THE WENGER THREAD

[General]

Hill-Wood getting his boot in, now.

''Former chairman Peter Hill-Wood appointed Wenger in 1996 and has been his staunchest supporter.

But last night Hill-Wood said for the first time the Gunners needed a change.

“I clearly am not very happy about what is going on,” said Hill-Wood, 82, who stood down as chairman in 2013 for health reasons.

“I think that there probably ought to be a change of management.''

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footb ... ghton-news

Thank you for an interest in our affairs, Peter.

The fact this wanker has the balls to come out and say this publicly means it's over. Wenger is done.

It's happening lads. I can see the promised land. Just need Milan to deliver the final blow and that's all folks.

I'm actually feeling that way about Hill-Wood's quotes too. The man was one of Wenger's biggest arse lickers and stuck by him until Hill-Wood stepped down. I really can't see Hill-Wood going out of his way to say this if there was no chance of Wenger going.

As ex-chairman, his voice holds no sway anyway.........he still put “probably” as a caveat to a change of management

While it has no real sway on Wenger's future, there's no way Hill-Wood would look to segregate himself from his old boys' network by voicing an opinion that isn't in line with theirs.

Hill-Wood helped create this mess and cashed in on his shares with a nice little profit so this kind of statement has no residual impact on him. He's nothing more than s hypocrite but any pressure on Wenger is welcome. He's mates with Keswick and helped install him as Chairman so it's likely they share the same views in private. It's never over until it's over as far as Wenger is concerned. We are dealing with a megalomaniac and a narcissist of the worst form and it's going to take more than the musings of an ex chairman to shift him. I wonder if the board will release a statement like last season on his future.

[augie]

Hill-Wood getting his boot in, now.

''Former chairman Peter Hill-Wood appointed Wenger in 1996 and has been his staunchest supporter.

But last night Hill-Wood said for the first time the Gunners needed a change.

“I clearly am not very happy about what is going on,” said Hill-Wood, 82, who stood down as chairman in 2013 for health reasons.

“I think that there probably ought to be a change of management.''

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footb ... ghton-news

Thank you for an interest in our affairs, Peter.

[JimmyAFC]

So the average supporter knew this fraud was finished 8 years ago and now everyone has woken up.

FUCKING *word censored*.

[JimmyAFC]

Fuck I love it when Robson comes in on the act on Wenger hahahah hates the *word censored*.

[augie]

I'm sure I can't be the only who couldn't actual give a shit what Hill-Wood may or may not have said. *word censored*

BREAKING NEWS--Lord Harris offered his resignation

Is there any non-twitter proof of this?

As for that Tuesday meeting story from the Guardian it just reads like it is completely made up without a shred of evidence to support it.

Regardless of your opinion of its politics, the Guardian is a serious newspaper with high journalistic integrity, at least compared to what passes for reporting these days. I seriously doubt they would create a story from thin air, or take a story from some random second hand source and then publish it as an eyewitness account. The print version is struggling as are all the media, but the only online version is massively popular without need to fabricate stories.

100% agree with that - the Guardian is probably THE most respected newspaper in the uk, and isnt like the red tops who will throw up any bullshit and claim it to be fact If they print that story, you can be sure that it is the truth

[sk-gtfo]

F*ck off Hill-Wood , hypocritical c**t, he was the one who said "we don't want his sort at the club" (about SK) then less than a year later advised other shareholders to sell to him, so he was/is indirectly responsible for Wenger still being here so long.

I don't care if all the turncoats are Wenger out now, they can all f*ck off along with SFB.

[augie]

F*ck off Hill-Wood , hypocritical c**t, he was the one who said "we don't want his sort at the club" (about SK) then less than a year later advised other shareholders to sell to him, so he was/is indirectly responsible for Wenger still being here so long.

I don't care if all the turncoats are Wenger out now, they can all f*ck off along with SFB.

That was a move designed to block DD from getting back into the club cos DD had alliagned himself with usmanov by then - fitzman and hill-woods sole agenda at that time was to keep DD out, and they sold to kroenke to ensure that happened

[IrishJB]

I know loads of us have been feeling this way for some time, but generally speaking us Gooners do little when change needs to happen.

There’s been a few (appeals) started which haven’t really taken off, I’m hoping this one will!

Sign the Petition:

https://www.change.org/p/arsenal-suppor ... responsive

This is THE ONE guys and gals !

Sign up for a change to happen at our beloved Club. Pls Sign and RT on your Twitter, Facebook everywhere you can ....

B wishes and fingers crossed .....

JB

Genuine question what do you hope to achieve with this petition? This seems to be the modern answer - don't like something I will setup a petition - that will scare them.

Hi Nick

We have to do something, someone has to and I don’t care that it’s me that’s started this one. Marches have failed, signs are pulled down, supporters arguing with each other, all not good, not working. I’m hoping someone in our Government will take an official interest - question what the hell is going on, that a Company registered in this Country can be questioned. But even if the Government aren’t interested, this can show the Club, our club that we the fans are important, that we want success, we are the Club, a fan base should be bigger than any manager, more important than the Directors.

I’m pleased we’re now half way to 100 - let’s make it 109 signatures everyone - come on, let’s Unite as one, show we care for this Club, that we do have a say in its future, especially when we see our Club slipping.

https://www.change.org/p/arsenal-suppor ... responsive

[A11M11]

Hill wood never forgave Dein for having the foresight to buy his shares and then profit as the boom started.
The stories surrounding the machinations of the board and the infighting and their causes are many . It seems that Bracewell-smith was coerced and now says she regrets it. The Fismann / Dein fight is well documented but the reasons for it are contradictory. There are stories of Fiszmann's donations to the club which don't appear in the books . The whole period is smoke and mirrors like an old Jeffery Archer novel.

[Arsenal Till I Die]

david m
‏@davemagar

BREAKING NEWS--Lord Harris offered his resignation to the board this morning which has been turned down. He's clearly fed up with the situation albeit the Board have asked him to reconsider and to give them time.

Ah, so it was all LordHarris of Peckhams fault, hopefully after getting shot of him we will be world conquerors once again

All is not rosy in the boardroom.

Lost the dressing room too

The full story:

The speech was delivered by one of the senior players in the Arsenal dressing room but he did not finish it. He was too choked up as he reflected on how such a talented squad had come to resemble a bunch of drifters. He said his children were asking him why Arsenal were so bad. That was the moment when the tears welled in his eyes.

Another Arsenal player stepped in. “We are a big club,” he said, tapping into the rallying cry theme. “But we need more help from the coaches.” That was when the damning judgment was articulated. It had actually been the motivation for the players to gather in the first place – without Arsène Wenger. “It’s not going to happen,” one of them said. “We need to find the answers ourselves.”

It was Tuesday of this week – the day of the first training session after Sunday’s Carabao Cup final humbling against Manchester City. The meeting of the players at London Colney was not aggressive in its tone, even if there were frank exchanges. It was more plaintive; coloured by soul-searching and a certain helplessness. It shone a glaring light on why Wenger’s time as the manager is up.

It is too easy in times of crisis to say the lavishly rewarded modern footballer does not care. The Arsenal squad do care; they beat themselves up over how they have slipped from Champions League to Europa League level. It embarrasses them that the fans have been so unhappy with so many of their performances. This is their livelihood. They have professional pride.

Wenger has always said he will step aside when he feels he can no longer draw the maximum from his players. Right now, he cannot get through to them at all and the frustration on all sides is overwhelming. It is causing the club to implode.

The weird thing about Thursday night’s Premier League fixture against City was that Arsenal played well during the first half. And yet they trailed 3-0 by the end of it and only a Petr Cech block from Sergio Agüero on 40 minutes stopped it from being worse. At that point only the hardest of hearts could feel no sympathy.

Arsenal’s heads did not go down after the first City goal – despite Wenger’s dire pre-match warning that in 85% of the big games the team that broke the deadlock came out on top. But things turned sharply upon the second and third goals. There were boos from the home support when the half-time whistle went, a chorus of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” from a small section and, also, something new and darker – the team were booed out for the second half.

It was excruciating to see how City sliced through Arsenal on the counterattack, although it was not entirely surprising given the lack of defensive midfield balance in Wenger’s lineup. Arsenal gamely tried to play forward; City simply picked them off.

The no-shows had felt telling; the Emirates Stadium was only half-full. Never mind the horrible weather – this was one of the prestige matches of the season. The official attendance was given as 58,420 based on tickets sold, which drew the usual derision. Only at Arsenal can people get angry at something like that.

But this is the climate, one of volatility and extreme emotion, and Wenger remains the lightning rod. Whether he limps on into next season or is gently ushered off the premises is the all-consuming issue (again) and it is difficult to see how it cannot affect performances. Wenger admitted the uncertainty over his future had done so last season.

The City manager, Pep Guardiola, was asked on Thursday night whether he felt any sympathy towards Wenger and he talked generously about how he could “understand the situation”. Guardiola accepted it could happen to him or any of his peers, even if this rather overlooked the sheer scale of the Wenger Out saga. But a throwaway line stood out. “I’m sure he’s going to take the right decision, for the club, for him, for the players, for everybody,” Guardiola said.

As far as Wenger is concerned there is no decision to take. He intends to remain in charge for next season and honour the final one on his contract. To hear Guardiola buy into the narrative and, essentially, validate it was revealing. Perhaps Guardiola has a little inside information. His coach, Mikel Arteta – the former Arsenal captain – has been touted as a potential successor to Wenger.


There were mitigating factors for Arsenal’s second 3-0 loss to City in the space of five days; namely that it was City. They have greater resources and better players. But it still felt like a damaging setback; a point of no return. Even Wenger’s patented knack of bouncing back from a bad defeat had deserted him.

On the other hand, we have been here before – most recently at Crystal Palace last April. After the 3-0 defeat that night, the notion of Wenger continuing for another season felt outlandish. He somehow stabilised and ended up winning the FA Cup. This time out he has his sights on the Europa League.

Wenger talked the fighting talk before Sunday’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, albeit in a weary way, and he admitted that his players’ confidence levels were low. He looked shot to pieces although, as ever, he trooped through his various media obligations with stoicism and dignity. Nobody likes to see this gentleman under such fire. More than anything, the situation is sad.

The club have adopted a siege mentality in which they refuse to look beyond the next game. But Wenger’s judgment day is drawing nearer. Stan Kroenke, the majority shareholder, had one target for the season – to reboard the Champions League gravy train. It has come to look further away.

Would Kroenke pull the trigger on Wenger? It would be a surprise if he did not.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... er-meeting

Koscielny was the crier, apparently.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... ne-wenger/

[augie]

Yes please

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/5712403/ ... -emirates/

I would be happy if PV4 returned - whether it is him or not, we need our next manager to rule with an iron fist and not have an arteta, henry or luis Enrique type of manager

[NickF]

I’m hoping someone in our Government will take an official interest - question what the hell is going on, that a Company registered in this Country can be questioned.

Are you for real? Do you not think the government have better things to do than discuss what is going on a football club?

[begeegs]

Hill-Wood helped create this mess and cashed in on his shares with a nice little profit so this kind of statement has no residual impact on him. He's nothing more than s hypocrite but any pressure on Wenger is welcome. He's mates with Keswick and helped install him as Chairman so it's likely they share the same views in private. It's never over until it's over as far as Wenger is concerned. We are dealing with a megalomaniac and a narcissist of the worst form and it's going to take more than the musings of an ex chairman to shift him. I wonder if the board will release a statement like last season on his future.

I would agree with the consensus that he's gone with the Hill-Wood comments and player comments on the same day. For me, this feels like an orchestrated move by the board to soften up fans who may still be in the Wenger camp. It's very similar to the 'Sanchez is a bad apple in the dressing room' stories that circulated up until he was sold.

And I will look forward with optimism to the next appointment. I don't think that we are going to gamble on a novice or one with a similar age to Wenger, but we will go with the ones who are younger and up and coming. So, I would think that the guys from Germany - Ralph Hasenhüttl, Nagelsmann, and the Jardim - those would be the types that I could see given a crack. I would like them to include Simeone and Allegri, but I think that their clubs may not let them go and they may not want to come (especially considering Simeone - I really doubt that he'd leave).

Either way - I am looking forward to next season as I can become interested again and not in a sort of side-show circus type of a way.

[Clash]

So Koscielny tries to make a rousing speech but bursts into tears? What a fucking flake. Even if its not true, he's still a flake.

As for Hill-Wood, isnt this the man who called fans ''impertinent''' not too long ago for questioning Wenger and the club?

Nothing that is obvious now about needing Wenger to go wasnt just as obvious several years ago. Are these people, who not so long ago labelled the fans wanting Wenger out a disgrace ever gonna apologise for being so slow to understand? Or will they continue to think they are the experts? That only their judgement counts. That they are the authority and fans are just a rabble who need to be spoon-fed the facts.

I also heard Jamie Carragher said the club should announce Wenger's departure so we can all get behind him for the rest of the season. Fuck that! As happy as I would be to know Wenger was finally going, there is no way I would suddenly get behind him. Fuck him! He has destroyed this club and I will despise him forever for that.

Wenger has done a hell of a lot of damage. Some of it irreparable. Why is this side of things ignored? Why is this fraud still afforded so much respect and affection when he shows none of those qualities himself? As far as I am concerned, celebrating Wenger for the good he will have done at Arsenal will be like applauding Jimmy Saville for his charity work.

[xgtdec]

I'm sure I can't be the only who couldn't actual give a shit what Hill-Wood may or may not have said. *word censored*

BREAKING NEWS--Lord Harris offered his resignation

Is there any non-twitter proof of this?

As for that Tuesday meeting story from the Guardian it just reads like it is completely made up without a shred of evidence to support it.

Regardless of your opinion of its politics, the Guardian is a serious newspaper with high journalistic integrity, at least compared to what passes for reporting these days. I seriously doubt they would create a story from thin air, or take a story from some random second hand source and then publish it as an eyewitness account. The print version is struggling as are all the media, but the only online version is massively popular without need to fabricate stories.

100% agree with that - the Guardian is probably THE most respected newspaper in the uk, and isnt like the red tops who will throw up any bullshit and claim it to be fact If they print that story, you can be sure that it is the truth

But Amy "ill do anything to make a quid off Arsenal including but not limited to enjoying the journo hospitality and never asking any awkward questionsof my lord wenger" Lawrence writes for the gaurdian, As does Daniel "lets get Eni aluko all the positive press we can even though she took the hush money" taylor

2 utter cretinous hacks...hardly paragon's of journalistic integrity