After yet another humiliating capitulation by Arsenal on Monday, Arsene Wenger is under even more pressure as a majority of Arsenal fans call for him to leave. The long-serving manager enjoyed a very successful run during his first 10 years at the North London club, and his unprecedented achievement of going an entire season unbeaten will undoubtedly be a significant part of Arsenal's history forever. In the second half of his 20-year-reign, Wenger has been a shadow of his former self and his lack of determination and desire have been questioned by fans and pundits alike.
Many now believe that Wenger is ruining his legacy by remaining at the club at this point. And while members of the so-called Wenger-out-brigade could probably name over 100 reasons why the Frenchman should leave Arsenal at the end of the season, we will be looking at 4 of those in this article.
Wenger's tactics lack pragmatism and flexibility
In terms of football philosophy, Wenger is a complete and utter purist. The former Monaco manager stands for an entertaining and beautiful brand of football, and he is a firm believer in a possession-based style of play. His players are given an enormous amount of freedom to roam but are expected to keep the ball on the ground, with the goal of opening up their opponent's defence through short and decisive passing.
In other words, Wenger expects his players to overcome their opponents through sheer technical superiority. When this style of football works, spectacular things tend to happen. Jack Wilshere's magnificent tiki-taka goal against Norwich City in the 2013/14 season is a prime example for this.
Wenger's tactical approach, however, is far from impeccable, and his lack of adaptability has cost his teams on numerous occasions.
Smaller teams usually play with an ultra-defensive set up against Arsenal while trying to catch out the Gunners on the counter-attack. And whenever Arsenal face off against a top team, such as Bayern Munich or Barcelona, they are completely outclassed and beaten at their own game. Even more frustrating for Arsenal supporters is Wenger's unwillingness to adapt as the Frenchman never seems to have a backup plan.
Change is needed and Wenger is unlikely to reinvent himself
As stated above, Arsene Wenger is an uncompromising idealist when it comes to football tactics. As a result of his unwillingness to adapt, it seems unlikely for the manager to oversee a major change at the club. Wenger has reportedly told the Arsenal board that he is willing to reinvent himself in order to bring his team back to winning ways. At 67 years old, it is hard to see Wenger go through any significant changes though. Instead, a younger, more flexible manager with new ideas and a thirst for trophies could be what Arsenal really need to succeed. The current Arsenal squad have often been criticised for their complacency, and Wenger is known to be very protective of them.
Maybe they just need a less forgiving manager who can motivate them and, more importantly, be vocal if need be.
Arsenal fans have turned on him
At the moment, it seems that even the biggest Wenger supporters have started to turn on the Frenchman. The atmosphere at the Emirates has been very tense in recent times, and various videos have emerged of Arsenal supporters fighting each other. After the Gunners' draw against Manchester City, the now famous founder of Arsenal Fan TV, Robbie Lyle, was confronted and physically attacked by a group of angry Arsenal fans. Another video taken inside the Emirates Stadium showed a scuffle between two supporters of the club, which was quickly broken up by surrounding fans.
As a result of these clips, Arsenal have become somewhat of a laughing stock in the online world and pictures of Wenger-out-banners uploaded from all over the world have only made matters worse. While Wenger cannot be directly blamed for these fans' behaviour, he is very much accountable for Arsenal's poor run of form.
Wenger can still win trophies elsewhere
Wenger has been linked with some top European clubs, such as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, in recent times and while he has repeatedly stated that his preference will always be to remain at Arsenal, a change of scenery may do the 67-year-old some good. If the aforementioned reports are anything to go by, Wenger should seriously consider a move to a different club.
Both the Arsenal supporters as well as his players seem to have turned on him and a move to a less competitive league, such as the Ligue 1, could see the Frenchman add some more trophies to his trophy cabinet. He would also have access to a bigger budget and, arguably, a more talented squad. Instead of remaining at a club at which he isn't really welcome anymore, Wenger could do with a fresh start, and the prospect of winning some major trophies should be enticing enough. Regardless, it wouldn't be too surprising if Wenger ends up signing a new deal at Arsenal despite his team's subpar performance this season.
