Lee Dixon: “This team is getting no response from him. I’ve never seen him like that.”
Martin Keown: “It’s almost embarrassing. Outclassed, outplayed. I can’t ever say I’d like to see him go (but) this is his lowest point ever as Arsenal manager.”
Ian Wright: **** it !!! Not watching anymore.
These weren’t the reactions of lay individuals. They are players who have played for Arsene Wenger and have over the years supported the Frenchman at various occasions. And if he wasn’t worried before this, he should be now – the 1-5 defeat against Bayern Munich has shaken the trust of even those close to him.
The reactions of the fans are laced with much more vitriol. Wenger, the darling of the club’s supporters once, is now just an object of their scorn. How can the club ignore this?
Indeed, a day has passed, but it is still impossible to calm down. How does Wenger manage to hold on to his job in a professional sport that places a premium on winning? How can a club as big as Arsenal settle for less? And why do Wenger and Arsenal seem comfortable with this arrangement?
This is not to say that one does not recognise Wenger’s contribution in making the Gunners a financial success – they do have the largest cash reserves in the world. But it is apparent that his best days are now in the past. Still, there are many who are saying that he deserves a dignified exit, but that very idea is a fallacy.
Too often in the past have we seen the greats (managers and players alike) toil past their glory years, unable to give up the rush that accompanies every great goal and every famous win. And in doing so, they often become mere shadows of themselves – to a point, where their endeavour becomes a selfish one.
Some become role players. Some are benched (read, Wayne Rooney) and some like Wenger perhaps, hang on in the faint hope that they will rediscover the magic of their younger year, that they will turn back time.
But sometimes, you need to know when it’s time to stop taking the punches. Sometimes, you need to know that calling it quits doesn’t mean you are weak. Sometimes, it is bravest thing you can do.
Wenger has already been offered a new contract and it remains on the table. For now.
But should it be his decision to make or should the club management nudge him in the right direction? Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996 but his current deal with the Premier League club expires at the end of the season.
He has not won the league since 2004 though has consistently qualified for the Champions League. He has also seen his team being consistently being knocked out of the Champions League.
It is virtually impossible to believe that someone as smart as Wenger can’t see the rut that has set in. The defeat against Bayern was only the icing on a cake that had gone rancid a long time back.
Three Premier League titles, six FA Cups and a permanent place in the top four in 21 years are all examples of how good he was. But one also needs to remember that he has only three FA Cups to show for the past 12 years. In this day and age, virtually no other manager would have survived at a major club with this sort of record. So in a sense, Wenger is blessed, but some would argue that he earned the club’s loyalty.
Wenger had once spoken about retirement in an interview in Game Changers: Inside English Football and it makes for an interesting read at this point:
“Football has been my life, and honestly, I’m quite scared of the day (I will retire). Because the longer I wait, the more difficult it will be to lose the addiction.”
“After Sir Alex Ferguson retired and we played Manchester United over there he sent a message to me to come up and have a drink with him.
“I asked: ‘Did you miss it?’ and he said: ‘Not at all.’ I didn’t understand that. It’s an emptiness in your life, especially when you’ve lived your whole life waiting for the next game and trying to win it.”
But clearly, Wenger should know by now that his waiting days are done. He owes at least this much to Arsenal.
Wenger needs to also realise that he is sitting on a timebomb and the longer he sticks around, the greater the chance of him tarnishing his legacy forever. He’s done his share of winning. As difficult as it maybe, perhaps it is indeed time to lose the addiction.