think he should’ve two seasons ago, because I don’t see it happening, at least for another year. It just corners you into frustration that leads to anger and bitterness you can’t do anything constructive with, except rage.

So in relation to how he manages to the squad, in real terms, nothing is going to change. We know his approach hasn’t changed since he arrived at the club and it isn’t going to for the remaining time he has here. That relates to the money too. He will spend this summer, on how and what return we see from them, we do not know. But for definite he is going to stand by certain players (and let’s face it, no-one is going to buy Theo on his current wages so we’re stuck with him) and certain issues will keep repeating themselves – unless he gets in players with not only the right level of ability but the right attitude too. That is a key part missing from the squads of the past ten years.

I heard this on the Arsecast while out running last night and it certainly rings true. He is very much a confidence manager, so when things are going well he can maintain that momentum and inspire the team onto long runs of form. When the shit hits the fan however, he struggles to dig the players out of a hole, he can’t lead them with confidence they may be lacking. That is reflected in the players he has had at his disposal for the past decade too.

[selassie]

Thing is, I think it makes more sense to look at the reality of the situation. This is why I’m not calling for Wenger to leave, even though I think he should’ve two seasons ago, because I don’t see it happening, at least for another year. It just corners you into frustration that leads to anger and bitterness you can’t do anything constructive with, except rage.

So in relation to how he manages to the squad, in real terms, nothing is going to change. We know his approach hasn’t changed since he arrived at the club and it isn’t going to for the remaining time he has here. That relates to the money too. He will spend this summer, on how and what return we see from them, we do not know. But for definite he is going to stand by certain players (and let’s face it, no-one is going to buy Theo on his current wages so we’re stuck with him) and certain issues will keep repeating themselves – unless he gets in players with not only the right level of ability but the right attitude too. That is a key part missing from the squads of the past ten years.

I heard this on the Arsecast while out running last night and it certainly rings true. He is very much a confidence manager, so when things are going well he can maintain that momentum and inspire the team onto long runs of form. When the shit hits the fan however, he struggles to dig the players out of a hole, he can’t lead them with confidence they may be lacking. That is reflected in the players he has had at his disposal for the past decade too.

Yeah I see what you are saying and that is the reality, however it won't stop me personally from getting emotional about the situation. Of course we are all powerless and can't really influence the way he manages or should I mismanages the team but given the current predicament it drives me crazy that Wenger hasn't or isn't seizing this opportunity. Excuse after excuse after excuse is all we hear, he's not even being honest.

He has literally been handed the title this season, if you look at the circumstances closely it really does defy belief that we look set to miss out on the title this season, to rub salt in the wounds we are likely to finish behind Leicester and The Spuds, how can Wenger as a so called top class manager sleep at night if the above happens? It's a sackable offence, he would get sacked at any other top club.

[Niall_Quinn]

Yeah I see what you are saying and that is the reality, however it won't stop me personally from getting emotional about the situation. Of course we are all powerless and can't really influence the way he manages or should I mismanages the team but given the current predicament it drives me crazy that Wenger hasn't or isn't seizing this opportunity. Excuse after excuse after excuse is all we hear, he's not even being honest.

He has literally been handed the title this season, if you look at the circumstances closely it really does defy belief that we look set to miss out on the title this season, to rub salt in the wounds we are likely to finish behind Leicester and The Spuds, how can Wenger as a so called top class manager sleep at night if the above happens? It's a sackable offence, he would get sacked at any other top club.

Again it comes back to what his purpose at the club is, in the eyes of the owners. Look at it another way. Based on that share sale last week, the club is worth well over a billion quid on paper now. Kroenke's stake cost £500mill and, if those share prices are an indicator, his shares are worth £900mill today. That's spectacular if it can be realised. So the fans are asking the owner to sack a manager that has returned an astonishing level of growth at a time when growth is almost unobtainable in traditional markets, non-monopolies at least.

What really matters to a man who has no connection whatsoever to the NLD, who knows fuck all about the Lysestershire Foxes, but can see another 4th place trophy at hand and another bumper CL bonus hitting the books?

Arsenal is a corporation now. Football is a marketing tool, not a sport. Kroenke is the spider sitting pretty at a moment when the cash pouring into football has become obscene beyond comprehension. It just doesn't get better than that. He's got the absolute number one manager in the world steering the ship. Is he going to sack him and bring in a loud mouthed captain that starts demanding irrelevant shite like the top players required to come 1st, when 4th is all that's required to achieve incredible financial results?

In a normal industry he might have to worry, because being the 4th best mobile phone provider or the 4th best games console provider or the 4th best supermarket can be precarious. But this is football. The consumer base is locked in, to a fanatical degree. It's so perfect you couldn't do better if you had a magic wand or a genie in a bottle.

Sack the manager? What kind of crazy talk is that? The fans? Fuck them. They'll keep paying anyway so who gives a fuck what they think or say or do?

[selassie]

Again it comes back to what his purpose at the club is, in the eyes of the owners. Look at it another way. Based on that share sale last week, the club is worth well over a billion quid on paper now. Kroenke's stake cost £500mill and, if those share prices are an indicator, his shares are worth £900mill today. That's spectacular if it can be realised. So the fans are asking the owner to sack a manager that has returned an astonishing level of growth at a time when growth is almost unobtainable in traditional markets, non-monopolies at least.

What really matters to a man who has no connection whatsoever to the NLD, who knows fuck all about the Lysestershire Foxes, but can see another 4th place trophy at hand and another bumper CL bonus hitting the books?

Arsenal is a corporation now. Football is a marketing tool, not a sport. Kroenke is the spider sitting pretty at a moment when the cash pouring into football has become obscene beyond comprehension. It just doesn't get better than that. He's got the absolute number one manager in the world steering the ship. Is he going to sack him and bring in a loud mouthed captain that starts demanding irrelevant shite like the top players required to come 1st, when 4th is all that's required to achieve incredible financial results?

In a normal industry he might have to worry, because being the 4th best mobile phone provider or the 4th best games console provider or the 4th best supermarket can be precarious. But this is football. The consumer base is locked in, to a fanatical degree. It's so perfect you couldn't do better if you had a magic wand or a genie in a bottle.

Sack the manager? What kind of crazy talk is that? The fans? Fuck them. They'll keep paying anyway so who gives a fuck what they think or say or do?

Yep, that's the sad reality and it depresses the hell out of me!

[Özim]

Yeah I see what you are saying and that is the reality, however it won't stop me personally from getting emotional about the situation. Of course we are all powerless and can't really influence the way he manages or should I mismanages the team but given the current predicament it drives me crazy that Wenger hasn't or isn't seizing this opportunity. Excuse after excuse after excuse is all we hear, he's not even being honest.

He has literally been handed the title this season, if you look at the circumstances closely it really does defy belief that we look set to miss out on the title this season, to rub salt in the wounds we are likely to finish behind Leicester and The Spuds, how can Wenger as a so called top class manager sleep at night if the above happens? It's a sackable offence, he would get sacked at any other top club.

The reality is however we're only a top club in name, everything else at the club says we're a club content with being 2nd best, it speaks volumes for the losers mentality that circulates this club, NQ made a very valid observation the other day about how Arsenal and Barca have changed since the 2006 CL final, one club has gone on to win everything and won't accept 2nd best, the other epitomises being 2nd best and has little interest in changing it, one club cares about what happens on the pitch the other just cares about what happens off the pitch.

If we are indeed a top club, then we're an embarrassment and a shining example of what not to do for all other top clubs out there, we've even seen ther players, clubs take the p*ss out of us and rightly so because in football terms we're a joke thanks to Wenger and those above him, former players, former managers, other managers, other players have been saying it's not been working for years and yet nothing changes.

When we come out of the CL draw and players are happy to be playing us you just know something is wrong.

[Power n Glory]

Thing is, I think it makes more sense to look at the reality of the situation. This is why I’m not calling for Wenger to leave, even though I think he should’ve two seasons ago, because I don’t see it happening, at least for another year. It just corners you into frustration that leads to anger and bitterness you can’t do anything constructive with, except rage.

So in relation to how he manages to the squad, in real terms, nothing is going to change. We know his approach hasn’t changed since he arrived at the club and it isn’t going to for the remaining time he has here. That relates to the money too. He will spend this summer, on how and what return we see from them, we do not know. But for definite he is going to stand by certain players (and let’s face it, no-one is going to buy Theo on his current wages so we’re stuck with him) and certain issues will keep repeating themselves – unless he gets in players with not only the right level of ability but the right attitude too. That is a key part missing from the squads of the past ten years.

I heard this on the Arsecast while out running last night and it certainly rings true. He is very much a confidence manager, so when things are going well he can maintain that momentum and inspire the team onto long runs of form. When the shit hits the fan however, he struggles to dig the players out of a hole, he can’t lead them with confidence they may be lacking. That is reflected in the players he has had at his disposal for the past decade too.

Hence the discussion about The Invincible team mentality. There was something already there mentally and we had leaders that would slap the eyeball out of players not pulling their weight. Wenger needs a strong captain. Kos should never captain the squad. Way too quiet but a change in armband won't help.

[Özim]

Again it comes back to what his purpose at the club is, in the eyes of the owners. Look at it another way. Based on that share sale last week, the club is worth well over a billion quid on paper now. Kroenke's stake cost £500mill and, if those share prices are an indicator, his shares are worth £900mill today. That's spectacular if it can be realised. So the fans are asking the owner to sack a manager that has returned an astonishing level of growth at a time when growth is almost unobtainable in traditional markets, non-monopolies at least.

What really matters to a man who has no connection whatsoever to the NLD, who knows fuck all about the Lysestershire Foxes, but can see another 4th place trophy at hand and another bumper CL bonus hitting the books?

Arsenal is a corporation now. Football is a marketing tool, not a sport. Kroenke is the spider sitting pretty at a moment when the cash pouring into football has become obscene beyond comprehension. It just doesn't get better than that. He's got the absolute number one manager in the world steering the ship. Is he going to sack him and bring in a loud mouthed captain that starts demanding irrelevant shite like the top players required to come 1st, when 4th is all that's required to achieve incredible financial results?

In a normal industry he might have to worry, because being the 4th best mobile phone provider or the 4th best games console provider or the 4th best supermarket can be precarious. But this is football. The consumer base is locked in, to a fanatical degree. It's so perfect you couldn't do better if you had a magic wand or a genie in a bottle.

Sack the manager? What kind of crazy talk is that? The fans? Fuck them. They'll keep paying anyway so who gives a fuck what they think or say or do?

In the end though, it won't change because the fans don't want it enough as highlighted by our full stadium every other week, they'll turn up regardless and the club knows that and if they don't others wil which ultimately gives them very little important to the club, if something is dispensible you don't worry too much about it.

10 years of this and nothing has changed and it won't, because the fans won't make their feelings clear that this isn't acceptable, they might say it isn't but in the end they still turn up on Saturday afternoons and still pay for their season tickets.

[Özim]

Hence the discussion about The Invincible team mentality. There was something already there mentally and we had leaders that would slap the eyeball out of players not pulling their weight. Wenger needs a strong captain. Kos should never captain the squad. Way too quiet but a change in armband won't help.

Seems to me Wenger has brought in players with no leadership qualities, probably so that noone dares question his methods, if you bring in players like Keane or Vieira then you're likely to clash heads from time to time, if you bring in players like Ramsey and Ozil you won't.

[rodders]

As an Arsenal supporter since primary school I have never been so depressed. It is now pretty much certain what we have all feared that the management have no real interest in winning anything and a manager who lives in the dark ages.