da poker： ‘Should I stay or should I go now?’ asked The Clash.
da realsbet： It’s possibly something that Wenger has been, or is considering, but with the dissenting voices becoming louder, the board may also be debating it themselves.
Arsenal’s most successful manager ever, is now at a crossroads. After all of the trophies, the ‘Invicibles’ and the titles comes the realisation that Arsenal haven’t won anything major – the FA Cup papers over the cracks – for some time and the natives are restless.
This season has been a re-run of previous campaigns. Out of the Capital One Cup, now out of this year’s FA Cup, the usual elimination from the Champions League as soon as they play anyone of note and league title dreams have vanished once again. When you stop to think about it, with what has gone on in the league this year, this was probably a golden opportunity for the Gunners to walk away with it.
It’s getting repetitive and weary, and no amount of bluster at press conferences will hide the fact that Arsenal are underachieving.
With one more year on his contract remaining, the likelihood is that he will stay, due mainly to his stubbornness and refusal to do anything in a manner that isn’t his way.
It’s been noted before, but the money that Arsenal have is burning a hole in the fans’ pockets, but surprisingly not in the Arsenal manager’s. Expect a minimal amount of change in the summer, with maybe a couple of defenders, a midfielder and an attacker, and a few leaving the Emirates.
If someone new moves into the hot seat, be prepared for a major overhaul, as the players on show week after week just don’t cut it anymore.
And since Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti – three candidates who would have been ideal successors – have all been employed elsewhere, the real issue for Arsenal is not whether Wenger’s time is up… but who is out there, right now, with the pedigree and the personality to replace him?
Arsenal fans beware what you wish for. You only have to look at Manchester United to see how wrong that’s gone for the club and there’s no sign of any major improvement either. United can’t even qualify for a place in the Champions League.
Arsenal are clearly lacking leadership on the pitch and with very talented individuals swelling the Gunners’ ranks, it remains a miserable season for the woeful north Londoners.
However, the fans haven’t forgotten Wenger’s achievements and it’s not like they are not appreciative, but season after season, it’s the same story and it’s wearisome – especially as they know that next year the other top teams will be spending serious money.
For all of Wenger’s immediate problems, it is quite remarkable that he has not failed to qualify for the Champions League for 16 years and that Arsenal are always in the top four. How managers can say that?
Wenger is stubborn and rarely appears to implement or have a ‘Plan B’. Other teams now seem to realise how to play against his side and frustrate and steal the much needed points.
In crunch games against Manchester United and then the over-hyped clash with Swansea, the players didn’t seem bothered. Getting them fired up and going for it is the job of the manager, but they don’t seem to want to fight for him anymore, and that’s worrying.
Wenger’s teams play a purist form of the game and always achieve his primary target of Champions League qualification. And then he always escapes the group stages with astonishing consistency. The ‘Invincibles’ side remain one of the greatest Premier League teams, but it no longer matters when you’re not achieving every season.
Arsenal’s football can be sublime and Wenger is not about to change his ways or his philosophy. His thinking filters down to the youth teams, and long after Wenger has gone a big piece of him will remain.
Before we get too carried away, let’s remember that Arsenal are third behind Leicester and Tottenham. However, they are above the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.
“I built the club, and the way I did it was with hard work. I had no external resources,” said Wenger once. “If you compare the club when I arrived and how it is today it is moved forward, and without any help from anybody.”
That maybe the case, but when you take his past glories and the inconsistency of the past few seasons into account – should he stay or should he go?
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