This abomination of a season is the final straw for Arsene Wenger, the board and the insipid playing squad with extensive changes required in the summer to release the Gunners from the shackles of stagnation.
‘Judge me in May’ is a term Wenger has used frequently to defend his managerial performances in the face of criticism from disgruntled fans, who robustly express their concerns about the club’s familiar short-comings that have arisen in every season since 2006.
Unfortunately for the embattled Frenchman, we will not need to wait until then to pass judgement.
A dismal 0-0 draw against relegation threatened Sunderland all but confirmed that for the eighth time in 12 years Arsenal are now officially out of the title race before May.
Topping the table going into the new year, everything seemed to be going to plan for Wenger’s side. Even after a disappointing January, Arsenal revived their title hopes with a last gasp win over now run away leaders Leicester City, cutting the Foxes’ lead to just two points.
That dramatic stoppage-time win against Leicester should of been the defining moment that every title winning side has on the way to glory. The moment that provides the catalyst to push on and take the initiative on the back of such a pivotal sequence of events.
Instead, the Gunners proceeded to crumble in spectacular fashion, with defeats to a depleted Manchester United and lowly Swansea City at home virtually ending their title aspirations in such a meek manner that has become prevalent throughout the second-half of Wenger’s tenure.
Arsenal’s implosion continued when they were eliminated from the round of 16 in the Champions League for a sixth consecutive season by Barcelona and bundled out of the FA Cup against Watford.
It was inevitable, as the Londoners once again self-destructed when the pressure was on during the crucial Winter months of the campaign.
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One can say that the injury epidemic that has cursed the club was a contributing factor, but that can also be put down to Wenger’s training methods and the overall man management of his players.
Names like Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck rarely missed games at their previous clubs, before becoming instantly crippled with injuries as soon as they hit the Emirates turf.
This time around the block will go down as the most regretful in the Wenger era and in Arsenal’s 130 year existence. Now they find themselves in another customary scrap to salvage Champions League football next year, as the Gunners’ season descends with a whimper.
While Wenger and the Arsenal board will continue to bury their heads in the sand and think everything is ok, the toxicity, unrest and even infighting among the fans is the worst it has been under the manager, with more ‘Wenger Out’ banners appearing by the week.
The unsavory vitriol towards the 66-year-old from individuals following the 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace epitomises the now irreparable relationship between himself and a large section of the Gunners faithful.
What Wenger has done for the club and the English game cannot and should never be ignored – the League and Cup doubles, the Invincibles season, the move to the Emirates Stadium, six FA Cup triumphs revolutionised the way football is played in the UK, but that does not excuse him of condemnation for his unspeakable negligence in the transfer market, his tactical incompetence and poor man-management.
No manager should continue to live off past glories like Wenger has been doing.
Two FA Cup successes were fantastic in the sense of finally seeing the club winning silverware once more, but it only papered over the cracks of what is a dysfunctionally mismanaged football club.
The inability to adequately replace the loss of key players, choosing not to plug glaring gaps and address key areas that desperately needed reinforcing, dithering over transfer fees and placing blind faith in under-performing players have severely stunted Arsenal’s ability to compete both domestically and in Europe.
The current plight of Theo Walcott, who has been an Arsenal player for over a decade and still barely knows his best position or how to beat a defender is reflective of the lack of progression shown by the club in this 10 year period.
Yes, Wenger’s hands were tied between 2006-2012 due to financial constraints of moving to the Emirates Stadium and he should be commended for continually getting the club into the top four under the circumstances.
Success at a club of Arsenal’s stature, however, should not be measured on Champions League qualification.
Since the summer of 2013 the burden of paying-off the stadium had eased and sufficient funds were available to invest in strengthening the squad and to signal the start of a new era of success for the club.
While he has made some big name signings, including Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech, the glaring deficiencies through the spine of the team that urgently need attending to are continually ignored.
Wenger’s negligence in the market was highlighted by his decision to not sign a single outfield player last summer, on the back of countless botched transfer windows.
Yes continuity is important, but with all opposition around you strengthening, it is utterly inexcusable to not reinvigorate your squad, harnessing optimism and excitement going into the new campaign.
It cannot said that there were not players available who were better then the likes of Olivier Giroud, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini?
Wenger’s refusal to find the balance between technique and power has meant for years Arsenal have been far too easy to play against.
The system, style and player personnel have become so predictably boring and inflexible that teams now know exactly how to pick apart the Gunners
Sir Alex Ferguson revealed in his autobiography that his United side happily relinquished possession and once they retrieved the ball they would counter-attack with devastating effect.
This same template is now used by just about every side that comes up against the Gunners. Defend deep and remain compact and hit them on the break, catching out the naive collective defending that lingers within the Arsenal squad.
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