Arsene Wenger has a bigger ego than Sir Alex Ferguson did and it is harming Arsenal

It is safe to say that there aren’t many Arsenal fans that want Arsene Wenger to continue beyond this season. With each passing day, that number is just getting bigger and bigger. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t seem like the Frenchman is going to call it quits after all.

Power is a dangerous thing to have, because at some point, it corrupts the thinking of the person that is bestowed it. When that happens, the decisions one makes benefits the said individual more than the entity of which she/he is responsible of.

The beginnings

Arsene Wenger joined Arsenal in 1996 and brought about a revolution. The Gunners were in somewhat of a perennial state of mediocrity back then and Wenger raised them from those lows to some glorious highs.

But now, it seems as though Arsenal are back to where they were when Wenger took over the reins. And the man to blame for this quagmire is none other than the man who raised them to become one of the superpowers of world football.

When Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United in 1986, the Red Devils were perhaps worse off than the Gunners were in 1996. After a very average beginning, the Scottish manager took Manchester United to new heights.

For ‘Fergie’, however, the growth curve just kept rising and was only halted when he decided to hang up his boots.

So where did it go wrong for Arsene Wenger and right for Sir Alex Ferguson?

Wenger’s last Premier League title was the 2003-04 season

After overseeing so many changes in an institution for a span lasting a number of years, it is only natural that the influence of the manager reaches a saturation point. The board members might be the ones that make the internal decisions, but when it comes Wenger—and Sir Alex—the power has a longer reach.

Both iconic managers have another thing in common: a giant ego. However, in Ferguson’s case, he never placed himself before the club—the club always came first. Yes, there might have been instances when he sold players due to personal conflicts, but he always maintained the balance of the team.

It is for this reason that the Old Trafford outfit remained strong as ever, except in Ferguson’s final years, despite a lot of their crucial players departing from the club. The Scotsman always made sure that his team reigned, and that is why he never hesitated to spend money when it was required.

Be it a short-term solution to push United the extra mile in their title quest, by signing Robin van Persie, or a long-term vision by acquiring a teenage player by the name of Wayne Rooney for a mammoth fee, Sir Alex Ferguson always made sure that his team was in an adequate position to challenge for titles.

He had his methods, but he also knew the demand of time. He might often be labelled as an egotistic person, but he was humble enough to admit defeat to time and bend according to its needs.

The same can’t be said about Arsene Wenger, unfortunately. The Frenchman had the best squad in England, at one point, but when it began to break, he opted to build from scratch again rather than addressing the issue immediately.

Players like Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry – the essential cogs of the ‘Invincibles’ team – were never really replaced with world class players. Instead, Le Professeur looked to the youngsters and tried to groom them into becoming the Vieiras and the Henrys.

And the result? Denilson, Abou Diaby and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas are just some names that failed to live up to the expectations that Wenger had of them.

And yet, he persisted with the youngsters, refusing to spend big and improve the team instantly. Over the years, this rigidity – or massive ego – has cost Arsenal so much that it is quite inscrutable as to how their fans are still not completely indifferent about life.

Arsenal’s top players may leave the club if they don’t have any success

The Frenchman has time and again claimed that he is willing to spend big on world-class players, but so many great players have moved clubs over the years. Yet, Wenger’s team has only three players who can be deemed: Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla.

The problem is not Arsene Wenger, the problem is his ego. He could still go on to win a lot of titles with Arsenal football club, should he change his methods to go with the flow of time. But as the saying goes, a clay pot can’t be modified once it is forged, it has to be broken first.

Time has changed, Wenger hasn’t. This is one of the most common phrases that we hear among football fans. Even now, Wenger is adamant that his philosophy could work, and that he won’t have to bend to the demand of time.

Sometimes, however, you have to bow down in order to win, Wenger must kneel to time or else he will keep failing.