Time for Wenger To Call It a Day ? Part 1
My salary is this big
By Celine Dion
November 10 2010
Well that’s the end of the season then. A bit disappointing all told, but then again I don’t expect much nowadays. Some of you may prefer to sit it out until the official end of the season in May. But I have seen enough.
Three defeats in the first ten games, even comparatively free of injuries, and two of those defeats at home to newly promoted teams, tell us everything we need to know. I don’t suppose the likes of Everton, Villa, or god forbid Spurs will be quaking in their boots at a trip to the Emirates. Nobody’s scared of the place anymore. Except my bank manager.
Conceivably we could go the rest of the season unbeaten and win everything in sight. We may or may not have beaten Wolves 10-0 by the time this article appears, but I'm pretty sure I know where this season is leading us, the same place as the last five.
<ahem>
It’s time for Wenger to call it a day.
There I’ve said it.
Now I realise I haven’t used the standard disclaimer when talking about Arsenal on a blog or radio phone in. As we all know, Arsenal supporters have all signed a contract by which we have to state the following words -‘Arsene Wenger is the greatest thing to happen to Arsenal, and we need to remember this and be eternally grateful for everything he has ever done’.
We are then allowed to very meekly offer, in as genteel and non offensive fashion as possible, a few nanoseconds of criticism against our glorious leader. We then have to balance it out with the following increasingly meaningless Arsenal approved phrases– (pick from any of the following) ‘ Fantastic free flowing entertaining football’, ‘Wonderful youth policy’, ‘Revolutionised English football with his ideas on diet’ ‘Qualifies for Europe every season on a shoestring budget’ and most important ‘gave us the Emirates Stadium.’
Well let’s dispel a few myths here. Wengers’ trophy haul, for the older ones amongst you that can remember the last time we saw a glimmer of silverware, now stands significantly behind George Grahams in terms of trophies per season served. That’s George Graham who was kicked out of the club without as much as a second thought.
The youth policy, has given us, as things stand, Gibbs, Wilshere, Bendtner and a couple of others. Yes indeed there has been a procession of promising Bentleys and Sidwells now playing elsewhere.
I could mention the other part of our youth policy by which a complex network of European undercover scouts and Wenger rocket scientists kidnap players from other clubs youth teams. But that particular policy isn’t looking too clever now is it.
Would it be unsporting of me to point out that Arsenal’s youth policy in the 1980’s gave us Micky Thomas, Merson, Adams, Davis, and Rocastle, in the same team, all provided by a couple of blokes in Arsenal tracksuits who simply travelled round London and watched school football.
Furthermore, perhaps I may be breaking ranks here when I say that the magical free flowing football increasingly takes place inside our own half. Pleasing though it is to the eye. Teams seem to be more and more happy to allow us to play it. Perhaps they just can’t pass up the opportunity to admire our superior tactics at first hand. Or perhaps they know that sooner or later they will get their chance to drop the ball on Fabianskis’ head and it will be 1-0 to them.
And I am just about sick and tired of hearing that Arsene Wenger invented drinking water and broccoli. Firstly, I’m pretty sure he didn’t. And secondly, if John Terry has a Fray Bentos pie and chips for his lunch in the Chelsea canteen every dinner time, then it doesn’t seem to be doing him much harm.
Moving onto financial matters, and that is where my blood really starts boiling nowadays. Firstly, Arsenal have actually always been pretty good at finishing in the top four of the football league. Wenger did not invent the idea of finishing fourth, although he did possibly invent the concept that it represents a magical achievement.
We used to finish second, third, even first sometimes. Ah but this is where the second Arsenal fans contractual statement must be thrown in. It goes something like ‘We don’t’ want a Russian mobster taking over our club – how can we compete with Manchester City and Chelsea, do you want us to go BANKRUPT. Like LEEDS???’
No, I don’t want us to go bankrupt. And if we only ever lost to Man City and Chelsea, instead of also losing to Wigan, Newcastle, West Brom, and Shatkar Donetsk, then I would have absolutely nothing to complain about. But I have seen the inside of club level. For those that haven’t, it’s like the inside of Buckingham Palace. Besuited waiters run to and fro whipping silver lids off plates of steaming Chateaubriand.
Half the investment bankers in London sit there sipping Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Meanwhile, if you pop upstairs to the upper tier, you will find a great many people paying between £50 and £100 pound a seat. EVERY GAME.
You can try and tell me Arsenal haven’t got any money. And I will tell you to Fe*k off. Wenger didn’t build the Emirates, the Deutsche bank did. The modernisation of Arsenal started BEFORE Wenger, with the new North Bank and the purchase of Bergkamp and Platt. Yes we may be paying off the debt, and Wenger may have helped us massively through the difficult period just after its construction, with his famous ‘shoestring approach’ - and the board can bedazzle us with various repayment facts and figures when angry people shout at them at the AGM. But f*ck all that, when it didn’t look like we would qualify for Europe a couple of years back, THEN it suddenly stuck its hands in its pockets and bought Arshavin.
In the meantime though, if we’re all safe and dandy in the top four, then its Chamakh and Koscielny all the way, with perhaps a cheeky bid for young prospect Mark Schwarzer on deadline day.
END OF PART ONE
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:11:14:18:54:07 by Padre Pio.
good readCan We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿♀️