Wenger says his future was a factor as Arsenal fail to make Champions League

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39994392

Arsene Wenger says his "professionalism or commitment" cannot be questioned but that uncertainty over his future contributed to Arsenal failing to qualify for the Champions League.

It is the first time Arsenal, who finished fifth, have failed to qualify for the competition for 20 years.

Wenger, whose contract expires this summer, says his future will be decidedafter the FA Cup final on 27 May.

"I have said no to every club in the world," said the Frenchman, 67.

Wenger has been in charge of the Gunners since 1996, winning three Premier Leagues and six FA Cups, but has faced protests from Arsenal supporters this season calling for him to quit.

"I believe since January we have played in a very difficult environment for different reasons," he added.

"Some you know about and that's very difficult for a group of players to cope with that - and some other reasons we will talk about on another day.

"Psychologically the atmosphere was absolutely horrendous. It has been difficult, yes, and certainly my personal situation has contributed to that but you can never question my professionalism or commitment."

Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 on Sunday, but a 3-0 home win for Liverpool against Middlesbrough saw the Gunners finish a point behind Jurgen Klopp's side in fifth.

"I'm a lot more resigned because it's been coming for a few years and everybody has to focus on the FA Cup," former Arsenal striker Ian Wright told BBC Radio 5 live.

"This is done, we are in the Europa League, there is nothing we can do about it."

Wenger, whose side face Premier League champions Chelsea in next week's FA Cup final, said it was "very sad" Arsenal will not be playing in Europe's top competition next season.

He added: "We do our job and you are professional and part of the job is being professional when the environment is not positive."

Some Arsenal fans also voiced their frustration at majority owner Stan Kroenke.

"I think you respect everyone in life and I respect Stan Kroenke a lot," said Wenger. "It is not his fault we didn't reach the Champions League tonight, it is the technical department's responsibility for that.

"A club works when everybody does their job and we live in a society where everybody has an opinion and what moves society forward is when we work and not talk too much."

 

In short he blames his delaying of signing a contract and the fans for stinking out the place for us not qualifying for the CL. He also says that Kroenke is fantastic and we should respect him.

Not the most endearing of words and it will no doubt rub some up the wrong way. As he says, everyone has their opinion and things move on when we don't talk too much. Maybe he should take a leaf out of his own book and talk less and let his football do the talking, starting with a good show in the FA Cup and summer transfer window.

 

Didn't he state categorically, about 10 times throughout the season, that the uncertainty over his contract WASN'T affecting his players or their performances?

 

And he's surprised why he rubs fans up the wrong way. He needs to talk less and do his talking on the pitch.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39561624
http://www.squawka.com/news/wenger-...senal-players-theres-no-obvious-reason/932031
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ays-poor-Arsenal-results-not-uncertainty.html
http://www.sundayworld.com/sport/soccer/wenger-makes-bold-claim-over-his-uncertain-future-at-arsenal

4 separate articles (an advanced apologies for linking the mail in your thread, but its just to make a point).
4 separate instances where Wenger stated that the uncertainty over his future was NOT affected his players......
Then he comes out at the end and uses it as an excuse?

 

I wonder why the media haven't called him up on it, after he's clearly contradicted himself. It's like he thinks the fans are morons, of course his pussy footing around would affect the players as well as the fans. He's taken the piss, but he's too arrogant to admit it.

 

The uncertainty was entirely of his own making. Every other week he would sit down and say 'you will hear my decision soon'. First it was March, then end of April, then after the season, then after the FA cup. It became a bit of a running joke.

Fact is, there was always one option available throughout all of this to reintroduce stability: to announce I am signing the 2 year extension that is on the table.

The fact that this announcement was never made shows that in truth, Wenger himself was the cause of the toxic atmoshere - and such an announcement would've contrived ti make things even worse, not better. It also demonstrates that the man he wants you to have so much respect for never sanctioned this announcement, thus playing an active role in apparently destabalising his own club. What a guy.

In short, Wenger is so full of BS it is laughable.

 

Oh dear, Wenger has gone full Arry 2012.
Failing to qualify for the CL on the last day of the season and chatter.

 

People need to be impartial with Wenger and for some reason it's become a pro Wenger v anti Wenger debate. Although i want Wenger out, i'm not anti Wenger for the sake of it but i will either praise or call him up for stuff he does. Take this article for example, it clearly shows his hypocrisy but you won't see certain posters calling him up on it, as they are pro Wenger supporters.

So far the most impartial posters on this forum nowadays have been non-Arsenal fans. This is why i believe Wenger has become divisive for us and he's been one of the main causes for the split in fans. Wenger has become institutionalised into Arsenal life and it's become very hard to separate the two.

 

Yes he did. ****ing annoying when he comes out with **** like this. His future was clearly affecting the players and the toxic atmosphere that followed didn't help. Wenger needs to take responsibility for this.

 

Looks like he's going out with all guns blazing, well blazing in his own way. I'd hate to think what will happen if we have a bad start in the FA Cup, Chelsea are a really good outfit and if the players don't regroup, it could get messy. The pressure will be on us more for this game. The Chelsea players will be on a high and play the way they want, without too much tension.

I think it would have been better if Wenger stayed quiet or spoke a few words of humility. I think most fans, including me, would have appreciated that more, rather than the stuff he's just said.

 

He was just being honest really. But the point is that the situation arose because of his/the board's delaying the announcement.

Not sure why they have done that to be honest, if it's all sewn up already then it's just a dumb decision to delay it and cause all of that uncertainty and unrest. Although it could be that this board meeting after the FA cup final really has something about it that is going to change things at Arsenal.

We'll find out next week.

 

He is hardly going to come out mid season and say that it was affecting the players is he

 

No but he could have said nothing.
Or better still he could have just revealed whether he was staying or not and put an end to the speculation.

 

If he has said nothing the media would have just kept asking him the question, and would have made up there own answer, that could potentially have been worse for the players. i agree with the point about saying if he was staying or going, but look what happened when fergie said he was going in 2002 at man u, so he probably wanted to avoid that, i still think he has not made up his mind yet, and the board dont want to make a decision, and that what made the whole situation worse.

 

It was a catch 22 situation.

Wenger wouldn't announce his plans because of the toxic atmosphere

But the toxic atmosphere existed and got worse because wenger wouldn't announce his plans.

 

OK.. So this surely means Wenger has decided to leave?

Why would he not just announce that he is signing on and staying, if the uncertainty around his future was affecting the team and our performances?

It really makes no sense unless he has decided to leave.

 

He is waiting for after the FA Cup. If we didn't get to the finals then he most likely would have announced it earlier.

 

And now Wenger has come out and said 'still doesn't know' If he will be at Arsenal next Season!!!??

How the **** is this Club being run??! where is the pressure to make a decision so they can err.. sign a replacement if they need one.

This is beyond ridiculous.

 

Maybe the board want to wait until all the season tickets are renewed before they announce it.
A lot of people said they would not renew if Wenger was in charge