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tell you the truth Den Wengers got himself in this mess by mismanagement. a overhaul needs to be undertaken at Arsenal. Every man and his dog knows that. Fans have been asking for extra signings etc. for years but the direction Wenger went in ended in an implosion. i know as an Arsenal fan letting Van Persie go to the Euros with this contract not yet signed is a negative but because the mess at Arsenal is big I personally cant dwell on it. focus is on the overhaul from all angles thats it.
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The mess at Arsenal isn't big compared to any other club. Stable management situation, decent finances, well prepared for FFP and a new stadium already constructed. There are many in Merseyside who would be envious of such a mess and for whom the 15th consecutive qualification for the Champions League would be an ambition, not a failure.
The direction Wenger took the club was largely forced on him as a result of the strain on finances that resulted from the stadium move. Only in the last few years has there been money to spend. The youth policy he enacted allowed Arsenal to keep the costs of the first team down and it's nothing short of extraordinary that he has continued to keep the club in the European Elite whilst
averaging one of the lowest net spends in the Premier League since the construction of the Emirates. Arsenal fans, every man, and their various dogs may want to evaluate their definition of mismanagement because the numbers and the respective achievements explain why Wenger is still one of the most sought managers in European football and why he still commands such respect abroad.
We can agree that the last transfer window was mismanaged, he himself has conceded as much, but we recovered well and are third. The squad needs improvement, some players need to leave, it's a problem but fails short of a mess or serious mismanagement. These terms are warranted at United where, despite their excellent manager, the owners have been creating problem after problem and stifling their inability to compete in the transfer market for no other reason that real mismanagement - not because of infrastructural improvements as was the case with Arsenal. It's merited at Chelsea where managers have been in and out and where they will struggle to be competitive in a post-FFP era. Liverpool never made that stadium move and each year they stall the longer it will be before they can return to their previous status. In fact Spurs are probably the only other well-managed club at the top of the Premier League and they still have to make that stadium move. You may well add Newcastle to that list as well.
I think the problem is the circumstances have changed but some Arsenal fans still expect (not desire, expect) Premier League titles but this is increasingly difficult given the wages and fees that first Chelsea and now City can offer. We are fighting a losing battle there and can only hope that Financial Fair Play will be effective because if it is then we may be able to compete again. Until then expect us to struggle to challenge their dominance.
Still. Wenger is doing pretty dam well all things considered. The future looks good.