Before we go too far with this particular debate about Arsenal and whether Arsene Wenger will still be our manager in the future, let’s factor in that the comments I am going by come from Jopey Barton, who has no connection with Arsenal apart from a few games against us and some alleged talks with Wenger about a transfer to north London.
Barton does seem to like the sound of his own voice a bit too, even when it is using a stupid ‘Allo Allo’ type of French accent. But having said all that, his comments in a Metro report will make sense to a lot of frustrated and fed up Gooners out there as we get the same old dreaded feeling about how this season will pan out.
The currently banned player said, ‘These are worrying times if you’re an Arsenal fan, but if you’re him [Wenger] you think the next good team is just around the corner and he’s building it.
‘Whatever any of us thinks he’s been a phenomenal manger in the Premier League. I think last year would have been a great time to step upstairs and let someone else come in. Does he need this? Every time they have a negative result he’s getting battered from pillar to post.
‘I’m a huge fan of what Wenger has done, but sometimes you can stay at a party too long. Sometimes it’s nice to get off [home] at 12 o’clock, but it’s now about 4am and he’s staggering around absolutely bladdered waiting for someone to eject him – which is only going to be a matter of time, I think!’
Many of us have seen the boss as unsackable for years but we also expected the board to either replace him or make sure things changed this summer. Surely before they gave him this new two year contract there was some talk about what would happen if nothing improved.
With things seeming just the same if not worse right now, you feel that the board may be regretting their decision, and with a certain Carlo Ancelotti having recently become a free agent, do you think there may be a chance that Wenger could be sacked and replaced as Arsenal manager by the Italian?
Bob.