Fight Over
Like many Arsenal fans I am absolutely gutted at the state my club is in. However, I do actually feel very sad about what has become of our once outstanding manager. His current situation reminds so much of the demise of another wonderful manager Brian Clough. The pressure and strain told physically and mentally on Cloughie in just the same way it is affecting Arsene Wenger.
A shadow of the man at the end
Arsene reminds me of a once great heavyweight champion who has gone on too long believing they can still recapture and go back to being the great fighter they once were. Instead, they end up mere shadows of their former selves and taking too much punishment.
Arsene is on the ropes being battered by the media, the pundits and the fans. Every new defeat is a hammer blow to the head sending him reeling to the canvas where Ivan Gazidis, his corner man is banging on the canvas saying “Get up champ you can still do it”. His manager Stan Kroenke, who is unfortunately not at ringside as he has other fish to fry, wanting him to sign that two year contract so he can line-up yet more fights for Arsene to take more beatings and more defeats inflicting further damage. Arsenal is Arsene Wenger’s whole life for the last twenty-one years and his love for Arsenal and pride will not allow him him to quit.
Time the throw in the the towel
Come on Ivan we love Arsene too much for all the stunning brilliant times he has given us. All those superb teams, players and the trophies he won, to see him end up getting humiliated and a figure of fun. This man gave us the “Invincibles” but the man himself is not invincible.
It is time for Stan, Ivan and the rest of the seconds like Joel Kroenke, Sir Chips Keswick and Lord Harris of Peckham, to do the right thing for once. They need grow a collective pair of balls and throw the towel into the ring, to take proud fighter out of the firing line, withdraw that two-year contract before Arsene ends up being out for the count.
Started going to Highbury in ’66. Season ticket holder since ’76. Love The Arsenal. Need I say more?
Well said Gary, honesty, respect and compassion. That is what Arsene deserves. Those misguided people who say they love him and the club are doing neither a favour. As you say, he is so proud and committed that he cannot see that he is not the man he was. His supporters seem not to be able to see that he is taking the club into decline along with him.
He is mortal, like the rest of us. We all have a certain lifespan and our abilities to perform the tasks which ageing prevents us from doing, is common to all of us. It is a fact of life. To continue on in denial is leading to humiliation, as you say, and if his friends really love him, put your arms around him and convince him that his time has come. I don`t want to see him driven from Arsenal by abuse from the fans who worshipped him or by his weaknesses to be picked over by the media until even he has to accept the inevitable.
No one can take away his achievements but he is steadily eroding the appreciation for the good times he had. He really should leave of his own volition this season while what he has achieved is still fresh in our minds.