Six years on from their last piece of silverware, cracks are finally start to appear in the near-15-year relationship between Arsenal Wenger and even the most loyal of Arsenal fans. More than half a decade of underachieving has this season culminated in the most catastrophic of collapses. Bowing out of three competitions in a fortnight has left the Gunners clinging onto one faint hope of silverware and given the lack of confidence, depth and morale in the squad, it would appear almost miraculous that the Premier League title will be delivered in May. For this reason, the time has surely come for Arsenal’s board to give serious consideration to replacing Mr Wenger.
The club may be within touching distance of top spot in the league, but recent history has taught us that Arsenal are bottlers. The Carling Cup defeat against Birmingham is the most recent and obvious example but the implosion at St James’ Park when they threw away a four goal lead, the 3-2 defeat against Tottenham having been 2-0 up and, albeit to a slightly lesser extent, the recent goalless home draw against Sunderland are evidence that Arsenal don’t have what it takes to win when they quite simply have to. Looking at the remaining fixtures, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United all stand out as ‘must-win’ fixtures but in reality, it’s difficult to see such a young, inexperienced squad having what it takes to go all the way, especially considering the recent track record.
At the end of the day, when things don’t go well, the buck has to stop with the manager. While money has been made available, Wenger’s stubborn stance has led to the building of a young squad with no backbone, lacking any serious strength-in-depth. The most recent glory days were based on a core of the likes of Henry, Vieira, Pires, Keown and co. While the current squad boasts quality in the likes of Van Persie and Fabregas, beyond that, the rest of squad pales in comparison to that of the early and mid-2000s.
While the problem could be fixed with money – as can anything in modern day football – the problem Arsenal now face is that Wenger is unlikely to budge on his principle of nurture over purchase. If the money has been available for the past two seasons, why should we expect Wenger to suddenly decide to spend this summer? The short answer is: we shouldn’t. If he’s intent on sticking to his flawed philosophy of building a team based on youth and promise, rather than experience and know-how, for the sake of the club and its fans, the board should look elsewhere.
If Arsenal do the unthinkable and win the title this season, I’ll happily eat my words. If, as expected, they choke and end up empty handed once again, it’s time for Mr Wenger to go.
