Wenger to quit at the end of the season.

[Blue & Maroon]

Arsenal fans are wankers. Countless trophies and constantly playing European football football in the past two decades and they still complain. 95% of English football fans would love to support a club as successful as them, they will miss Arsene when he is gone.

[Remember Colo]

Arsenal fans are wankers. Countless trophies and constantly playing European football football in the past two decades and they still complain. 95% of English football fans would love to support a club as successful as them, they will miss Arsene when he is gone.

Sadly, I think most football fans would behave the same way if the roles were reversed and they followed a more successful club that stopped winning anything after the run they had. Doesn't make them any less annoying, just not confident it's unique to them, or that other fans would actually be more grateful if they became conditioned to winning trophies.

[Heisen]

We are viewing Arsenal through the lens of a club who have won nothing. If you change the parameters for success - so, in our eyes finishing top 8 would be the upper end of our league success but a poor season for them- you could apply it to anyone.

Imagine how, for arguments sake, a Barnsley fan must have looked at us when we wanted Pardew out. To them, we must have looked absolutely ridiculous wanting rid of a manager who could 'only' guarantee us Premier League football every year when they're busy scrabbling around in the Championship, whereas we didn't see finishing between 10th-16th as acceptable because we were so used to being a top half club, bar the relegation. It's easier for fans of other clubs to criticise.

[Colly]

It's an utter lack of perspective though. It's easy to say his first decade was better, but that utterly ignores the fact that while his budget was slashed while they built the new stadium Chelsea and Man City were taken over by billionaires and overtook them. Add that to sleeping giants like Liverpool clawing their way back up (also without winning a league title) and an improving Tottenham and it's not as bad as it first appears. Yes the fact they're not in the Champions League this time is a low point, but he's been pretty outstanding for the vast majority of his tenure. Even Fergie's sides needed an overhaul every now and again, if Arsenal got one they'd be right back up there.

[bodacious benny]

It's an utter lack of perspective though. It's easy to say his first decade was better, but that utterly ignores the fact that while his budget was slashed while they built the new stadium Chelsea and Man City were taken over by billionaires and overtook them. Add that to sleeping giants like Liverpool clawing their way back up (also without winning a league title) and an improving Tottenham and it's not as bad as it first appears. Yes the fact they're not in the Champions League this time is a low point, but he's been pretty outstanding for the vast majority of his tenure. Even Fergie's sides needed an overhaul every now and again, if Arsenal got one they'd be right back up there.

Fergie successfully overhauled and adapted his team on numerous occasions, to have such sustained success over so many years and generations will probably be unrivaled. Wengers never really remodeled his squad in the same way and after its peak it went downhill (albeit still performing at a high level but unlike Ferguson's sides, he couldn't lead them to PL titles and CLs throughout his reign).

Don't get me wrong, he's performed at a high level for 22 years and won a lot of trophies, but he couldn't do what Ferguson did. That's the difference. Maybe unfair to compare him to Ferguson but he's the benchmark, they were more of a match for Man U once upon a time but Man U kept on going when arsenal slowed down.

[Colly]

That's a pretty harsh benchmark...

[bodacious benny]

That's a pretty harsh benchmark...

True, but that's what elite level sport is about...

[Toondes]

I think it’s safe to say he’s never been backed financially like Ferguson was though. I haven’t looked but it doesn’t seem like they spend vast amounts considering the size of the club

[bodacious benny]

I think it’s safe to say he’s never been backed financially like Ferguson was though. I haven’t looked but it doesn’t seem like they spend vast amounts considering the size of the club

That's probably true in the second half of his tenure since the move to The Emirates tbf, although it depends what you believe as for years there was allegedly money there that he didn't spend.

Although Arsenal were the first team in the PL to dish out £100,000 a week contracts.

[Heisen]

Has he been backed any less than Poch has at Spurs though? Or even Klopp at Liverpool? Off the top of my head in the last 4/5 seasons they've spent big money on Lacazette, PEA, Sanchez, Ozil, Mustafi, Xhaka etc. And as Benny mentioned, they are notorious for dishing out huge wages. Always makes me laugh when people say Wenger hasn't been backed financially. He has, he just hasn't spent the money as wisely as some would expect.

There is no questioning the man's credentials or how much he was a game changer for English football. But all things must come to an end and Wenger hasn't been an elite level manager for 3 or 4 seasons now. There is no excuse for a club like Arsenal to be 33 points off the top of the league.

[lassassinblanc]

Mikel Arteta expected to be announced in the next few day, Santi Carzola to be his assistant

[bodacious benny]

Mikel Arteta expected to be announced in the next few day, Santi Carzola to be his assistant

[Remember Colo]

Mikel Arteta expected to be announced in the next few day, Santi Carzola to be his assistant

Not that ridiculous - he has been assistant coach at City for 2 years now. Pep's certainly not a bad coach to be auditioning under. Tough spot for him to start at though, trying to follow up Wenger with their awkward squad.

[Double Agent Bruce a.k.a DAB]

Not that ridiculous - he has been assistant coach at City for 2 years now. Pep's certainly not a bad coach to be auditioning under. Tough spot for him to start at though, trying to follow up Wenger with their awkward squad.

Strangely this remind me of someone...

[bodacious benny]

Not that ridiculous - he has been assistant coach at City for 2 years now. Pep's certainly not a bad coach to be auditioning under. Tough spot for him to start at though, trying to follow up Wenger with their awkward squad.

I just think it's a massive sign that they're at best looking to consolidate rather than try to seriously challenge for the league again. Arteta may be a promising young coach, but surely after Wenger you want to make a signal of your intent. Appointing Arteta (and Cazorla as number 2) doesn't do that. If arsenal are competing with Liverpool, Spurs, Man U etc for the same player then they'll more than likely pick Klopp, Poch or Jose over Arteta. Massive massive job for someone with no management experience, if I was an Arsenal fan I'd be a bit annoyed.

[ALF]

Not that ridiculous - he has been assistant coach at City for 2 years now. Pep's certainly not a bad coach to be auditioning under. Tough spot for him to start at though, trying to follow up Wenger with their awkward squad.

I just think it's a massive sign that they're at best looking to consolidate rather than try to seriously challenge for the league again. Arteta may be a promising young coach, but surely after Wenger you want to make a signal of your intent. Appointing Arteta (and Cazorla as number 2) doesn't do that. If arsenal are competing with Liverpool, Spurs, Man U etc for the same player then they'll more than likely pick Klopp, Poch or Jose over Arteta. Massive massive job for someone with no management experience, if I was an Arsenal fan I'd be a bit annoyed.

If I was an Arsenal fan I'd be pretty happy with that.

I'd rather bring in a young coach who can grow with the team. Look at where Pep started.

[overseasTOON]

bring him home.

[bodacious benny]

I just think it's a massive sign that they're at best looking to consolidate rather than try to seriously challenge for the league again. Arteta may be a promising young coach, but surely after Wenger you want to make a signal of your intent. Appointing Arteta (and Cazorla as number 2) doesn't do that. If arsenal are competing with Liverpool, Spurs, Man U etc for the same player then they'll more than likely pick Klopp, Poch or Jose over Arteta. Massive massive job for someone with no management experience, if I was an Arsenal fan I'd be a bit annoyed.

If I was an Arsenal fan I'd be pretty happy with that.

I'd rather bring in a young coach who can grow with the team. Look at where Pep started.

Pep at Barcelona and Zidane at Real are completely different given the ready made squads they had to work with. Arsenal is a big rebuilding job. It might work, but it's a risk for someone with zero experience.

[Colly]

Not to mention that Barca's setup is consistent through youth levels, the B team and the first team. Pep had been in the system for decades before cutting his teeth with the B team and moving up having worked with many of those players for a very long time. Arteta jumping from Man City's bench is completely different.

[ALF]

If I was an Arsenal fan I'd be pretty happy with that.

I'd rather bring in a young coach who can grow with the team. Look at where Pep started.

Pep at Barcelona and Zidane at Real are completely different given the ready made squads they had to work with. Arsenal is a big rebuilding job. It might work, but it's a risk for someone with zero experience.

The idea that Pep had a ready made squad at Barca is a complete myth.