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What's the story?
Per Mertesacker regrets Arsene Wenger's departure and feels that his teammates were responsible for it, as they didn't respond to his plans and tactics. The German, however, added that it was the right time for Wenger to leave.
In case you didn't know...
After a 22-year long stint with Arsenal, the club's most prized possession, Arsene Wenger, decided to leave the club. Having failed to secure a place in the top 4 for two consecutive years, pressure had mounted on the French mastermind.
The heart of the matter
Although many of the club's supporters and faithful had lost faith in their gaffer, Mertesacker believes his players let him down. Speaking to ESPN, he opined:
"It was a bit surprising for us. He came into the meeting and said that he had decided together with the bosses to leave at the end of the season. It was a sad moment because I had the feeling I contributed my share to it. His farewell was also the players' fault because we had many chances to get better results. We failed while he backed us all the time."
Mertesacker elucidated:
"I was the first who felt the need to say something and said I deeply regretted it. It was important for him to see that we had something to say as a team and that we stood by his side."
The 33-year-old added that it was the right time for Wenger to leave.
"No. Not a second too early or too late. When the news of his departure was finally out, the atmosphere changed. It was said what a great man he was, who changed this club extremely. You could not have had more success with this team. He got a deserved farewell and left this club as a legend."
What's next?
After poor results against Manchester City and Chelsea, Emery has steadied the ship to an extent whilst stamping his footballing philosophy at the Emirates. The Gunners have now won three in a row and will go into the match against Everton on Sunday in a rich vein of form. Prior to that fixture, they take on Vorskla in the Europa League.
