It’s Tuesday.
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| Arsenal Players Celebrating 2017 FA Cup Win (Via Getty Images) |
It’s the last day of May.
It may be just another one of the days in 2017 for most folks.
But in the Gooner World, it’s not just an ordinary day.
Somewhere in London, a board meeting is scheduled. It’s not just
one of your regular board meetings.
This could have far reaching effects in the Goonersphere.
Long serving manager Arsene Wenger is set to know his fate.
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| Fans' Frustrations (via Daily Mirror) |
Will he still be manager?
Will the 21 year love affair come to an end?
Who wins in the ever vociferous #WengerIn and #WengerOut war?
Saturday’s FA Cup win has somewhat reduced the angst and toxic
hate that had been brewing for months.
From the zenith of the Premier League table in mid-December to
depending on already relegated Middleborough at Anfield to stand any chance of
playing UEFA Champions League, Arsenal FA Cup performance on Saturday is just a
mirror of their last decade and more: fail when the stakes are high; surmount all
odds when least expected.
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| Youtube Fan Channel: Arsenal Fan TV (via 101 Great Goals) |
It’s led to flying banners and created “stars” of some as can be
seen from those clowns at Arsenal Fan TV.
Here, it’s led to abuse and insults.
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| Ufuoma on Nigeria Info FM Duty |
Be it on my show on Nigeria Info FM- Football Frenzy, Cool FM’s
Football Fans’ Time or social media posts, Wenger hasn’t been spared.
“Specialist in Failure”, “Baba Ijebu”, “Aka Gum”, etc… the list
of names associated with Wenger is a bit endless even if I am allowed a bit
exaggeration here.
It all adds to the anxiety as we await the decision of the club.
Truth is, I have been saying for months that Wenger is going nowhere. I’ve been
as certain as death the Frenchman would renew his contract.
That certainty seems to be crux of the matter for some fans,
myself included.
Let’s be clear. Arsene is Arsenal’s most successful manager with
10 major titles. On Saturday, he became the FA Cup’s most successful manager
with his 7th victory. To put that in simple context, that’s the
same number of FA Cups Chelsea and Liverpool have ever won; 2 more than
Manchester City and one away from reaching the 8 that Tottenham have achieved.
But, the fact rival fans are wishing the Arsenal manager
continues tells a story on its own.
Wenger’s 21 year service at Arsenal can be seen from three
phases:
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| The Invincibles (via arsenal.com) |
The first 8 years that produced some amazing football and great
talents but most importantly, 2 Doubles and an Invincible Season plus a couple
of FA Cups.
The Famine Period between 2006 and 2012, which quite frankly, I
have less misgivings for the manager. I feel a bit relieved that today we’ve
all heard the real stories of how difficult it was to survive as a club. I
remember the “fights” I had with a lot of my friends, including Arsenal mates,
for repeatedly telling them all the 100million in the bank stories to buy
players were just what they were: STORIES!
Mistakes were made and maybe the recession could have been
better handled, but Arsene deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping club afloat
those lean years. Turning down the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and France to stay
with us surely makes that Nobel Prize a necessity!
And 2013 till date which has seen the famine all but gone;
increase in player quality and less of sale of our best players which
characterized the famine years. No coincidence that 3 FA Cups have been won
since then or if I go with the way trophies are counted lately, 5 trophies in 4
years Haha!
But that’s not enough!
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| Wenger and Kroenke (via Daily Mail) |
Arsenal haven’t had a meaningful title challenge in like
forever. So much that there’s now a pattern: top the table by December, fade
away between January and March; but build momentum back in April and May to
finish in a Champions League place.
Qualification for Champions League for 20 seasons may be some
feat, after all, Liverpool have only managed it twice in last 8 years and
Manchester United have been out of it twice in the 4 years since Sir Alex
retired.
But when you get smashed 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich or
repeatedly struggle to come second in the group and get knocked out in the
round of 16 seven years in a row, then maybe, your time is up.
Arsene has in recent days spoken of how hurt he is with the
abuse he’s had to endure this season. In fact, he called it a “disgrace”.
"I don't mind
criticism because we are in a public job," he told the BBC
"I believe
there's a difference between being criticised and being treated in a way that
human beings don't deserve."
He added: "The
lack of respect from some has been a disgrace and I will never accept that. I
will never forget it.
"The behaviour
of some people during the season that is what hurts me most.”
Truth is, his
seeming arrogance or lack of understanding of fans’ frustrations when he speaks
to the press; obvious repetition of mistakes year in year out with no end
seemingly in sight; over-indulgence of some players who, let’s be honest,
should not be wearing the Arsenal jersey; and the consistent failings in the
Premier League and Champions have been too much to bear for most of us.
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| 2017 FA Cup Winners (via Daily Post) |
Still, like the
manager insists, there is criticism and there is outright abuse. I will never
accept anyone who chooses the latter.
As we await the
outcome of the Arsenal board meeting which will determine the future of its
longest serving manager, I can only say this to Arsene: if the joy of
Saturday’s emphatic win over Chelsea is the last time Wenger will ever manage
us, then, it’s a memory I’d forever cherish.
Thanks Arsene,
you’ve been great while it lasted.
