Wenger has done more for Arsenal than any manager in history. Not only did he turn Arsenal into a formidable and unbeatable footballing force, he transformed the Premier League into a home for elite athletes and introduced foreign, more sophisticated tactics to English football.
However, despite Wenger’s past brilliance, he cannot keep living off credit. Claudio Ranieri may have received a vote of confidence purely for his heroics last season, however, unlike Ranieri, Wenger’s superstar status wore off a long time ago.
Just like dogs come to look like their owners, Arsenal have become the embodiment of their manager. They are consistently average, lack their past desire for success and live in a constant state of perverted nostalgia.
If Arsenal want to progress, they need to start anew. It will take time to shake off Wenger’s influential grip on the club, but it is necessary. His contributions to the club have been monumental and a new manager would have an immense challenge of developing their own unique philosophy. A delicate balance must be found between a complete revolution and a maintenance of a football philosophy.
Whoever takes over, be it Allegri, Simeone or someone less well-known, will have to commit to Arsenal for the long haul. Arsenal has spent 20 years developing an ideology of trust in management, and this cannot simply be neglected for the 21st century attitude of hire-fire-repeat. This is my greatest worry for a future without Arsène; will Arsenal’s ownership deteriorate into the decadence of Roman Abramovich and the modern game in general?
The next manager will have a huge fan-base to please, owners to impress and will begin the task of building Arsenal up from scratch.
Ever since Arsenal moved to the Emirates they have failed to live up to expectations. Now, finally with financial security, the next leader will have all the tools necessary to begin the next dynasty.
For Kroenke and the Arsenal board, seeing Wenger leave will issue in panic and uncertainty, the greatest fear of all for financial investors. But despite all the concerns and debates surrounding the future of Arsenal Football Club, eventually the “In Arsene We Trust” banners must come down from the stands, to make room for next manager to imprint their name on the tiers.
Joshua Korber Hoffman is a 15-year-old football fanatic and Arsenal supporter. He writes a football blog called The Young Gun, in which his love for writing and the beautiful game intersect
