Wenger Referendum IV

[Marc Overmars]

My brother made the point that the reason has so much power is because Gazidis is useless. That his statements are meant to deflect criticism from himself and that his primary function is to grow the business and he's absolutely bungled that.

Odd thing for your brother to say. We're the 5th most valuable club in the world. One thing you can't knock this club for is the rate at which it has grown financially and in particular without a benefactor.

[Power n Glory]

Wenger's current role is unclear and variable so it's nothing new here.

I think Wenger is clear on what the Director of Football would be brought in to do at Arsenal, mainly to lead/help with player recruitment/transfer strategy.

As others have said, he is a control freak and doesn't want change. An appointment of a Director of Football may well end his time here, it could be he walks out of principle. ��

We’ve been saying it for years now. He doesn’t want to change and the fact that he’s made such a statement is just another knock to Ivan’s ‘catalyst of change’ statement. When people on here or pundits were suggesting Wenger was being hung out to try by the Board, I’ve never seen it like that. He’s happy that the Board stay out of his way and that they don’t interfere in the technical side. When they try, I doubt he listens or it takes a long time to convince him. I believe that statement PHW made years back during the ‘warchest’ stories day, that Wenger not wanting spend. Let’s not forget Wenger recently saying he has to calm Ivan down when it comes to spending.

If the Board have any sense, they’ll show him the exit. A Director of Football may have been their way of trying to save his job. Totally selfish of Wenger and he’s betraying football. If Johan Cruyff is his idol, he should be aware of how Cryuff embraced his former players and brought them back to Ajax to make sure football was the focus. We’ve been left totally exposed by Wenger.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

But actually in terms of marketing we are well behind city, United etc

Most of our profits this season have come from the tv deal.

As much as he's a football relic it's hard to argue that Wenger has been as instrumental in making our club as big as it has been finishing top four with less transfer expenditure etc. Of course with the wage bill and a failure to challenge for big trophies it could be argued just as easily that he's equally responsible for us not having done more.

Frankly I think the whole club could do with change, it's hard to know how much Gazidis is constrained in his job and we could equally think if he had any self respect or high reputation he would have left by now.

He is the only one apart from Wenger that we ever hear from, and because he takes a different line to Wenger he endears himself more.

However it's impossible to know whether he's a genuine agent for change or whether he's covering his own arse.

[Power n Glory]

Odd thing for your brother to say. We're the 5th most valuable club in the world. One thing you can't knock this club for is the rate at which it has grown financially and in particular without a benefactor.

Exactly. Let’s not forget that Wenger hired his own ‘boss’. The Board have done part of what Wenger has been bellyaching about. He can’t use money as an excuse now. Especially not when we lost the league to Leicester last year. People have been trying to find a way to absolve Wenger for years. This is a clear example of Wenger telling Gazidis and co to stay out of the technical side and that he doesn’t want their opinion on how his team should play.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Exactly. Let’s not forget that Wenger hired his own ‘boss’. The Board have done part of what Wenger has been bellyaching about. He can’t use money as an excuse now. Especially not when we lost the league to Leicester last year. People have been trying to find a way to absolve Wenger for years. This is a clear example of Wenger telling Gazidis and co to stay out of the technical side and that he doesn’t want their opinion on how his team should play.

The only argument id make is that whether he is a genuine catalyst for change now or not, he has spent a hell of a long time asleep at the wheel.

And you could equally argue that would a CEO worth his salt allow himself to be interviewed by someone when you would be becoming their boss.

I'm playing devils advocate, I'm not a big fan of Gazidis but I believe that unfortunately he is the only one who offers a way out of this mess.

[Letters]

Because most modern football structures work with a director of football.

If we get in a manager and give him the same carte blanche as we gave Wenger we are asking for the same problems all over again.

Wenger doesn't want a director of football because he wants nothing to change he wants the same power he's always had.

I agree Wenger has far too much control. He seemed to work best when someone like Dein was working more directly with him, there doesn't seem to be any equivalent of that now.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I agree Wenger has far too much control. He seemed to work best when someone like Dein was working more directly with him, there doesn't seem to be any equivalent of that now.

And because the nearest thing we have to anyone like Dein is Gazidis who in fairness has come from the tinpot MLS, it if anything strengthens the need for a DoF whether he's still here or not.

The question is now whether Gazidis or Kroenke or anyone else has the resolve to say, we are changing the structure of the football club because there is life after you and if you want to continue here you will shake up your coaching team and have to work with a director of football take it or leave it.

The shame is Wenger i think will take it if the only alternative is for him to leave the club.

[Özim]

The dinosaur speaks.



All hail, the Glorious Leader

a) He's not funny
b) He decides everything that goes on at this club, including wether he done well and whether he keeps his job.
c) He wouldn't understand technical if it hit him in the face, the most technical he gets is cutting and pasting the same tactics/style game after game year after year

The glorious speciialist failure

[Power n Glory]

The only argument id make is that whether he is a genuine catalyst for change now or not, he has spent a hell of a long time asleep at the wheel.

And you could equally argue that would a CEO worth his salt allow himself to be interviewed by someone when you would be becoming their boss.

I'm playing devils advocate, I'm not a big fan of Gazidis but I believe that unfortunately he is the only one who offers a way out of this mess.

Most fans have been asleep at the wheel. The whole ‘financial doping’ argument is what most people fed into and it started the whole anti Ivan+Kroenke thing. For a long time, the perception was that we didn’t have money to spend and the Board were taking the flack for that. When the manager has complete control of the technical side and claims he’s being held back by our finances, it creates the perception that the Board are useless with the fans and kept the managers shortcomings out of the conversation. People would have gone nuts at the Board if he were sacked earlier.

Also, they’re not going to do that whilst trying to negotiate new sponsorship deals and after just moving to a new stadium. They had total faith in Wenger, like most fans, and probably convinced that he needed more money to spend. Hence, the mission to boost our revenue. That day has arrived and he’s fallen flat even with more money to spend. I suspect Ivan knew Wenger was full of shit ages when he said the fans determine Wenger’s job. I doubt short term success (trophies) is on the Board’s mind. If we’re happy with 4th every year, why change it?

[selassie]

We’ve been saying it for years now. He doesn’t want to change and the fact that he’s made such a statement is just another knock to Ivan’s ‘catalyst of change’ statement. When people on here or pundits were suggesting Wenger was being hung out to try by the Board, I’ve never seen it like that. He’s happy that the Board stay out of his way and that they don’t interfere in the technical side. When they try, I doubt he listens or it takes a long time to convince him. I believe that statement PHW made years back during the ‘warchest’ stories day, that Wenger not wanting spend. Let’s not forget Wenger recently saying he has to calm Ivan down when it comes to spending.

If the Board have any sense, they’ll show him the exit. A Director of Football may have been their way of trying to save his job. Totally selfish of Wenger and he’s betraying football. If Johan Cruyff is his idol, he should be aware of how Cryuff embraced his former players and brought them back to Ajax to make sure football was the focus. We’ve been left totally exposed by Wenger.

Oh I totally agree DOG, for a while I have thought Wenger wants it only his way, the numerous soundbites he has made about being in control of the technical side etc, that's how he wants it and now that Gazidis is suggesting we should see some change in the technical side Wenger doesn't like it and is digging his heels in.