Last weekend Arsene Wenger celebrated Wembley glory as his Arsenal side lifted the FA Cup at the expense of English Premier League winners Chelsea. The 2-1 victory made Wenger the most successful manager in the history of the competition, but for many, the celebrations were soured by the confirmation that he has agreed to a new two-year deal to remain as manager.
Even the biggest of the pro-Wenger brigade will struggle to show much positive emotion over this decision, while the collective feeling will be that of another opportunity missed.
Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996 and has been hugely successful. In fact, he revolutionised the entire British game at a time that coincided with huge television investment. However, his real moments of success are now consigned to history, and only the recent devaluation of the FA Cup to clubs that have ambitions to challenge at the top of the domestic and European game has paved the way for Arsenal to win it three times in the last four seasons.
The transfer policy that infuriates Arsenal fans
It has appeased the minority, but it is the way that Wenger has failed to keep up with the clubs investing heavily in challenging for the real honours that has enraged fans.
Finishing outside of the top four for the first time means that Arsenal will not compete in the UEFA Champions League next season. Wenger has dismissed the severity of this underachievement in recent weeks, despite emphasising it so heavily in previous years. The decision to extend his time at the club will not be popular, but it will not come as a surprise either, and the unrest is set to continue for another two years as Arsenal inevitably fail to challenge at the very top.
Wenger has been rightly praised for his prudent delivery of the new stadium a decade ago, but now that he has the opportunity to return to the transfer market, he finds the demands of players and agents particularly offensive. Arsenal have the financial power to go out and bring in some of the best players in the world.
Based in desirable London, they have an immediate advantage over rival clubs across Europe, but Wenger prides himself on gaining value for money and developing a player rather than bringing in the finished article for an inflated price.
His principles should be supported, but the fact that his team has fallen behind means that he must change, or be changed. The reality this week is neither. The same Arsene Wenger will stay. He will sign a couple of players in the summer, but his main business will be trying to keep headline players like Alexis Sanchez rather than improve on his current lot.
His signings will be fringe players at first, picked for their potential, and Arsenal will suffer another season of inconsistent mediocrity as a result. They might retain the FA Cup, but their Champions League ambitions will only fall further away.
A shift in power in North London
By comparison, things are looking a lot better across North London. After challenging for the English Premier League title in each of the last two seasons, Tottenham Hotspur are now temporarily leaving White Hart Lane for Wembley for a year, and will return to a new home that should enable them to move to another level.
In Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have a talented and ambitious young manager who has already shown the mentality to ensure that the progress made since his appointment continues. This is just the start of a new and exciting era for Spurs.
And that is what makes the situation at Arsenal all the more infuriating for the fans that have been forced to watch their rivals leave them behind while their manager does nothing to address the switch in power. Instead, he has been rewarded with a new contract to continue the stale work that has allowed the positive approach taken by Spurs and other clubs to succeed. Desperate times require drastic action, but Wenger has opted to remain at a level previously considered acceptable, while others around him raise the bar.
Arsenal were required to take drastic action this summer and bring in a new manager. Wenger's tenure should be considered a success, but the club cannot progress with his mindset, and after two decades in the job his approach is not set to change anytime soon. Sir Alex Ferguson kept Manchester United successful by taking action when necessary, ensuring his side stayed ahead of the competition, and while his longevity is something Arsenal have copied in Wenger, it will not bring the same return.
What lies ahead?
The 67-year-old is not staying for the good of Arsenal, and the club has been let down by the custodians that make the boardroom decisions. Not only do they support Wenger, but also fail to challenge him, and he is left to his own footballing devices as the board concentrate on balance sheets over team sheets.
Arsenal have the history and the potential to once again be a giant in the English game, but will now have to wait for at least another two years for any such revival to begin.
When Wenger finally does leave, there will be huge interest in succeeding him, and his legacy will not have the same detrimental effect as Ferguson's had on his successors. There will be money to spend, and modern managers briefed in the workings of the modern game will enjoy investing heavily in what could be an exciting project. There is no footballing logic in rewarding Wenger for his failures of recent years.
As Arsenal continue to lose ground on rivals Spurs and the rest of the leading pack, the decision to keep Wenger will become all the more ludicrous, especially when the rewards of the modern game are so great.
