Last week, Arsene Wenger celebrated 20 years as Arsenal manager. For the old guard it was a sentimental day, remembering the glory days of Highbury. For the new generation of fans however, Wenger’s reign has been less spectacular.
For those fans who are increasingly taking over the seats at the Emirates Stadium, ‘The Invincibles’ seems either a distant memory, or a highlights reel on television. They were not there to experience the magic of Arsene’s first 10 years; the way he created a well-oiled winning machine; how he came from Grampus Eight as ‘Arsene Who?’, before becoming one of the best-known names in football, and how Wenger changed the way football is played by transforming footballers into fine-tuned athletes. The young generation was not there to witness Arsene Wenger as a fresh, young revolutionary. They are only here now, when he is an old, boring leader.
It is this same generation that drives the ‘Wenger Out’ campaigns when it pops up on a regular basis. They lack an appreciation for what the manager has done for Arsenal and the Premier League. They are used to the culture of sack first, think second.
This is the impatient generation, who can’t wait one minute for Twitter to load, let alone 12 years for a Premier League title. I am a part of this generation, yet my mind is divided between celebrating our loyalty to a stalwart of English football, and wondering whether he still has it in him.
Wenger is now the master of his own fate. If he wants to stay, the board will obey. If he chooses not to renew his contract at the end of this season, Wenger will have made an immense personal sacrifice for the benefit of the often fickle supporters in the stands. If Wenger does leave his ‘love affair’, as he described it, Arsenal will be vulnerable to becoming like the rest of the big teams. With nine managers in 10 years, Chelsea has been more successful than Arsenal in that time period. If Arsenal favours trophies over an ethical and loyal reputation, then sacking Wenger would be the right thing to do. However, letting go of him would be like letting go of the golden years. ‘The Invincibles’ would be assigned to the scrap heap of history, and Arsenal would have to reinvent themselves.
Since Alex Ferguson retired from Manchester United after 27 years, they have been through two managers in three years, and moved down the table considerably. It has been only through immense buying sprees that they have managed to get themselves somewhat back on track.
The impact that Wenger has on the club will only be evident once the big decision has been made. Will his group of players seem mediocre and incapable of winning like Ferguson’s did after he left? Will Arsenal fall into a vicious cycle of hiring and firing managers like Chelsea under Roman Abramovich? Or will Arsenal enjoy their most successful days under a fresh, young revolutionary?
Sound familiar?
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.