Arsenal round-up: Wenger on Bayern embarrassment; Frenchman at lowest point; update on managerial future

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Arsenal had wanted to take a respectable score back from the Allianz Arena and would have been pleased to go in at half-time with the score at 1-1. However, there seemed to be an air of inevitability after half-time and the Gunners quickly collapsed. The match ended 5-1 to Bayern Munich and it seems hugely unlikely that Arsene Wenger’s men will be able to turn it around in the second leg. It represents another embarrassing Champions League experience for Arsenal and Wenger looked a broken man when the final whistle went.

“The real problems were after the third goal,”

“We lost our organisation and we looked mentally jaded and vulnerable from that moment onwards. The last 25 minutes was a nightmare for us.”

The departure of Laurent Koscielny marked the beginning of the collapse for the English side. They struggled to re-organise themselves and the quality of Bayern Munich quickly shone through. It will be a disappointment for Arsenal fans, as they did okay in the first half, but they couldn’t maintain that level of performance after the break. The result has raised questions about the long-term future of Arsene Wenger and it could be the right time for him to leave his post at the end of the season.

Martin Keown was one of the pundits for BT Sport and he didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Arsenal team on Wednesday night. It was difficult to be positive about Arsenal given the embarrassing result and the car-crash performance, but it is interesting that ex-players are now beginning to criticise Arsene Wenger. This hasn’t really been the case in recent years, but the situation is reaching boiling point and Keown believes that Wenger has now hit his lowest point as Arsenal manager.

“This is his lowest point. He looked particularly wounded. I feel for him; he almost needs to be protected from himself. This is 20 years of work here. He’s been magnificent for the club. This brings forward the change that looks likely at the end of the season. I think it will be him that makes the decision. The realisation that the decision needs to be made is more apparent tonight.”

It is difficult to disagree with his comments. A change needs to be made, or Arsenal could risk stagnating, which would be a disaster considering the continued progression being made across the Premier League. He has laid good foundations at the Emirates Stadium, but he is no longer the right man to continue that work and that is clear to almost everybody.

BBC Sport have released an update on Wenger’s situation this morning and they state that a decision won’t be made until the end of the season, but a new contract remains on the table. This isn’t a surprise as the club are unlikely to hang Wenger out to dry. They have too much respect for what the Frenchman has done for the club. However, Wenger is an intelligent man and he will know that he is reaching the end at Arsenal.

The club will sit down at the end of the season and discuss the future with Arsene Wenger, but it is difficult to see him remaining at the club considering the increasing pressure in the media. It was once a minority of Arsenal supporters that wanted him to leave, but the numbers are growing on a weekly basis. If he doesn’t leave at the end of the season, things could get poisonous next season and that will only have a negative effect on the team. It is the right time for him to leave.

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