FINAL BLOW
It’s blame game as Wenger falls short of fourth
ARSENE WENGER claimed uncertainty about his future cost Arsenal a place in the Champions League and made the club a “horrendous environment” for much of the season.
But fans at the Emirates for the 3-1 win over Everton had clearly decided Stan Kroenke was to blame, with banners and chants for the majority shareholder to get out of the club.
Their mood was not improved when Laurent Koscielny was sent off for a tackle that earned him a straight red card and ruled him out of Saturday’s
FA Cup final with Chelsea.
Such has been the vitriol in recent weeks that Wenger chose not to join the final lap of appreciation with the players for fear of spoiling it.
Then afterwards he said: “Overall I believe that we played since January in a very difficult environment for different reasons. Some that you know about. Other reasons we will talk about another day.
“The psychological environment for the group of the players was absolutely horrendous.
“Certainly my personal situation has contributed to that. You cannot say that the environment for the group of players was especially positive.
“I don’t know why it has not been sorted. It doesn’t help. And yes, of course, I accept some responsibility for that.
“But I cannot give you the answer today. It’s not the moment. I am free to decide when it is the moment or not.”
Following the leaking of news on the eve of the game that Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s £1bn bid for the club had been turned down, the anger from fans expected for Wenger was all turned instead on Kroenke.
Fans sang, “Stan Kroenke, get out of our club”, and banners ranged from the philosophical – “Kroenke get out of our club. This is The Arsenal, this isn’t a franchise” – to the more personal: “Stan you’re not wanted. Get out of our club you leech”.
Amid all this, Everton boss Ronald Koeman had left Ross Barkley on the bench but insisted uncertainty over his future was not behind the decision.
“I don’t know whether Ross will stay,” he said. “I will speak to the board tomorrow and we will make a statement.
“There is speculation over him and Romelu Lukaku and we will see if there is really interest in both players. They will knock on the door and talk to the club.”