The Fall of Arsene Wenger

You can sense it coming, the end of an era which initially heralded progress, success and the string of new records. But as the end of the most unpredictable Premier League season approaches its final furlong, it’s longest-serving stallion is in danger of being put down. And he knows it.

Wenger’s uncharacteristic terse response to the media in the post match interview said it all. His team had just lost to Swansea having been 1–0 ahead, and yet another title challenge was hanging by a thread. His players had once again failed to make their dominance count, and he faced questions over why he substituted the night’s best player to accommodate the decade’s most disappointing. Wenger knew this season was his best chance to win the league since the Invincible season. Instead he found himself looking up at arch-rivals Spurs, and a potential finish well outside the top four.

I can’t describe how heartbreaking it is to watch this happen to a man who, in his first ten years at the club, was not only a revelation, but an innovator and a trend setter for the sport as a whole. It was he who set the blueprint which Barcelona have now refined, and his influence can be seen throughout Europe. The Stars he helped to create have gone into various roles within football, and so many of them share the same view of him: that he was a father figure, that they owe so much to him.

It’s a pity his current crop do not see him the same way.

Theo Walcott is undoubtedly the most notable of these. A player brought in from Southampton with immense potential, who struggled under the spotlight and with a number of injuries, who now can’t even muster up the will to get hold of the ball more than a few times in a game. An insult to the number 14 shirt, Walcott has completely failed to live up to expectations, and is surely one of the first players any new manger would look to offload.

The likes of Aaron Ramsey, who despite serious injury had managed to perform superbly in the past, has since forgotten how to pass the ball to a team mate ever since Wales qualified for Euro 2016. Squandering possession with his back to the opposition goal too often, he clearly is playing to avoid i jury so that he doesn’t miss out on this summer’s tournament. On current form, it’s hard to understand why Chris Coleman would even select him.

Big man Per Mertesacker looks like a man who should have retired two seasons ago. His judgement is poor, too often stepping up and crossing the halfway line despite knowing he lacks the pace or agility to turn and run back into position when the opponents counter attack.

Striker Olivier Giroud, who can’t find the back of the net, and frustrates fans with what looks like an indifferent attitude to his failures.

Alexis Sanchez, who despite his work rate plays his team into trouble with wayward passes and selfishness which leads to his losing possession.

Then there are Flamini, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain…none of who, do enough to help further the cause.

And the long injury list.

Wenger’s second decade in charge has brought countless disappointments. His defensive blind spot has never been addressed, and that has only been compounded by his appointment of Steve Bould as his assistant. And while Francis Coquelin has been a superb surprise, he has been expected to fulfil the role almost totally alone.

Up front, goals go from being no problem to being a major problem in the blink of an eye. We have NEVER replaced Henry and Bergkamp, and those who show promise either flop, or leave. Walcott is not a central striker – I question whether you can even call him a footballer – and others are just too inconsistent.

Wenger’s most commendable quality, but also his biggest fault, is his loyalty. Just as the club have been loyal to him, he has to a number of players over the years, and yet repeatedly his loyalty is thrown back in his face: Ashley Cole, Lassana Diarra, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adenayor, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri…these amongst others have all taken what they could from the club and the gaffer, then left as soon as they reached their peaks.

You have to question whether he was TOO safe. Especially now, at a stage where a title challenge is falling away. The players just simply do not seem to care, almost as though they have no incentive to not fail. At other clubs, you can tell when players are worried their manager will be sacked. At Arsenal, it’s as though they think ‘As long as Arsene is safe, so am I – and Arsene is ALWAYS safe.’

Forget the lack of leadership. There is a lack of fear. Arsene does not shout at his teams. By all accounts, he doesn’t let anyone else either. He doesn’t like his players to argue with each other, something which I think evolved from the ‘rat in the camp’ saga a few years back while William Gallas was captain. Sometimes there can be too much respect, too much niceness, and no-one at any stage turns to a team mate and says ‘You were really, really shit.’

Wenger is a very proud man, that has been clear throughout the whole of his career at Arsenal. His pride was well-deserved, and I for one fully expect a statue of him to be erected somewhere around the Emirates Stadium. He deserves it, because he gave the club a future, made sure financially it is sound and sustainable, which is hard to do in the world of football. But his pride must be more than wounded now. It has surely been dealt a fatal blow.

I expect him to see the season through to its conclusion: you just don’t sack a manager this close to the end of a season where there is still a chance, however small, that you can win the league or the FA Cup. But my heart finally agrees with my brain: come the end of May, Arsene’s tenure must come to an end. Whether he moves upstairs to the boardroom, or retires completely, is up to him, but either he or the board must make the decision to bring in fresh ideas.

Because, quite frankly, we Arsenal fans deserve more.