Donald Freud : L’État, c’est moi not pronounced by DeGaulle
L’État, c’est moi » est une formule attribuée à Louis XIV et qu’il aurait prononcée le 13 avril 1655 devant les parlementaires parisiens
Just for your reference.
Appreciate your analysis on Wenger.
With this board of “amateurs” and a CEO like Ivan, even if Wenger departs cleanly, I wonder if the club can find a good replacement like Pochettino.
I also wonder if Wenger hangs on to wait for Henry or some of his proteges?
Do you think Ronald Koeman a good follow-up to Wenger?
I suppose Koeman may be the only choice left.
Myles says:
Of course a control-freak wants to promote his protégés.
But the bright & telegenic TH14 is no manager. Never can be and never should be.
Ivan’s had 10 years to refine his shortlist. And he has a close relationship with Southampton.
Koeman, a great player, is a very good coach who could transform the Colney Creche.
From Adefolahan Oshinloye : King Wenger
“L’etat, c’est moi.” was actually said by Louis XIV.
Astute thinking from you there though, as his reign over France brought it to it’s peak.
Funnily enough:
Palace of Versailles – built during Louis XIV
Emirates Stadium – built during Wenger.
Louis never got hold of Spain and the Spanish Netherlands (which he wished to unify with France as one territory), a bit like Wenger and the Champions League.
Very good symbolism Myles, you’ve still got plenty of fire in you yet.
“L’Arsenal c’est moi” – Wenger, Arsène (15th March 2016)
From Darryl : Evaluation
Hello Myles,
I agree with a fair amount of what you say.
I disagree with quite a bit of what you say, but your analysis of Wenger and the evaluation of the season is the most pointed, and acutely observed piece I’ve read in ages.
It is for exactly these reasons why an increasing number of people are turning their backs on Arsenal.
Did you know there were nearly ten thousand empty seats at the Watford game? We won 4-0 and the place was one third empty before the last goal was scored.
This time next season when we are 8th and being booed off by 40,000 after losing again at home to Swansea, even Silent Stan will have had enough.
From Adam Rivelli : The closed loop
Greg from Miami poses an interesting question.
As Arsene, himself, prompts: “Judge me at the end of the season”. Effectively we have arrived at that station already.
Football and indeed, the strategy to growth across the corporate and industrial world has moved on.
We are in a new era of Build-Measure-Learn.
Development is about rapid fail-forward, use shorter iterations to learn from failure quickly and adapt. Banks, Communications providers, Natural Resource Suppliers and more expect to deliver outcomes in 3-6 months that, in the prior decade would be a 2-5 year programme. Modern technology, education and mindsets enable a faster route to results.
Persisting without adapting a strategy that continuously fails (and fails with the same symptoms time and time again) is in most industries impossible. In an industry subsidized by fat TV contracts with little relationship to achievement, Arsene has found the ultimate safety blanket.
Rather than stick with a project that has at least 5 years as a timeline for RoI. The world is faster paced, innovation happens overnight.
Arsenal’s management from board down is stuck in a mindset befitting of the 60’s-80’s (with the exception of introducing Ticket Exchange, which has allowed me to avoid the mind-numbing frustration of watching the same movie play out again week on week).
Unfortunately for The Professor, this season has laid bare the evidence like never before with Ranieri, Bilic, Pochettino, and others showing the way.
I’ve heard criticism of Kroenke and the board. I don’t doubt a lot of points (or assumptions) are indeed valid.
However, we all know the following to be true:
1) Was Arsenal’s squad this season superior to Leicester and Tottenham’s? Yes.
2) Did we have ample money to improve on it? Yes.
3) Did we know before the season started that we were carrying 5-6 crocks (minimum) that could not contribute this season and did we have time to address? Yes.
Control of these factors is the responsibility of a man that earns a handsome sum. A handsome sum that has increased over more than a decade of failing to deliver on expectations.
The fanbase have reached their judgement (most probably reached it years ago…my moment was the 2012 League Cup farce at Bradford). The Retain-Wenger base is the minority.
Unfortunately we have a stadium, atmosphere and mentality that is not vociferous or vocal enough to really up the ante. Kudos to the banners. However we need to do more. I include myself.
The one truth is now this- We all know he is here next season.
We all hope that is the end of the reign.