"I’ve been on the bench listening to what he’s telling his players to do. I’ve been working for Sky in games where he’s made very strange decisions.
“My take on him was he got very, very lucky at a time when French football produced its greatest ever group of players.
“Inherited the best back five in world football and a 22-year-old [Dennis] Bergkamp. I think Wrighty [Ian Wright], there was still life in him.
And then he had 10 years where he won a couple of FA Cups, because that cycle had been and gone.
“I’ve never spoke to him about football. He would never come into my office after a game, the only manager that never did.
“I’d go to his office after a game, he would never be there to talk football. I don’t know if he’s a football man or not. I never spoke football with him."
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Sounds a bit bitter, the Spurs man unhappy Wenger didn't have a drink with him. Obviously it is not needed to be said that Souness' managerial career wasn't outstanding - the catalyst for Liverpool's demise and 30 years without a title...
Souness on Wenger...
posted on 12/10/24
We went downhill because David Dein left the board in 2007. He had assumed the role of director of football after George Graham left, long before it was even popular in Europe. So the quality of incoming players decreased, not that Wenger didn't know how to coach 'defenders'.
posted on 13/10/24
comment by Joshua The King Of Kings Zirkzee (U10026)
posted 1 day, 2 hours ago
But clearly Wenger declined as a manager over the years, as is natural, and so did Arsenal’s standing in English football. To then suggest that Wenger at his peak was always this terrible coach with a defence and it was all down to Keown is facking stupid.
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Wenger´s decline came when the oil barons came into the game. Wenger´s approach was pretty conventional and it kept Arsenal at least in the CL or in Europe.
But yeah the gap between the elite of the PL and Arsenal was obviously visible.
posted on 13/10/24
Lee Dixon :
======================
"George [Graham] drilled us into very knowledgeable individuals, and a defence that could almost play with its eyes shut. I don't know whether Arsene could do that. Well he couldn't. That's not his style, he is not that knowledgeable about the defensive side of the game. He doesn't push people around on the training pitch; he creates environments.
A perfect example of that is Ashley Cole. Ash couldn't defend to save his life when he got into the Arsenal team - and he'd agree with me. But he had arguably one of the best coaches around for him in Tony Adams standing next to him.
Tony had [Ashley Cole] on a piece of string. Arsene didn't coach him once."
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It's very clear who coached the defence - & it wasn't Wenger.
posted on 14/10/24
But you said earlier that Wenger wouldn’t let Bould do defensive training, I assume because he would do it himself. Now you are saying he didn’t do defensive coaching at all, so which is it?
posted on 14/10/24
The numbers tell a story.
The 5 seasons pre-Wenger we conceded an average of 38.6 but only scored an average of 55.
In the Wenger/Adams together seasons the average conceded dropped significantly to 33.2 despite the team being visually and statistically more attacking (67 average a season scored).
Once Adams retired we scored even more (75/season) yet there wasn't a significant decline in goals conceded (34/season over 7 years).
Would seriously question the influence of Keown in the 2 years after Adams retired - I would question if he was even a "legacy" defender. He was dumped, then his return coincided with the worst performing era of the above and his significance to the team in his last 2 seasons was minimal. One of the most over-rated Arsenal players going.
posted on 14/10/24
And those quotes from Dixon are clearly hyperbole.
posted on 14/10/24
Souness, top player, dirty bastirt but was a product of his playing period, not a top manager imo and if he doesn't like someone or something he will go out his way put them down without too much of what he says being either true or very accurate at times
posted on 14/10/24
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 9 hours, 19 minutes ago
And those quotes from Dixon are clearly hyperbole.
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Of course you would think they were - because they don't fit your narrative...
posted on 14/10/24
comment by Bats Uncensored (U18355)
posted 11 hours, 46 minutes ago
But you said earlier that Wenger wouldn’t let Bould do defensive training, I assume because he would do it himself. Now you are saying he didn’t do defensive coaching at all, so which is it?
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No, I'm saying Wenger would not allow Bould to coach the defence because he was a control freak, but he didn't do hardly any of it either, because he couldn't.
How hard is this to understand ?
posted on 14/10/24
Coincidence Ashley first got into the PFA Team of the Year after Adams retired?