I’m a newer fan who only started watching the club over the past 2 seasons. I’ve been trying to learn the history of the club, and I’m confused why there was hate for Wenger at the end of his career. I learned that he lead the invincible’s, and that amazing squad from the early 2000s, he gave us the only champions league final appearance in club history, and even after that he seem to do an amazing job. Heck he even got a new Stadium that is really nice. He seemed to be loved. By all accounts he should be a Saint to the gooners but then I look forward a few years, and they were all these Wenger out protests. What led to such a fall from grace.
Nobody was desperate or even thinking about a title during those years. We were scraping CL qualification most years. The issue was our football became pretty dire and uninspired with the horseshoe of death. Wenger was also quite stubborn at that point and it was clear we were not going to improve with him, that a change had to happen and he wasn’t willing let that change happen which led to the Wenger out stuff. Clearly still a legend and I think even the Wenger Outs love him (myself included), but those seasons were brutal.
By horseshoe of death are you referring to how we’d move down the field, pass it in an arch from one wing to the other wing, then someone would pass it back to a defender who would pass it back to the keeper and repeat? Those were some rough games, it always seemed like we’d concede a goal on the break then just follow that passing pattern with zero threat to score.
That and also when we’d control possession in their zone but had no incisiveness or spark in our attack and would just roll the ball around their box with no idea of what to do against a low block.