Three reasons why this must be Arsene Wenger’s final season at Arsenal

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No more excuses

If it seems like we have been here before with an Arsene Wenger under pressure. That is because we have. Three years ago it felt very much like an end of an era, only for him to win an FA Cup and declare his desire to stay on and sign the contract put in front of him. It very much felt like he had taken the club as far as he possibly could. It feels very much like it did back then. The Emirates is a hostile place to be and following a below-par showing at the weekend the pressure is already mounting.

Wenger has always been more than capable in fighting his own corner. Has the French coach run-out of things to say without  going over the old dialogue? It will take some impressive persuasion for the fans to become united behind Wenger, who has now entered his 20th year at Arsenal – an impressive achievement but you could argue a milestone he is more than fortunate to have reached. Fans are disillusioned with the club, with what seems like a lack of ambition and a real lack of passion.

The whole point of the move from Highbury to the Emirates was so they could be “more competitive”, instead, it has been the chain around their neck. After all, what is the point of having a beautiful stadium if you do not have a squad worthy of playing within, or capable of decorating it with appropriate silverware? For many seasons it was a case of having to simply be stringent with club finances. By no means was it easy to continue qualifying for the Champions League every season, and yet, that was a must. However, there is a time when the level of ambition has to change and it does not feel like it has.

The writing was on the wall three years ago. A sensible club with ambition would have been planning for the handover from Wenger to someone who was capable of winning league titles. Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp or Diego Simeone. That ship has sailed, only Simeone is available and he may take some convincing to leave the legacy he is carving out for himself at La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

The Gunners used to have a glowing reputation in world football, with many high-profile players saying they would love to play for a club that plays football the way it was intended. Times have changed. Arsenal are now finding it hard to attract, or at least conclude deals. Jamie Vardy turned down a big move to Arsenal in favour of “loyalty” although it is believed that one reason was that he was worried about the style of play and being played out of position – very likely given Wenger’s history of misusing players in recent years. Following the close of this summer’s transfer window, it would not be surprising to hear many other players claim the same.

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