Football - 2017/18 season

Yeah, shame he allowed a decade of stagnation to tarnish that legacy.

That Invincibles side had everything - skill, pace, power, resilience, leadership and goals. But for whatever reason Wenger decided to sacrifice at least a couple of those qualities in his quest for “perfect” football after that. His spineless, leaderless sides of recent years have been frustrating for all football fans to watch. World class players wasted, young talent stalling in development. You can blame the new money of first Chelsea and then Man City all you like, but they weren’t that far off talent-wise until perhaps a couple of years ago, it’s the failure to address key positions down the spine of the team that has constantly held them back. And that’s purely down to the manager’s stubbornness.

So like Cloughie, though in different circumstances, went on a bit too long. But still the groundbreaker for foreign managers in English football. He was Pep Guardiola 20 years ago, in effect. And of course he could still go out with a European trophy.

That would be the ultimate irony - The Arse winning the Europa League therefore giving the new manager a CL place the day he takes over.

Yes, AW probably did stay too long, but in some ways Arsenal fans were spoilt ... since the PL started, I'd say only Man U have been more successful. Yes, Chelsea and City have also won the PL more in recent years - but will they qualify for every CL for the next 10 years without fail ?

The new manager, whoever it may be had better have instant success, or the fans will have a field day.

Great coach.

beamer wrote:Yeah, shame he allowed a decade of stagnation to tarnish that legacy.

Yup, stubbornness became his trademark, over results.

Clough's latter years were far less successful and more chaotic than Wenger's. Hasn't harmed his legacy.

Check out the goal in the A League semi final tonight.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/match-centre/HAL2017-182901

Wow - the Scorpion!!!!

vilkrang wrote:Clough's latter years were far less successful and more chaotic than Wenger's. Hasn't harmed his legacy.

Well, he only had one genuinely bad year, though it was a very bad one ending in relegation. Although the rot had set in with some poor signings the previous couple of years, we still got to six Wembley finals in four seasons from 1989-92, and never finished lower than ninth before the year of drunken implosion. Maybe the warning signs were there from the moment he punched that pitch invader (‘88/‘89?) but we still punched above our weight as a club until very late on.

Wenger on the other hand, it’s been a slow, steady decline for 14 years since the Invincibles side. And it’s not just down to money, he consistently refused to address the real needs, generally strength and leadership, while pursuing a fanciful dream of winning it all playing perfect football, at one stage trying to do so with mostly home-grown players.

beamer wrote:Wenger on the other hand, it’s been a slow, steady decline for 14 years since the Invincibles side. And it’s not just down to money, he consistently refused to address the real needs, generally strength and leadership, while pursuing a fanciful dream of winning it all playing perfect football, at one stage trying to do so with mostly home-grown players.

Yup. Nice summary, beams.

Very frustrating for Gunners supporters like me.

skully wrote:

beamer wrote:Wenger on the other hand, it’s been a slow, steady decline for 14 years since the Invincibles side. And it’s not just down to money, he consistently refused to address the real needs, generally strength and leadership, while pursuing a fanciful dream of winning it all playing perfect football, at one stage trying to do so with mostly home-grown players.

Yup. Nice summary, beams.

Very frustrating for Gunners supporters like me.

Boohoo. Spare a thought for your next door neighbours.

Spurs will always be pretenders.

A couple of awful mistakes by the Liverpool goalkeeper & spectacular goal by Bale helped Real Madrid to a 3 - 1 win in the Champions League final.

Plus Fulham win the most valuable game of the year.

WideWally wrote:A couple of awful mistakes by the Liverpool goalkeeper & spectacular goal by Bale helped Real Madrid to a 3 - 1 win in the Champions League final.

No coming back from that for Karius.

They weren't even mistakes. A mistake is an under-hit back pass; stepping up late and playing the opposing forward onside; dropping a cross under pressure.

These were catastrophic howlers under zero pressure that defy belief. TWO of them! It was a player absolutely falling to pieces on the big stage. You wouldn't see the first goal happen in an under 5s kick about. It's rare that I'm ever actually embarrassed for someone, but it was so laughable I don't know what else you can feel.

No manager of any serious side is ever going to trust Karius to hold the fort again.

maybe al jazeera is looking at the wrong sport.

So I see that those great supporters of fair play, LFC fans, are sending Karius death threats

soccer is probably the easiest sport to rig

Zinedine Zidane quits as manager of Real Madrid.

A better final game this time!

Wenger and Pochettino top the odds lists, but that may be down to UK-centric bookies...

It won't be Wenger.

They wanted him on a couple of occasions in the past, but that ship has surely sailed now he’s pushing 70.

A lot depends on whether they want a “continuity” manager or a “rebuilding” one. In other words, appease Ronaldo or think about moving on to a new era.

Aye, Wenger needs to retire with some shred of dignity to a Monaco retirement home.

WideWally wrote:Zinedine Zidane quits as manager of Real Madrid.

A better final game this time!

Surely this is a pisstake:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/6426571/zinedine-zidane-qatar/

A fraction of what they paid for 2022 so maybe not a pisstake.

Yeah, they need a figurehead for the team itself, given how far down the rankings they are for a host nation.

Is there time for a recruitment strategy to get some decent uncapped players from European and South American nations into the fold? Like they’ve done with the Kenyan distance runners in the past?