The only time anybody should ever feel sorry for a millionaire is when remembering the old adage that “money isn’t everything”. Money, as they say, can’t buy happiness. That may be true but it can certainly make sadness a lot more bearable.
Arsene Wenger isn’t short of a few bob. He could retire and live a very comfortable life. In fact, there are many Arsenal supporters who fervently wish that he had retired four or five years ago to make way for a younger manager with more progressive ideas.
They think, possibly rightly, that Arsenal would now be much better off in the league, in Europe and in their ability to attract the top players.
So if fans, expert pundits and the rest of the world can only see advantages in Wenger leaving, why is he still there?
That is actually not too difficult a question to answer even though it must be annoying for the supporters.
He has nothing better to do or anywhere else he would rather be! Is that selfish? Yes, very. Is that putting his own feelings and emotions over those of the club? Yes, it is.
The problem with Wenger is that he is still deluded enough to think that he can compete with Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, two managers whose teams have run rings around Arsenal in the recent past and will continue to do so as long as he is in charge.
The reason for this delusion is that he doesn’t know what else to do! If he were to leave Arsenal, where would he go? He has no outside interests, his life is totally governed by what happens at The Emirates.
In that respect he is another Bill Shankly. If he were to retire would he also spend his life at the training ground, watching on while his former players were put through their paces by another manager?
Would he be happy to take a job at director level with Arsenal? Possibly, if he could stay involved as, possibly, director of football. That would keep him involved with the running of the club in that he could be instrumental in identifying new players and helping to get them to the club.
Whatever he chooses to do the Arsenal board will obviously smooth the path for him. Over the past few years they have overseen early exits from Europe, lower Premier League finishing positions, culminating in them finishing outside of the top four for the first time in twenty years or so and, this season, having to rely on winning the Europa League to get back into the Champion’s League because, even at this early stage, they are not going to make it into the top four.
They currently sit in sixth position, thirteen points behind Tottenham in fourth and five points behind Chelsea in fifth. This, of course, adds insult to injury by making them the THIRD best team in London!
Yet the board have stood by their manager! At ANY of the five clubs above him in the Premier League he would have been sacked years ago, they don’t have any room for sentiment and it is this which is costing Arsenal very dearly.
Arsene Wenger will stay at Arsenal until somebody comes up with a plan B for him. If the board do not have the heart/guts to sack him, it is they who need to come up with that plan.