These are tough times for Arsenal no doubt. The recent drubbing by Bayern Munich as well as Premier League defeats to Watford, Chelsea and Liverpool have put a real dampener on the club’s season. But is the outlook as bad as it seems? And does it warrant the mass hysteria that is following Arsenal around right now?
Arsenal fans should remember, it was not just their team and fans gunning for the title back in August, but the vast majority of the top 6 as well. Chelsea have set a relentless pace that everyone has found it difficult to compete with. Arsenal don’t disgrace themselves by falling into a battle for second with City, Spurs, Liverpool and United, instead it is Chelsea who should be congratulated for how consistent they have been this term (should they finish the job off that is).
In fact, Arsenal can still win the FA Cup this season; if they did they would leapfrog United into being the competitions most successful side with 13 wins. A trophy and bragging rights is not to be sniffed at, but it was the Premier League title, or at least a serious challenge, that Arsenal fans craved this season.
It is normally around this time until the end of the season that Arsenal find their best form to snatch some respectability out of an otherwise mediocre (by their high-standards) campaign. This leaves the fans thinking what might have been had they bucked their ideas up a bit earlier.
You do get the feeling that Arsenal are on the edge of a fundamental change in how the club is run, the fans are at the end of their tether now. However, Wenger will only leave Arsenal when he feels the club is ready, you only have to look at United’s recent troubles to see just how chaotic it can be when a footballing dynasty comes to an end.
The most sensible decision would be for Wenger to leave at the end of next season, allowing Arsenal time to find a successor and potentially acquire a high-class international manager who is stepping down after the 2018 world cup. World cup winning coach Joachim Low would be a leading candidate. We have seen how well this approach has worked for Chelsea this campaign.
A further benefit to taking this approach is that it would allow Arsene Wenger one final opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and go out with a bang. Going into the next campaign knowing it will be his last could finally convince the Frenchman to splash the cash, at the same time as convincing Sanchez and Ozil that the club really means business this time.