I have been writing for Gunners Town now for two years and sending comments in for a year before that. I have varied between ecstatic praise to gut wrenching despair and utter frustration. We are now in a position of desperation which I did predict about 18 months ago. The comments from fellow contributors have largely been similar to mine and one common factor has also been the strength of the opposition to such contributions. There have been many noble-minded people amongst our opponents but equally, no shortage of those who salivate with bile spouting from their mouths to rush to condemn us as traitors and inviting us in biblical terms “to go forth and multiply” preferably at some other club.
Surely he must see it, too?
Today, there is abundant evidence that our position that Wenger should go immediately is validated by 13 years of under performance. Our position has been highlighted, both on the traditional media of TV and newspapers, and contributions on social media which have multiplied ten fold. This is not a knee jerk reaction to that dismal display yesterday against Bournemouth. I wont revisit that because Alex Beguzin has done that admirably in his article earlier this week. NO, this is a fast growing sign of utter discontent by the good supporters of this club ( near and far ) and particularly the season ticket holders who pay the highest fees in world sport to watch their team. What does Wenger think of them? Asked after the defeat against Swansea in 2016 what he thought of their opinions he replied that he never listened to fans opinions.
Gunners Town and similar sites have carried the complaints of those fans, so that they have some form of release to let off steam and perhaps if they had not provided that safety valve, the matter would have come to a violent head years ago. That is to their credit. Certainly, no other top rated club would have tolerated what by any standard has been a feeble performance by the CEO of Arsenal. Wenger cannot dodge the bullet any longer. There is no one else that he can pass the buck to. He has had his finger in every aspect of the club from team selection, Transfers, Coaching 😁 Tactics 😁😁, and perhaps even the catering. Why else would the convenience foods be so expensive?
When it comes to transfer windows, he is universally criticised for his shambolic performances in waiting till the end of the deadline to do business and then either having to buy sub-standard alternatives to the ones he really wanted, or else doing no business at all. The only two mega successes in the last 13 years have been Sanchez and Ozil, but both of them were actually first chance offers directly from Barcelona and Real Madrid. They were not down to Wenger`s scouts. They are both leaving now. In my early contributions, I forecast that this day would come; we will fall out of the top 4, we will lose our best players and we will find it hard to find replacements to come to Arsenal or to find a manager of the status we require because of the mess we will be in. I take no pleasure in saying “I told you so” .
For years, we seem to have operated on the philosophy that we would outscore any team we opposed, so defence was second in priority to scoring goals. That is alright for Barcelona and Madrid, but they don`t have a defence which leaks like a sieve. That is what we have had since `The Invincibles` era passed. If dear reader, you cast your mind back to 2016 before the Euros my team N. Ireland were optimistic that they would qualify due to the performance of our defence. That was largely down to Jonny Evans as also was the comfortable position of W.Brom in the league. Arsenal as usual collapsed at the end of 2015/16 and I suggested that Jonny would have been a good signing. We could have got him for £15m at that time. He went on to become the best performing CB at the Euros and Arsenal`s defence has continued to leak goals. Two years later we are in competition with Guardiola to get him for £25m. I am no genius but if Guardiola rates him, there must be some sense in what I said.
All it took was a special touch…
By the way, I commented that selling the Ox was something we would regret because when he went to Liverpool and Klopp, he would play him in his natural position of attacking Wingback where his physique and natural ability to play box to box would be utilised properly. Look at him now! At Arsenal, he was another one on the conveyor belt of promising youngsters whom he could not improve and subsequently failed with Wenger.
So; to all you blind followers of Wenger, I have tried to end with a punch line but I cannot think of words which fill the purpose better than Shakespeare`s;
“To be or not to be, Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take up the pen ( or the banner ) and by opposing, end them”.
Alas, poor Wenger…
A sophisticated, articulate Arsenal Man of Mystery. Aged 70 and a bit.
Have always been a Wenger fan……but have to admit now that his time is up. What do we do, live on past glories and let him run the club in to the ground just as Brian Clough did with Forest? OK Clough had two European Cups behind him, but still loyalty can only go so far.
If we spend another transfer window like we have the past 10 or more, then on the 1st Feb I expect Silent Stan to hand Wenger his papers……then I expect that damn Yank to quit and never show his face at the Emirates ever again…oh and take that complete tit Gazidis with him. From board to manager our club is in bad hands. Changes from the top down are needed and needed pretty quick as well!!
Welcome to the enlightened JSP, It is no joyful experience to say that you are not alone. The list of the converted is growing daily and because, like you, they are as much sad as angry and also former AKB stalwarts, their comments are less vitriolic than those who deserted him years ago.
Perhaps now the “remainers” will realise that supporting Wenger is not the same as supporting the club.