Arsene Wenger has been Arsenal’s longest-serving manager after being at the helm for the last 20 years. The Frenchman has overseen the best period of success Arsenal have enjoyed in their history.
But in the last 10 years, he has been unable to win the amount of silverware a club of Arsenal’s stature demands. The club have failed to win a Premier League title for the last 11 years. This season was the Gunners’ best chance to end that drought but they have let it slip when it mattered.
It’s been the same old story for Arsene Wenger over the last few seasons, being at the top of the table in January but disappointingly finishing in 4th.
Here are 5 reasons why Arsene Wenger should be sacked
5) Reluctance to change tactics
Wenger has created a wonderful brand of football that is very pleasing to the eye. It is definitely an attacking an entertaining style of play that has won over several fans. But something we come to see is how Arsenal’s strategy doesn’t change too much against different opposition.
The Frenchman has known to be adamant in sticking to his guns and that has cost him on many an occasion. Teams have understood the way Arsenal play and set up against their possession tactics.
Jose Mourinho has been a constant thorn in Arsenal’s side.The Portuguese has always known how to play against the Gunners and has never lost a single game against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger’s tactics are very predictable and big teams like Chelsea and Manchester United get the better of the Gunners more often than not. Teams that have an organized defensive unit have been able to find regular success against the style of play and the manager refuses to change his philosophy when it’s needed.
4) Lack of investment
In the modern game money talks. Leicester City have defied that concept this season but 9 out of 10 times its the big spenders that seem to achieve success. Manchester City and Chelsea have been prime examples of that concept.
Arsene Wenger does not have to spend the amount of money that his rivals do but that doesn’t imply completely ignoring the obvious areas of improvement in a squad. Their defense has been a problem Wenger has failed to fix for several seasons now.
Despite achieving a little more stability in the last two years Gabriel and Mertesacker have often been found wanting with Laurent Koscielny being the most consistent performer at the back.
Another area of improvement has been the striking department. Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are decent players but not the top quality striker that Arsenal have been screaming out for all season.
With players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in the team they lack a genuine goalscorer who can compliment the quality that their two-star players provide. Wenger had two opportunities to fix the issue, in the summer and this January but chose not to for reasons only known to him.
3) Failure to fix persistent problems
You could write a book and three sequels on Arsenal’s injury problems over the past few seasons. The Gunners’ seem to have bad luck with injuries but after facing the same problem every year there doesn’t seem to be an attempt to fix it.
Arsenal have found themselves in a good position in the league and then have gone on to lose a key member of the squad.to injury. Wenger is known for stick to a winning formula and doesn’t make too many changes to his squad.
This can also be a contributing factor to the several injuries that Arsenal players have suffered. There should have been some kind of inquest into the recurrence of the issue but so far there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of things changing.
Wenger did hire one of Germany’s physical trainers from the World Cup in 2014 but that hasn‘t improved the situation. The manager should not be taking 5 to 6 seasons to fix such a fundamental problem and his failure to analyze and identify a solution shows his lack of urgency in the matter
2) An inability to inspire and lead
Liverpool would never have pulled off their stunning 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund under a manager like Brendan Rogers and that is a fact. Ever since Jurgen Klopp has arrived at the club there has been a belief and defiance that runs throughout the Liverpool team we haven’t seen before.
That leadership and inspiration is exactly what Arsenal have been lacking. Arsene Wenger doesn’t seem to be able to generate that belief in his players like Klopp has with Liverpool.
When Arsenal went unbeaten in 2003/04, that team consisted of a set of players who knew what it took to win a league. Every single one of them could have been named the captain of the side and they never needed a reminder of their ambitions.
The current crop of players seem to lack direction and belief when the going gets tough and it is the manager’s job in those scenarios to motivate his players. Wenger doesn’t seem like the inspiring type and even if he is it looks like he has lost the ability to lead
In matches against Manchester United and Swansea this campaign,which were important ones for the Gunners, the players seemed devoid of desire and hunger to win and that is down to a lack of leadership in the squad.
1) A need for a fresh approach
Arsene Wenger stated a few years back that finishing fourth is like a trophy. But the reality is finishing 4th only earns you an extension to your contract. It’s this kind of mentality that has brought Arsenal to where they are right now.
There is no doubting his achievements at Arsenal but he seems to have lost his mojo. The fans have become restless at the lack of silverware. For all the style the Gunners have there is no substance at the end of it.
The owners seem to be content as long as Wenger gets the club into the Champions League every year but that should not be the objective for a club with Arsenal’s history. What’s worse is the rise of their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur this season.
The only way we will see a change in Arsenal’s fortunes is if a manager is brought in who represents the ambitions of the fans. At the moment, there is considerable doubt over Arsene Wenger’s ambitions and if he has the knowledge and temperament to do what’s required to win the league
