Arsene Wenger’s future at Arsenal is still unknown. Despite the Frenchman’s hints of signing a new deal behind closed doors, it has yet to be confirmed with only a number of months left to run on his existing one. Some Arsenal fans are hoping he doesn’t put pen to paper and end his 18 year tenure at the club at the end of the season, while others still believe, despite nearly nine years without winning a trophy, that Arsene is still the right man for the job. Me? I’m just sitting on the fence at the moment to see what becomes of our season.
Despite a strong title challenge, it is all but over – if the 6-0 hammering to Chelsea didn’t confirm this already then the 2-2 draw to Swansea on Tuesday night certainly has. From potential title winners a few months ago, we have rapidly found ourselves fighting for fourth position once again after yet crumbling in the closing stages of the season.
There is still hope however of us ending this well documented trophy drought this season as we are still in the FA Cup and are clear favourites to win it, with only Hull, Wigan and Sheffield United left in the competition.
Wenger must now focus on finishing in the top four and, more importantly for a majority of the fans, lifting the FA Cup.
But as the club have still yet to confirm that Wenger has agreed to extend his stay at the Emirates (if he has at all) will we see him depart if we manage to win the FA Cup and end his reign on a high? This is very much possible.
Ending the trophy drought could well be Wenger’s last mission for Arsenal as he has won everything with the club apart from the Champions League (a trophy which we have no hope of winning for the foreseeable future). Besides, I find it a little strange why he hasn’t come out and said he’s staying put with so little time left on his existing deal. Perhaps one final piece of silverware this season could be enough to see the legendary Frenchman wave au revoir to the club he loves.
Why does Arsenal crumble towards end of the season, year in year out? Simple, because the squad is very thin. By the time the same players have given the all in them they become jaded and tired in the season’s run-in.
Again the squad is lacking in leaders and a couple of world-class players which their main title rivals can boast of. Mancity has Aguero, Yaya Toure, David Silva; Chelsea has Eden Hazard, Ramirez, Chec. Even Liverpool can boast of Suarez and Gerald. If we go outside the EPL we find such great players at Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, or even PSG. This is to show that great players win matches and trophies.
Arsenal have done well to steer the club through those difficult years during which the Emirate stadium was built. It was then generally believed that the new stadium efforts hindered the club from competing adequately in the transfer market. The situation has now improved as we are told that there is money available to buy players. My fear is Wenger’s apparent reluctance to spend money on quality players. The Board may give him 200 million pounds to invest in new players, I bet you Wenger will not spend it. He might price some world-class players as if he was pricing peanuts in the market place. After some more serious minded managers have beaten him to it he would regret years after for having failed to buy Toure, Ibrahimowich or Messi. If Arsenal have to become really competitive Wenger must change his player recruitment policy. Arsenal cannot afford to continue to remain a punching bag for every tom dick and harry of so-called TV pundits, even of such that stopped playing football just a few weeks ago.