THE ARSENAL DEBACLE

KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT

Wenger and Arsenal players


It seems the embattled Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger, has forgotten one saying.  This is that it is best to quit when the ovation is loudest.  The long-serving Gunners' boss has been so long in the saddle, even without winning the league, that he appears to be in a state of shock now that the fans are demanding his departure.

Wenger, 67, last won the Premier League in 2004.  The Arsenal Board kept him in the job mainly because he manages to remain in the top four every season.  The top four is the minimum requirement to play in the Champions League.

Wenger

Now, however, things seem to be changing or have changed.  They are currently languishing in the 6th position in the league, so there is no certainty that the side would end up being in the top four at the end of this season.  On top of this, his players lack passion, urgency and desire.

Surprisingly, the amiable French man refuses to see any reason why he should leave now.  He wants at least two more years.  He has been manager for 21 years.  The Board continue to say that the decision about Wenger's future is up to him.  It is strange that an employee has been given the privilege to dictate to his employers for how long he wants to stay in a job.



There is no doubt that Wenger did a lot for Arsenal in the past and he is rightly being regarded as the greatest manager the club has ever had.

Most observers, this blogger included, nonetheless, think that Wenger's best years are behind him.  If he refuses to leave now, the chances are that he will end up tarnishing his own legacy.