It is often said after 10 games you can predict where most clubs will likely end up come May next year. Though it may not be the best method to judge a team’s credentials, it does offer some insight into what to expect.
With that in mind, should we worry about our current Premier League position at this stage of the season? I certainly think not.
We started off the campaign very well, but we seem to have lost our drive. However, I’m confident that we will regain it and push on this season to finish in the top four – a position we have become very familiar with since Arsene Wenger’s arrival at the club 16 years ago. His impressive record of a top four finish is magnificent. Achieving this feat year in, year out without bucket loads of cash is by no means a small task.
This proud record did come very close to being broken with a horrendous start to last season, but somehow Le Professor rallied the troops to make an astounding turn around and finish in third place.
But what if we don’t manage to finish in the top four this season? Will Wenger have no choice but to walk following the club’s seven year trophy drought? To be honest, it took me a while to think about this one. We’ve had a fairly indifferent start, but we have better players at our disposal, and goals are coming from everywhere on the pitch. The team look really close to a title winning side than it has done since our last trophy winning side in 2005. So a top four finish is looking like a fairly achievable task, despite our current form and other results.
But sticking to the question, I think it would be time for Wenger to step down from his managerial role at Arsenal, should of course we fail to attain a top four finish this season.
I have great respect Wenger. His achievements since his arrival have been amazing.H is the club’s most successful manager and his philosophy and playing style has helped change, not only Arsenal, but football in whole. To see him fail at the one thing he has been undoubtedly consistent with over the years would, to me, mean he has now officially come to the end of his reign – that is if, and only if, we end the season trophyless once again.
Clubs that fall out of the top four have found it hard to get back into it, as competition stiffens every year and with us it seems every summer is a constant rebuilding phase caused by a mass exodus of players departing. So in theory, we don’t get that consistency and gelling of players other title winning sides have.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not part of the Wenger out brigade. He’s led us through thick and thin and brought us so much success in the past. But with how things have panned out over the years for us, I don’t really feel confident enough in believing he could push us to bigger and better things once again, should of course we fall out of the top four.
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he has not been made to walk yet due to the fact that most of the fans still back wenger.
but if we dont get top 4
then ever single fan would want him out
then he would have to walk or the board will have to spend on some big names to stop the fans from all turnning on the board.
I totaly agree
it’s shame really. i can’t believe the fans are up against wenger even after he got us back to a much respectable 3rd place finish last season when we quite clearly had the worst start in a long time.
you can’t really blame the manager when players are lackluster. He brialliant coach and i don’t there is any better replacement. Fans like you is what we don’t need. back the team all times,that’s a true gunner
Nice idea but Gazidis has shown himself not up to the job at a top club. How the hell does this ineffectual man get a bonus after letting Van Perise go, no replacement for Song, Nasri, Clichy either. Now the onus is on Wenger? I think not, the wage strupcture is cavalier and no longer attractive to big signings. When it says in the headlines Wenger is scouting Mata, or anyone Arsenal always ends up to little to late, and they settle for second best. AS this goes on they no longer will have the ability to attract big talent, nor the ability to sign the most promising youngster. They paid a big price for Theo. He is 23, and doubled in assists and goals the last two years, and they are prepared to sell him short? Pennywise and pound foolish in my book.
I am an Arsenal fan not a Wenger fan. I want what is best for Arsenal not Arsene Wenger and I am tired of listening and reading about people backing this man continually. The board do not choose to buy our players Arsene Wenger does, The Board do not choose to play these players out of position Arsene Wenger does. The board are not responsible for the lack of tactics on match day Arsene Wenger is. I am not saying the board is not to blame here but it seems to me that everything is being laid at the feet of Gazidis and Co when in fact the form of the team and poor results ae solely the responsibility of the manager. Arsene Wenger should have gone years ago in my opinon. His body language tells me he is lost and will not improve our fortunes. Wenger must go. And in response the “the king” most fans do not support Wenger – far from it…
OK, so Wenger gets the sack, but then who do you bring in to replace him? Which world class managers are actually available AND willing to come to Arsenal given it’s conservative financial philosophy… because its not as if that is suddenly going to change too.
Just because we hire a new manager doesn’t mean the board/ownership is going to suddenly allow the club to spend big money and run at a loss. (Stan Kroenke doesn’t even allow a farm he owns in Wyoming run at a loss.)
I’m not saying Wenger is God and he knows best, but I think very few coaches out there who are on his level would be willing to come to Arsenal and operate under its strict financial constraints. So we might very well end up with second tier players and a second tier coach. We might never recover from that.
I don’t think wenger should walk if he fails to get a top four finish this season. We are constantly in 17th or 18th in spending on transfers over that period so for punching above weight he does fantastically. it won’t be defensively that weill let us down but attack. defensively we are better than teams above us only stoke and sunderland are doing better in that department but its scoring goals now you will point to van persie leaving and giroud not being a quality placement. However I point to last year van persie was here yet to go with our worst defensive record in premier league time we also had our worst attacking period with the lowest amount of goals we have ever scored even though van persie scored a load. we have no divine right to win trophies or be in top fur that is won by determination a bit of blood and guts and by flair and creativity.Leon you say arsene choose who to buy thats fine butto a degree Wegers choices are determined by the transfer kitty and it is not Wenger who determines that. Lets be honest we have lost to chelsea, Utd and Norwich. Utd and chelsea have spent well and big in summer and o shame in losing to them. The other to norwich may look bad but we had a two week international break where we had a number of players away norwich had two weeks with the majority of the team that played to work on the training pich to get thingsspot on for that game. We have drawn with city and bat liverpool. Now we have big matches in the next four with tottenham and everton and an improving villa along with a solid swansea team, so by end of this period we could be up amongst the top four again.We drew with Fulham last week yet Fulham are a decent side schalke are second in bundesliga so are a decent side too. I have a feeling with the way the draw in capital one cup is going so far we could be heading towards another final and season defining moments just like when we lost to birmingham we were competitive in league and europe and lost it all after the defeat in final of carling cup. Top four is the aim and i think come the endo of the season we will see that we are in he mix again