Wenger in Wembley spotlight
london — Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal’s FA Cup fate won’t define his future, but the beleaguered Gunners boss desperately needs a victory over Manchester City in Sunday’s semi-final to keep his growing army of critics at bay.
Wenger has been under siege like never before in his 21-year reign as furious Arsenal fans call for his resignation following a lacklustre campaign.
The Gunners’ failure to challenge for the Premier League title was compounded by their slide out of the top four, leaving Wenger’s record of qualifying for the Champions League for the last 19 years in grave danger.
Factor in a Champions League last 16 humiliation against Bayern Munich and it is easy to see why even the most staunch Arsenal loyalists are starting to believe it is time for Wenger to go.
With Wenger yet to reveal whether he will sign an extension to his contract, which expires at the end of the season, many Arsenal supporters are trying to shove the 67-year-old to the exit door.
Even becoming the first manager to lift the FA Cup seven times, surpassing George Ramsey’s haul of six with Aston Villa between 1887 and 1920, wouldn’t stop Wenger’s critics questioning the alarming drop in standards he has presided over in recent years.
But those close to Wenger believe he is still leaning towards staying and, if that proves the case, the Frenchman could do with delivering some silverware to salve the wounds of the last eight months.
“My future is Sunday. The FA Cup is a very important game for me because it’s the next game and because it’s an opportunity to win a trophy this season,” Wenger said.
“What I expect when you go into a semi-final is to go to the final. “We are maybe not at the maximum of our confidence because we had recently some disappointing results.
“But that is a good opportunity to show we are ready for a fight and how much we want to go to the final. —