Mark Halfpenny
There has been much speculation about where the latest “Wenger Out” plane came from. The most amusing guess was made by Ian Wright on Match of the Day. Sorry to disappoint you Ian but it wasn’t Piers Morgan – it was paid for out of donations made by thousands of Arsenal fans, fed up with seeing the same season played out again and again and again.
We felt it was necessary to re-state our message, because we do not want to see yet another Groundhog season. Every year since 2008, Arsenal have got themselves in a position to challenge for the Premier and Champions League before falling away in spectacular fashion. Where I come from, that’s called Bottling It.
In those 10 seasons, the entire squad has changed, the Club’s owner has changed and our main rivals have changed. How many more times do people need to witness the same collapse before they realise that the problem is our manager?
If Arsenal do limp into 4th place (again) will that constitute a successful season? In the eyes of many it will, but is finishing 4th with the 4th biggest wage bill really an achievement? If Arsene Wenger (67) is the brilliant manager that many claim – how comes the most we can hope for is 4th place?
Much is made of his record of qualifying for the Champions League but all 4th place means is a 10-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich or a mauling by Barcelona. Nice profit for the Club but embarrassing for supporters.
Antonio Conte (47) arrived in England last summer and brought with him a whole new level of organisation, commitment and intensity. Max Allegri (49) has instilled the same thunderous desire into his Juventus players. Diego Simeone (47) has displayed the same incredible will to win for many years now. And whilst these managers carve up the big trophies, we are scrapping for 4th place. Again. Under a manager that is so far past his best.
The Board of Directors have a big decision to make this summer. To offer Wenger a contract extension would be the safe option for them, but it would guarantee at least two more years of stagnation, collapses and scrapping for the leftovers. The last 11 seasons have been virtually identical so why would a 12th be any different?
To appoint a new manager like Simeone or Allegri would be an opportunity to change direction. An opportunity to restore a winning culture. An opportunity to turn up for matches in May with more than 4th place to play for. Surely the time for a change is long overdue?
We are calling on fans that feel the same way to boycott tomorrow evening’s match against Sunderland.
Please consider joining us in this boycott. Don’t sell your seat to a tourist or give it to a mate. Let yours be one of the many gaps in the stands that send a direct and unarguable message to the directors. You do not want to watch any more of the same old same old.
If you are in any doubt, look at our season and compare that to Chelsea, Juventus and Atletico Madrid. We are a bigger club than all three of them but we are being held back by a greedy owner and a past it manager. By doing this, we can send a message to Stan Kroenke and Arsene Wenger that Arsenal should be doing so much better.
