Arsene Wenger to be grilled by Arsenal fans on transfer policy & key decisions for first time since almost walking out of the club

Frenchman to have September showdown with shareholders...

3 Sep 2010 08:04:00

More On :  Arsenal FC, Arsène Wenger
Arsenal - Premier League,Arsene Wenger (Getty Images)
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By Wayne Veysey | Chief correspondent
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be grilled by supporters for the first time since the infamous occasion that almost forced him to quit the club.

Wenger has agreed to a question and answer session with Arsenal shareholders on September 16 at Emirates Stadium.

Fans are becoming restless and will demand to know why the Frenchman did not buy a goalkeeper, despite a summer-long pursuit of Mark Schwarzer, and used only a quarter of a potential £45 million transfer pot during the window.

Wenger postponed his traditional Q&A session with fans last season, which had been due to be held in May, amid fears of a backlash following a fifth consecutive trophyless campaign.

The Frenchman’s last session with fans in May of last year turned ugly when shareholders questioned his ability to lead the team with the most critical attacks on his management since he joined the club in 1996.

Shocked Wenger branded some of the questions “disgraceful” and then refused to deny he had held talks with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Angry shareholders had criticised Wenger for not winning any trophies, the team’s suspect defending, for signing “geriatric” Mikael Silvestre, dropping record signing Andrey Arshavin from Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea and his failure to replace five international midfielders — Gilberto Silva, Mathieu Flamini, Aliaksandr Hleb, Lassana Diarra and Tomas Rosicky, who spent the entire season on the sidelines.

Wenger was so frustrated with the reaction that this year’s forum was rescheduled for the start of this season in the hope that supporters will be in a more positive frame of mind in the early weeks of the campaign.

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