Wenger's Last Season?

Two weeks ago it seemed that Arsenal were one of the teams to challenge for the title, but after successive defeats in the Premier League, they sit just two points above Manchester United in sixth, low on confidence and most likely, out of the title race. After over 20 years in charge of the gunners, Arsene Wenger has had consistent success but since their last title win in 2004, they have failed to compete closely enough with another team and regularly end up in 3rd or 4th. So with this likely to be the 13th season in a row without a Premier League title, is this going to be his first season season outside of the top four, and will it be his last season in charge?

Off the Pace

With Arsenal not winning the title since 2004, they have only finished second in the league twice out of twelve seasons, finishing third on four occasions, and fourth six times. The lack of pressure on the title winners has frustrated fans since their last title victory and on the two occasions that they finished second, they were twelve points behind Chelsea in 2005, and 10 behind Leicester in 2016. The closest they actually came was four points behind the eventual winner but that was in a three horse race where they finished behind Manchester United and Chelsea. For so long they have been waiting to challenge for the title, and always seem to be like they may do it at the turn of the year, but falter in the winter. With the same thing seeming to happen again, it could be Wenger's last chance.

The Champions League is no different as they have never won the competition and have only got to the final once under the reign of Wenger and to the semi final, also just once. They have not even got to the quarter final since 2010, something Arsenal fans are always disappointed at and for a good reason, as North London rivals Tottenham have got to the quarter final in that time. If they lose to Bayern Munich this year and exit in the last 16 once more, you can see it not going down too well, but it would also be expected from them.

Lack of Commitment and Motivation

It was reported last month that Ozil had said his future depends on the future of Arsene Wenger as he is the only person he trusts. It is also reported that Sanchez is not entirely happy and those are the two star players at the club and they don't seem entirely happy. There will be huge interest in those two players if they end up saying they will go in the summer and then Arsenal's problems will really grow. In the Chelsea game at the weekend, Ozil and Sanchez were barely in the game, the two biggest players at the club. They need players who are fully committed and you only need to need to look across London to spot other clubs who have that. Chelsea players are so committed and turn up week in week out because they are so determined to win the league. They can also look at Spurs because they don't really have superstars. The way they have built the team over the last three seasons is excellent, with them finding players who are hungry to win and improve, and they now sit second in the table with Pochettino being touted one of the world best managers.

It may be that Wenger just is not good at motivating his players. The ban would not have helped as he cannot be in the dugout but he should be competing better with the other teams. In the Champions league they haven't been able to compete either as they constantly go out in the last 16 or quarter final and find it hard to beat the big teams. They do get unlucky as again they have Bayern Munich this year, but can they really beat them? I think they can, but it is as if the club don't think they can. Every year they seem like they may compete for something but they never get far in the competitions and never follow in the Premier League for the final few weeks. Something may need to change if they're going to start competing, and changing manager may just bring the freshness required.

Not Enough Tactical Variation

Wenger and his team do get plaudits for the way they play, but that is usually when they execute it properly and when they beat teams 4 or 5 nil. They have a philosophy of good, passing football, but outside of that they're actually quite naive. When they come up against the big teams they always seem to struggle to do well, especially away from home as they don't have more than one way of playing. They can't seem to sit back and defend as a unit which is poor from them to be honest and when they come up against the super-clubs in the Champions League, they don't have the tactical variation to make it through. Having a new manager like Simeone would certainly add more solidity to them and make them better at counter-attacking. There is no doubt that Wenger has implemented a legacy and will leave one there, but is that really what is best for them? They do play well, but this legacy needs to be more flexible and then the success may return to the club.

What Should He Do?

I thought he should have left a couple of years ago, and I think he should leave in the summer for the sake of the club, and I think he will be the one to decide if he goes or not rather than the club. It has been reported that there is a two year extension on the table for him to stay, but is that really the best thing for the club? I do think he will stay on and be there for another two years because he cannot seem to turn his back on the club, but also there isn't really any managers available right now to take control of the club. They need to move forward and challenge and I feel he is so desperate to do so that he just can't give it up. If he stays on and wins something then great, but if the same thing continues to happen where they can't keep up with the biggest clubs, then the fans will start questioning why he just wouldn't leave earlier. He has a big decision to make, but whatever he does, a big change needs to occur in the summer.