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Arsene Wenger and Arsenal look set for a very public and unpleasant parting of ways in the near future. The Frenchman has hit a new low in his two-decade-long tenure at the helm of the North London club.
Arsenal have gone through a rough patch since the shock exit - at the hands of the Championship side Nottingham Forest (currently placed 15th) - in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Hopes for a top-four spot have all but evaporated as the sides placed in the relegation zone have a better mathematical chance of catching the Gunners than the Gunners have of catching Manchester City.
Calls for the manager's resignation has become the norm in the past half decade or so with Arsenal failing to win the Premier League title since they last did it with the invincible side in '03/04. Three FA cups in the last four seasons has done little to quell the anger that accompanies the management at the Emirates.
Things have rarely been as grim as they've been recently - despite Arsenal finally managing to bring to an end their 4-match losing spree with a win at the San Siro against AC Milan in the Europa League.
A run which saw them get humiliated at the hands of City in the League Cup final, lose 6 of the 8 league matches (including defeats to Bournemouth, Swansea, Tottenham and Brighton) and most of all, lose the confidence of the fans who've decided to show their anger by not turning up for the home games.
It seems, therefore, that the Frenchman's time as the longest-serving manager in the league's history might soon come to an end.
Here are 5 things the board at Arsenal Football Club needs to do to cleanse the toxic atmosphere at the Emirates.
#5 Arsenal should focus on the Europa League for Champions League qualification
Wenger managed to turn around the club's abysmal season last year by successive victories against Manchester City (in the semis) and Chelsea (in the final) in the FA Cup. Arsenal missed out on a top-four finish for the first time in his managerial career with the London side. This made the chorus for his ouster grow louder still and for all the world it looked as if the fans might finally get their wish.
But by securing silverware in their last game of the season, the Frenchman was successful in prolonging his stay at the Emirates - something that didn't go down well with the fans. The distraction of a trophy was enough though, to get the veteran manager's signature on the dotted line.
Little has changed in the fortunes of the club as the same fate seems destined for the fans considering Arsenal are, simply put, out of contention for Champions League qualification.
This leaves the club with only one option - prioritise the Europa League. A win in the competition will guarantee a return to Europe's most elite competition (like for United the season before). The mid-week, evening kick-offs will bring back the sense of pride that fans of Arsenal Football Club generally associate with, and has eroded immensely recently.
A renaissance of sorts is in the offing again for the FA Cup holders, albeit, with the wretched Europa League. It is the narrow gap that the management needs to manoeuvre through to find some much-needed breathing space - as pressure only builds.
#4 Wenger should be allowed to see-out the remainder of his contract
Not what you expected? Let me explain...
The loss to Brighton and Hove in the Premier League was probably the lowest point in the manager's long career. The particular match itself probably wasn't as responsible as the accumulation of bad results since the turn of the year.
Fans and former players associated with the club, including those who have played under the Frenchman at Arsenal, failed to make a case for the manager continuing on at the helm of affairs following the defeat. Legends like Ian Wright, Emmanuel Petit and Thierry Henry all agreed that the days of Arsene Wenger at the club were numbered.
Following their third FA Cup victory last season, Wenger was handed a two-year extension by the club which would see him serve till 2019. But the fans' patience seems to have been tested to the limit.
The successive defeats to City (second one at home) created a toxic atmosphere at the club with the season-ticket holders not showing up at all. Their last engagement at the Emirates seemed to indicate that the empty chairs for the home game wasn't a one-off incident.
Having followed Arsenal Football Club, week-in-week-out, for the two decades that the 7-time FA Cup winner (more than any other manager in the competition's 146 year history) has called the shots, and the effect he's had on the game (all positive), should guarantee him the respect of even those who have later gone on to achieve greater things.
The Premier League would've never seen the likes of Jose Mourinho, or Pep Guardiola or Rafa Benitez had the Frenchman's time at the North London club not been the raging success it turned out to be. Nor would have the world known about the immense qualities of some of the finest players to have graced the game under his mentorship.
So the least the poor guy deserves is a respectful goodbye. From the club, he's put on the world map. For the stunning football, his teams have played every season. Every single season. Never mind the inconsistency, the philosophy is what counts in the battle for footballing superiority.
And whether you're a United fan, or a Chelsea fan, or a Liverpool fan (especially in India), Wenger's side has always managed to put a smile on your face because you are a football fan too.
It's been an honour to watch the style of football this man has been able to get his teams to play, and least we can do - is give him an honourable exit.
#3 The club needs to officially put out word that next season will be his last
The problem that the club is facing, finds roots in the indecision of the board and the management. It often seems that Arsenal is Arsene Wenger. And Arsene, of course then, is Arsenal. So what about the grievance redressal system?
Where do the fans go to complain? Is anyone even listening?
The line that divides the stakeholders and the management needs to be well-defined like in the case of the other top six clubs. And it ought to be in their case, considering that sackings have become the new normal in the operations of these clubs.
But the uncertainty of how long the Frenchman will keep getting extensions and halt the process of evolving is eating away at the vitals of the football club and it's support from the fans - is dwindling.
Say what you may about the Frenchman, but he has been consistent in keeping the Gunners right up there in English football.
Now though, it's become as clear as daylight, that 'The Professor" has failed to keep up with changes in the footballing curriculum and has stuck to his old-school ways. So having taken care of finding the best way out of this mess for all parties, the business of rebuilding can finally move forward.
The announcement of him moving on will ease the minds of the fans who cannot any longer be satisfied by just staying afloat.
#2 Decide on who his successor will be and make the announcement as soon as possible
The rumour mill is working over-time with regard to the possible replacements for Wenger at North London. The hot-favourite among them is Massimiliano Allegri.
Reportedly, Ivan Gazidiz has taken note of the Italian's conquest in the Champions League over local rivals Tottenham and is keen on seeing him take over from the Frenchman when his eventual departure does arrive.
Whoever the next manager maybe, the board needs to deliberate carefully and pick the right man for the job. The consideration to input from fans, in regard to such consequential decisions, is not something we often see in the world of football these days.
What the concern here is, is not addressing the uncertainties (in the minds of fans and those associated with the club) associated with the future of the club.
The questions (like when will Wenger go or who will replace him?) need to be put to rest and the management needs to accept the decisions when they are finally made. this will help everyone move ahead in matched stride. This is extremely important for the club at the moment - to find some time to heal.
#1 Restore the Arsenal pride and also that of Arsene Wenger
The pride of Arsenal Football Club is hurting - badly. And measures need to be taken to restore the club to the echelons of world football because that's where it deserves to be.
We cannot discount the effort of the Frenchman in making Arsenal the global brand it currently is today. The quality of football that Arsenal fans demand was institutionalised by Wenger at the club.
He is the main reason why Arsenal went from "Boring boring Arsenal" to the free-flowing footballing club it has now become. Despite his flawed transfer policies, the manager has been able to attract top talent in world football - with the likes of Mesut Oil, Alexis Sanchez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all moving to north London at different times in their respective careers.
Therefore, the board and management needs to rectify the situation that the club as-a-whole now finds itself in. The manager needs to be given due credit for what he has achieved at the club and the toxicity surrounding the head coach needs to be decontaminated by refocusing all the attention on the team and what they do on the pitch.
Arsenal needs to let it's football do all the talking. And the only way that can happen is if the unpredictability of the club is addressed by drawing out a timeline for the recovery process that club now has to undergo.
Announcing that Wenger will step down next season and putting a face to his successor will go a long way in jump-starting that particular process.
