Arsene Wenger’s future remains unconfirmed as to whether he will be staying on as boss of Arsenal with a new contract, or if the club chiefs will finally come to the realisation that perhaps it’s time for change. At the moment I think it’s fair to suggest that the ball seems to have swung back into the ‘staying’ court, with more media rumours hinting at an Arsene Wenger management system next season, although I don’t think anyone besides Wenger really knows as of this moment.
If the Gunners boss was to leave, then it has often been suggested that instead of waving him goodbye as far away as the Emirates as he can go, the Frenchman should be offered a different position within the club structure. Wenger has done an unbelievable amount for this club and deserves the recognition, it’s one of the reasons why the board has never sacked him after all. So to say goodbye completely may be a step too far for Gazidis and co and as a result, it has been suggested whether Wenger may be offered a role as Arsenal’s ‘Director of Football’.
Such a role would leave Arsene Wenger’s coaching and first team management duties behind and he would instead be tasked with the standing in the spotlight as Arsenal’s ambassador. The role within sports clubs has often been scrutinised for being unclear as to what is actually expected, but it seems that a variety of roles can be tasked, with the intention of helping the development and progression of the club. Overall, I think the position is more of a figurehead stance in which someone is arguably standing around to look quite important, whilst in reality, their position is less so of the nature.
Wenger has however criticised these rumours by taking up the same stance of questioning what the director of football actually does. When it was suggested to him by the press, Wenger replied in a Guardian report: “I don’t know what director of football means. It is somebody who stands in the road and directs play right and left? I don’t understand and I never did understand what it means.”
Wenger has hit the nail on the head and in my opinion, regardless of whether you think the boss is past his management days or not, I think he deserves a little more than holding a position that nobody actually knows much about. I’ll be honest in saying that if Wenger was to get a new position in the management structure of the club, amongst the board members and executives so to say, I think it would be an important and respectful decision by the club. My only concern is that if we want to start afresh post Wenger, then I fear that even having him in such a high position at the club would mean he could still influence the squad and managerial decisions.
This is also Besides the fact that Wenger has already come out to say that if he does leave Arsenal, it will not be his last coaching job and as a result rumours of interest from Milan and PSG maintain in the media stream.
Where will Arsene Wenger be next season?
AH