What’s the story?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed that he will take a decision on his future at the club in March or April. The French manager’s contract runs out this summer and reports claim there is a two-year contract on the table.
However, Wednesday night’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League may see him reconsider extending his contract as fan frustration also reached a tipping point. In an interview with Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, a German television broadcaster, Wenger said before the game that his future was still not certain.
When asked if he would be on the touchline in the Champions League next season, Wenger said: “That’s the problem with age! I think the only interesting thing is that Arsenal play well tomorrow. I’m happy as manager and happy at Arsenal, and we’ll see how that [match against Bayern] goes.”
He was then asked when he would make a decision on his future, to which Wenger said it would be made before the season.
“March or April probably,” the 67-year-old said. He even said the job was “always” open to him.
In case you didn’t know...
Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal for 20 seasons now and has always seen out his contract before extending it. The last time he saw out his contract was in 2014 when he duly signed a new three-year contract after winning the FA Cup and ending a nine-year trophy drought.
Also read: Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal – 5 Talking Points
The heart of the matter
Wenger has been under fire in the past couple of months after Arsenal fell behind in the Premier League title race. The Gunners are now 10 points behind Antonio Conte’s side following two consecutive losses to Watford and Chelsea.
To make matters worse, losing 5-1 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Round of 16 in spite of topping the group leaves the north London side on the verge of yet another exit in the same stage of the competition. The last time they advanced to the quarter-finals was in 2010. They have exited the Round of 16 ever since, losing out to Barcelona (twice), Bayern (twice), AC Milan and AS Monaco.
What’s next?
While the board is ready to hand Wenger a two-year contract, recent results may force them to rethink their position. However, fans are resigned to the fact that the club’s board members are more interested in the strong financial position of the club rather than their progress on the pitch. And they feel Wenger is the best candidate for the job considering his penchant for qualifying for the Champions League despite limited resources.
Also read: Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal – Player Ratings
Sportskeeda’s take
The result in the Champions League may just be the final turning point in Wenger’s long and illustrious career. He looked completely beaten and shattered in the post-match press conference and, judging by his demeanour, he may have realised that he has taken the club as far as he can.
If he does leave at the end of the season, one can only hope he can leave with his dignity intact following his 20 years service to the club and hope the players can deliver him at least on trophy (most likely the FA Cup) before he signs off.
