No bollocks

Just a quick one Mean Lean... Don't like the idea when we need to win a game, we have just one man upfront and in the box, RVP or MC when playing... The 4-3-3 in ma opinion not working esp at home against the park bus teams... Yday we needed a goal, bolton pegged back and yet we left Chamakh all alone in the box... Nasri not a proven goal scorer until early in the season, so all the goals He's got this season, kudos to him.. We can change to a 4-4-2 when teams are pegged back and when we play teams that park the bus at the Emirates...
One reasom we don't see our traditional 7-0 bashing of teams anymore... Again fantastic post, u bring the game to ur posts.. Very analytical... And for those who are feeling bad, I understand, but hey there's always a next season -lol the most commonly used word in the gooner community......

something has to be changed. cesc is a half hearted catalan. we want people who love arsenal..,. these squad is the worst arsenal squad we have ever seen. we are hurt and let down

From Twitter:

A stat for #arsenal fans. Before Wenger, you finished top four in 23 out of 92 seasons. Under him, it is 14 out of 14.

There's only one solution to the problem. Its so obvious I cannot understand why so many gooners cant see it. WENGER OUT!!!!!

The club is losing it's soul the manager and board need to start communicating the truth about the finances and post games. I don't expect Wenger to say Doujouro had a shocker today but say we clearly need to improve or Barcelona have shown us the level we need to aspire to etc

Stop blaming referees pitches fatigue etc it is embarrassing. We need players who show commitment like Wilshere that the fans can connect to rather than immature mercenaries !!

I fear the club are losing the supporters and it could go down hill fast

Why is Wenger saying he expects a quiet Summer when there is clearly things wrong!

I dont expect us to buy world superstars but to say what he did is disheartening to us all and as usual the cost players feel ok the boss says 4th is good enough and my job is not at risk who can that work?

We have some ridiculous number of 60 professionals on the books with a huge wage bill clear the rubbish from Randall, Eastmond thru to the prima donnas and recruit some who care or even promote within to Ramsey LAnsbury etc who might try

As usual..Wenger is God!

Wenger is no god. I don't think anyone is suggesting that he is. Find me another manager who has built a squad to compete with others who have spent vast amounts more and then we can talk about replacing Wenger.

We all want perfection and judging by your posts you expect that. I believe it takes time to get it. It has taken probably longer time than Wenger wanted but I don't think we are miles off.

Question?

In your eyes are we a good team with flaws? or a bad team with a few bright spots?

First of all if you think that there can not be a replacement for Wenger then I dont know what planet you live on.Guess what? Maybe if Wenger retires we will be relegated because,in your books,no one in the world can manage Arsenal and do what Wenger has done.WOW..Almighty Wenger!!!

I agree with you that we aim for perfection.True though unattainable.To answer your question,we are a fairly good team that needs fixing and fast.No one is saying Wenger has not done well.Give credit where credit is due but all I am saying to Wenger is "fix the darn errors with quality and tweak our style of play before this becomes a complete joke"
Do you really think Cesc didnt know what he was talking about when he spoke to the Spanish news paper?Or maybe you know more about what is happening in the club than the skipper himself-Cesc!

"Find me another manager who has built a squad to compete with others who have spent vast amounts more and then we can talk about replacing Wenger"

Are all the games we have drawn (or lost) against teams that have spent vast amounts? The last time I checked we spent more than Bolton, Stoke, New Castle, Orient, et al.

I guess Wolves are better than Manchester United then.

I am talking about position in the table. Playing in the Champions league every single year.

Find a manager who has done better with the resources he has had. It is simple. Good luck but I may not hear from you for a while.

I heard the translated version of what Cesc said and he didn't say anything wrong. Much of what he said was purposefully twisted as they knew people would fall for it.

Wenger will fix the problems. i agree with you that we have issues. Some terrible problems that keep hitting us in the face but you have to look at what Wenger has already done.

I would hate for the club to bow to the pressure get someone else in who cocks up our club and drops us out of the top four and buys rubbish.

Do you want that risk?

The issue should not be how much is spent or not spent. That is such an overrated argument by the AKB. Its about who makes full use of the resources at his disposal to challenge for honours.

Lets face it, Wenger has had money to spend the past 5 seasons. More than adequate to strengthen the squad. If he blindly chooses not to use the cash at his disposal its his fault and his alone. Plus all of his buys with the exception of TV5 have been shit. Chamakh is wank and so are the likes of Koscieny and Squillaci.

I can assure you if we fire Wenger, and hire Mourinho or Hiddink tomorrow, you'll see the league title within 2 seasons, and a CL trophy within 5. WENGER OUT!

LMAO Wenger will fix the problems? Like he's done for the past 5 seasons? Last i recalled we're still choking by Mar. Get real. The only way out is to sack him

Call it what you want ML but Cesc still made his point.Clearly he is unhappy about the quality around him and the way things are going.The boy is a winner and he is propably had enough of Barca players spewing rubbish just because hasnt won a plastic cup..ML in as much as I like some of the points you made,do you really think the board didnt take a risk with Wenger?The fact that you bring a renowned manager in does not mean we will be successful.So you really dont have any point in that respect.It is very much possible that whoever comes in might carry on with some of AW's good policies and throw his own policies into the mix to propel the club to higher heights.so its always going to be a risk.If Wenger was given the chance,why not someone else?Even if Wenger won a quadruple every season,when he retires we will still have to take the risk of bringing in someone new.
I have massive respect for Wenger but for him to act like he is all-knowing is an insult.
So tell me ML..I have a question for you...How come he has not solved these problems which seem to have persisted over the past couple of years?I would love to know the answer.

Judge me in may...yawn

My point is that we are not winning trophies not because other teams spend more than us but because of our style of play, lack of determination, etc. Do Man U and Chelsea grind out results because they spend more?

Talking about position in the table, I have said it before and I will say it again, the way we have played this season we are just very lucky that we are among the top 4. We don't deserve to be among the top 4. This season has been "who is the best amongst the worst". Look at Liverpool. They were fighting against relegation but now they are fighting for Europe. So, there is nothing to be proud of for being among the top 4. It seems some fans are just as deluded as Wenger is.

"If we do not deliver in one or two years I will be responsible. It is the most important moment in the life of this club" - Arsene Wenger, 16 May 2009"

Have they delivered? Wenger himself said he would be responsible.

Let's compare like vs. like. First of all let's find a manager who has been in charge as long as Wenger has been in charge. We are not going to find any because the goal of most clubs is to win trophies. 2 or 3 years without a trophy = OUT!!!!!!! Wenger hasn't been fired because "he is a god at Arsenal".

This article is very well written, very insightful, and unbiased.
Regarding the needed squad members, what Arsenal FC needs in a leader, especially on the offensive end. A player who will come in and take charge of his squad, talk and control his team. I love and respect Fabregas but he is not that player. Last year, he was inspirational and motivational (need I remind of the Arsenal bolton fixture where he came in for 20 minutes, got a goal and 2 assists). This year, he seems lacking. Perhaps thats an indication that he's ready to leave, or perhaps a sign of frustration that Arsene is not letting him go. I firmly believe that it is time for him to go because he is not what he was last year. Talent can be replaced, and we know we have loads of talent in our midfield, but we lack that leadership.
Also, not only do we need a squad leader, we need a managerial leader. Someone who will speak up off the field with, and sometimes against, wenger. I respect wenger, and he has done great things to this club, but he's a proud man, and pride men are never wrong, even when they are wrong. So its necessary for someone to come in and show him that we need to make changes at certain spots.
Finally, this is just me talking, ultimately its the club that makes the final decision, and the last call. lets hope its the right one.

MUK and Fatso,

I am clearly not going to change your opinion and you certainly won't change mine.

But here is my reason for supporting our current manager.

1) He has won league titles and FA Cups and has also gone undefeated in a league season. That isn't the norm.

While it is in the past with a different team (two different teams) he has still built those teams so he knows what it takes to do so.

2) I love the type of football Arsene Wenger has brought to Arsenal in the 14 years he has been here.

As supporting a club is not about flicking on the television on the last day of the season and checking to see what we have won, on the whole I enjoy watching our games every week. That to me is what it is all about. Trophies are silverware are a lovely bonus but enjoying watching my team is more important to me.

I had enough years following very dour George Graham teams without trophies to know that I would never ever want to go back to that.

3) Arsenal FC have never been big spenders. EVER! This was the case before Arsene Wenger. So I do not expect Jose Moan-riniho to come in and be given £300 million to revamp the squad and bring in Messi and Kaka.

Wenger has punched above his weight for years and the fact that he has been able to keep us in the top four with a squad clearly not experienced enough says it all.

If Aston Villa suddenly found a manager who was able to turn Villa into an attacking side with young players without driving the club into debt I don't think they would sack that manager in an attempt to take the next step.

Charlton tried it albeit on a lower level. Alan Curbishley was supposed to have taken Charlton as far as he could. The question to you is where are they now?

4) He will be given funds to spend. He is well known for being very good in the transfer market. I trust he will make those changes.

I understand that we have had the same problems for a few years now and I can understand why people are annoyed why Wenger hasn't been able to solve those issues. If we were outside the CL places for a few years and we did not look like improving then I would agree that change would be a possibility.

Winning the league isn't just a case of spending money on Gary Cahill. Manchester City have spent loads and loads of money yet they are chasing us. Why is that? If Wenger is so useless then why are Tottenham, Man City and Liverpool chasing us? Why don't they just go and buy this goalkeeper and defender that will win them the league?

It is not that simple. There are many factors that we do not know about and only claim to know.

I could pull out names like Hazard, Cahill, Sakho etc it is easy to write them down but I have no idea of their character, availability, suitability in real life, desire to join Arsenal, wage demands, competition from rivals etc.

Like Wenger or hate him. He knows more than we do. He has been at Arsenal for 14 years and has won titles at our club.

There is a reason why 95% of clubs worldwide want him and I trust that he will get it right eventually.... again!

That is my take and I stand by that. If that makes me an AKB, blind faith or following Arsene FC then so be it. For me, it is common sense.

I, for one, don't hate Wenger.

It's about "what have you done for me lately?"

I, for one, haven't enjoyed watching Arsenal play this season. Total disappointment. Do you enjoy watching Arsenal strikers trying to make a pass in the box? 90 % ball possession but very few shots on target? Is that what you call beautiful football.

"If Wenger is so useless then why are Tottenham, Man City and Liverpool chasing us?"

Seriously, using Liverpool as a yardstick with all the things that have happened at Liverpool this season? Tottenham and Man City had the same coach and almost the same team(s) for past 5 years? Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal for the past 5 trophyless years that's why we expect more. Being among the top 4 is not good enough.

IMHO, we are ahead because of the penalties and red cards and some goals due to deflections in the early part of the season. Otherwise we would be in the middle of the table. Seriously!

If the log table doesn't lie then also being trophyless means that a team is not good enough.

ML Wenger's gone i'm afraid. he has consistently asked to be judged at the end of every season, claimed that this is his best squad ever and that the team has great 'mental strength'. Well judgement is once again 'won nothing' . the other two comments do not require any further discussion do they? embrace change ML, you might like it....

what the heck is he proud about??pride comes before a fall!!I agree with your points though.

ML..you sound like a man who is afraid of change! *smh*

Alot of people try and make this a more complicated topic than it is. In my opinon we have a team forged by Wenger in his image, a team with a lack of winners, a team who need an injection of 2-3 world class players who have never say die attitude and will not take less than 100%. With this we will win. Cesc is no captain, he is just the next in line of captains who were given the arm band to keep them longer.

I put this to you all, if we had the same team but Carlos Puyol in our defence, do you think we would win something? In my opinion we would minimum have won the carling cup this year. More for his aura on the field and his ability to never give up is something that gives a team like Barca the steel they need.

In my opinon we are not far off, but this adds to the frustration when you have a manager who seems unwilling to fiddle with his experiment.

I know this isn't the topic but I would like to see a few changes in the team,

OUT: Clichy (he won't sign anyway) Song (squad player not to leave) arshavin

IN: Contreao (Benfica), Hamsik (Napoli), Mata (Valencia) Cahill (Bolton)

Also I think we can all give Wenger 1 more year. I am a 25 year old gooner so I remember the years leading up to him and have been spoilt by the good times, but we cannot live off memories alone.

Why would Wenger do something this summer which he hasnt done for the previous 6 summers.Too many AKB's are saying look what Wenger did for us pre 2006 he's a tactical genius.But thats history managers should be judged on the here and now.Since 2005 we have finished outside the top 2 every season.That is not progress.Our normal position is now 3rd or 4th.In Wengers first 8 full seasons we were never out of the top 2.How can you call that progress??And in 3 of the last 4 years we have collapsed in the last 6 weeks of season.Yet Wenger keeps banging on about Mental fucking Strength.Truth is plain to see over a 38 game season we are not good enough.But whisper it the AKB's dont like to hear it

Like a lot of empty vessels some people make a lot of noise without saying anything worthwhile. Facts! the most successful manager the English game has ever known took 4 years to win an FA cup. It took the same man 7 years before he won the league for the first time. During those 7 years while trying to land the title he spent an absolute fortune. In his first 7 years spending nothing in comparison Arsene had 5 trophies. 3 FA Cups & 2 league titles.

Does it not strike you as strange that in the years since moving and ending up in debt although we've some how managed to stay in touch we ain't spent nothing on players? Next up look at all those who've spent bundles like the Tiny Totts and check what they've won? In that same time the Pool have spent and spent in pursuit of their first Prem, and we've had one title unbeaten. I know a good manager when I see one, in all honesty do you?

Muk I forgot to ask you a while back did you post that arsene was sacked by Monaco because his youth system didn't work?

The whole mentality at the club has to change.What makes players like Cesc Nasri and Jack look for that extra pass instead of pulling the trigger and shooting.Is this Wenger telling them to do this?What makes defenders unable to defend set pieces?Do we actually practice defending corners and free kicks in training.If we do whoever is coaching them should be shot.We havent been able to defend set pieces for years yet Wenger has done nothing to change this.You can have 70% possesion but if the opposition know all they have to do is defend and hope they get a set piece we are well and truly fucked.That is basic part of football.Defending.But Wenger has done nothing to change it.Nothing

No Richie I didnt.I didnt post anything like that.But why do you ask?I only said Monaco let him go.Those were the exact words I used I believe.

HELLO FELLOW GOONERS,
I HAVE READ A LOT ON HOW WE FAILED TO WIN THIS TROPHY OR THAT TROPHY AND SOME SUGGEST WENGER SHOULD BE OUT.

I THINK OUR SHORT COMINGS HAS BEEN OF 3. FACTORS ONLY:

1.DAVID DEIN...HE WAS THE MUSCLE MAN,THE GUY THAT MADE ARSENAL TICK BEHIND THE SCENES AND WENGER MADE ARSENAL TICK ON THE PITCH.

EVER SINCE HE LEFT WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY CLUE WHERE WE ARE HEADING.
SEEING HIS FACE ON EVERY MATCH DAY MADE ME FEEL SAFE ,NOW WE HAVE SO MANY BOARD MEMBERS WHOM THEIR ROLES ARE NOT CLEAR.

WE NEED DAVID DEIN BACK AT ARSENAL.HE UNDERSTANDS AND HE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE FANS,WENGER HAS BEEN ON HIS OWN LEFT TO CARRY THE WEIGHT.WHICH FOR HIM I FEEL IT IS TOO MUCH AND THE STRAINS ARE SHOWING .

2.MIDFIELD AND DEFENCE LET US DOWN AGAIN THIS SEASON.

PLEASE ARSENE, I BEG YOU IN GOD'S NAME..IT IS TIME WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO OUR SQUAD.WE NEED TOUGH DEFENDERS AND PROPER DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER.

3.OUR TEAM HAS TO LEARN HOW TO SHOOT FROM FAR RANGE NOT ALWAYS WALKING THE BALL IN THE NET.

LASTLY IF I STILL BELIEVE WENGER WON'T BUY ANY PLAYERS IN THE SUMMER.HE SAYS WHAT HE SAYS TO APPEASE THE FANS.

I don't think there is a way back for David Dein if Kroenke is in charge. Afterall he is Usmanovs man.

I do agree with Frank though, as a defender myself I find it disgraceful we still don't have a defensive coach.

There is one fact that speaks volumes:

MARTIN KEOWN AS DEFENSIVE COACH = BEST DEFENSIVE RECORD IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND CL FINAL

Sorry Muk I thought it was you that'd said it. Monaco did indeed let him go, Bayern wanted him, and he wanted to leave, but he was very disallusioned with European football at that point due to the Bernard Tapie corruption affair. Marsellie's chairman bought football officials which allowed them win the CL, amongst other things.

do not panic. as rambo says the team needs two or three pieces. the question is does the club have the money to give him ? pre emirates wenger was spending money and getting top players (henry pires overmars silvinho suker reys wiltord cambell) but of course after highbury the money isnt there. he started from scratch.with young kids who lack the personlaity to finnish the business. thats all there is to it. arsenal fans are idiots for wanting him out. he has given them a self sufficient world class football club with state of the art facilities and a team almost ready that can last another decade. ferguson mourinho ancelotti top coaches no doubt all of them and massive respect to their achievements but what wenger does noone can.they are first team coaches and wenger is a football MANAGER. essentially he has been driving his rivals to financial mismanagement and bankrupcy in order to compete wiht his eboues and almunias and wilsheres and he waiting for the right time to strike. foootball is a businees and sometimes instead of going head to head and risk losing everything you wait for them to slip up and then you take advantage. even if he wins/had won the league now it would have been a surprise and out of the norm. and it couldnt last. maybe now after a period of money aking and selling players he can invest in expereince and shut some mouths cause in this country the clueless natives speak far too much shiiiit and someone needs to bring them down a bit.......

I hope he sticks to his principles, win lose or draw.

No! Surely not! Not with the magnificient English team? The team with all the great players? The one that the fantastic English commentators and pundits say will win the world cup/ European Championships every year, but doesn't. Not the team with the great players that in every major competition comes crashing back down to earth.

Every other year only for the Brits to realise that the players they thought were world class (because the pundits keep telling them they are world in fact) are only average. The world class holding mid? Barry. The captain who unites all? Terry. The increadibly experienced (old)? Rio The great attacking mids? Lampalard & Milner. Easily the best keeper in, Foster? How about the attacking prowes of little and large twice Defoe and Crouch or Rooney and Heskey.

Our pundits sell us a lie over and over and the plebs lick it up. The current lie that keeps rearing its head is that only teams that have an English spine can win the prem. LOL everyone, it sounds like dads army the fuzzy wuzzy's don't like it up em. Only Brits have the bottle for the prem, yeah right. Jaap Stam never had it. Vidic ain't got it, Vieria didn't have the fight for the prem.

Angry anonymous man on the prowl.

But below the red mist and potty mouth you make some valid points but its evolution we need not revolution. If we were a mile off from winning then I don't think we would be so dissapointed. Its the fact we are so close if only he would be willing to buy the last couple of pieces because its not going to come from inside the club.

Also 'Angry anonymous man' you can make a point without swearing. Give it a try.

apologies rambo ...

but my comment re" ignorant pea.." was for the fatso who considers a top four finnish not good enough for arsenal current tight situation

Hey, get your head out of Arsenes Arse. its people like you that is turning Arsenal into a mediocre and laughing stock. Arsene has lost it, like yourself. Moving to the emirates was to compete with big clubs, not to line the pockets of the w*****s in the boardroom. George Grahams team had balls, fighting spirit (89 league win) european win, league cups and champions. The money has been there to have vieras, bergkamps and henrys these last 2 years but Arsene refused to spend I feel sorry for you if you settle for mediocrity and a bunch of losers in your 70 years of life. what a load of tripe from an AKB loser

by the way anonymous. TOP 4 IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

In the 3 seasons before Wenger arrived we won 3 trophies including winning in europe which has been Wenger achilles heel..If we could win trphies before him we can when he goes.All this hysteria about Wenger being irreplaceable is bullshit.

You can call me "ignorant peasant" as many times as you want but a top four FINISH is not good enough. Our goal was to win something this season. Since we haven't won anything, we have failed. Simples.

Who brought us into this current situation? The media?

By the way, my real name is Fatso and not "the fatso"

I was with you 100% on everything until your site said you supported the murder of woman and children in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fulham 3-0 Bolton (in progress)

Sunday, 24 April 2011: Bolton 2:1 Arsenal
Sunday, 17 April 2011: Bolton 0:5 Stoke

Nuff said.

It really is hardly nuff said is it?

I know you are not happy with things at the moment. But comparing us to Fulham's result or Stoke's result makes no sense whatsoever.

Would you swap league positions with Stoke, Bolton or Fulham? Does the fact that Wolves beat Manchester United mean anything at all?

The answer to all of those no matter how you look at it is no.

It is like you are doing your utmost to paint as bad a picture as possible even if it isn't necessary.

It seems you just don't get it. Did Wolves Beat Manchester United with 5 games left and the title at stake?

It is like you are doing your utmost to paint as good a picture as possible even if it isn't necessary.

Football Confidential Live - Tuesday April 26

He cannot get in a yes man. The No 2 must be someone able to say 'that's not right' and offer alternatives.

Arsene needs someone capable of telling him he's wrong at times.

Arsenal fans are crying out for world class players, not a healthy bank balance.

How many say 'we might not have won anything, but at least the club's well run with no debt?' Who looks back and says 'we were only third, but at least we're not in the red?' They want to say 'we won the title, the Champions League' or whatever.

I'm talking here to the die-hard Arsenal fans - the home and away ones, not the corporate 'Johnny-come-lately' Emirates fans who jump on the defensive as soon as anyone questions things.

You've got United running at a loss but winning titles and getting to Champions League finals.

Chelsea have come up over the past few years and they're doing the same. Real Madrid have huge debts, too.

I'm not telling Arsene to go out and spend billions, just a few million to get the right sort of player.

Chelsea will certainly buy big in the summer and we all know City will. Liverpool have money, United will bring in more, and Spurs will strengthen again too.

But if Arsene continues his transfer policy, Arsenal will get to the latter stages of the season and fall away again.

Fatso!!!A gunner in whom I am well pleased!

A lot of ish went down in his days at Monaco.I remember like it was yesterday.Honestly though,I think he did well at Monaco.But speaking of the here and now, I feel he has more to offer as long as he decides to go out there to buy some real quality,tweak our style of play and make it clear to his boys that this is a game for men not boys.
If he wants to stick to the dark sides of his policies it might be time for him to walk..he has been poor for the past couple of years...Now I have to say he has been brilliant at time but all good things come to and end.
Wenger has done well but he is certainly not indesposable!

From an earlier comment "why would wenger do anything now, when he hasn't for 6 months."

this is the closest that Wenger has come to a fan revolt. Sometimes people need to be pushed before they act. I am an Arsenal man, and proud of the Arsenal way. Give the man 1 more year to show progress, thats what we all want.

If next year we win nothing but: fight the title all the way to the end, and not through alot of stupid points away and champions league latter stages where anything can happen and take the FA cup seriously (don't care bout carling cup, although would be good to win it) and the players don't play the way they did against, blackburn (a), bolton (a) spuds 2nd half (h) man u (a) etc.... then I can at least say Wenger is starting to do what we need him to do.

Make no bones about it gooners, change of manager does not equal trophies

Wenger: The Case for the Prosecution
By Emmanuel Fyle

Evidence for a change at the top is overwhelming

Everyone knows what Arsene Wenger has achieved for this club, but it is time for Arsenal fans to stop talking about the past, and to stop believing in the ‘bright future’ continuously promised every year since 2006 but which never actually arrives.


Merci for the memories
I hear an awful lot of different theories on Arsenal players and Arsene Wenger. One thing that is undeniable is that this Arsenal team is subject to serious mental deficiency, and is psychologically brittle. The evidence is overwhelming and well documented – from repeated frittering of leads against Spurs, Newcastle and Wigan to the infamous recent Liverpool fiasco.

While the players tend to bear the brunt of the criticism, there comes a time when Arsenal fans need to stop blaming individuals for their crass stupidity and patent inability to learn, and start looking at the methodology behind the coaching and continuous selection of these players. Although the names of the players complained about keep changing – Hleb, Silvestre, Squillaci, Denilson, Bendtner – to name but a few - there has been one constant, common denominator - Arsene Wenger. The ingrained loser’s mentality that is now prent in the club has been fostered by Wenger’s culture of over-permissiveness, and his refusal to apportion blame where it is due. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen unacceptable behaviour by an Arsenal player, rewarded by the said player walking straight back into the team. As an example: Abou Diaby’s insanity at St James Park. Had Diaby cost any other big club in the manner he cost Arsenal, be sure that he would have been reprimanded in such a manner that he would have been afraid ever to transgress again. Instead, imagine my horror to see Diaby booting the ball away completely needlessly at Blackpool, in a match Arsenal were in total control of.

We subsequently found out that it was Robin van Persie who had to administer some semblance of dressing room discipline to Diaby. We are also informed by Arshavin that after becoming the first team in history to throw away a 4 goal lead at Newcastle, the manager said ‘nothing’ to the players. This constant lack of discipline has been encouraged by Wenger, who is only too willing to blame anyone and everything but his own flawed management and methodology.

I honestly fail to see how anyone can present a fact-based case, based on recent evidence, as to how Arsene Wenger can remain as Arsenal manager. He is the root cause of our malaise. A manager who insists that he would ‘sign up for twenty years’ to second place, has no business calling himself the manager of a club of Arsenal’s standing, and the fans should certainly not accept such a climate of complacency.

The dwindling amount of AKBs who sit on the fence and claim that: ‘I want Arsene to stay, I just want him to change’ are effectively and unwittingly providing a vote of no confidence. This is tantamount to a husband claiming that ‘I want to stay with my wife, I just want her to completely change who she is’. Alternatively, it would be like demanding an entire government cabinet be fired, but for the Prime Minister to remain in situ, despite being the central figure of that cabinet.

Arsene Wenger is incapable of change. He has been indulged for far too long, and Arsenal fans now need to ask themselves whether we can allow ourselves to consider Arsenal a ‘big club’ if the greater concerns of the club are now secondary to the whims of one man. Is Wenger bigger than the club? If we are a small club who would implode under the weight of Wenger’s departure, then yes, Arsenal are a small club whose future depends on one individual.

This is clearly a fictitious notion. Arsenal are a big club, who were in possession of ten league titles long before Arsene Wenger had arrived at this club. There are a number of occurrences that take place at this club that are in my view, patently unacceptable.

We are (mis)informed that Wenger does an excellent job ‘despite the financial constraints he is under’. This is not a fact-based argument and appears rather weak when one considers that Arsenal have a wage bill of over £110 million. Spurs have a reported wage bill of just £67 million. There is a massive financial disparity right there, but this is never mentioned when Wenger’s so-called financial prudence is uttered. The insistence on renewing the contracts of undeserving individuals has created a false economy, and a system that is the polar opposite of a meritocracy. The manager has assured a mediocre group of players that irrespective of performance, they will not be subjected to competition for places as this may ‘kill’ them.

Could you imagine applying such an absurd notion to a real-life working environment?

Wenger’s other faults have little or nothing to do with finances. Coaching a defence to defend set-pieces costs little, and when Alex McLeish is tactically outthinking you in a cup final, you know there is a major issue. Appointing a number 2 to challenge your authority costs very little, yet Jack Wilshere claims that Jens Lehmann at half-time against Blackpool was ‘like an assistant manager’. Oh is that so? So what is Pat Rice?

The most grating problem, and the reason Arsene Wenger in my opinion needs to be thanked and then shown the door, is that the ‘six years no trophies’ is not the main issue. The main issue is that Arsene Wenger has the resources at his disposal to rectify glaring deficiencies in the team, but he continues to show a complete disregard for this, and seems more concerned about bringing his pet ‘project’ to fruition. Wenger makes derisory comments about the fans, yet, these people who ‘have not worked even half a day in football’ seemed to know their stuff about Manuel Almunia, about Denilson’s suitability as a holding midfielder and about playing Van Persie (a number 10) as the focal point of an attack without a number 9 to run the line.

Arsene Wenger cannot, and will not change. It is a forlorn fantasy to expect him to do so. The more Wenger is challenged, the more entrenched he becomes, and this is evidenced by his outrageous comments in press conferences, followed up by the dim-witted Hill-Wood’s ill-advised, crass commentary.

Those that witter on about money fail to note for instance, that despite Laurent Koscielny having cost more than Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, Patrice Evra and Ivanovic, he has yet to learn that as a defender you simply do not go to ground inside the penalty area. This proves the lack of attention to tactical detail that takes place at Arsenal and this is a managerial issue that has not been rectified.

A further and more grave issue that has disheartened many Arsenal fans is the leadership issue. Again, Wenger has shown a patent disregard for the fans when he claimed that ‘in England you like to focus on fighting qualities a little too much’. He went on to extol the virtues of the ‘collective expression’ they so treasure in France. May I please be reminded at this juncture which country Wenger manages in please?

The leadership issue dovetails nicely with the Cesc Fabregas scenario. It has become apparent, through his increasingly vocal and acerbic public outbursts, that Cesc Fabregas is angling for a move away from Arsenal. Fabregas is a superb footballer, who has been badly let down by his manager, who failed to surround him with the requisite quality to make Cesc believe in this team. His desire to leave is understandable. However I, like many others, was extremely disappointed with his shena****ns in the Nou Camp prior to the Barca game when he was canoodling and giggling with his future team-mates.

The past three Arsenal captains have all presented us with evidence of the lack of foresight that has gone into the Arsenal captaincy. The captaincy of Arsenal is important, it is an honour to be bestowed and not a leverage tool to appease want-away star players. Arsene Wenger first did this with Patrick Vieira whom, despite being a superb captain and leader, was desperate to leave Arsenal in our Invincible season. Real Madrid made an official bid of £31 million that was turned down after a protracted saga. After a season of going through the motions, visible through Vieira’s body language, he was sold at a knockdown £14 million to Juventus. So the next time someone mentions Wenger’s ‘constrained finances’, any manager willing to lose out £17 million on a transfer whilst increasing the unhappy player’s contract cannot be in dire straits.

The Cesc situation is a mirror of the Vieira scenario. Now we are hearing the usual howls from some Gooners claiming ‘Sell Cesc for £50 million and use the money to sign such and such’.

As long as Arsene Wenger is in charge, that money will never be used. I am still to this day, waiting with bated breath to see what will happen to the £41 million we received from Manchester City for Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Arsene Wenger is not doing the Arsenal job out of love and charity. He is remunerated to the tune of £6.5 million per year. He has not won a single trophy in six years and attempts to persuade the world that finishing top four – whilst managing the team with the third/fourth highest wage bill in the league – is an achievement. It is not an achievement. And when a manager is being paid more than Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola, you really need to begin to ask yourself what fact-based justification there can be for keeping him in his role. We are often asked by the AKBs ‘who would you replace him with?’

Big clubs do not rely on the strength of one man, they evolve and never fear change. They show adaptability. Better managers than Arsene Wenger, who have won more trophies than him have been moved on from big clubs. At Bayern Munich, Louis van Gaal won a domestic double, and came within a whisker of winning the Treble last season. Bayern were in the Champions League qualification places when van Gaal was handed his P45 for unacceptable performances.

Wenger has been demonstrating four years of unacceptable performances, and not once in this time has he ever demonstrated the humility and grace to apologise to fans of the club for some of these displays. Think back to all the travelling Gooners that went to Old Trafford for the FA Cup in 2008, when he threw the game, fielding a weak team that was hammered 4-0. Think back to Newcastle this season, a new unwanted Premier League record as a 4-0 lead was tossed away.

Another oft-quoted myth is that of Arsenal’s ‘beautiful football’ . This needs only slight investigation to disprove as nothing but a subjective theory. Going 360 minutes in the league without a single goal from open play is not ‘beautiful football’. Going to the Nou Camp and producing zero shots on or off target throughout 90 minutes; when even lowly teams like Almeria and Hercules manage this, is quite simply unacceptable (another unwanted record), no matter how good Barcelona are. Beautiful football, as Evra so cruelly and correctly highlighted, is the kind that succeeds and wins trophies; which is the reason Barcelona are rightly lauded as the master exponents of the art.

Next season will be an action replay of this one unless drastic changes are made, and these need to begin at the top. Wenger has done great things for the club in the past but has now morphed into an autocrat, unchallenged upon his throne and this needs to change. Perhaps Ivan Gazidis, whose appointment was comically ratified by Wenger (a bit like a prisoner choosing his own parole officer), could actually perform duties beyond his spouted ‘Arsenalisation’. The Arsenal board are just as complicit in our lack of success as Wenger is, and this should never be forgotten.

Arsene Wenger can, and should be replaced. He has been given more than sufficient chances. A new manager coming in to this Arsenal squad would have the job of instilling a new mentality, based on a meritocracy, and not who he likes best, or who he sees as the future of French football. There are managers out there: Villas Boas at Porto is young, hungry and served his tutelage under Mourinho.

‘Oh but he is unproven’, I hear the cries.

Is winning the Portuguese league less of an achievement than winning the J-League in Japan then? Besides is ‘the Arsenal way’ not to do with giving youth a chance? Villas Boas is just 34 years of age. The fact that he is unproven strikes an ironic chord, since unproven players seem to be order of the day at Arsenal, and the club has no problem playing and paying a bunch of unproven players. Failing this, Pep Guardiola leaves Barcelona in 2012. So Wenger can be given his final season to prove that he cannot win the league by making a profit, and Guardiola can take the reins in 2012.

Even Wenger’s signings these days are underwhelming: you have a striker on £80k a week filing his nails on the bench, even when the team are desperately chasing a goal with 20 minutes to go. What does that indicate to you about Chamakh’s quality when the much-maligned Bendtner is consistently trusted ahead of him? The less said about Squillaci the better.

Merci pour les memoires Arsene, but I think it’s time we started seeing other people. You have taken us as far as you can – now we need someone else to push us to the next level.

28th April 2011

I may be a gunner in whom you are well pleased but In Arsene We Trust

I am pleased with some of the points you made..the fact that you trust in Arsene wont change that...However it is my opinion that Arsene must deliver or walk!Nice points you made though.I like!