Wenger facing pressure from directors? Surely not....

[geezer]

At last it looks like one of the gooner directors has been brave ennough to suggest what Wenger is doing is not good enough..........

Arsene Wenger has been informed that the Arsenal hierarchy expect him to deliver a long-awaited trophy this season.

The Gunners have failed to land a piece of silverware since tasting FA Cup glory in 2005.

There have been numerous near misses over the course of the past four years, but there is a growing sense of frustration around Emirates Stadium at the lack of success.

Wenger has been able to mould a squad which is among the most entertaining in European football, with youthful exuberance at the heart of his plans.

His youngsters initially needed time to grow accustomed to life at the highest level, but the feeling is that they must start to deliver sooner rather than later.

That is the view of Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, who has warned that the club can longer accept second best.

"It's absolutely our ambition to win a trophy this year. I couldn't be more clear on that," he said in the Daily Star Sunday.

"Second, third or fourth isn't good enough. We want to win something this season and we believe we have the squad to do that."

The South African, who was brought on board by the Gunners in November 2008, admits that Wenger has done a fine job in building an exciting side, but admits that potential needs to start being fulfilled.

"We have created and developed a team playing fantastic football," he added. "It's wonderful to watch and very exciting at times.

"We've spoken about the group's potential. Now, and by now I mean this season, it's very important for us to focus strongly on winning something for the fans. They deserve it.

"We can talk about football as a business but, fundamentally, this club exists for the fans and they don't care about financial reports, they care about what happens on the pitch."

[ivorycoast]

It should be the other way around IMO. The directors aren't good enough for Wenger.

[sals]

It would be the worse possible decision in the history of Arsenal football club (bar establishing it in the first place) were they to do this. As much as i dislike their team i cant help but feel that wenger is very close to achieving something with them.

As far as i can figure this will be the 3rd team he has built, and it is almost like his masterpiece as he is doing it extremely cheap, with extremely young players and he is turning them into world class stars.

Heres hoping its true but im not going to hold my breath

[KrazyTea]

Ha, they have an extremely promising and threatening squad right now I can't believe the directors would actually fire Wenger, this is probably just rumblings and grumblings from the top about the lack of hardware as of late for them.

[Maksimov]

The directors aren't good enough for Wenger.

They need younger directors.

[loz]

If I was a director at Arsenal I would have had Wenger out the door ages ago(that is assuming I was a director who wanted them to be successful rather than a Chelsea fan loving the fact that they will never win either of the two major trophies again under Wenger).

I am not sure where all this 'director's are not good enough for Wenger' and 'threatening squad' stuff is coming from. Wenger has had more than enough at his disposal to rebuild the side into something that could realistically be challenging for the Premiership however he has a streak running through him so stubborn you could bottle it and sell it to a pack of mules in a particularly pissed off mood.

Arsenal don't look any more threatening now than they have for seasons. They look just the same - pleasing on the eye, capable of scoring freely against defences who give them too much space, but incapable of defending against quality opposition and lacking in a clinical centre forward who takes half chances which turn close games.

If Arsenal ever want to challenge for the Premiership again the best thing they can dois get rid of Wenger, secure Fabregas' future and put some backbone into the team.

[Dorset]

If I was a director at Arsenal I would have had Wenger out the door ages ago(that is assuming I was a director who wanted them to be successful rather than a Chelsea fan loving the fact that they will never win either of the two major trophies again under Wenger).

I am not sure where all this 'director's are not good enough for Wenger' and 'threatening squad' stuff is coming from. Wenger has had more than enough at his disposal to rebuild the side into something that could realistically be challenging for the Premiership however he has a streak running through him so stubborn you could bottle it and sell it to a pack of mules in a particularly pissed off mood.

Arsenal don't look any more threatening now than they have for seasons. They look just the same - pleasing on the eye, capable of scoring freely against defences who give them too much space, but incapable of defending against quality opposition and lacking in a clinical centre forward who takes half chances which turn close games.

If Arsenal ever want to challenge for the Premiership again the best thing they can dois get rid of Wenger, secure Fabregas' future and put some backbone into the team.

Loz, you sound just like my son-in-law!

[loz]

You can thank your daughter for marrying wisely (unless he is a disgruntled Gooner)

[BLUENUT]

You can thank your daughter for marrying wisely (unless he is a disgruntled Gooner)

They couldn't do it against City, they couldn't do it against United!

It's something you need to be able to do to win the league or any silverware in fact!

What is it I hear you ask?

''WIN UGLY!''

For all their nice one touches and build up play, sometimes you need to get stuck in and defend what you've got with your life.......something Arsenal have been unable to do for a couple of years!

Patercake football doesn't win trophies!

[TheWestwayWonder]

I have wondered for a long time whether or not Wenger was foolish for not spending money to fix obvious holes in his squad, or just extremely stubborn. I still dont think the answer is clear cut. I think the directors and club have allowed him to take alot of unfair criticism when, in fact, they were unwilling to reinforce their squad in the pursuit of balancing the books.

The flammini saga is what convinced me that Wenger may not have been at fault. If they werent even willing to stump up the money to keep their own player, how are the every going to attract the kind of quality veterans who would actually improve the squad?

Clearly if what Loz says is the case, and he is just stubborn as hell then the blame, and responsibility should fall on his head. But I think he is being kept on out of a sense of loyalty. And a sense that, while Ashburton Grove still hangs like a cloud over the clubs finances, and they have been willing to let Wenger build also-ran teams on a shoestring budget.

It the guy was ever fired, I think Arsenal would really suffer in the immediate future. If he could ever sublimate his pride, he would make an absolutely incredible director of football, assuming he could keep his scouting network together. If a club like Real Madrid or Barca went in for him, I dont know if he would agree to management in Spain, where boards are far more fickle

[Guest d-vder]

I have wondered for a long time whether or not Wenger was foolish for not spending money to fix obvious holes in his squad, or just extremely stubborn. I still dont think the answer is clear cut. I think the directors and club have allowed him to take alot of unfair criticism when, in fact, they were unwilling to reinforce their squad in the pursuit of balancing the books.

The flammini saga is what convinced me that Wenger may not have been at fault. If they werent even willing to stump up the money to keep their own player, how are the every going to attract the kind of quality veterans who would actually improve the squad?

Clearly if what Loz says is the case, and he is just stubborn as hell then the blame, and responsibility should fall on his head. But I think he is being kept on out of a sense of loyalty. And a sense that, while Ashburton Grove still hangs like a cloud over the clubs finances, and they have been willing to let Wenger build also-ran teams on a shoestring budget.

It the guy was ever fired, I think Arsenal would really suffer in the immediate future. If he could ever sublimate his pride, he would make an absolutely incredible director of football, assuming he could keep his scouting network together. If a club like Real Madrid or Barca went in for him, I dont know if he would agree to management in Spain, where boards are far more fickle

I think it is six of one, half a dozen of the other. Going by public quotes Wenger has made, I think he's just the man the Directors' want: principled on balancing the books. Of course, with that comes pressure for Wenger to become more innovative (i.e., taking risks), with consequential downsides when it doesn't work.

I respect Wenger a lot for his risk taking and I think he is a really good coach to young stars. But you cannot win championships by artificially restricting your options out of principles and, for that reason, Arsenal will continue to struggle, while teams like Man City, without such restrictions, will eat their lunch.