As another season draws closer to an end, questions once again surface about the future of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. For the past few seasons this has been standard procedure with Arsenal as fans and media both question whether the time has come for Wenger to leave. Eight years without a trophy has placed great pressure on the manager and even if they manage to end that barren spell by winning the FA Cup against Hull - which they should, surely it is still now finally the time for Arsenal and Wenger to part ways once and for all.
This opinion isn't simply based on what has happened in the past few years. Arsenal fans will never forget the huge success he has brought to their club - the trophies, the success, and the famous 'Invincibles' team of 03/04 which featured the likes of Thierry Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira and Robert Pires. The silverware and memories which Arsene Wenger has given to Arsenal Football Club will always be remembered, but as in life and particularly football - all good things must come to an end.
As a club, Arsenal have stalled. The past number of years have seen the club be positioned in England as a club which is not in a position to challenge for the title, but still good enough to secure Champions League football on a consistent basis. I accept they have fared better this season up to a point, leading the premier league for some time, however they now find themselves back in their more familiar position of competing to keep hold of fourth spot. This, along with the terrible performances and the drubbings handed out to them by the teams around them who have been challenging for the title, has led to many Arsenal fans finally saying enough is enough.
The case must surely be made to say that under Wenger, the club have regressed in the past few seasons. They were a team who comfortably managed to reach the top four consistently however last season they just pipped their North London rivals Tottenham by a point, and this season seem to be in serious trouble of losing out to an in-form Everton. The clubs competing around Arsenal have improved vastly and Arsenal simply have stood still - the blame must sit with the manager. This season has seen Martinez - a potential replacement for Wenger, showcase his managerial talent bringing Everton into a position to challenge, while Liverpool's unexpected rise to the top of the pile has also made it more difficult for Arsenal to finish in the top four.
The commitment of Arsene Wenger must also be questioned. His contract ends at the end of this season and although he has often stated he wishes to stay on as manager, the fact he has not yet signed a deal suggests other forces are at play. Perhaps he has began to lose the will for the job, as fans and the media constantly slate his performances and heap more and more pressure on the man - a claim which I myself could be guilty of doing right here.
The signing of Mesut Ozil in the summer for £40million was seen by many as the catalyst for change at the Emirates, a new dawn when Wenger would spend and aim to compete with the elite in the league such as Manchester City and Chelsea. However this has not happened and the shambolic behaviour in the January transfer window has added to the grumbles of Arsenal fans, who were extremely disappointed with the lack of activity, and trying to understand the benefit of taking an injured Kim Kallstrom on loan for the remainder of the season. Fans wanted the club to kick on from the Ozil signing, strengthening the team - particularly up front to take some of the pressure off Olivier Giroud, but they failed to do so. Fans seen the clubs around them identifying their weaknesses and resolving them such as Mourinho's decision to bring Nemanja Matic back to the club in order to improve the questionable centre midfield position. This lack of activity has cost Arsenal this season and Wenger must fully shoulder the blame.
The fact remains that even if the club sneak into fourth position and win the FA Cup this season, the time has come for a fresh face with fresh ideas to come in and reinvigorate the club. With new managers coming in this season at Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd, and the upheaval this brings with it, this season was seen as a genuine opportunity by Gunners fans, an opportunity which has been missed and which is primarily down to their manager Arsene Wenger.
So now is the time for change. With his contract running out and the team showing no signs of progression the only thing which would hold Arsenal back from looking towards a new manager would be sentiment, not wanting to get rid of him because of all he has done for the club. For football chairmen and boards there can be no room for sentiment, there must only be hard truths and ambition to look forward in order to restore the club back to where they belong - among the elite of English football.
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