Gazidis hints at Wenger contract extension?

Another season ended and another end of season supporter’s event. The format is predictable but enjoyable, a selection of fans forming the audience and floor for an insight into the mind of Ivan Gazidis and Arsenal as a Club.
The event last Friday evening marked my debut at such an event, indeed this blog also marks a debut for me on this site. A double D for me, which is quite apt as that is the size my chest is reaching with my absence from the gym in penning this piece. I digress; this blog isn’t about me and my yearning for fitness but about the polished and professional event that happened last Friday evening. Any quotes below come from notes I have taken and won’t be paraphrased.
I arrived early, and was gifted a voucher for pie and beer which I certainly took advantage of, it was a cheat day after all. I then settled down and awaited the showpiece event. Just before it started, the news of Jamie Vardy had dropped which left me eagerly anticipating the questions that may come. A video of the season gone by kicked off proceedings which settled the crowd but left me unsettled; a reminder that despite playing some good football at times, last season was something to be forgotten.
Ivan took to the stage to applause and immediately was put to task on the most important topic of the evening: Aaron Ramsey’s hair. A few jokes settled the atmosphere amongst the gathered fans and Ivan settled into discussing the season just gone and how we improve next season.
What I found interesting is that he said the preparation for the following season begins at the start of the current one. He further pointed out our increasing use of analytics, not just for scouting or in game management, but for our physio teams too. He highlighted to the ever growing team behind the scenes that break the game down to its various components and look to see where we did well and where we can improve. He mentioned the need to learn, not solely from our own mistakes, but from those of our competitors.
If this is the case then that’s excellent, it is what we need; smart management, smart use of data and added efficiency, in all areas. We may not have the throwaway money of some clubs but if we can become smarter than them, we will retain our competitive edge. Becoming better in our recruitment and our player management will stand us in good stead.
A few more points regarding recruitment I found interesting were that he leaves the talking to Arsène and feels no need to add his voice to it. As much as we wanted confirmation on signings from him, it is wise. He summed it up well: “The less we show our hand in public, the better it is for us”. I wholeheartedly agree there, we don’t need our CEO talking up a storm about signing Zlatan, Messi or inanimate carbon rod, we need results and focus and hopefully Xhaka is the proof in the pudding and more results will come.
The mood thus far felt relaxed and quite easy, and then the inevitable came, the question of Wenger’s contract. While the crowd were by no means all WOB, Wexit or AKB, there was a rustle of discontent and uneasiness with this question and his answers. I must make clear that he did not explicitly confirm Wenger will be getting an extension and he maintained that the board are prepared to make the tough decisions; I think they’re preparing such an extension.
He said: “I don’t get the sense that we are losing confidence in him” and later “We are not thinking about the end, at all”. Without taking them out of context too much it points to Wenger being part of their plans and as Ivan said earlier, they're already preparing for next season and Wenger only has one year left so it's not a huge leap when considering his reponses. In all honesty, I would not expect him to be calling Wenger out at such an event but I didn’t expect such support. Time will tell whether it is lip service though.
Tension built and we went through various subjects including the divisive figure that is our majority shareholder, Stan Kroenke. Ivan offered some support to the man, highlighting that he would rather leave the football to the football men and that he does support investment. As fans though, we just wish that his support was more apparent. I got the impression that Stan had few friends in the audience.
Ivan also briefly touched on trying to increase diversity on the board which would be a refreshing change.
After that we had a few questions from the floor, some interesting, some odd. From referencing made up Ivan quotes to asking why we don’t use FIFA 16 to scout with as it is only £45. Ivan answered and dealt with these like the professional he is, leading a gentleman behind me to liken him to David Cameron, harsh but understandable for his ability to answer any question with deflection if need be.
That wrapped up Ivan’s section. It was an insight into the man, I could see he does in fact care about the club, professionally and personally, and I think he wants what is best for Brand Arsenal and though we may not see eye to eye on a host of subjects, he is a capable CEO for our club. He’s not the most charismatic but he’s certainly knowledgeable —not that he’ll be losing sleep over my approval.
Lee Dixon was introduced thereafter, instantly dispelling any tension in the room with his charm. He knew what the fans wanted at this point and provided plenty humour and quotes about ‘PASHUUUUN’. He did highlight the need for a return of the mentality the club had in the past and considering the spirit we had at the time, it was hard to disagree. He capped off his segment with wonderful stories of Wrighty popping Steve Bruce and a lively performance of his own goal against Coventry, where he lobbed Seaman. The people who organise these events know what they are doing and know what the fans need after some heavy discussions on divisive subjects.
A good evening then, where much was said and discussed, the most important topics of course were completely ignored, such as if Ivan would accept a three way with Jok in gravy if it meant getting into Scarlett Johansson’s jumpsuit or whether he is indeed Sim In or Sim Out. Though I can forgive the club that oversight as I did enjoy things and I hope that you as the reader can have had a share of that.
At this point, more experienced bloggers would have found some clever and zany tag line to end their piece on and instantly endear themselves to you. I am neither zany, clever nor particularly endearing so will end with an adieu.
Adieu.
P.S Thank you to the Goonersphere team and Arsenal FC for the excursion.
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Tags: gazidis, Wenger contract, End of season Q&A