Life after Wenger | Ornstein: Arsenal set to appoint Unai Emery

[Rocky]

I don't know, at Inter taking over a treble winning team he was an absolute disaster. The team slumped completely, even losing to f**king Sp**s in the Champions League before eventually getting sacked. At Chelsea he was hated too, he got them the UEFA Cup though didn't he? I can't remember. I do remember him not lasting very long though and them being pretty lacklustre.

If we lose Wenger, I think we need someone far more inspiring than Rafa Benitez. All opinions though isn't it.

Arsenal aren't a treble winning team like Inter were though. Benitez would have more to aim at.

Benitez was hated at Chelsea before he was appointed - don't trust fan opinions as a barometer of his ability as a manager. He was appointed as interim manager (so it isn't a surprise that he didn't last long), hated by the fans from day 1, and still won them the Europa League and got them to 3rd after they had finished 6th the previous season.

I don't think it is realistic that the next manager appointed will last long. If they are given a lot of time (3 years or more), and not even expected to finish top 4 consistently, then a longer-term appointment like Allegri might work. However I don't see the problem with Benitez doing the job for a couple of years, perhaps giving the Europa League or Champions League or FA Cup a good go, allowing the new club model to emerge (perhaps working with a director of football) and then passing the job on to the best available manager with a longer-term plan in place.

 

[Kingslayer]

Think Benitez should take over at Spuds tbh, imho, asl, ayfkmwts, crtla, ifh8tabx.

 

[Trilly]

That's not as crazy as it sounds. When you take into account who won what and who spent what, also what Wenger did for the club with the new stadium, and still kept us in CL every season while selling our best players, its actually a fair shout by @SA Gunner Obviously it's impossible to quantify though, each fan will have their own way of looking at it.

Yeah...but no.

Management comes down to winning. Wenger has done well in niche areas, arguably doing a job that no other manager could do but at the end of the day the guy who wins the races gets the plaudits not the guy who didn't win but admirably came second despite having one leg.

Not necessarily fair but it be's that way sometimes.

 

[scytheavatar]

The club in general will need through a transition either Arsène leaves this year or next. He holds control over everything football related at the club and wether you like it or not, his stature at the club is immense and there will be a huge void when he leaves that will be needed to be filled.
One new manager is not going to do so, specially one coming from outside of the club and the league. As I said, I am absolutely fine with him staying with a clear transition plan from the club, starting with hiring a Technical director/director of football.

I am quite certain that if we declare that we want to hire a Director of football to take over this summer, plenty of highly qualified individuals will love to take up the job. We are a big club, I don't see why Wenger needs to stay on for us to hire a director of football. In fact him staying will only likely make potential director of footballs question if they want to work with Wenger meddling in their vision of the club. Once we have hired a new Director of football and a new manager they can take over and work their magic with a clean break from Wenger. Which is what we need. I don't see what the use of a "transition period" is other than to prolong the stagnation of the club and drive more players into leaving us.

 

[Makingtrax]

This is why it would be great if he announced he was leaving now, the fan base could relax and see him off well. Would be awful if we end in full on disaster and he just goes without a proper farewell after the season is done.

That would be fine if the board had a plan, but I suspect not.

 

[DanDare]

I'm in the camp of clean break I think. Wengers had 21 years to delegate and has only taken on more and more so I can't see him being able to surrender anything in stages.

 

[balthazar]

Actually, I would love to see Michael Laudrup get the job, although he has habit of having personal clashes with people. Big name with instant respect, brilliant player, attaching philosophy, good track record at smaller teams.

 

[carlito'sway]

I just don't think anyone could do that job with Wenger in post. They would be totally undermined by the control he has. Admittedly, that would be softened if Wenger had announced his departure date, but we've seen the problems that can cause when Ferguson initially announced his plan to depart then stayed on. Also, anyone who was appointed would be an AFC employee but they would be a de facto Wenger appointment because nobody can be appointed in a football capacity without Wenger's approval at the present time.

While we are both speculating, I still disagree. With AW leaving at some point, that changes totally the dynamics with regard to the DoF.
This person will definitely have the latitude and authority to purse this agenda.

 

[carlito'sway]

I am quite certain that if we declare that we want to hire a Director of football to take over this summer, plenty of highly qualified individuals will love to take up the job. We are a big club, I don't see why Wenger needs to stay on for us to hire a director of football. In fact him staying will only likely make potential director of footballs question if they want to work with Wenger meddling in their vision of the club. Once we have hired a new Director of football and a new manager they can take over and work their magic with a clean break from Wenger. Which is what we need. I don't see what the use of a "transition period" is other than to prolong the stagnation of the club and drive more players into leaving us.

Like all the major players who left the club the last couple of years?

 

[teamsoutheast]

Arsenal fan Tim Stillman aka Stillberto said it best:
Life as an Arsenal supporter is not that bad and most of us recognise that. We follow a talented team and there are many worse things than finishing in third or fourth place every year. But we want something different, even if that means failing in a different way.

Yes, it may be difficult replacing Wenger, and by doing so we may experience something similar to what Manchester United fans experienced when Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but we need to take that on at some point so why not as soon as possible. Better that than being in a permanent state of stasis.

What a load of old Tosh!!

 

[scytheavatar]

Like all the major players who left the club the last couple of years?

You seriously don't think we are on the verge of a mass exodus in key players?

While we are both speculating, I still disagree. With AW leaving at some point, that changes totally the dynamics with regard to the DoF.
This person will definitely have the latitude and authority to purse this agenda.

But then why wouldn't that DoF want "the latitude and authority to purse this agenda" ASAP? What can Wenger add to our DoF?

 

[Jasard]

That would be fine if the board had a plan, but I suspect not.

Yeah, there stems the problem really.

 

[Enfield]

Does anyone else think it might be a good idea to let Wenger take the Director of Football roll and allow someone else take care of the match day preparations.

1. People probably still agree that having Wenger is still a pulling point for players
2. He studies the game constantly
3. He has contacts all over the world
4. He has a degree in economics
5. Certainly has the best interests of Arsenal at heart
6. Would be a good football man to put on the board.

That is literally everything you would want from a good director of football and it allows someone else who is more likely to keep the players on their toes and change up team tactics mid game to sit in the dug out.

 

[Rimaal]

 

[carlito'sway]

You seriously don't think we are on the verge of a mass exodus in key players?



But then why wouldn't that DoF want "the latitude and authority to purse this agenda" ASAP? What can Wenger add to our DoF?

Nope..not the point, your previous comment (in bold in my response) implied that it was a constant occurrence while that was not the case. Actually, I wish this exodus had happened, with Arsenal getting rid of a number of under performing players and replacing them with better ones. I have mentioned a year ago that the likes of Ramsey/Coq/Theo/Coq are not good enough.

For the DoF, he would be in place to prepare the (announced) transition. Arsène would be in charge for a yr or so while the DOF would pursue evaluation and implementation of his agenda.
I just saw Honigstein tweetstorm. I am thinking along the same lines. How to structure a football club and make sure that structures are put in place before the new manager is named and in charge.

 

[SA Gunner]

Reading through this thread...you've had a mare here mate.

Good luck convincing anyone who isn't an Arsenal fan of this. In fact good luck convincing an Arsenal fan.

I know I will be branded a loony around these parts

Personally I value people who leave a lasting legacy behind themselves. Those who build a path for the prosperity of those to come. Even more so if its to their own detriment.

Wenger is probably not good enough to lead Arsenal to the heights we want now. But once the dust has settled, we will be left as one of the top 10 clubs in the world financially, with a springboard ready to make memories our children will enjoy.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Honigstein talking out his ass again. He (like everyone else) has no clue whether Wenger is leaving now, and no idea who may or may not be brought into the club on the football side prior to that happening.

 

[SA Gunner]

That's not as crazy as it sounds. When you take into account who won what and who spent what, also what Wenger did for the club with the new stadium, and still kept us in CL every season while selling our best players, its actually a fair shout by @SA Gunner Obviously it's impossible to quantify though, each fan will have their own way of looking at it.

When we look at Wenger through our current perspective, he looks like a spectacular failure to many. Opposition fans cheer at the sound of him staying at Arsenal. Arsenal fans feel embarrassed and pessimistic about the future.

That's at most, a perspective of five years or so.

Looking further and we start to see the truth. We are an actual giant of the game now, regularly appearing in the top 10 football club lists as far as financial size is concerned. Boasting one of the world's finest facilities, and in an amazing financial position, which is not dependent on our ownership.

With due respect to Arsène, I would describe our situation as a young kid taking his drivers test with a Lamborghini Diablo.

 

[SA Gunner]

That's not as crazy as it sounds. When you take into account who won what and who spent what, also what Wenger did for the club with the new stadium, and still kept us in CL every season while selling our best players, its actually a fair shout by @SA Gunner Obviously it's impossible to quantify though, each fan will have their own way of looking at it.

This will come across as Makingtraxy, but despite the heartache of those times, they had a bit of magic too them.

Do you remember 2007-08, we were buzzing, playing supreme attacking football. This with a shoe-string budget team.

Imagine had we won the league that year, beating off the two CL finalists.

 

[Notorious Big]

Actually I think Quique Flores is unfairly forgotten in the role he played with us. Managed to bring a winning mentality taking us to two cup finals, one of which we won and although we weren't as competitive in the league like now he really turned us around following up and down years under Aguirre and Resino.

The team was starting to come together under him until he fell out with Forlan.

I didn't use right term.They weren't ****,but not that good like today.Yea,remember that season under Flores when they beat Liverpool in Europa League in semi-final.