Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager Should Leave Premier League Club With Dignity Before He Faces The Axe
It is now up to the Arsenal board to bring about the change so badly needed in management.
As the final whistle blew in the near-empty Emirates stadium, the deathly silence echoed thousands of sentiments. Manchester City who blanked Arsenal with a 0-3 scoreline twice in a space of five days may have killed Arsene Wenger’s managerial career once and for all. Make no mistake, the London club’s manager has lost the dressing room. If last season was considered bad with missing out on Champions League a chilling reminder of the fall from grace for Arsene Wenger, the worst has happened with the current one. The 2016-17 FA cup triumph did little to lift the spirit of Gooners, with many calling for his head since many a season now. Yesterday night’s turgid display has brought mayhem to the club with fans venting their ire on the head coach who seems to have lost the plot and the dressing room too. This was caught vividly by Arsenal Fan TV in its post-match broadcast while speaking to one such fan.
Watch: Die-Hard Arsenal Fan Rip Apart Arsene Wenger
It is indeed disheartening to see the Arsenal fans suffer. Quickly looking at Arsenal and Arsene Wenger's 2017-18 season in stats, the removal of Arsene Wenger is no longer a wish from fans, it has become a necessity for the Premier League club to progress.
Arsenal’s Under Arsene Wenger In 2017-18 Season
| Competition | Performance |
| English Premier League | Sixth position (10 Points off UCL place) |
| FA Cup | Knocked out by Nottingham Forest 4-2 in the third round (Yes, you read that right) |
| CARABAO CUP | Beaten 0-3 by Manchester City in the Final |
| EUROPA LEAGUE | Pitted against AC Milan in the round of 16 and have a remote chance against a side who are on a 12 match unbeaten run. |
The problem with Arsene Wenger's side this season has been their shocking inability to turn up for games when it matters. Time and again the whole team looks a pale shadow of its glorious past. It is almost unfathomable for us to believe it is coached by the same man who lead the 'Invincible' side of 2004. His tactics have come under intense scrutiny these days. The traditional attacking football has somewhat disappeared, and the defence has been in shambles for many a season now. The likes of Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin are error-prone and have contributed to several defeats. The midfield picked by Arsene Wenger is a shocking pointer to his management or shall we say the lack of it. The likes of Mesut Ozil and Arron Ramsey who lack defensive qualities are deployed in such position such that they allow the opposition to overrun them. Alex Iwobi and Granit Xhaka are one of the many players you feel who do not belong to this level. Both the goalkeepers in Petr Cech and David Ospina have failed to command their authority in the box and are not in sync with the defence. The signing of a player like Petr Cech who has had his good days well past him is a crime in management.
Talking about signings, the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan that had generated so much buzz has fizzled out quickly. The lack of service to these players on the pitch has rendered them ineffective in most games. Another big signing in Alexandre Lacazette has been warming the bench for the most part of the season. He would certainly pray for a change in management to revive his dipping stock at arsenal. The failure of Arsene Wenger was evident with the whole Alexis Sanchez transfer fiasco. His inability to hold onto one of his key performers says a lot about the state of the affairs at the club. The desperation with which Sanchez left meant he clearly lost faith in the manager to revive the fortunes of the club.
It is now up to the Arsenal board to bring about the change so badly needed in management. Arsene Wenger was quick to dismiss suggestions he may have to step down and spoke at length about how things can still be corrected come to the end of the season. Well, Mr Wenger, things can only go in a direction from here for you and that is downward. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. This is precisely the case with Arsene Wenger. The current longest-serving manager in English Football, winner of 17 trophies is hell bent to kill his legacy. What a pitiful sight!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 02, 2018 06:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).