Arsenal fans (and the players) have been kept in suspense for long enough, and it is about time we were told the truth about Wenger’s future. According to ESPN, they have spoken to sources at the club who have leaked that the contract has been simply been on the table waiting for Wenger to give his final answer at the Board meeting this week, and (let’s be honest) we all know that Wenger will be riding on the back of yet another trophy, and will be putting his name on the bit of paper.
As Wenger himself explained after lifting the Cup, that there is a Board meeting this week for the Board to decide whether they are happy for him to continue (they are), and then it is up to the Frenchman to decide whether to sign or not (he will). The 67-year old was asked if he would be preparing a presentation to bring to the meeting, and he replied: “The best presentation is to watch the game.
“I’ve played until the end of my contract, which is today basically. I think I have shown you that I have exactly the same commitment.
“For me, the contract does not have special meaning but, because of the debate, maybe I should have sorted that out earlier.”
….”I love my job and I love to win. I love to build, I love to get people going and I love what I do. I invite you to live with me one day and one thing you cannot question is my commitment.”
When he was asked about the protests from certain sections of the fanbase, he said they only come from a tiny proportion of supporters, and he will forgive them (as he does every year!) “I am a forgiving man,” he said. “You cannot be in this job [if you are not forgiving].
“This job is basically trusting human beings. If you cannot forgive, you cannot trust. The only bit of advice I have for young coaches, if you have a tendency to be paranoid don’t do this job.
“I meet many Arsenal fans who are absolutely fantastic. It was maybe one percent. Ninety-nine percent of our fans are absolutely fantastic. We play for the 99.9 percent.
“That’s why I said it’s not about popularity, it’s about consequence. It’s the board who has to decide who will lead the club in the future. It’s for me afterwards to decide, if they want me, whether it’s yes or no.”
As we all know, Wenger lives and breathes for this job, and the Board love his ability to keep them in the Top 4 (sorry top 5) every year, so I cannot see any other outcome than Wenger signing the new contract. What else would he do with the rest of his life?
Admin