Arsene Wenger has guided Arsenal FC to three Premier League titles and six FA Cups, during his two decades with the club, but Arsenal have not won a league title since the 2003-04 season. Wenger has led the Gunners to a finish in the top four (and thus UEFA Champions League) in each of the past 20 seasons, but he now faces long odds to continue that streak.
The team has encountered a very rough patch, and the supporter backlash against Wenger has been quite strong.
Wenger has acknowledged that the fan backlash will factor into his decision whether or not to step down, as he faces a very uncertain future ahead of him. Wednesday night brought some light out of the dark period, as Arsenal routed West Ham United, beating the Hammers handily despite having to go with a third string goalkeeper.
Another #WengerOut protest was planned at The Emirates tonight, but word is the turnout was so low that it had to be cancelled. That’s another win for Wenger, who wrote a rather odd and flat out defensive message in the Arsenal game program for the West Ham fixture. The Frenchman made some strange comments in the book that sought to remind fans of what he has done, and how much worse it could be.
The passage is definitely the work of someone who’s feeling very pressured, enjoy it below:
“Finishing in the top four is a good challenge but I think it is perfectly possible,” I have done it for 20 years and it looked always like nothing. Suddenly it becomes important, so I am quite pleased people realise it is not as easy as it looks.
The experience of having done it before will play a part of course, but I think it is just about sticking together and continuing to right. If we show the same spirit we showed against City, we will win football games.
We were unbeaten for 19 games this season, and I think it’s a good opportunity to remind people we are not finishing to not be relegated, we are fighting to have a positive end to the season.
That’s why you want the fans to stand behind the team and that the debate at the moment is about that.”
Okay then. Shots fired. Or more like fire returned. The logo is a cannon after all.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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