So farewell then David Moyes. You were the chosen one – but now they’ve chosen another one. Or are about to, and it will be interesting to see which way the wind blows. The problem United have of course is that there aren’t many managers available with proven experience of managing a top, top club – and unless someone has a track record of doing so, then any appointment will be a gamble. I thought they had probably got it right with Moyes, but the players decided differently, and they didn’t really run a yard for him all season. Injuries didn’t help of course, but I suspect it was the Rooney situation as much as anything that did for him. Virtually frozen out last season, it looked odds-on that he would leave the club in the summer, but Moyes couldn’t sell him to a rival, and I doubt he wanted to go too far afield. So instead of twisting Moyes got stuck, and landed the club with a massive wage bill for a waning star – and, if the pre-season scarred head is anything to go by, a player that no one else in the squad much liked, despite his odd moments of brilliance.
Managing a side looks easy to the casual fan: throw enough money at buying the right players, tweak a formation here and there, employ the best and latest medical advice and then sit back to see your side move effortlessly to the top of the table. Except it doesn’t seem to work quite like that in practice, and the fact that ten Premier teams have different managers now than they had at the start of the season is testimony to the fact that it is probably a lot harder than it looks. A lot, lot harder, especially at the very top level and at the very top clubs, where expectations are so high that two defeats in a row is treated as a real crisis, three as grounds for termination. Professional sportsmen are an interesting breed, and they need a lot of managing. They tend to be fiercely competitive and have massive egos, which is an interesting combination. Very often they aren’t very nice, and sometimes they lack a little in terms of educational polish. Actually, some seem to lack any education at all. In football, they are also very young, and exceptionally wealthy. Coping with a squad of 24 such men, perhaps drawn from five or six different countries (with all the attendant language issues that such eclecticism brings) is no mean task. David Moyes did that task very well indeed for a number of years at Everton, and it was clear that the players not only trusted his judgment but also tried their hardest for him. But Manchester United was one step beyond: he hadn’t been where most of the players he’d inherited had been, and it was soon clear that they didn’t really trust his ability to manage them in the way that his predecessor had. His advice and instructions would have rung hollow in the ears of the hardened pros who’d enjoyed the glory years under Sir Alex, especially as the decisions started to go against them and as he chose to side-line the evergreen Giggs. Take a moment to recall the way that Arsene Wenger made use of the established players at Arsenal when he took over, as well as putting his own unique ideas into play. It soon became clear to the watching world that it was only a matter of time before the season became irretrievable, and the only surprise writing this now is that the decision to replace him wasn’t taken at Christmas time. I suspect that there were sound financial reasons for this: scrapping a six year contract after a few months is expensive after all, so perhaps a few performance-related targets needed to be missed first. Familiar names are being bandied about, but in truth there aren’t many ready-made alternatives for a club of United’s stature. Van Gaal seems possible as he is a free agent, Mourinho might like it on his CV, but I wonder if the finances are in place for him to spend as he would like. Klopp seems happy where he is, and I can’t see Rodgers abandoning his project anytime soon. No, it would seem that there aren’t many managers who are out (or nearly out) of contract and who also have the experience of managing at the very top level, of winning League Championships and Cups, who have extensive knowledge of competing year in year out in the Champions League and who know the pressures of managing a club with a significant global identity.
Except there is one, of course, because Arsene Wenger ticks all of the boxes. An unparalleled record of man management, of scouting ability, of financial prudence, of transfer legerdemain, of success. Players past and present not only play for him but also respect him, and his record in that field speaks for itself. It is no surprise to hear that over the years so many top clubs have sought his services, and I suspect that if he were to let the Glaziers know that he was interested, they would literally do a Suarez. And so we have the most ludicrous (and I hope hypothetical) situation of all. Arsene Wenger has yet to sign a new contract for Arsenal and Manchester United are looking for a new manager – and of all the potential candidates Wenger is the most obviously qualified to take over at the Theatre of Dreams. How will that be received by The Arsenal, I wonder, to realise that arguably the greatest manager in its history is not only tantalisingly close to becoming a free agent, but also of taking over one of its closest rivals. How indeed, would that be greeted by the fan-base, when it realises that it had actively encouraged the only properly qualified man for the Manchester job to leave their very own club? Something about prophets not being understood in their hometown springs to mind, and all I can say is that if the experience of United post-Ferguson doesn’t make a few realise that actually we are really rather lucky with the man we have at the helm, then I would be very surprised.
This was brought to you from the virtual pen of @foreverheady.
Positively Arsenal 
pulis for united!!!!
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actually only georgaki will get this
pulos for united
ahahah
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Well it would serve them right
I’ll let you guess the identity of them
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FH, stealing from you Patrick Barclay wishes the glazers good luck in finding their Wenger in his piece today. The title? – “Will the glazers now ask fergie if he has any other bright ideas?”
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Arsene has demonstrated his love for our club with his unflinching loyalty during what must have been frustrating times for him. Loyalty is a rare commodity in this sport we adore. A top operator in his profession, prepared to sacrifice the opportunity for on field success for a greater cause. A complete one off in a sport dominated by egos and immorality.
If he wanted to leave, they would be queuing up around the world for his signature.
I hope he uses the resources he himself has helped to generate; to bring us the success this great club of ours deserves – and drive the naysayers back under the rocks they crawled out from beneath. As Kevin Keegan once said, “I would love it, just love it”.
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(0(. excellent.
Between a rock and hardplace. What say you groaners?? AW to manIOU and some other manager for THE ARSENAL.
NO!!!! hehehe, that’s what I thought. this might in reality shut quite a few of them up.
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Picture of Diaby’s left knee/leg knocking about in Twitterworldas the player returns against CFC U21s
What a state !
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i posted this on another blog but feel it is relevant here
gee April 22, 2014 at 6:34 pm
personally i dont know what would be the best way to go about it but we have to consider liverpool and utd suffered massive dips when they changed their long term managers. not a coincidence if you ask me . im not saying that wenger is irreplaceable – im just saying it needs all involved singing from the same hymn sheet and working together to avoid massive problems. people are shouting wenger out with no plan or clue how that will impact the whole football club.
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What would be worse is him leaving us for UTD. a thought that did not even cross my mind until i read this article. Paying of their debt and making them cometitive. i would not be happy
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If Arsene made it known that he might be interested in going to Old Toilet they would have a contract for him to sign within the hour.
Relax, it will never happen. When AW decides to call it a day he will never manage another Premiership club, France? Maybe.
A very good Post Foreverheady. Thank you. 🙂
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lol gee ..thats never gonna happen dude.
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Tongue in cheek George. for a change! (banned winky).
What’s this. “I suspect that if he were to let the Glaziers know that he was interested, they would literally do a Suarez”
what would that be? Biting someone? Shouting dodgy insults? *Allegedly* spitting?
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Oh my god ! Diaby is playing an U21 match tonight. Good luck, Abou!
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I think they would bite his arm off!
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The Glaciers will do a Suarez.
FUNGUN
I suspect he means they will be so anxious to close the deal they will DIVE right into it. (0(
I know he will never ever consider manure as this is the club that cheated his ARSENAL out of so many glorious opportunities but just for the laughs I wish he would show interest and we would see the whole of le moaned getting so constipated they shall poop rocks for whole month instead of the natural stuff.
Do it AW. make them sh themselves. Except for Laudarup there is absolutely no one in the market right now. Although good old ARRY might be persuaded. (0(
He is always game when it comes to abandoning his current club to make a move that will SUIT HIM. with a little extra pay he might even bring in his doggy as assistant.
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On the Atletico Gazprom game:
Cech coming off with an injury for Schwarzer. Maureen really messed up not giving the no.1 shirt to Courtois amongst other things this season. Loyalty to his favourites, no trust in youth. So lame.
Both Arsenal keepers are better then either option for Chelsea this season. Probably now I’ve writ tent he above Schwarzer who did not come to Arsenal because Hughes blocked the move will save a pen or two.
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When I started to write the piece I was only intending to talk about how the Moyes episode showed that managing wasn’t as easy as all that – and to then go on to show how good and under-appreciated AW is. But as I wrote I became amusedly (but then uncomfortably) aware of how perfectly AW would fit their job spec.
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They are actually putting out messages out there that they would like pep guardiola to consider them as his next project. (0(. talk about delusional. Talking to some spudniks this past weekend they seem certain that a pre contract agreement was in place for van gal to take over this summer. It might be that manure might come in and hijack that deal.
WELCOME COME BACK DIABY. YOU OLD WARHORSE. you have been missed.
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Foreverheady, what are you trying to do to me? I’m sure that thought will remain no more than an idle speculation. I can’t see AW wanting to follow in the footsteps of SAF.
Please God Abou comes out of his test in one piece. If there is one man who deserves his luck to change, he is the one.
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http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140422/wenger-diaby-is-fit-and-ready-to-play
I would have made an effort to get there had I known!
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saw this on the bbc site… really laughed!
Matt Williams: Watching Chelsea is like watching paint dry. I’m now listening to Chelsea on the radio. It is like hearing paint dry.
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I trust AW would not do that to us, he cannot be missing RVP that much
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funny tweets here too… LOL
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/jose-mourinho-widely-criticised-for-chelseas-defensive-tactics-at-atletico-madrid-best-tweets/
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TEAM SPRIT
very nice posts. Made me laugh. Roman must be so very happy and proud of that chelski display. Monies well spent mate. Chavs, a true credit to the world of football. Pathetic coward doesn’t have the cojones to face off against athletico.
What the heck is he going to do against one of real mad or Barverians of Munich.
All these reports on manure were a nice birthday gift to me. Made my day.
Happy birthday to you too master GEORGE. CHEERS…
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Cech and miralles out for the rest of the season. Add that to yaya which seems might be the same.
All good news. Stars are aligning. Ready or not, HERE COME THE GUNNERS !!!! run and hide if you can.
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Any news on ABU and his performance today?? Anyone?. Much obliged..
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I didn’t see the match, but an Arsenal youth site says he looked good and made some tidy touches. Only 45 mins, of course.
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Please, please no Chelski in the CL final. Nooooooooooooooooooo. At least Atletico will have the advantage of only needing a draw to progress next week.
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“Jan Aage Fjortoft @JanAageFjortoft 10h
The Telegraph: Manchester United will check if Guardiola is available. Why don’t they check out Elvis Presley while they’re at it”
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Hahaha. Relax FUNGUNNER. lightening never strikes the same location twice. I think. and thanks for ABU up date. Don’t mind if I see him play box to box for the first team this season. Hahaha, all hands on board. FIRE!!!!!!
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HAHAHA, hilarious. Even better than the tiny pe••• tag. What would make this even better is if Roman grew a pair and fired that pathetic coward in the next 24 hours. Would make it the best birthday ever. Well except for the first one. I promise to keep the festivities under control and respectable.
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hehehe team spirit what you doing talking to that deluded C unt …ahhaha ? his intelligence is that of a rock. such a bunch of sad wankers in there mate…i m reading and cant stop laughing ….. good work !
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“he has taken us as far as he could” i so laugh when i see goonies trotting out that line…as if arsenal has ever been “as far” as it is today as a football club…..
arsene: “hallo level 5 ..let me take you to level 10..but fiorst we have to go through level 6, level 7, leve 8 , level 9 and then maybe if we keep it together we reach 10″
deluded cunts : ” fuck off…we were always 10, youre taking us back”
why do we even bother ..????…ahahahhaha
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the “why do we even bother” is not in terms lets give up but in the sense that arsenal moaners/detractors are soooooooooooooooooo stupid …..
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Hah. It gets even better. JT out for rest of the season. We can fully capitalize on all these injuries and gain on these buggers. Although JT being out is possiblely an advantage chavski…..
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Hay HUNTER
any kills today???
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Hahaha Fungunner, you’re hilarious. I loved that crack about Pep and Elvis being alive.
I can’t believe the bookies had this game at 2.6 for a draw. If I could I would have laid down a thousand bucks on this game.
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Good grief that Atletico Chels game was a nightmare – I don’t know why I do it to myself.
I see Jose is whingeing about players being tired and him being short because of injuries.
Squad depth Jose – that is what it is all about son at this stage of the season – you’ll learn.
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