Why I will not be marching for Wenger

Yes, I still think that Wenger should continue to manage Arsenal. He has managed to overachieve on limited funds for years. It is also true that his achievements have been underestimated by the press and pundits. However, I do not believe he was ever seriously thinking of leaving, and secondly the board have something to answer for.

Indeed, I believe that a march against the board would be a far more fruitful thing to do. That way these skinflints could be forced to pay out a bit more. I am not asking them to spend like Chelsea or bankrupt the club, but players like Henry, Hleb and Vieira were sold without the money being reinvested in players. If money is so short why spend £5 million on Ramsey who is not on the bench most weeks. Most years Arsene has made a profit on transfer dealings. The transfers are funding the new stadium rather than the stadium finance new players.

 

If money is so short why pay so many youngsters such high wages? Shouldn't there be a little more balance here? A mix of youth and experience could be far more effective than just youth. It is not just a matter of spending, but how the money is spent. Arsene did not pay a fortune for Gilberto but what a fantastic buy he proved to be.

Whether it was the media's, or Wenger's idea to up the stakes on his alleged departure to Real I do not care, I refuse to be manipulated into the cult of the personality. Be careful Arsene, your new found fair-weather friends are building you up only to knock you down. These are the people who have been far more critical than any Arsenal fan of your record. Now these hypocrites turn on Arsenal fans. Like thousands of others I support the team through thick and thin, I see no need for a march to prove we are loyal fans.

The Board

Nor do I know for sure how bad the meeting with the shareholders was because thanks to the KBC's (Kremlin Broadcasting Company) censorship we only saw 35 minutes of a 60-minute Q and A session. So someone suggested that Silvestre was a geriatric, how distressing that must have been to a man who ships out players at any hint of a 30^th Birthday approaching.

However, the policy that Arsene has been following is clearly a strategic one; it is not just a personal whim. The board wanted to run the club on a shoestring whilst they waited for a large golden egg to arrive from the sale of the old stadium. We now know that will not happen. Therefore, Wenger has had to pursue his strategy even harder. Clearly, he has tried to save every penny due to the Board's financial mismanagement. Was this why Edleman left under a cloud?

Of course it makes no sense to overspend, but you can't sell Tetley Bitter at Champagne prices either. You have to speculate to accumulate, if you do not then it's stagnate and stagnate is not a strategy for the dynamic world of football.  Failure to win anything will not convince the Champagne Charlies to carry on spending £4,500 for a seat. Sure good riddance, but they will take their cash with them and the board's business plan was built around them.

So the Board's strategy is under threat. What are the alternatives? Carry on as before and lose the suits; or reduce prices and fill Club level with real fans. That will mean having to accept that the club will not be able to compete with the top four.

However, Wenger would be able to carry on pursuing his dream of creating the youngest team ever to win the league. Unfortunately, it will remain just that - a dream.

Wenger has done a fantastic job on a limited budget but the board have sent out conflicting messages. We have been told that Wenger has the money but would not spend it. Before the start of the season everyone knew Flamini needed replacing but Wenger ignored that. Then when finally, due to pressure from fans, Wenger finally bought a player it was an attacking midfielder who he now plays out of position.

A player he did not play in the semi final because he wanted to the team to believe they could win without him. So after being defeated by Chelsea twice without him what do the team believe now? Meanwhile conflicting reports appear on how much there is to spend. The board happily sit by and allow the confusion to reign.

Neither Wenger or the Board take kindly to criticism, fair enough no one does, but you can't help feeling that they would all prefer that the fans never question anything at all. If they could run the club without ever talking to fans or shareholders that would be the ideal. That is not unique to Arsenal, Man U fans have even less say but most do not complain, that is because they are winning the trophies.

Is there a solution?

Well in the past Wenger mixed it a lot more, Fabregas developed surrounded by the Invincibles, as did Clichy. Wenger did spend on a few experienced players, and there are still bargains available as Eduardo demonstrated.

Go down the Chelsea route and bankruptcy await, continue with the youth policy and stagnation could be the result. The third way a mixture of youth and experience has a chance. Nonetheless, there are no guarantees of success in football. Liverpool spent more than Arsenal, kept Alonso, and won nothing.

Wenger and the board gambled that the move to a new stadium would provide the platform to compete with the big spenders, that  gamble has failed. They will have to look for new strategies.

It is easier to outline the problems than offer solutions, but that is what these people earn their fat salaries for. I would rather they worked on the solutions rather than stigmatising fans who dare to question their infallibility, and encourage the press to write off Arsenal fans as a bunch of barstewards.  If Wenger thinks that fans at Real will be as understanding as Arsenal fans after five trophy less years then he should go for it.

Deflecting Criticism and Tarring With Same Brush

The statements from the board and Wenger have cleverly changed the subject. Instead of discussing any criticism from the fans, and at no times have they stipulated it was only a minority, the fans have become the object of criticism. They have made Wenger feel like a murderer, they have discouraged players etc. True a section of boo boys have been at work, but what of the fans who rallied behind Eboue and Nik? Did the fans let the team down at the FA cup semi-final?

In the immediate after shock of the abject capitulation to Man U, at Arsenal,  Wenger admitted that the fans were up for it. After the defeat by Chelsea he felt the need to take a long hard look at the team. Then within a few days it was all about the fans and their alleged ruthless criticism.

Were those have asked their questions in a polite and friendly manner given honest answers?  Are the board prepared to defend Wenger's strategy? Are they prepared to back him when it really counts? They are quite happy to sacrifice the reputation of Arsenal fans to win their point.

All a march for Wenger will do is encourage the board to carry on in the same arrogant way.