Arsenal boss faces exit after Wembley flop
IT SEEMS ironic that Arsene Wenger wanted more time at Wembley with his team losing 3-0 to Manchester City.
An ever-increasing number of fans think the Frenchman has been given far too much time already.
Wenger’s plea in the Carabao Cup Final for more than three extra minutes, when the 90 were up, was the act of a desperate manager who has lost his way.
His team simply didn’t perform for him. Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes.
That phrase now sadly applies to Wenger after more than 21 years in the ® job. Once seen as a visionary, the 68-yearold is no longer at the cutting edge of a game which has moved on in those two decades.
City’s Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, of Liverpool, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea chief Antonio Conte all have age on their side.
Although a highly intelligent man, Wenger has not been able to truly compete with those young guns and his days of unearthing unpolished gems in the transfer market have long gone.
His team are still capable of highs, as in the 2-1 defeat of Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final, but there have been far too many lows of late.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry said: “The feeling with the fans is that you cannot brag about the win because next week we might be in trouble.”
Furious
Supporters seemed resigned to Wenger seeing out at least another season, with the furious and often violent protests of last season not having been repeated this term – until now.
But the ‘Wenger Out’ brigade found their voice again after the sorry display at Wembley, which came three days after a home defeat by Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the Europa League. Even Wenger himself, usually so stubborn about seeing out his contract, seems to know the writing could be on the wall.
At Wembley he was asked if he expected to be at the Emirates next season. He said: “Who knows?”
The next three games are probably the most crucial of his career – City at home in the league on Thursday, a trip to Brighton on Sunday, then the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie against AC Milan four days after that.
Three defeats and surely the Arsenal board will finally say enough is enough and bow to demands from fans for the axe to fall. ACROSS: DOWN: