I've posted earlier that IMO the failure to replace DD played a significant role in the demise of AW and the club. Thinking purely in terms of the football on the pitch IMO AW lost it when he tried to apply his 'player intuition' style when utilising players who were still learning their game and roles.

I have no issue with a decision to retain the style provided that the team and players were fit for purpose. But I dispute that you can do so effectively with players who are still learning and developing, and yet are not being told what they need to know or do. As such IMO the twin aspects of 'player intuition' with developing players meant that both aspects would always be poor bedfellows, particularly as AW also said that a player is not fully developed and able to play with any level of performance or consistency until aged 23.
I also think that this is also the reason as to why so many development players have stagnated and regressed once they break through to become an established part of the senior match day squad.

I understand the arguments for utilising the development players with the self imposed financial restrictions, but IMO that argument becomes invalid when we continually generated season profits and then didn't directly reinvest into the playing group other than wages, and then wiped the slate clean to start from scratch the following season.
Further to this IMO it all became a bit self indulgent on AW's part post the Fabregas era with the rebuilds post 2010, and even more so once we had the new commercial revenues in the Ozil era. During this time AW repeatedly threw out the baby (player) whilst keeping the bath water (style).

The failure to spend what revenues he had in order to build a team that was fit for purpose was highlighted when he chose not to sign any outfield players the season when the new TV revenues kicked in, with most clubs choosing to invest in their squads ahead of the new revenues coming to hand so as to improve their table position and their revenue as a result.

In many ways the more freedom AW had in terms of control and finances the more entrenched he became in his determination to stay true to his principles. As such I wonder if part of his 'bitterness' with the supporters is that he cannot understand as to why so many do not share his values and beliefs.

In the end, he must realise that our results have been poor. If the fans turned on him, think of how much it must've taken for that to happen. He was/still is a beloved figure in north London. But when you apply Wenger's own high standards to himself, there is no other possible conclusion.

I wish he'd freshened up his coaching staff (and I mean literally, the entire staff, because I don't know that any of them are well thought of) because I still believe he could get results if he weren't so stubborn.

kamikaze wrote:

In the end, he must realise that our results have been poor. If the fans turned on him, think of how much it must've taken for that to happen. He was/still is a beloved figure in north London. But when you apply Wenger's own high standards to himself, there is no other possible conclusion.

I wish he'd freshened up his coaching staff (and I mean literally, the entire staff, because I don't know that any of them are well thought of) because I still believe he could get results if he weren't so stubborn.

I like his fundamentals but not his execution - if that makes sense.

So in terms of where do we go from here I'd prefer to see a similar scenario as to when AW arrived and married his attacking flair to the defensive stability, except this time it would be adding some defensive stability to the somewhat stifled attacking flair and to then take the frakking hand-brake off.

Wenger said in his pre-Atletico press conference today that "the timing was not really my decision". That makes it crystal clear I would think in terms of whether he jumped or was pushed. Glad Gazidis and co finally had the good sense to do it.

I wonder if the timing is because Gaizidis wants a new manager in for the start of the summer and didn't want to be making offers while Wenger was still supposed to be staying.

I suspect so - maybe Jardim wanted some assurances of a job before he agreed to leave Monaco, who knows. If it was someone like Enrique, wouldn't need this, so probably someone still in a job (Conte, maybe?).

Qwiss! wrote:

I wonder if the timing is because Gaizidis wants a new manager in for the start of the summer and didn't want to be making offers while Wenger was still supposed to be staying.

I think so. We must've narrowed down our candidates and I'm guessing it's someone that has to leave their current post to join us

Its less than a month until the season ends. To start signing a new manager, players, etc they need time. And of course it would have been an absolute cluster fuck to approach managers behind Wengers back. Stuff would have leaked and relationships would be even more sour than they are now.

Qwiss! wrote:

Its less than a month until the season ends. To start signing a new manager, players, etc they need time. And of course it would have been an absolute cluster fuck to approach managers behind Wengers back. Stuff would have leaked and relationships would be even more sour than they are now.

Agreed. I think the surprise is because "absolute clusterfuck" has been our middle name for the last decade or so.

I think we've dealt with it as well as we can. I mean, aside from the fact that this has come a few years too late.

goon wrote:

I think we've dealt with it as well as we can. I mean, aside from the fact that this has come a few years too late.

Unpopular opinion: I really think it was only 1 year too late.

Perhaps. I think they should have starting planning for his exit and reducing his influence a long time ago though, the 'catalyst for change' should have come at least a couple of years back when we failed to beat Leicester to the title.

The board was two years too late in planning, where as Wenger is a year late in leaving.

We should have been prepping for post-Wenger two years back (following the Leicester title) and then properly seen Wenger off with a final FA cup. Instead, the board fluffed around, offered Wenger a two year contract, he latched on to that, and now he's pissed that he won't see it out.

I also think that announcing Wenger was leaving may be required so that a new manager isn't considered to have pushed Wenger out. Too many managers have respect for Wenger to think they may have been the reason he was let go.

Diaby KungFu wrote:

Unpopular opinion: I really think it was only 1 year too late.

I'd agree with that. However the club as always was unprepared last season.


This is getting a bit silly. Why do you feel the need to explain it? PR own goal

He should just stop talking about it, because so far the media have latched on to the slightest bit of info in an attempt to make a mountain out of it.

Clrnc wrote:


This is getting a bit silly. Why do you feel the need to explain it? PR own goal

Because dickheads all around keep misquoting him.

What if Wenger takes the job at Chelsea? hah!

Clrnc wrote:


This is getting a bit silly. Why do you feel the need to explain it? PR own goal

wouldn't be surprised if AW wants it known that he's not happy with what is happening,
and the clarifications are because the club is wanting him to do so as they are still his employers and don't want him making waves whilst he is still on the payroll, let alone the stage of the season.