[alex_front2]

It would be wages only. He's out of contract with PSG 1970 in summer so would ba freebie. The only issue is wages (£600k week is excessive but I'm sure he will take a cut to be on London than up north).

Don't get me wrong, I think ZLATAN at 35 will be a bit washed up. But Arsenal lack bite and leadership. Zlatan will bring leadership (Arsenal have no leaders just a nicey wicey captain), bring a bit of fear ( both from Arsenal players as well as opposing teams!), bring assists. He will shake up the slackers and reinvent the club.

Zlatan will imho definitely be at either Arsenal or Man U next season with the Gooners in pole position (Man U probably wont have CL football, which he has never won, City ruled out due to hating Pep, and rule out Chelsea as new boss Conte seems to want to blood in the youth players and Italians/ Argentineans, Spurs seem to be going down the youth route too and Leicester, oh come on now).

[Brother Leon]

LOL. What a fool.

[Shaun]

[Brother Leon]

[GiRTh]

Expected this. Piers Morgan heard this from an insider about 6 weeks and revealed it on his twitter page while doing his nut.

The players will be playing to a half full stadium next year.

[alex_front2]

Wenger staying? Spurs might as well crack open bubbly now. Not for the title , but for the end of St Totteridge day is here. They are now new Kings of North London.

AFC will never win title or CL with Wenger. The thing is the owners love him as he guarantees no big expensive multiple transfers, top 4, CL, financial stability. The thing is with Spurs, Chelsea, and West Ham getting bigger stadiums, Arsenals financial stability may collapse a bit.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by alex_front2

Wenger staying? Spurs might as well crack open bubbly now. Not for the title , but for the end of St Totteridge day is here. They are now new Kings of North London.

AFC will never win title or CL with Wenger. The thing is the owners love him as he guarantees no big expensive multiple transfers, top 4, CL, financial stability. The thing is with Spurs, Chelsea, and West Ham getting bigger stadiums, Arsenals financial stability may collapse a bit.

So you're saying Wenger puts his reputation on the line to save Arsenal money?

Do you think he doesn't want to win?

He has his own philosophy, a philosophy that has built a dynasty full of silverware over the past twenty years.


When you catch a salmon, you don't chuck it back.

[Shaun]

you'd probably throw it away if it 'went off' five years ago though wouldn't you

[Drew.]

I don't think he's bothered how well he does now. He still brings up the past and what he's won all those years ago, and he knows there's a handful of journalists that will do the same and back him up to still be in the job. If he really wanted what's best for the club he would have walked away years ago, we're at the lowest we've ever been under him and he still refuses to go.. I think it's obvious he's just there to collect his big fat pay cheque which he's guaranteed to get every year

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Shaun

you'd probably throw it away if it 'went off' five years ago though wouldn't you

Was it 5 years ago that he last brought silverware to the club?

[Alf]

Ungrateful is a word that comes to mind.

[Drew.]

When the club becomes a way of business for the owners and the managers involved in that as well by using the club as a way to take away from the fans and not provide enough back to make us competitive like they could do then i don't think ungrateful comes into this. They don't care about us, as long as the stadiums near full every week and moneys coming in then everyone from the manager upwards is happy.

[Shaun]

I'm bored of being told by non-Arsenal fans to "be grateful" with a club that's consistently fourth best despite being the third richest in the world and capable of a lot more. Maybe as an Everton fan you could covet our position but the annual "this is our year" followed by month after month of crushing gets a little bit old.

The 2 FA Cups were great, obviously, but not even close to enough for a decade of top flight football.

There is a very clear difference between respecting a manager for his past successes and asking if he's the right manager for us right now. Not sure why everyone gets so butthurt on his behalf. I love the guy, and will always worship him for what he's done, but he's past it.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Alf

So you're saying Wenger puts his reputation on the line to save Arsenal money?

Do you think he doesn't want to win?

He has his own philosophy, a philosophy that has built a dynasty full of silverware over the past twenty years.


When you catch a salmon, you don't chuck it back.

The thing is as well is if Arsenal fans get their wish and Wenger does leave then that will be the last remaining iconic Manager gone from the Premiership that's won things, has had epic rivalries, and qualifies for CL every year.

I'm no Arsenal fan by any means, and out of the London teams I'm much more of a Spurs person, but to want Wenger to go because Arsenal fans think that they're bigger than what they are is just silly in my view.

With or without Wenger, Arsenal would not have stopped this weird Leicester form, or Spurs this season, and as for the CL they'll never best the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and the Serie A clubs for a very long time to come in my view.

The team needs more physical players in the squad to compete more effectively, not a change in Manager.

[Alf]

So now it's a case of entitlement? You believe you're entitled to be the most successful club?

You're a fan, support your team through the highs and the lows.

Why is your stadium packed out every week? If your team was serving up dross, then it wouldn't, but it's full because of the culture Wenger has brought to the club, a culture of competing at the top end of the table.

Even predicted relegation fodder like Leicester City have chance to be successful, 19 other teams beside Arsenal all have the same goal, and it's tough.


You win some you lose some, that's sport.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

The thing is as well is if Arsenal fans get their wish and Wenger does leave then that will be the last remaining iconic Manager gone from the Premiership that's won things, has had epic rivalries, and qualifies for CL every year.

I'm no Arsenal fan by any means, and out of the London teams I'm much more of a Spurs person, but to want Wenger to go because Arsenal fans think that they're bigger than what they are is just silly in my view.

With or without Wenger, Arsenal would not have stopped this weird Leicester form, or Spurs this season, and as for the CL they'll never best the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and the Serie A clubs for a very long time to come in my view.

The team needs more physical players in the squad to compete more effectively, not a change in Manager.

Absolutely.

Arsene Wenger doesn't suddenly become a bad manager overnight. This is a guy who's locked horns with the best Fergie, Mourinho ect, and is the one who's still standing.

I have nothing but the upmost respect for Wenger, and I don't even support Arsenal.

[Shaun]

I'll agree on the stronger players/leaders point but if anything that can just be traced back to having a manager that is no longer fussed about leading himself. Every match - even when we win - he just disappears down the tunnel and gives a generic interview. He's got into a rut of cultivating young talent that - if they ever get that far - end up being sold to more successful teams when they reach it, so of course none of them are going to stand a full season of fitness, let alone the physical nature of the premier league.

At the end of the day the only thing in his favour, the only thing that people defend him with, is his history.

Even the other Arsenal heroes / superfans are questioning him, even Ian Wright's questioned his motivation to succeed/progress, it's really not a question of "Not being a real fan" lol. And yeah, other managers get harangued and called to be sacked way before they need to be (saw something about Quique Flores at Watford earlier? wtf) but come on. Title favourites to "maybe finishing 5th/6th" within 4 months. It's failure. If we do miss out on the champions league next season I'll be intrigued to read the 3 people who still defend him just before they're shipped off to the loony bin.

[Mystic Mock]

Arsenal will qualify for the CL imo as Man City are playing terrible, and Man Utd have left it too late to start getting good imo.

[Alf]

I seem to be constantly having stick up for Managers and players on this forum.

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Alf

So you're saying Wenger puts his reputation on the line to save Arsenal money?

Do you think he doesn't want to win?

He has his own philosophy, a philosophy that has built a dynasty full of silverware over the past twenty years.


When you catch a salmon, you don't chuck it back.

Its a legitimate point.

Stan Kronke has a number of sporting franchises and of them Arsenal are easily the biggest money earner. Kronke is relocating the St Lois Rams to Los Angeles which we know is costing a fortune. Where is the money coming from if Arsenal are the only one of his franchises who consistently make money every year??

I agree with you though, surely Wenger would not be prepared to work under such conditions but its is a legitimate reason as to why the club is in its current situation

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Alf

Ungrateful is a word that comes to mind.

Its not about being ungrateful, its about the culture you describe of competing. We dont compete in the Champions League. Its great that we're there every year but do you think its right for Arsenal to prioritise the Champions league, a cup they have little chance of winning but bring big financial reward, over the League cup which they have a great chance of winning but brings in little financial reward.

Its about the lack of improvement in the team, the promises made every year, the horrible excuses made for the lack of improvement, the players who have been given chance after chance but still cant deliver and the fact that our biggest rivals look much more equipped to compete for the title than we have looked for almost a decade.

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I'll agree on the stronger players/leaders point but if anything that can just be traced back to having a manager that is no longer fussed about leading himself. Every match - even when we win - he just disappears down the tunnel and gives a generic interview. He's got into a rut of cultivating young talent that - if they ever get that far - end up being sold to more successful teams when they reach it, so of course none of them are going to stand a full season of fitness, let alone the physical nature of the premier league.

At the end of the day the only thing in his favour, the only thing that people defend him with, is his history.

Even the other Arsenal heroes / superfans are questioning him, even Ian Wright's questioned his motivation to succeed/progress, it's really not a question of "Not being a real fan" lol. And yeah, other managers get harangued and called to be sacked way before they need to be (saw something about Quique Flores at Watford earlier? wtf) but come on. Title favourites to "maybe finishing 5th/6th" within 4 months. It's failure. If we do miss out on the champions league next season I'll be intrigued to read the 3 people who still defend him just before they're shipped off to the loony bin.

But thats yet another issue. Wenger tends to get rid of the stronger players, the leaders eg Vermaalen - why did we sell him?, Alex Song - Why did we sell him? and keep the quieter ones Why did he sell Podolski and keep Walcott?

[alex_front2]

Arsenal lack strong players both physically and mentally.

The team has no leaders, no generals. The players seem like a group of timid art school students. They may be technically gifted but there's more to great teams than this. There's no charisma or drive. Where are the modern Henry, Tony Adams, Keown, Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Ian Wright, Ray Parlour?

Arsenal needs a Roy Keane type in midfield and a general in central defence. It doesn't have to be a technically excellent player, in fact they should get someone who is a rough diamond, eg an uncouth Cobh Rambler player. The Arsenal Women's team are tougher ffs. Ngolo Kante would be perfect for Arsenal, but he would be perfect for Juvrntus, Real Madrid, Man City, too

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by alex_front2

Arsenal lack strong players both physically and mentally.

The team has no leaders, no generals. The players seem like a group of timid art school students. They may be technically gifted but there's more to great teams than this. There's no charisma or drive. Where are the modern Henry, Tony Adams, Keown, Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Ian Wright, Ray Parlour?

Arsenal needs a Roy Keane type in midfield and a general in central defence. It doesn't have to be a technically excellent player, in fact they should get someone who is a rough diamond, eg an uncouth Cobh Rambler player. The Arsenal Women's team are tougher ffs.

Never ever gonna happen under Wenger. We now know that Keane managed the Man Utd dressing room and was given Carte Blanche to dig players out by SAf if they weren't performing and SAF never intervened. That is exactly what Wenger does not want at Arsenal.

[alex_front2]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

Never ever gonna happen under Wenger. We now know that Keane managed the Man Utd dressing room and was given Carte Blanche to dig players out by SAf if they weren't performing and SAF never intervened. That is exactly what Wenger does not want at Arsenal.

Well this is where Wenger fails. He has enough players who can do cheap Barce impersonations. He needs generals, hard nuts, types who will kick the crap out of Giroud if he misses a sitter not someone to recommend a good hairdresser. A really rough committed non league defender would be better than a cry baby weedy academy product who takes selfies after beating Villa. Vardy works as he's not a polished academy kid. He's bit of a chav but he is hard as nails for a striker. I dread to imagine what he would be if it wasn't for football.


Imagine Roy Keane at Arsenal or young Viera back. A real strong defensive midfielder or central defender is all Arsenal need. That is all that Arsenal are missing in order to win title (and maybe a creative midfielder), hard as nails, take players legs off, tough defenders, someone like Ryan Shawcrorss

Viera revealed the reason he left Arsenal was he was sick of Wenger being soft and lenient on lazy underperforming players. Apparently a player had been crap all seasons, lazy,not putting in a shift but rather than berate him, Wenger put his arm around him and said "it will be alright". Viera fecked off after that.