Should Arsenal extend Arsène Wenger's contract?

[mistermagic]

The frog's contract is up in May. Now considering how boring it has become to support Arsenal (play ok, finish i the top 4, get dicked by a side much better than them in the CL 1st KO stage etc), it is my opinion that a change of manager would be the best thing for the club. However, if Man Utd have taught us something is that you don't replace a guy who stayed 20 years in a given position and expect some other guy to come about and do the same. Good managers are hard to come by these days.

So what should the Arsenal board do?

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Stay.

 

[MJA]

Irrelevant of today's result, I think Wenger's time has reached an end at Arsenal. Been a massive success for them on the field over the years and also clearly played his part in what could have been a difficult transition into the new ground. Kept Arsenal competitive whilst they managed the debt created from financing the Emirates but it's now reached a stage where I think his style and refusal to buy well has become outdated and will eventually leave Arsenal languishing well beyond the top clubs in England

 

[Blitzballer]

I don't think so. They do the same shit season after season and Wenger is known as a tight bastard.

 

[SALTIRE]

I thought he'd retire at the end of this season come what may, with it being his 20th year there.

 

[Max]

*Ms Hilly = Arsene Wenger

The weight of expectation on him, season after season, must be exhausting.

 

[Nilsson]

It's definitely time for him to go, he's ruining his legacy, I just can't see Arsenal winning another league title under him. Last season was crazy, all 3 clubs who'd won the title in the last 10+ years have absolute disasters, you'd expect Arsenal to be the ones to step in, but no, just another standard season finishing 2nd best.

Won't be easy for Arsenal to replace him though, seems like he runs the club from top to bottom, losing that sort of stability is going to take time adjusting to.

 

[GodsGift]

If Arsenal want to carry on doing the same thing season after season then sure, give him a contract. As the cliche goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results and all that that.

 

[Mustard]

No, and it would take him somehow winning the league to change my mind (and even so, that would be a good time to go). At the moment his lack of planning and ambition is hurting us. We need to bite the bullet at some point and with Wenger in charge everything at the club seems...comfortable? The players are getting paid well enough, the club gets top 4, we laugh at Spurs, rinse & repeat. I'd still like Wenger to be involved with the club somehow, but we need to get somebody in that can get the fans excited again. The danger is the league is getting closer at the top and we could struggle for a season or two like United, but I think the playing squad is in a good position at the moment.

Wenger is still a legend in my eyes and really has been hugely influential in changing the relationship between sport and science in the league, but at some point he has lost his competitive advantage as the rest of the league has caught up. The main problem is who can replace him? I'm not sure if Tuchel would leave Dortmund so soon. Simeone is like the 'anti-Wengerball' and that kind of change could be brilliant (i.e. Wenger himself taking over George Graham's/Rioch's defense) or a disaster, and again I'd not sure if he'd come here. Eddie Howe I like but it's too early/risky for him. Really we need somebody with a pedigree to match Wenger's, and that's very rare. I would have liked Ancelotti but that ship has sailed, or Guardiola. We found Wenger in Japan so there must be somebody out there.

 

[The Unbeliever]

I'm not bothered one way or the other tbh, but he's liable to become a lame duck manager (LVG & Pellegrini) which isn't a good thing.
It might also effect transfers who would want to sign for a manager who might be gone the at the end of the season.

 

[Dirk]

Should Arsenal extend Arsène Wenger's contract?
Of course! Funny Guy

 

[Luc@]

Absolutely NOT

 

[Jarv]

got to be sure on the next appointment get it wrong and it could be years in the wilderness

 

[Renegade]

Arsenal will fall off a cliff when he leaves, should have attempted to get one of the elite managers whilst they were going. I think they've left it too late to sack him. He runs everything at the club and was (still is) an amazing manager. I don't see Arsenal as top four material once he leaves unless they get someone like Simeone.

 

[King Kev]

It's definitely time for him to go, he's ruining his legacy, I just can't see Arsenal winning another league title under him. Last season was crazy, all 3 clubs who'd won the title in the last 10+ years have absolute disasters, you'd expect Arsenal to be the ones to step in, but no, just another standard season finishing 2nd best.

Won't be easy for Arsenal to replace him though, seems like he runs the club from top to bottom, losing that sort of stability is going to take time adjusting to.

Whilst I get the whole 'league table doesn't lie' thing, they only finished second after Spurs fell apart at the end. Was a bit of a false position that final league place, in truth Arsenal had been out the title race since March.

 

[JimJams]

If they win the league or CL he should be given whatever he wants as he'll have proved the doubters wrong. If not, see ya later.

 

[sl1k]

Wenger remaining at the helm causes problems and raises questions in increasingly more ways.

For one, it'll obviously affect recruitment. Arsenal look totally unambitious in the market, the disgruntlement amongst fans getting worse because of it, and regardless of how much substance is in the claims of players like ozil being unhappy it does no favours to making the prospect of joining arsenal look attractive. A key aspect of SAF's longevity in the ways of success was revitalising the dressing room every so often through a big signing. Freshens things up and motivates everybody.

Also, if you're a player entering your prime, would you want to join a team that'll eventually go through an uncertainty period of transition?

Agree with Rene in that they should have gone for a top manager whilst they were available and started the process of rebuilding the club post Wenger.

 

[smat]

Depends on who would replace him really, and I'm not sure there's any point in replacing the manager while the board show no ambition to win things. Kroenke has said that trophies do not motivate him. Looking at United, City and Chelsea you're left in no doubt that there is real hunger to win things and be as successful as possible as a club. That's just not the case for Arsenal. As long as we stay in the top four (which we will forever under Wenger) the board is perfectly happy. With the new TV deal, there's possibly even less pressure on us even to do that. We're atrophying on top of a huge pile of cash and Wenger is seemingly under no obligation to do more.


In many ways he's our best and most successful manager ever, and not just in trophy count. We are a far bigger club now than when he took over and he's got a lot to do with that. But at the moment he - and the club - are not utilising our status or funds to the maximum of our ability, and we've got no chance of coming close to competing with United until we actually try to do that. He's not the whole problem but he's definitely complicit in it. He's far too risk-averse.

 

[Kopper]

Arsenal should offer Wenger a life time contract and hope he signs it.

Arsenal will go into free fall when he leaves.

 

[smat]

Arsenal should offer Wenger a life time contract and hope he signs it.

Arsenal will go into free fall when he leaves.

Why would we go into freefall?

 

[SALTIRE]

Kopper showing that brilliant insight as always.

 

[GodsGift]

Why would we go into freefall?

Yeah, I don't get that either. Different scenario I know, but everyone said the same about Stoke when Pulis left and that turned out alright.

I'm sure one of the world's largest clubs, who fill a 60,000 capacity stadium every other week will get by just fine with or without Wenger.

 

[SALTIRE]

I know we like to diss Arsenal for Wenger, but they have been a top side for 90 years in the topflight; they'll not go into freefall when he eventually gets his massive payoff which he's looking for.

 

[JimJams]

Payoff? For what?

 

[SALTIRE]

Payoff? For what?

He'll get a good service payoff or something for his time there. Happens a lot in business and lets face it, Arsenal are run only to be a business currently.

 

[JimJams]

He'll be lucky to get a quid and a free breakfast.

 

[smat]

I don't think Arsene Wenger is still at Arsenal because he wants to earn more money.

 

[SALTIRE]

I don't think Arsene Wenger is still at Arsenal because he wants to earn more money.

He's French and got to support all those mistresses the dirty dog.

 

[JimJams]

This man does not need to pay for fanny!

 

[Stevencc]

That man that doesn't pay for anything.