Even the most pro-Wenger fans will agree that 8 years without a trophy for a club like Arsenal is simply unacceptable. True, Wenger does have the chance to rectify the trophy dry spell this year with the FA Cup, a piece of silverware that is quite simply well overdue having lost previous finals such as the Carling Cup and Champions League.
Arsenal without Wenger is hard to imagine, but at times decisions by Wenger are hugely questionable. His handling of transfer business and reluctance to dip into the transfer funds available at Arsenal has been a major criticism. Arsenal are in desperate need of a striker, with Giroud not quite cutting it in the Premier League and the squad depth in this position and other positions very light, but Wenger has refused to delver into the transfer window.
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| Wenger will be offered a new contract at the end of the season that will take him into 20 years at Arsenal. |
Against big teams in the Premier League, Arsenal have quite simply folded and been on the end of a series of heavy and embarrassing beatings, such as their 6-0 loss to Chelsea, their 5-1 loss to Liverpool and most recently a 3-0 loss to Everton. During these losses, it seems Arsenal lack a passionate leader, a leader who could motivate them at half time and change the game with tactics and substitutions. Wenger looks grim faced and does little to radically change the side when the scoreline looks so abysmally poor. Credit to the Arsenal faithful though, they have backed Wenger during some of the hardest times this season, with chants such as: "Arsene we trust."
Imagine Arsenal with a manager who has an instilled winning mentality, a manager that would not dream of selling key players to title rivals and was willing to win at any cost. The most successful managers in English football all have this mentality and in recent years looks to have escaped Wenger. The Arsene of old was a manager that played stylish and successful football but had the winning mentality installed into his players, something in previous seasons has not been apparent.
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| Arsenal players have under performed at times during heavy defeats |
Some would argue a change in management to someone who is solely focused on winning would cause a sacrifice to the the entertaining football played at the Emirates. This could be true, but many Arsenal fans would agree this would be a worthy sacrifice as long as it meant trophies once again returned to Arsenal. Results that are grinded out with less goals in the final scoreline could become more of a regular occurrence, but is a vital ability to do for successful teams.
Credit to Wenger however for nurturing younger talents and giving them chances in the first team but it's Wenger's handling of these players once they have developed that has earned Arsenal a reputation as a selling club. Top players like Robin Van Persie, Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri are all examples of players that have left the side in search of silverware and some have joined Arsenal's rivals in the Premier League.
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| Van Persie was developed by Wenger at Arsenal but later sold to rivals Manchester United. |
Arsenal's longest serving manager is likely to sign a new deal, having said: "My commitment is full. I do not want to look somewhere else. I want to stay here. There shouldn't be any uncertainty at all. My desire is to stay. It will be done soon but I want now to focus on the end of the season." With his deal ending in the summer, expect Arsenal to offer him a deal during the close season.
Whether or not Wenger is the right man for Arsenal, there is no questioning his loyalty and commitment to the side. Arsenal must celebrate Wenger and the incredible feats he had achieved at the club but even the best managers do have a sell-by date. Is giving the man who has failed to deliver any silverware for the past 8 years really the right person to lead the club?
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