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Wenger Needs To Be Accountable
The more I observe Wenger's increasingly stubborn approach to trying to achieve success with Arsenal, the more I am reminded of a quote from a recent Hollywood blockbuster;
'Die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villan'
Has Arsene Wenger outstayed his welcome At Arsenal and his continued efforts are now only serving to tarnish his legacy? I'm not sure, but I think its' close to the mark what Jose Mourinho said about a lack of pressure on Wenger to deliver trophies. Indeed, nobody with authority seems to question his methods due to his great service at the club. He has to realise that his job is to bring Arsenal Football Club success,not use it as a platform for his own personal experiment in youth orientated football.
In any case, it's time Wenger realised that his ideas about bringing youngsters through the ranks will never win anything substantial. It actually hasn't ever won Arsenal anything up to now if Gooners are honest with themselves. On the three occasions he won the league did Wenger really have any players younger than 21 playing regularly?
We are led to believe that the likes of Vela, Ramsey and Wilshere will be the new faces to ignite the team and that Denilson would step up to the mark. However Wenger does not have faith in Ramsey, but instead he plays Eboue out of position. Wilshere has a place on the bench but even when they are in need of a goal Wenger doesn't have faith in him. Denilson has struggled to make any sort of impact (albeit playing alongside Eboue) and Vela didn't even make the bench. Can anyone sit here and say Mourinho, Ferguson Scolari or O' Neill would have allowed Denilson to play the whole game against Fulham?
It looks to me like things are too cosy at Arsenal and have been for far too long. The Arsenal board must be the happiest bunch of businessmen in the world. In contrast to every other football club in the known universe they have manager that does not want to spend money, and in fact makes a healthy profit from the sale of existing players.
Sure they have a team that is lacking the necessary strength in depth to win major trophies, but do they care? So long as the Champions League qualification is obtained and Arsenal fans dutifully fill out the Emirates week in week out will the board give a damn about the empty trophy cabinet? Will they f**k. No, they'll just
retire to the boardroom with their cognac and cigars and count their cash. It will all start to crumble if the fans start to make some noise. It is time to start asking if there is money to spend or not.
If there is, why are Arsenal not bidding for players that can really improve their squad? Collectively, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal football club needs pressure, accountability and communication with their fans if they are to challenge the domination of Chelsea and Manchester United.
Robert Vard
Le Professor Of...
I think amidst all of the debate surrounding Arsene Wenger and wether he should spend money or that he try's to hard to balance the books people forget that this is a man who studied Economics at the University of Paris before becoming a football manager.
It would appear that he is simply trying to follow his economics textbooks and be the most efficient/profitable manager possible.
Sigporsson of the forum
Defending Wenger's Record
Let me start by saying I have had no time whatsoever for Wenger over they years, but having read this morning's mailbox I feel compelled to write in about the short-sighted Arsenal fans with the memory span of goldfish. If memory serves me, it was only this time last year that the same fans were saying Wenger is off his head and they had no chance of winning the league. Fast forward 6 months they were 5 points clear, about to go 8 points clear and then the penalty at Birmingham and everything else involved in that match. They missed it by 4 points in the end and it was generally accepted they played fantastic stuff.
Let me 1st point out that there is still time left in the transfer window and another signing can still happen. Don't listen to all the crap you hear from the managers that they don't need players blah, blah, blah. They are just trying to get it out there that they are not desperate! It's tactics!! Fergie, Wenger and Rafa are all doing it but everyone knows they need an extra player each.
Secondly, it's not going to take much for Arsenal to be as strong as last year in my opinion! What am I basing this on I hear you ask??? Well... Nasri is better than Hleb (never rated him - looked good on the ball but did fuck all with it as 3 goals will testify), Van Persie is fit again and if you get 25-30 league games from him you'll win more of those than you lose. Eduardo is due back and I for one hope he manages to get himself back to full fitness as he looked a fine goal scorer and that "fox in the box" that Wenger has been searching for, for years. Walcott has a massive role to play this year. I know he is still young but he really started to look the part at the back end of last year. His development will work two-fold as it means Eboue will not have to masquerade as a right winger anymore.
Teams develop over time and every time a player leaves it is very, very rare that you manage to get your mitts on a direct replacement, so you change your style a bit to compensate. Yes, you might not be as strong down the centre this season (I would still debate that as I reckon Toure could do that job in his sleep and Silvestre will play at CB), but you are going to be much stronger down the flanks with Nasri and Walcott (plus Rosicky if he gets fit) backed up by Sagna and Clichy, with 2 big centre forwards in the middle to get on the end of more crosses.
Wenger isn't stupid and he knows what he is doing!
Tim "have a little faith, baby!!!" (nicked from Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Heroes) Collins
The Early-Season Jitters
Why are people so anxious to declare the season over before the end of August for their teams? You might be forgiven for thinking they don't like football. This applies to pundits, journalists and fans.
Take Arsenal. It's all over already with only 36 games to go. They had 63% of the play last Saturday, more than twice as many efforts on goal as Fulham. This game proves they are a spent force. Sack the manager, they cry. (Fans + journalists.)
Take Chelsea. They thrashed Portsmouth all ends up but then grind a win against Wigan. WIGAN! Still, let's just hand over the trophy then we can do something more useful with our Saturday afternoons - not that some of these teams ever get to play on Saturday afternoons but that's another story. (Journalists + pundits.)
Take Liverpool. This is going to be their year again. At least it was until the games actually started. But two teams who are hardly tipped for success have run them close to the wire. They're finished. Except that they won both games without playing well so we should just give them the trophy. (Pundits + fans.)
Take Spurs. It's going to be their year as well. At least until the games actually started. They are dead and buried - until they give someone a right royal pasting, in which case it will be their year again (again). We can stick them in the top four and all go off and do something else with the wife and kids. (Fans + journalists.)
Take United. We might as well just give them the trophy without going through the tedious motions of having them earn it again over 36 more games. Is this the same trophy that we are just going to give to Chelsea and/or Liverpool? Who knows? (Journalists + pundits + fans.)
Take any of the other teams. Hull, Stoke and West Brom were relegated without a ball being kicked. (Journalists + pundits.)
Therefore there is really no point in all this huffing and puffing, cheering, despairing, arguing and generally rowdy behaviour. Title - awarded (except we don't know to whom it should go). Relegation - pre-ordained. (Journalists + pundits + fans.)
Perhaps there should just be one game on 31st August each year between the two teams who spend the most money each summer and then we could all save ourselves a fortune in ticket prices, TV subscriptions and whatever else we blow it on and spend it on the wife and kids instead. (Wife + kids.)
Stuart McD
Milan Know What They Are Doing
I've had enough of the people writing in crap about Milan. Senderos was signed on Loan as Milan need defensive cover. Maldini is not allowed play 2 games in 7 days, Milan Lab control how often players play, regardless of the Managers decisions. Milan needed a 4th defender to go along with Maldini, Nesta and Kalahdze. Senderos was signed on loan to fill this gap.
Next Shevchenko is a Milan hero, remember Liverpool fans reaction when Fowler rejoined despite being over the hill? Shevchenko was the best striker on the planet when he left Milan, if he can get his form back, regardless of his loss of pace he can be a great addition to the squad. Also I've spoken before of how Milan show loyalty to their players and bringing Sheva back home was the right thing to do. I'm sorry but 127 goals is 208 appearances is an astonishing record he has at Milan.
Finally Ronaldinho is amazing. He'll get back to his best with the help of the Milan Lab. They found Ronaldo had glandular fever that went unnoticed by Madrid's incompetence and he lost his weight over a summer. Ronaldinho is younger than Ronaldo and I'm sure he is determined to get his career back on track.
So with a front six consisting of a combination of Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pato, Sheva, Seedorf, Pirlo, Gattuso, Flamini, Paloschi, Gourcouff and the Legendary Pippo Inzaghi (hello Liverpool fans) I'd say they won't have much trouble scoring a few goals and mounting a challenge for the Serie A.
Conor Byrne, Dublin
A Fair Point
With the abuse John Terry has received here recently, according to many contributors Carvalho is the only reason he looks any way decent, it'll shall be interesting to see how Rio Ferdinand does without the rock that is Vidic once he sods off to sunnier climes. Rio is the man remember thats took four years to in any way justify a £30M price tag and about the same number of years to score a goal in a manyoo shirt.
Constantly bailed out and made to look "world class" in man u tinted glasses by the Serbian, its only a matter of time till he misses another drug test so he can escape the abuse once his partnership with John O Shea, coupled with Ronaldo leaving and Nani still hitting Row Z, results in mid table obscurity in fergie's final season......Good luck there
Baz, Dublin
Good Money For Milner
Regarding James Milner transfer request, I have to say good riddance for 9 million or around that price, he couldn't cross a bridge!!! I spent the whole game last Saturday v Bolton talking with friends and we all agreed if Villa were offering 9 mil or so then snap their hands off. Geremi is certainly not as good yet our performance increased due to his far better right midfield play culminating in a ....decent cross for the strikers to score a goal!!
We're well off for wide players, its centre midfield and up top where we're lacking, so use the money to strengthen there. His final delivery is awful, and if he wants away get him sold, it's about time these players got told to naff off. (BTW, can we now accuse Martin O'Neill of tapping up after they've leaked their interest/bids just as Liverpool did with Barry? Football is full of hypocrites and greedy self-interested nobodies, I hate them all!!!)
Spanna, NUFC, Newcastle
...Greedy little rat. He has not expressed since Keegan came his willingness to leave and Keegan has always fully backed him, so much so to say he is one of our best players. M'ON has a bit of cheeky to complain about those in red tapping up Barry, theoretically this is a very similar situation!
In my opinion we could be a better team without him, if we get around £10m there has to be a right winger out there in that region. Milner can run, he was everywhere last night - but crossing is often dubious, a massive let down when he reaches the byline then knocks the ball to the gadgee on the front post which happened time and time again last night, which was over looked due to the running he did.
If he wants to leave, let him. I want to watch someone play for us who wants to play for us. I just hope it doesn't stretch out to be a low profile Berbatov saga!
Matty (Not impressed by greedy little footballers) Poole
The Second Sentence Actually
Sometimes, it's worth getting an insult into a mail in the first sentence. This is not one of those emails. Suffice to say, David Garner is a complete f**king twat. I'll let the other mailboxers to retort with a clever counter argument. Leave the insults to me.
David, Somerset
Let The Biters Bite
I've just spent the large part of my lunch break trying to think of a response to David Garner's War and Peace effort.
Yes undoubtedly, moving to The Emirates has put some economical strain on the purse strings, and yes I've no doubt that causes some restrictions on player purchase.
But to assume that's all down to Manchester United? Come off it....
Highbury wasn't big enough to compete on any fronts, not just poxy Man United.
Wenger hasn't spent loads, hardly anything in fact. But I still have complete faith in his knowledge and decisions. After all, if it wasn't for him, we'd be like Spurs, wedged in mid table mediocrity.
Instead, on our day, we are the most attractive footballing side in the Premiership, maybe even Europe. I appreciate that winning trophies is the name of the game, but It could be worse, we could be not winning anything and watching dross every week like Liverpool.
So after all that about Manchester United's world dominance and general fantasticness, I'd like to remind David Garner, that had it not been for 1 crap refereeing decision and one bad performance, we'd have been champions. Hardly the gulf in class he likes to think exists.
And one final point, I notice he never wrote where he lived.
'united supporter since birth, attending since 73'
David, my old chap, you live in Surrey.
Danny Painter
...In response to David (desperate to prove I'm a real fan) Garner from the morning mailbox I would just like to say firstly GET A LIFE you k**b jockey.
Secondly, I would like to point out that for all your boasting of how strong and robust Manure are as a financial interest you conveniently forgot to include the part about your owners (who just happen to be one of the ugliest family's on the face of the earth) being up to their eyeballs in debt and having to use vast amounts of that ticket sale revenue to keep the money men happy.
Thirdly I would like to point out that (and it pains me to do so) you will always be playing second fiddle to Chelsea in the money stakes (as long as Roman does not get bored and sell up) and will never be able to match their monetary might as unlike your owners Roman has wonga falling out of his a** and it would seem could not care less how much he loses in the pursuit of what he wants, as a Liverpool fan obviously I'm not over the moon about this but in the context of this conversation couldn't give two hoots as it keeps you firmly in your place as second fiddle which is a position you should be used to by now as you are still playing second fiddle to L.F.C when it comes to both European and domestic success...yes, yes I know your only one away from (1 in the league,2 in C.L) us and look more likely at the moment than we do of winning the title but until you surpass us and become the most successful team ever to come out of England then shut your hole and go back to doing what ever it is you do in your sad little life.
Sean (when I perfect time travel and patent the technology I'm going to be richer than Roman and buy Manure and flush it down the toilet) McGrath
...And Man Yoo fans wonder why people think they are the vilest c**ts on the planet when they have fans like David Garner! It took one CL and one PL to remind everyone why as despicable as Chelsea are, no one can ever top Man Yoo.
John 'Chelsea are gonna beat you anyway' Matrix
...To David Garner,
I'm not "hurting" at all over the fact that your soulless, sanitized and rather drafty warehouse is considerably larger than ours - you can keep it, along with your embarrassingly bad bastardisation of the Carpenters' finest.
The worm always turns pal - it did for us and it will for you, and whether it's the Russians, the Arse, hell, even the Blues or the Villans who eventually assume United's current mantle at the pinnacle of English football, the droves of day-trippers who currently infest your ground will jump ship like the rats they are, and your 'theatre' will be no more than a half-empty monolith, pining hopeless for the return of a lost age.
Thanks!
Alex Ballard, LFC
...Did anyone else get to the word 'annals' (in the four paragraph of David Garner's fantastically arrogant and boring piece of literature) and then start sniggering because it sounds and looks like 'an*l', and then not bother reading anymore of the e-mail?
Simon 'He also said sh*g...hehehe' Goddard, SFC
...I bet David Garner has an ugly wife. Who's with me?
Tom Balmer
