Is it terminal?

[Power n Glory]

Thing is - I find it quite hard to believe that AW has run out of ideas. If what we hear is true (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), Wenger is the biggest nerd in football when it comes to studying the game - and its difficult to imagine that such an avid student of the game has no ideas about what makes a team work.

I think its more likely that he has a blind spot over his ability to put his ideas into practice with developmental players. Its not so much a blind spot about his ability - because he does have the ability to make good players world class. More about his ability to develop and keep them.

I honestly think that if he had managed to keep his top players together over the past 5 years we would have won the league with Barca style football - afetr all, he was the pioneer of this style in this country. Its his inflexibility about paying too much in transfers, while over-committing on developmental players' wages that seems to be the main problem.

Maybe run out of ideas is harsh. He's just being very dogmatic with his philosophy and he's not going to move away from this 'total football' 'tika taka' style. The Ajax model and Cryuff have been a big influence on his style and that's what he wants to recreate. I don't have a problem with that. Yeah, the instability in the squad has really been killing us and maybe we could have won a title if the team had stuck together and we'd done more as a club to buy players.

But over the past couple of seasons, Wenger has made some bad tactical calls and I've really started to doubt him as a manager. For example our defensive situation hasn't improved. It's gotten worse each season with more goals being leaked. He seems to think an attacking style of football means we're bound to leak more goals than other teams. But that's simply not true. Barca have a great defensive record and also work their socks off to win the ball back. For the past 3 seasons we've seen fans, players and ex players saying we need to defend from the back and as unit, like how Barca does, but we never do it. Seeing us do it against Chelsea was beautiful but it never lasts and it seems like a player lead strategy more than the managers call to press teams.

Yep top post. I think Wenger places player development and intelligence above anything else. I once read an article, cant remember what rag it was in, maybe the Independent where those close to Wenger pretty much said he lets the players work it out for themselves, he places a big emphasis on player development.

When we had a team full of experienced pros in the invincible era giving players the freedom to learn from their mistakes was fine because we had a set of experienced pros, using this method with a team of developing and largely inexperienced players is where Wenger has got it wrong.

None of this has anything to do with money, FFP or Man City, it's to do with coaching players and drilling them to learn, if a player is intelligent they will develop quickly on their own but they will most certainly develop a lot quicker if given direction.

I often say that Wenger makes it hard for himself, it's almost like he's trying to be too smart, many highly intellectual people are like this.

Which leads us to this. He will have to betray his philosophy in order to get the best of the team. Developing players and developing a team are two different things. One or two players learning a new role and developing is okay, but from the goal keeper, to defenders, midfield and attack....it's too much. Plus they have nobody to learn from. Cesc's development stopped as soon as became one of the most senior players in the squad. I hope we get that balance back and it's looking promising with the players we've just signed.

[Globalgunner]

wenger as one ofv football`s great thinkers is nothing but a delusion. He studies the game from the expanse of his mind. When last did you see or hear of wenger going to study the opposition before a match. Never does, every other manager does it From SAF to Oneill to allardyce to mancini, but not our prof. Player development, HAH!, which player has made strides under his watch?, Djourou,(10 yrs) still shite, Walcott, still as raw as he was in 2006. Wenger is better than the chap in that film, Keyser Soze. His greatest trick was to make people believe that he knows shit.

[GP]

wenger as one ofv football`s great thinkers is nothing but a delusion. He studies the game from the expanse of his mind. When last did you see or hear of wenger going to study the opposition before a match. Never does, every other manager does it From SAF to Oneill to allardyce to mancini, but not our prof. Player development, HAH!, which player has made strides under his watch?, Djourou,(10 yrs) still shite, Walcott, still as raw as he was in 2006. Wenger is better than the chap in that film, Keyser Soze. His greatest trick was to make people believe that he knows shit.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Is fuck-a-doodle-doo appropriate?

[Letters]

I think that about covers it, yes.

[Cripps_orig]

wenger as one ofv football`s great thinkers is nothing but a delusion. He studies the game from the expanse of his mind. When last did you see or hear of wenger going to study the opposition before a match. Never does, every other manager does it From SAF to Oneill to allardyce to mancini, but not our prof. Player development, HAH!, which player has made strides under his watch?, Djourou,(10 yrs) still shite, Walcott, still as raw as he was in 2006. Wenger is better than the chap in that film, Keyser Soze. His greatest trick was to make people believe that he knows shit.

A good point.

Never see him at other games as we do other managers. Its well known he doesnt study the weaknesses or strengths of opposition teams and just concentrates on our one which as can see has been a failure. His blind faith in our team is his biggest weakness

[Power n Glory]

I think that about covers it, yes.

You have to admit, it's harsh but he has a point. Having and studying an ideal or principle is one thing but studying the opposition is a part or the game. And a lot of the players he's had from reserve teen age haven't really turned out all that well. It's a harsh criticism but I wouldn't dismiss it.

[Letters]

There is a reasonable point in there somewhere about Wenger not being a great tactician - not adjusting the way we play enough to account for opposition teams. A quick Google gave me this which is a Manc's perspective:

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/ars...ation-exposed/

[Power n Glory]

There is a reasonable point in there somewhere about Wenger not being a great tactician - not adjusting the way we play enough to account for opposition teams. A quick Google gave me this which is a Manc's perspective:

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/ars...ation-exposed/

And that's the sad truth. It's why we still struggle to beat certain styles. Teams that used to once park the bus have know realised they can counter as seen from earlier seasons when both Manchester teams ripped us open. Hughes used the same tactics against us last season as he did when coaching City. It's probably why we still have shit wingbacks and defenders. How can you not study your opponent?

Same logic works with our stale attack as well. When teams double mark our players or try to force them wide, we have no clue how to react except more of the same. If we want our players to develop, hs has to get them studying the opposition. Pisses me off to read that and the original poster has a point on that respect.

[Maestro]

Yep top post. I think Wenger places player development and intelligence above anything else. I once read an article, cant remember what rag it was in, maybe the Independent where those close to Wenger pretty much said he lets the players work it out for themselves, he places a big emphasis on player development.

When we had a team full of experienced pros in the invincible era giving players the freedom to learn from their mistakes was fine because we had a set of experienced pros, using this method with a team of developing and largely inexperienced players is where Wenger has got it wrong.

None of this has anything to do with money, FFP or Man City, it's to do with coaching players and drilling them to learn, if a player is intelligent they will develop quickly on their own but they will most certainly develop a lot quicker if given direction.

I often say that Wenger makes it hard for himself, it's almost like he's trying to be too smart, many highly intellectual people are like this.

[/QUOTE]wenger as one ofv football`s great thinkers is nothing but a delusion. He studies the game from the expanse of his mind. When last did you see or hear of wenger going to study the opposition before a match. Never does, every other manager does it From SAF to Oneill to allardyce to mancini, but not our prof. Player development, HAH!, which player has made strides under his watch?, Djourou,(10 yrs) still shite, Walcott, still as raw as he was in 2006. Wenger is better than the chap in that film, Keyser Soze. His greatest trick was to make people believe that he knows shit.[/QUOTE]

This is our real problem, very close to home. I find these two posts very strangely related and an accurate account of our predicament. Fantastic shit.