Wenger deserves respect, but not infinite time

Arsene Wenger – running out of time?

After Arsenal‘s 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening, which followed the even more embarrassing 1-0 loss to Blackburn in the FA Cup, the pressure has ramped up on Arsene Wenger.

The ‘Wenger Out’ topic is certainly a touchy one for Arsenal fans. Head to Twitter after a poor result (you won’t have to wait long) and you’ll see a raft of people bad mouthing Wenger and demanding his removal. However, you will also see a similar number of people backing his corner, blaming Arsenal’s difficulties on the board.

A recent survey by Sky Sports which asked whether or not Wenger should stay was split exactly 50:50. If you wanted to defend Wenger, you would have no shortage of stats to back you up: 16 straight years in the Champions League, 3 Premier League titles and 4 FA Cups. Wenger also oversaw the move to the Emirates and was the driving force behind the construction of a new world class training facility (paid for with the £20m profit he made on Nicolas Anelka).

However, recently, if you wanted to make a case for the prosecution, you would find yourself with a plethora of sticks to hit the Arsenal manager with. It is a temptation the media and, increasingly, the fans are giving in to.

This was Wenger’s worst ever start to a league campaign, the worst before that was last season. Before this year, he had never lost to non-league opposition, but he has now lost to Bradford and Blackburn. With the prospect of a trophy at the end of this season almost non-existent, Arsenal will be without silverware for an eighth successive season. The ‘trophy’ of 4th place which Wenger has always maintained is more important than the FA or League Cup is also in doubt with Arsenal 4 points behind an impressive Spurs side. He has also seen the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Alex Song leave in the last couple of years, without adequately replacing them.

It doesn’t make for pretty reading (unless you’re a Spurs fan, of course).

I have been perching on the ‘Wenger Out’ fence for so long that I have splinters; but I increasingly find myself leaning over to the dark (out) side. It hurts me to say that. You will never find me abusing the Frenchman, he deserves the utmost respect for his work at Arsenal, but he seems to be losing the tactical edge that used to be so evident.

When Arsenal have been struggling in games, hardly a rare occurrence, Wenger is often reluctant to change anything and when he does opt for a change, nothing much happens.

Perhaps the biggest illustration of Wenger’s fall from grace has been his dealings in the transfer market. While there was a time when Wenger was able to pluck a future world class player from relative obscurity (think Henry, Anelka, Pires, Fabregas), his recent purchases have left something to be desired.

For Henry, read Gervinho. For Anelka, read Chamakh. For Pires, Arshavin. Players who are currently farmed out on loan due to the club’s inability to move them on permanently (thanks to their inordinate wages) are: Bendtner, Chamakh, Djourou, Chu-Young, Denilson and Andre Santos.

Admittedly, Wenger has had to deal with financial restrictions, but he is responsible for the assembly of the squad which is currently failing Arsenal Football Club so spectacularly.

Jack Wilshere is one of the few Arsenal players to openly support Wenger

Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshere have both come out in defense of their manager, claiming it is not his fault. Of course, much of Arsenal’s current malaise is down to the players, who were all brought in by Wenger. However you swing it, Wenger doesn’t come off well.

With Arsenal about to benefit from a newly signed sponsorship deal with Emirates, money will now be readily available to be splashed – something the board has confirmed. What you have to ask is, would a different manager be better placed to spend that money? It’s difficult to say, but Wenger has hardly inspired confidence with his recent signings and there is nothing to suggest that is about to change.

Of course, all talk of Wenger being sacked is irrelevant. The board will not remove him as they trust his judgement wholeheartedly and are much more likely to offer him a new contract than fire him. Wenger’s current deal expires at the end of next season. He has always honoured his contracts and I doubt he will walk out on this one.

Much will depend on next season; Wenger will probably still be in charge and will have bought new players (I would question his sanity otherwise). If he turns things around, he might well stay on; if he can’t, the end of an era beckons.