2 years ago it was considered blasphemy. Only the odd, slightly mad or slightly too drunk, radical Arsenal fan would suggest that Arsene Wenger should go. The suggestion would be met with cold stares and cold shoulders along the Holloway Road. Nobody questioned the leadership of Professor Wenger.
That was four years after Arsenal’s last silverware, the barren spell has grown to six and the unrest is more widespread. Disillusionment was so rife by the end of last season you would think Arsenal were heading for relegation. The players made a lap of honour to an abandoned stadium. They were dark times for the Gunners.
The problem, most Arsenal fans believe, is Arsene Wenger’s inability to improve his squad in the right areas. The problem seems so clear, the solution so simple. This is the cause of such frustration.
A centre-back, a goalkeeper and a striker that isn’t Nicklas Bendtner is all that’s required, yet summer after summer, Wenger signs a couple of promising youngsters and leaves the same gaping holes in his squad, ready to be exposed by another gruelling season.
This summer is unravelling much like those before, despite Samir Nasri challenging Wenger to show ambition in the market, he has signed the 19 year-old Charlton right back Carl Jenkinson and Lille’s Ivorian striker Gervinho (who may, finally, be the Bendtner replacement).
After six years without a trophy, it is fair to ask the question, would it be a backward step for Arsenal if Arsene Wenger left?
I believe it would, I believe that what Arsene Wenger manages to squeeze out of his squad every season is phenomenal. Everything about Arsenal football club screams Wenger, those are his players, many of them nurtured by him and his staff, it is his squad, his stadium, and the fans watch his football. (The Emirates fans are known for booing the long ball). Attempting to place another man into the perfectly Wenger shaped driving seat at Arsenal would be a painful, destructive process.
To the layman the squad looks thin, in recent years it has often looked worryingly thin in August only to surprise everyone, except Wenger himself, by still challenging for the title in February. Another man would no doubt feel the need to throw serious money at it. And whilst perhaps Wenger should too, he has shown his squad to be capable of competing with the best ever since he took control at Arsenal.
Replacing Wenger would take Arsenal back to the foetal position, a huddle of cub scouts missing their akela. There are no leaders in that group, no brave John Terry’s. There is a footballing philosophy, one that has driven Wenger’s transfer dealings for years. Pace and passing, pace of passing, either way, he has built a team to play a certain way, to replace him would be suicide, bringing in a non-believer would negate this team’s ability.
It makes sense to call for Wenger’s head, it is the role of football fans to be fickle and scathing and constantly demanding, irrespective of what has come before. Arsene Wenger has not won a trophy in six years, and even though he has provided Arsenal with 13 years of fantastic football, it is inevitable and essential that he be questioned. He is a long way from his invincibles.
He is however, the beating heart of Arsenal football club, he is the one constant from the doubles at Highbury to the big European nights at the Emirates, Wenger has presided over it all. Arsene may be a stubborn man, refusing to compromise his own beliefs, but his beliefs are now so intertwined with Arsenal football club, it would be disastrous to separate them.
It is easy to call for a replacement and then impossible to think of one who would be an improvement. It may be a frustrating time for Arsenal fans but it is only because Wenger himself has lifted their expectations so high.
Written by Phillip Wroe for FootballFancast.com.
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wenger is a great coach but hes to stubborn to stay at emirates and we are not ready for that we will respect him if he leaves now.
You seem to suggest that Wenger is irreplaceable. The first lesson in any management philosophy is that NO ONE is indispensable! In English football not even Ferguson can claim to be indispensable. The fact is that all these managers will eventually be replaced. The only question is should that be sooner or later? In Wenger’s case it must surely be sooner. His luck has run out.It was never his coaching or management prowess that brought success to the club for the first few years. It was just that Wenger was in the right place at the right time – just ask Adam Kemp!??.
Name me a manager in the Premiere league who has managed to keep his job for 6 seasons at the rate of something in the region of 6 million quid a year – without at least some progress every other season – even if not every season! In fact name me a manager who has been allowed to keep his job for 6 seasons with sweet FA to show for it!
You have totally ruled out the possibility that another manager might actually do a better job with the team. That’s a blinkered view! It is that sort of thinking that has kept an under performing manager in charge of one of the greatest clubs in the world only to systematically bring it to ruin. If you are a true Arsenal fan – you will NOT accept that kind of failure from a club that has the potential to achieve far more than they have for 6 miserable seasons. That’s the point that some of you don’t seem to get. ARSENAL has the potential to win trophies. We aren’t winning them because we have a completely useless manager. His mind set is such that he is content to be on the periphery of success. He does NOT have a winning mentality. 13,000 season ticket holders who have refused to renew their tickets – GET IT! Why don’t you??
One more point – did any of you follow the exploits of our team in Asia? Arsenal were treated to a rousing welcome in Malaysia. The fans just couldn’t get enough. But did any of you note the look of sheer disgust and despair on the faces of some of our players?? Nasri’s face – even with thousands of fans clamoring to just shake his hand – says it all about his sentiments for the club … or is it the manager …?! I”ll bet you a bottle of Royal Salute that both Cesc and Nasri will stay at the club – if they were told that they were getting a new, proven, big name manager. Now go publish that !
In Arsène we trust !!!
Le Roi Arsene. Hail to the King
Absolutely 100% spot on. What I wanted to say for years and haven’t had the words myself.
I think Arsene Wenger is too business minded. He is trying to do too many things at once. He’s trying to balance the books, appeal to the world market, ensuring the youth system and players are decent(and does a fantastic job btw 7th sports franchise in the world apparently).
To me it seems he is happy with a top four finish because we get into Europe and that brings in capital.
Arsenal are now a team who cant even win our own domestic title. At this point I dont even care about the Champions League I just want that Premiership title. I dont see how you can go from not winning a title in six years and then win the League cup, FA cup, Premier League, Champions League like some planetary alignment has happened.
Dont get me wrong i think Arsene is a fantastic asset to Arsenal football club but saying there couldn’t be a better MANAGER I would disagree. A Jose Mourihno would have binned/used more effectively Bendtner, denilson and other wastes of spaces anyone less concerned with the business side of things and who just concentrated on winning titles.
So Arsene I’ll support you but I want to see more emphasis on domestic competitions( that means buying big, less technical, players like Samba who will just kick the f#@k out of you, I bet he wont go to Bolton away and get bullied).
Arsene Im not saying I know better than you but when I play Football Manager and dont win anything for 6 years, I get fired !
P.s that has never happened coz i kick ass at FM
A question to ‘wankerwengermustgo’: So OK, given your stance regarding Wenger, who will be the takers for a job at a club that does not believe in spending as dictated by the market makers eg. Chelsea, ManC and ‘Pool (35k for Carroll!), who would you suggest as Wenger’s replacement? Allardyce? McLeish? Pulis? Goran Eriksson? If you deliver critiques, kindly provide solutions too! I cannot think of any manager, worldwide, that will be able to deliver as Wenger does with the constraints PLACED UPON him! Not even Mourinho, Guardiola nor SAF would have been able to do what Wenger does and has done, given frugality of the Arsenal Board. Let’s hear from you!