It would be foolhardy for anyone to try and defend Arsene Wenger now; not after Arsenal lost to West Brom 1-3 last weekend.
This brought the Gunners’ recent record to four losses in the last five English Premier League games. It is bad!
But there will be more collateral damage at Arsenal in case there is an unmeasured decision to sack Wenger, as some fans are demanding. Because Wenger has been at Arsenal for two decades, his approach is deeply rooted in the club.
A sudden overhaul can prove disastrous for a range of reasons. For beginners, Wenger’s scouting of players and team construction will pause a big challenge for whoever comes in now from the outside.
In fact, unless Wenger’s future is resolved soon, stars such as Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are unlikely to extend their contracts. That is the kind of challenge a new manager, especially one who does not share Wenger’s vision and philosophy, would face.
Yet, a new coach would in all likelihood want to change the playing staff. And it takes time before a new player gets in sync with his surroundings and teammates.
Before you know it, the team would be struggling in mid-table. Manchester United has been there since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. But therein also lies a bigger problem that is Wenger’s fault, as was the case for Ferguson. For the twenty years he has been at Arsenal, Wenger should have set up a system that nurtures coaches as future candidates to replace him, if not to maintain his legacy.
That is what Barcelona has been so successful at. From Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and now Luis Enrique, moving on from one coach to another has been seamless. All the aforementioned were tutored in the Barcelona way as players.
I am sure Xavi Hernandez or Carles Puyol are in line to take over in the future. But you wonder how many of Wenger’s prodigies: Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Steve Bould is ready to continue with his blueprint.
This should be the discussion amongst the Arsenal fans now. Screaming out for Wenger’s sacking is actually the easy part. But ensuring that the team does not suffer aftershocks from the decision they force onto the board is the harder one.
That is why hurriedly forcing Wenger out like a plague is not wise. Instead, he should spearhead the transition process, and help choose someone who will successfully add to what he has built. There are a few coaches that suit the Arsenal profile.
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst is doing well at Feyenoord, who are leading the table in the Dutch Eredivisie. Having played for Arsenal at the height of his career under Wenger, he would be a good choice.
Yet, it is also difficult to overlook Ronald Koeman. He carries bundles of experience as a coach. But he is also a proven winner both as a player and a coach. Barcelona’s Luis Enrique, at a prime age of 46, does not need much introduction.
He has come of age since 2014 and fits in well with the way Arsenal want to play. Besides, with Enrique’s profile, he can throw his weight around and have some of the best players wear their hearts on the sleeves for him.
That is probably what the current Arsenal players are not doing for Wenger. But Wenger is no fool. He knows that if they fail to finish in the top four, the season would have been a disaster for everyone at Arsenal, and the fans especially, who have lived 13 years without league success.
For all the good that Wenger has done at Arsenal, this situation makes him look pathetic. Yet, for what it is worth, he is a legend. It is not my day job predicting doom for Arsenal. But if Wenger leaves under duress, which leaves him no time to help in the transition, Arsenal will implode!
jovi@observer.ug