Richard: The most important signing Wenger needs to make
Wenger needs to address a problem that is very close to home by Richard Hall
When it was thought that Pat Rice would retire at the end of this season there were a lot of tributes that started to emerge. One in particular stated that his departure would change the dynamics of the club. For Arsenal this could be just what they need.
In accordance with the tributes to Rice it is hard to argue that many people could love a football club like Wenger’s assistant has and that nobody has given so much to the club. This is of course correct, however, when fans of the North London outfit take a step back and look at the problems the club is having, Pat Rice as assistant could be a key aspect.
Mentality has been a key problem at Arsenal this season as it has for quite a few before. This problem stems from the dressing room and the training ground and seeps into the rest of the club over a period of time.
Arsenal have unfortunately allowed a negative mind set to flow through the veins of the club like an incurable cancer. Arsene Wenger is often blamed solely for this current situation and is heavily criticised by the fans and the media. Wenger is not the only person who has contact with the players and he is certainly not the only person to speak in the dressing room, so why is he the only one to feel the full force of the criticism?
A good assistant manager must surely have an influence on the players and therefore be responsible for their attitudes. History will also go to show that this is the case. Many assistants have ended up becoming superb managers as there character and ability has shone through so brightly that it has released them from a world of second place into the lofty heights that is football management. Not Rice however, he has continued to be an assistant at the club he loves. There is no shame in being settled or content with your lot, but being a good servant on the pitch in the past and also performing well years ago does not give any player or member of staff Carte Blanche in their role in latter life.
Pat Rice, it has been argued, has the spirit of ‘Old Arsenal’ in him. The question should be then, why does he not apply that winning spirit or that steel underbelly that the club used to possess into the current squad?
The answer can be but two things; firstly, he is too weak to get his views across and therefore is not strong enough to hold this position. Secondly is that he does not hold these views and is simply a ‘yes’ man to Wenger.
The worst part of this sorry state of affairs for Arsenal is that the solution is staring them in the face. Arsene Wenger whose contract runs out in 2014 has already spoken of who his successor should be “I would love Stojkovic to be my successor, there are a hundred reasons for that,” Wenger had released this information to Serbian paper Vecernje Novosti.
“Our ideas are the same and we both strive for perfect football. I knew he was going to have teams playing attacking football with many passes. He has done that, showing he will be a great coach. I told him that if he could transmit his football imagination to his players he would fly high.” It would surely make perfect sense to have Pat Rice replaced by Stojkovic who could then bounce ideas off Wenger and start to create the Arsenal of the future. Wenger often brings players up through the ranks so why not do this internally with the coaching staff.
There are problems at Arsenal it is true, but there are also solutions to ensure the clubs longevity and its success. Pat Rice does not fit into the next stage of Arsenal’s development and for all intents and purposes it seems that Stojkovic could be both the short and long term answer for Arsenal’s future.
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This article is 100% true why not make him the right hand man to wenger they can play off each others ideas as well as form a partnership for the present and future. And as for other things I do think wenger is blamed for everything however I do believe it’s not always him. All he needs to do is be a bit more lenient on transfers and we would be winning most things. In Arsene we trust!!!
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Pat Rice does stick up for himself,and he offers A.W.advice.Wegner undoubtedly listens to him,but at the end of the day he is going to do what he wants to do,and his way.Changing Assistant Managers/Coaches will not do the trick,neither will changing the Manager.What has to happen is ,The Manager must CHANGE!!!
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pat is retireing anyways isnt he??
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At the end of the day assistant managers are not what win your silverware. They do help in order to get them but are way down in the pecking order in terms of importance.
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Recruit me as manager, n i will make d likes of denilson, diaby, squillaci, almunia, bendtner etc into super world class players. ROFLMAO. Just kick gazidis n get dein.
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great, hopefully he hasn’t taught Dragan to be a tight arse.
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superb article…bang on the money!!!
Pat rice is perfect for AW…whilst not entirely a “yes-man”…wenger has no trouble in asserting all that he wants as the ultimate autocrat.Both need replacing…the management is stale, ineffective and lacks ambition. Wenger has no charisma…he is an educated intelligent theorist but appears to lack that essential winning mentality and raw determination to win and to motivate the players to win.(perhaps he had it and has lost it…, perhaps he got lucky before ).His forays in the transfer market demonstrate to me that right now he is not hell-bent on winning trophies..more a hopeful punt for a trophy but keeping the purse strings excrutiatingly tight!
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We need someone who’ll give the y% to the x% wenger is,so that we get 100% not agree to the x that wenger gives.sad bt i support pats retirement
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I think that there is no way we should have the second in charge come in to eventually take over as manager. When a new man comes in he will need to have his own new ideas, his way of doing thing. If he has played second fiddle to Wenger all of Wengers weaknesses will be transmitted on as well as his strengths. When Wenger leaves I think we need an entire new staff to come in and freshen things up.
I have a theory that Wenger is looking to retire at the end of this season coming and that is how he managed to persuade Rice to stay on for one more year.
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First of all,Arsenal board should give Wenger a very serious and strict stern warning whereby if next season[2011/12] Arsenal goes trophiless,he will be fired/sacked on the spot.Then I suggest that Arsenal to buy the following players who will make Arsenal to be winning trophies season go season come:
Goalies-Mark Schwarzer,Stekelenburg,Shay Given,Scott Carson,Craig Gordon and Paul Robinson
Midfielders,defenders and strikers like Baines,Falcao,Coentrao, Aguerro,Hugo Rodallega,Walters,Stephen Ireland,Brede Hangeland,Gary Cahill,Carlton Cole,Kevin Doyle,Gareth Barry,Luke Young,Charlie Adam,Scott Parker,Stephen Warnock,Eljero Elia,Stewart Downing,David Dunne,Bobby Zamora,Andy Johnson,Scott Parker,Chielini,Ryo Miyaichi,Shinsuke Honda,Thomas Hitzlpeger,Alex Witsel,Nilmer,e.t.c. But I advice them not to buy people like Valbuena,Mamadou Sakho and Damien Defoe. They should sell people like Sagna,Almunia,Fabianski,Eboue,Bendtner,Clichy,Denilson,Diaby and some other useless potato players.
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No longer trust in Him
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Arsenal Board should just introduce one serious strict rule like other team bosses e.g. Abramovich[Chelsea] and Florentino Perez [Real Madrid] whereby if you are a coach and the team goes trophiless,you will be fired as soon as the season ends.This will make Arsenal’s coaches to be very serious to avoid going trophiless because they will know if they go trophiless as coaches,they will be fired.
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That’s some list there Victor.
Most of them are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning and Ryo Miyaichi is already an Arsenal player.
Do you actually follow football? or did you just copy those names from somewhere?
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I believe that Stojkovic has already been offered a position at Arsenal, and replied that he is happy managing Nagoya Grampus at the present and would only consider moving to another club if he was put in charge.
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Enough is enough,I advice Arsenal Board that give Wenger a LAST chance whereby if Arsenal goes trophiless next[2011/12] season,he must be FIRED.Also,Wenger has nowadays run short/blank of coaching skills,techniques,ideas and tactics,so, tell him to use this current break to go and learn so as to improve on his coaching skills,ideas, techniques and tactics,buy elegant players who can make a team to win/be winning trophies to make Arsenal to be winning trophies year go year come,season go season come,and if he doesn’t do this,just FIRE him and bring in a new serious,competent,ideaful,skillful and tactful coach who will make Arsenal to be winning trophies season go season come, year go year come.If you have Arsenal’s e-mail address,phone/telephone contacts,fax address,postal address or any of Arsenal’s addresses,please tell them to do the above 2 things that I have mentioned that they are supposed 2 do for them to be winning trophies every season/year.Without doing these 2 things/options, for sure in God’s/Jesus’ name Arsenal will continue going cupless/trophiless season go season come,year go year come.
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You are 1000% right.
I don’t know whether it is Wenger, Rice, Fabregas(as Captain) or the the other coaches, But the real problem at Arsenal is not the players, It is the the whole club in terms of Mentality.
We probably had the best and biggest squad in terms of player’s ability (bar Manchester City)during last season, They showed their greatness against the greats and then recoiled as kittens agains the not-so-great opposition. (For heaven’s sake we were one Nicklas Bendtner “strike while through on goal” moment away from eliminating the so called World’s best football club Barcelona from the Champions league with TEN MEN!), Then we collect only ONE point against both of promoted Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion.
I guess you are right, It is time to change Pat Rice, and if it doesn’t work, we change his boss!!!!!!!.
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Wenger should NOT pick his successor. The worst possible thing we could do when Wenger eventually leaves, is to try and make history repeat itself, by going to Japan for a new manager. We need someone better than Dragan Stojkovic. There are a lot of good managers out there who would love the Arsenal job, and I think the normal interview process is the best route to go down. Only proven, top quality managers should apply.
This club is HUGE, and its about time we won trophies again. Arsene Wenger picking another guy to be just like Arsene Wenger isn’t the answer.
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Now that billionaire Stan Kroenke has promised and committed himself fully to use all his money on Arsenal,especially buying whichever number of players at/of whichever amounts/costs of money,Arsenal as from next[2011/12] season should have NO EXCUSE or reasons for going trophiless/cupless.I mean the team’s[Arsenal] board should use this advantage during the current transfer period/window to buy good,elegant and experienced players who are between 22-30 years old, who are not injury-prone,who can make a team to be winning trophies to make Arsenal to be winning trophies year go year come, season go season come.
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No longer trust in AW.
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change all……
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experienced players or “non-experienced” players is just bullsh*t!!!
Wenger can sign lots of 30 year old players and we would not win if we don’t understand that real experienced comes from commited players to this club and the only way to commit them is by offering top salaries as a top club who wants to win every trophy it is playing for. 110 a week is a very decent salary for players like van persie, fabregas, nasri… 150 + would be too much for now, but 90, 80, 70 is a disgrace, is a cheap salary for the stature of this club.
Ryan giggs, xavi, puyol, terry… just to name a few, are not experienced because they are 30+ year olds, but because they have been playing for their club for more than 10 years, even 15, we don’t have that! And I don’t blame any player for not commiting to ourselves with a stupid 70,000 a week when they know they have offers on the table for 130,000 form other top clubs…
We might replace nasri and fabregas with hazard and goetze… but at some point they would be offered top salries from other clubs and would have to refuse the stupid 70-90,000 a week and go to another top club who would pay them a correspondant salary for their level in this market.
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I dont agree with the majority of the fans here, cause to me AW has done a good job at Arsenal throughout many years.
I dont want to see our board giving out ultimatums to managers that if they go trophyless for a season they will be sacked. Might work for a club like Chelski, but they spend at least 75 mill pounds each summer and still they go trophyless….simply because there is no continuity in sacking managers each season.
To me our biggest problem is that we for more than 10 years have chosen the wrong player to Captain our squad. Henry didnt have the right tooles and neither do Fab. In the current squad its impossible to find a captain, cause he needs to posses a set of skills and qualities that no player in the current squad has. To me the last true Captain we had was Adams..Vieira was good aswell, though not as excellent as Adams.Unfortunately its my impression that as long as Fab is in the squad he will be our Captain. He has, or rather had, grid and heart, he just dont know how to channel it to the rest of the guys on the pitch, and thats, in my book, a must for a Captain.
As a player Pat Rice was really good, yet a bit colourless in his ways. If that has translated into his dealings with the players in squad, I can understand the current state of the squad. I cant help myself but we should really get a crazy sod like Paul Merson….yeah I know..just not him….as our new assistant..:)
But to me the most important is to find the right Captain for our squad, cause Fab aint it
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So it,s all the manager,s fault but not the overpaid overr
ated players like Walcott,Arshavin,Clichy ,Sagna typical
hogwash from fickle fans who know nothing about the game at
all.
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Assistant coach is not the problem we have but his boss. Wenger is an Economist and what do u espect from somebody like him in terms of spending? I think he should be replaced by somebody who will be ready to pay the players well and buy experienced players.
Please persuade Nasri and Cesc not to leave.
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I think there is a player who has the qualities to be captain. His name is Robin Van Persie
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there is only one person to blame for this mess . its not the fault of wenger,rice the board or fabragas .its old mrs overall the tea lady as she is moody lazy and bad tempered.and i believe this rubbs off on the playing staff .she’s got to go.
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Wenger doesn’t listen to no one!!!! He thinks he’s bigger than the club!!!! Pat rice is a yes man and should go!!!!! Sack them all!!! It’s been 6-7 years we haven’t won nothing by 2014 it will be 9 years !!! Then wenger will leave cos even he will realise he can’t take the piss put of us fans for ever!!!!! By making money for himself and the shitty board!!! Then by the time some put there new ideas in will be be many years without wing nothing!!!!!!! Spend 60 million or out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s without Fabricas money!!!!!!!!
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Sack them!!!! Every check this out!!! Where has our arsenal gone.com
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I say you guys suck!As an avid Arsenal fan as you guys proclaim i stick by my team , it is too easy for all of us to vent our frustrations on the coach/assistant coach.At the end of the day i support Arsenal for no other reason than i love the club .I will enjoy watching them play no matter who they have in their team.I believe arsene has done a miraculous job in transferrin the 1-0 to the Arsenal mentallity to a team that has a desire to play football the way it should be played.It just goes to show how much Arsene has taught us all as we are not prepared to accept 2nd rate football any more .If there is one player in the team that does not want to be there , he should be sold forthwith and bring in any Arsenal academy player to take his place .We are the pride of London and i think that possibly should be instilled into the current players mentallity , shame some of the players dont have the oppurtunity to visit the great Highbury and really get a feel for our core values.Any ways good luck arsene in finding the right players to bring a smile to all our faces!
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One of the most concerning reports I have read from AW since the announcement and then retraction of Pat Rice’s retirement is his delight in his right hand man remaining in his position as AC for one more season and his comment ‘because we think alike’. Therein lies the problem! We could sack AW, but who will replace him? I can’t think of another manager that would agree to take on a HUGE club and accept working with a budget of a meager 25mil. Hose wouldn’t do it that’s for sure! We remain in the top 4 – the clubs that have overtaken our ranking, and some that can’t catch us, have been spending 100′s of Mils on players in the transfer window over the past couple of seasons. AW knows how to get the best out of an up coming player, what he needs is someone by his side to challenge his tactics and freshen up his training sessions – we are stale and lack ideas. PR can’t bring new and different ideas to the table – they both think alike… We need someone strong and challenging in the dressing room, so come on Pat, do us a favour and retire and AW, employ someone fresh with new ideas… Tito Villanova – now there’s a thought.
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I don’t know how some fans can say sagna is overrated, the guy is the best right back and has been the best in the league since we bought him, he gives his all in every game and never gives up , strong in the tackle, good in the air and fast- eboue is no comparison.
Arsenals most overrated player is Robin Van Persie.
Fair enough he’s scored the most goals since january but most of those are pointless and meaningless goals that mean nothing when we don’t win. Where are are 1st goals scored or the winners- there aint none, his most important goal this season was against barca at home a bit lucky but I can’t deny it was a good goal.
I used to think this formation we play 433/4231 was to cater for our abundance of midfield players, I now realise its for vp, some fans still think he’s playing good when the whole team is playin s*#t, just because he scores a goal at the end. (What about the 4 chances he normally misses WITH HIS LEFT FOOT every game. I despise the guy. Why is it that vp cannot play well in a 442 system with any strike partner. (not since henry anyway)
Vp is too slow and weak and with him up front we do not defend from the front, (dosent anybody see this) we do not score enough fast break counter attacks and we pass way too much.
We need fast powerfull strikers that can dribble the ball for at least ten yards. I think we should sell VP, imo he has been the biggest disappointment of the last 6 years he is not world class at all how can he be, where’s the proof.
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l watch sagna play every home game he’s the second worst crosser of the ball in the premier,the first being clichey.
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Only an IDIOT will open his mouth to say “sell Sagna”. That person obvioiusly does not follow Arsenal. Sagna has been the only thing that made sense in our defence line all season. It is better to be quiet and people think you a fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubts. I say get Ray Palour to work with Wenger, someone that knows the meaning of GRIT! Its all Arsenal needs apart from a GK, CB and a 40 goals a season striker.
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Here we go again, someone saying VanPersie is overrated. If Van Persie stays fit for one full season… He’ll be better rated than 98% of Premier league strikers. We seem not to value him because he gets long term injuries. This guy is Arsenal’s hottest property not Cesc. Wait untill he plays a full good season and see the Madrid and Barca of this world running round. We pay him 70k a week… someone that drops deep to head away corners and gets tonns of free kicks. Infact I am begining to get upset. Some Arsenal fans really deserve people like Nasri. We have put Bentner up for sale and no one is coming… Why dont you put RVP up for sale and see.
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