I won’t be surprised if come this summer, Arsène Wenger hangs up his magic hat and decides that his time at Arsenal has come to an end.
It has always been clear that Arsène would finish his tenure at the club on his own terms. He isn’t going to be sacked. His future quite literally rests in his own hands.
He has said in the past that should he fail to take the club forward, he will step down as manager and allow the to gauntlet be passed to someone who can.
Today’s defeat has added to an already poor set of results against the premier league’s top clubs and it’s hard to understand why we are so inept in these games.
However, the fact is that we HAVE made progress. Yes, our season has taken a cataclysmic battering over the last few weeks, but, we are in the FA Cup semi-final and we did lead the premier league for quite some time.
The signing of Mesut Özil was another step in the right direction.
The problem is, while we are slowly but surely progressing, other teams are doing so at a much faster pace. Liverpool’s rise speaks for itself. They look together, their strike force is outstanding and they are fighting for the league title.
This progress has been made under a manager who has been at the club for two years, picking up a Liverpool shaped shambles and turning them in to title contenders.
Everton’s rise since Roberto Martinez took over was once again demonstrated today. The hunger and drive to achieve their goals was clear to see and they hounded us off of the park, scoring three goals whilst doing so.
I believe that Arsène lives for Arsenal, and that with every game that passes he is constantly assessing what and if he can do better.
Given the thrashings we have suffered against our top rivals this season, today’s results may have just tipped the scales.
The game is changing, and from a fans point of view, sadly, it doesn’t seem like Arsène knows how to change with it.
That isn’t me saying I want Wenger out. Wenger has demonstrated this against the big teams, where he has been tactically undone and ripped to shreds.
No one knows what is going on in Arsène’s head, but he must be beginning to consider that he might not have the answers to the questions being asked of him. Furthermore, does he still have the fight left in him?
The last nine years must have been emotionally and physically draining. He has constantly defended his team’s shortcomings, watched prized players turn their backs and walk away from the club, and, juggled around with finances whilst the new stadium was built.
These are huge burdens to bear, especially at a club such as Arsenal. There is an expectation, at least with the fans (the board don’t seem bothered), to win some form of silverware.
No matter what the outcome is come the end of the season concerning Arsène’s position, there is life after Wenger.
I will certainly be sad when he finally decides enough is enough. The man is a genius and he has changed Arsenal, and English football for the better during his time in the premier league.
Whatever his decision is, the one thing he deserves more than anything is respect.
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Header photo via Wonker- https://www.flickr.com/photos/wonker/
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