If we are being honest Arsenal has been handed a very favourable Europa League draw and they really should make the final at least.
This is a golden opportunity to enter the Champions League via the back door and for the Mikel Arteta critics to be put in their place.
However, failure to lift the trophy and to miss out on Champions League football once again has to bring Arteta’s position into question.
Mathematically, Arsenal can still make the top-four but the reality is that it is extremely unlikely, in fact, making the top six is also unlikely to happen.
By any metric, that would be a failure and that has to lie at the feet of the manager, no matter the circumstances that he has had to deal with this season.
We can get into what sort of squad he inherited, what players he has signed and so on but football is a result-driven business and most managers live or die by results and Arteta should be held to that standard.
I have not done any articles calling for Arteta to go, I have kept my opinion to myself on that, however, I am not an Arteta fan, never have been, I have always felt that Arsenal should have an elite coach in charge but like most Gooners, I was happy to give him a chance to prove himself.
He did very well last season lifting a trophy and getting us into the Europa League, now the next step has to be the Champions League and more competitive in the Premier League, otherwise, where is the progress?
Arteta is on target for Champions League football via the Europa League and that is a job saver but the minute qualification has gone then I simply cannot any longer give Arteta support, Arsenal deserves better and so do we fans.
So, there it is, failure to lift the Europa League and finish outside the top-four is enough for me to come out vocally and call for Arteta to go.
I really deep down hope that day never comes.