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martin o neil

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

What grates most about these conversations is the assumption of how certain parties will react whenever this conversation is brought up. It really grates. Of course you've never spoken to Kronke or Wenger but you talk as if you have. It boils back to previous conversations. For starters, if the West Brom game attendance stays low and demand isn't that high for the game and we see the same pattern over the next few games, we can stop repeating this assumption that once you leave your seat someone else will be happy to take your place. We really don't know how far this feeling of apathy towards the club stretches and that goes back to the original point I made. We had the same conversation a week back. Wait and see what happens.

We really don't know what Wenger is thinking and even though he's likely to see out his contract, we have no idea if he'll sign an extension. The assumptions about where is mind will be in a years time or even come end of the season is a stretch. Most of what's said on here is guess work and hypothetical. I don't really have a problem with that. But it's this attitude of 'everything is hopeless' and telling people what is effective and what's not that bugs me. We really don't know what is effective because we've been doing the same thing for the past 10 years or so.

That's quite a rant, I used the word supposition quite deliberately to impose that this was my opinion and that I wasn't purporting my opinion as fact.

But the one thing I will ask you, is watch Wengers press conference and tell me if this is a man who looks or sounds concerned about this.

[Power n Glory]

Send me a link to a specific one where you think he looks unconcerned. I just watched the Palace game post conference. I can't really tell how Wenger feels from that because it's a press conference and how his reactions may just be based off his hate and annoyance of having to explain himself. You allude to that point in a previous post on this thread. I really don't know what's going on in his head during a press conference. Does anyone? But it's irrelevant. Does it matter whether he shows signs of concern or not in a press conference? Should that deter people from staying away from games?

Also, if Stan only cares about the bottom line and notices a drop in season ticket prices and sponsors express concern about the empty seats, who knows what can happen.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Send me a link to a specific one where you think he looks unconcerned. I just watched the Palace game post conference. I can't really tell how Wenger feels from that because it's a press conference and how his reactions may just be based off his hate and annoyance of having to explain himself. You allude to that point in a previous post on this thread. I really don't know what's going on in his head during a press conference. Does anyone? But it's irrelevant. Does it matter whether he shows signs of concern or not in a press conference? Should that deter people from staying away from games?

Also, if Stan only cares about the bottom line and notices a drop in season ticket prices and sponsors express concern about the empty seats, who knows what can happen.

The pre match interview for tonight's game can be found on skysports website

You seem to be fixated with the idea that I'm trying to deter people from staying away from games. If people want to do that, than I applaude them for their stance but I'm yet to be convinced that it will have any effect.....it of course remains to be seen and the only way to know for sure is by people staying away. Maybe I'm being pessimistic but the pre match conference appeared to confirm my suspicion that provided the tickets are paid for Wenger and Kroenke seem unconcerned by absenteeism.
Will that change if (and that's a big if) people choose not to renew their season tickets.....and it starts happening on a more frequent basis....possibly.

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger seems perplexed. He keeps saying we have the right players and have done the right things, but we keep on getting the wrong results. He doesn't know how to fix it. He can't understand why we aren't top of the league. Things like possession and technical performance and fitness, these are the things he focuses on and believes win games. He never talks about guts or backs to the wall or bottle, never mentions them. But these are also things you need to win and if you don't have them and don't appreciate them then I guess it must be a mystery when all your technical work and GPS vests and precise injections of broccoli come up short.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Posession is about quality not quantity

It's about playing not just to your strengths but the weakness of your oponents

I think Wenger understands this as well because there are games where it looks like we've executed a master plan. We score at opportune times, and play with discipline to protect our advantage. But all too often we revert to type.

My view of this would be against the top teams we have to have a game plan but against the lesser lights we just need to turn up, which is of course neglecting that there really aren't many lesser lights in the league.

This shows the contrast between the excellent way we dealt with United at the Emirates, to the haphazard complacency we showed at Old Trafford because we assumed they were there for the taking being in such bad form with so many injuries, they were top of the league when we played them in October.

[Power n Glory]

The pre match interview for tonight's game can be found on skysports website

You seem to be fixated with the idea that I'm trying to deter people from staying away from games. If people want to do that, than I applaude them for their stance but I'm yet to be convinced that it will have any effect.....it of course remains to be seen and the only way to know for sure is by people staying away. Maybe I'm being pessimistic but the pre match conference appeared to confirm my suspicion that provided the tickets are paid for Wenger and Kroenke seem unconcerned by absenteeism.
Will that change if (and that's a big if) people choose not to renew their season tickets.....and it starts happening on a more frequent basis....possibly.

Ok, I just watched that press conference and what is there to really make of those comments? What reaction are you expecting? He has said the fans unhappy affects him and that he questions himself everyday, whether he does that, I don’t know. Where he seemed irked the most was that last question from the journalist where he was pretty blunt. You mentioned that part in a previous post and he seemed more irritated by the question rather than be offended by fans wanting answers.

This is a good pieces from Stillman on Arseblog and this particular part sums it up.
http://arseblog.com/2016/04/director-of-the-bored/

If Arsene told Ivan Gazidis tomorrow that he would like to sign a new contract, the papers would be under his nose before he could finish the sentence. That is an uncontroversial assumption I think. That Wenger has not done so suggests that he is biding his time and his decision will probably rest on the amount of grief he is getting this time next year.

He has virtually admitted that he would not have renewed his last contract had the Gunners lost to Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup Final. It seems unlikely that somebody with Wenger’s perspective would stake his ability; or his belief in his ability, on a single match like that. It’s more likely that he would have just found the long term tumult unbearable in defeat. So when Ivan Gazidis infamously muttered that Wenger was accountable to the fans, he probably wasn’t being as cute as we thought.

It surprised everyone when Wenger said this year he would have stepped away if we had lost the FA Cup. He’s never hinted that before, so again, we really don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes with him. I can understand the pessimism but the press conference didn’t confirm anything at all.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Ok, I just watched that press conference and what is there to really make of those comments? What reaction are you expecting? He has said the fans unhappy affects him and that he questions himself everyday, whether he does that, I don’t know. Where he seemed irked the most was that last question from the journalist where he was pretty blunt. You mentioned that part in a previous post and he seemed more irritated by the question rather than be offended by fans wanting answers.

This is a good pieces from Stillman on Arseblog and this particular part sums it up.
http://arseblog.com/2016/04/director-of-the-bored/



It surprised everyone when Wenger said this year he would have stepped away if we had lost the FA Cup. He’s never hinted that before, so again, we really don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes with him. I can understand the pessimism but the press conference didn’t confirm anything at all.

He pretty much intimated that he thought the fans reaction was an emotional one and that he looks at things coldly and logically, and he intimated that we were being fickle and we would be back soon enough.

His reaction was "well we can't stop them from not coming" when in fact he can, even if he still believes he's the man for the job he could say "I respect we have disappointed supporters this season, I can guarantee you whilst that was in no way intentional, that I will do what is in my power to win back their favour".

Instead of essentially "well they'll be back when they've finished throwing a strop"

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I too have pointed to the fact that Wenger has intimated he would walk away from the club had he not won the FA cup, I think a grand gesture like that is easy to make in hindsight. I have doubts (and I've never suggested they are anything more concrete than that) that he would practise what he preaches, I have a feeling that he would not be able to extricate himself from power and arguably would need someone he respects to put his arm around his shoulder and say "Arsene it's not working".
I really hope I'm wrong, I'm not accusing Wenger of lacking integrity I just think after twenty years could he tear himself away so easily like that?.

[Power n Glory]

Wenger seems perplexed. He keeps saying we have the right players and have done the right things, but we keep on getting the wrong results. He doesn't know how to fix it. He can't understand why we aren't top of the league. Things like possession and technical performance and fitness, these are the things he focuses on and believes win games. He never talks about guts or backs to the wall or bottle, never mentions them. But these are also things you need to win and if you don't have them and don't appreciate them then I guess it must be a mystery when all your technical work and GPS vests and precise injections of broccoli come up short.

I think Wenger does mention those things. It’s just a different language. In most post game interviews he’ll use words like spirit, fight, mental strength….I think sometimes he focuses too much on those things and I rarely hear him talk in technical terms but then again, that could all be disguised in the language he uses. Playing with the handbrake may just mean we defended too deep and too cautious. I don’t know.