Quote Originally Posted by Ice Berg Kamping View Post
We have all seen managers, like players, go stale at clubs for reasons other than to do with their latent talent. Whatever AW's merits, and there are many, he no longer seems willing, or able, to take the decisions needed to get the most out of our resources (both financial and playing wise). Both his methods and his ideas certainly seem to have stagnated at AFC.

I think the situation is best summed up by asking whether, in 1996, a younger Wenger would have felt that the power and prestige of clubs like United and Liverpool was a bar to him achieving success at Arsenal? Of course not. And yet the current version likes nothing better than talking about being unable to compete with the likes of Citeh. Yes times have changed and Citeh and the Chavs have taken spending to a new level - but we are talking a mindset, a committment and an ambition here - all traits that seem to have ebbed away a bit from Wenger.
I think it's reasonable to think Wenger had a chance of competing with Man Utd, Newcastle, Liverpool in '96 than competing with Man City now. When he came, he knew a lot of shit that other managers didn't. He knew all this Japanese dietary stuff, training methods and knew about all these French players that no-one had much idea of. He had that knowledge and he exploited it. Now that information has become far more transparent, the role of the manager is more towards motivating players. And maybe he's not good at that.

Fully agree with TEG's comment earlier. I firmly believe our squad was good enough to win the league last season (and the season before). Wenger can collect all the ingredients needed (well, players, anyway) but that's where it ends.