It’s no longer news that Arsene Wenger’s(popularly known as ‘Le Professeur’) contract with Arsenal expires this summer. With the veteran gaffer yet to pen a new deal, speculations about his future continue to build up.
The Gunners finished the current campaign outside the top four(a form of trophy we’ve held for the last two decades), calls for the manager to leave have intensified. While a majority of Arsenal fans would love to see him leave, the long-serving coach enjoys the support of the board and that of the club’s supremo Stan Kroenke. Here, we will consider some few factors and see if this is indeed the right time for the Frenchman to say goodbye.
Here, we will consider some few factors and see if this is indeed the right time for the Frenchman to say goodbye.
- The situation of the club
Firstly, failing to qualify for Champions league and finishing a distant three positions behind our unruly neighbours, nobody is happy at the Emirates. The reality of not playing in Europe’s top flight is quite unsettling both for the fans and players. Aside from the monetary disadvantage, there is the glaring truth that the club is moving from less-attractive to unattractive for top-players.
If the club are to recover from this position, there is an urgent need for restructuring or we may find ourselves heading down the Liverpool way, if proper contingency plans are not formulated. Even though the manager has stressed the importance of him leaving the club in a strong condition, his ability to position the club in this condition is quite doubtful.
- Availability of a replacement
There has always been this issue of finding a perfect replacement for the veteran. While some clubs in England (most of them hugely successful) are known for changing managers as often as possible, Arsenal seem to embrace the idea of long term relationship with managers and it is okay to think that the board may be looking at the possibility of finding someone who can stay as long as possible. The truth is, there are several managers in Europe who will cherish the chance to work at the Emirates but the willingness of the board is what is in question at the moment. Also, there is nothing absolutely wrong with parting ways with managers if it yields a required result.
- The loyalty of the players
There is a strong opinion among analysts that Arsene enjoys the loyalty of a greater percentage of his players and that there might be mass exodus from the club if the manager leaves. While we can’t specifically point out which players fall into this category. Also, the loyalty of a player is supposed to be to the club and not figures within the club. Top players want to win trophies and they know there are sacrifices to be made if this goal is to be achieved.
- The fear of transition
We’ve seen teams falter due to changes in management, the struggle at Old Trafford being the most prominent. The truth is, such changes are inevitable and the sooner we take them head-on, the better for everyone. The board must see past the possibility of an initial struggle and focus on how best to ensure a good transition. It might take time, but Arsenal is a prominent club and can afford to move on without Monsieur Wenger.
- The attitude of the fans
While we can’t question Mr.Wenger’s love and loyalty for the Club, the manager also must be acutely aware of the respect and love he enjoys from the fan-base. The “IN ARSENE WE TRUST” banner has hung at the Emirates for so long and even as the “WENGER OUT” crusade is ongoing, there is more subtly loyal request from fans for him to leave. If he refuses to leave at the expiration of his contract, the atmosphere at the Emirates may become more hostile towards him and deepen the woes of the club he claims to love so much.
