WENGER: CUP WIN ENOUGH TO SECURE MY FUTURE
LONG-SERVING ARSENAL MANAGER’S SEVENTH FA CUP FINAL TRIUMPH GIVES THE UNDER-FIRE FRENCHMAN THE
Arsene Wenger insists he will head into tomorrow’s board meeting to discuss his Arsenal future perfectly equipped with all he needs to secure a new contract – namely a replay of Saturday’s 2-1 FA Cup final win over Chelsea.
It remains unclear whether the 67-year-old will continue as manager of the Gunners, despite capping a disappointing season with a record-breaking victory over the newly crowned Premier League champions.
Wenger has come in for criticism from Arsenal fans after the club failed to reach the Champions League for the first time in 19 years, with protests calling for the Frenchman to leave when his deal expires next month.
Arsenal finished fifth in the league, having crashed out of the Champions League following a 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich. But Wenger, and his Arsenal players, redeemed their campaign to secure a record 13th FA Cup success for the club.
A controversial Alexis Sanchez goal opened proceedings, with referee Anthony Taylor over-ruling an offside decision having missed a handball from the Chilean in the build-up.
Diego Costa levelled for the below-par Blues after Victor Moses had picked up a second yellow card for diving in the Arsenal box, only to see Aaron Ramsey head home the decisive goal soon after.
Wenger revealed after the game that the Arsenal board will hold a meeting tomorrow, with his future expected to be decided. And he believes the victory over Antonio Conte’s Chelsea is proof enough that he is the right man to continue as Arsenal boss.
Asked if he would be preparing a presentation ahead of the meeting, Wenger said: “The best presentation is to watch the game.
“I’ve played until the end of my contract, which is today basically. I have shown you that I have exactly the same commitment.
“For me, the contract does not have special meaning but, because of the debate, maybe I should have sorted that out earlier.”
As well as Arsenal moving ahead of Manchester United as the most successful team in the history of the FA Cup, Saturday’s win also secured Wenger’s spot as the competition’s best manager.
He overtook George Ramsay, who won six FA Cups with Aston Villa between 1887 and 1920, as he secured his seventh success.
And Wenger insists he drilled into his players that succeeding against Chelsea was more pertinent than what his own future holds.
“I just told them to focus on what is important, our future, the future of the club, whether I stay or not. The players play for their future, for their next season,” he said.
“I love my job and I love to win. I love to build, I love to get people going and I love what I do. One thing you cannot question is my commitment.”
Wenger berated those fans who had called for his exit during matches in the latter part of the season, but said he does not have to hold it against them in the long-run.
“I am a forgiving man,” he said. “You cannot be in this job (if you are not forgiving).
“This job is basically trusting human beings. If you cannot forgive, you cannot trust. The only bit of advice I have for young coaches, if you have a tendency to be paranoid don’t do this job.
“I meet many Arsenal fans who are absolutely fantastic. It was maybe one per cent. Ninety-nine per cent of our fans are absolutely fantastic. We play for the 99.9 per cent.
“That’s why I said it’s not about popularity, it’s about consequence. It’s the board who has to decide who will lead the club in the future.
“It’s for me afterwards to decide, if they want me, whether it’s yes or no.”
After a torrid run of form, Wenger opted to alter his tactics and set his side out with a three-man defence.
That change came ahead of a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough on April 17 and Arsenal would lose just one game with that formation, which Wenger stuck with for Saturday’s final despite missing a number of key personnel.