If the Arsenal board are still thinking about the manager situation and whether to call an end to the long reign of Arsene Wenger then I think that the current situation at two other Premier League clubs could help.
I really believe that one of the reasons why our club has been so willing to stick with the Frenchman and so reluctant to change things at the top has been the example set by Manchester United, and it is easy to understand why. Not only were the Old Trafford club more successful than us before the stepping down of Sir Alex Ferguson, they have spent a lot more money in the transfer market in the seasons since and apart from the FA cup they won last year and the EFL cup last month there has been very little to show for it but struggle and frustration.
Thankfully for the Arsenal fans calling for a change of manager, however, we have two very different examples of what change can bring in the form of Chelsea and Leicester City. The decision of the Foxes to get rid of Claudio Ranieri less than a year after his remarkable EPL title triumph was roundly condemned by the football world, much more so than Wenger’s departure would be, but it has been completely vindicated as they now look a different team.
Leicester’s impressive and in the end comfortable win over Sunderland last night made it six in a row since they sacked the Italian and they are now looking once again like the side that shocked everyone last season. Those wins have included and 3-1 over Liverpool and a 2-0 over Sevilla that keeps them in the Champions League and more importantly for us it is the difference in their play after a change at the top which has been so remarkable.
The Arsenal board can also look at Chelsea and how different they have been with virtually the same players under Antonio Conte than they were at the start of last season under Mourinho. We cannot guarantee that a change at Arsenal will produce the sort of results seen at Leicester and Chelsea but at least it proves that things do not have to go the way of Man United. Will this give our board the courage to act?
Bob.