Social media exploded last night after rumours emerged that Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger may be ready to walk away from the club. The reports come after Wenger’s 1000th game in charge of the Gunners resulted in a 6-0 demolition to the hands of rivals Chelsea and Josè Mourinho.
Sources revealed that the Arsenal board and Wenger himself had a 2-hour lockdown meeting on Sunday morning, the news catching onto other keen bloggers around the world.
Media lockdown
A complete media lockdown from Arsenal Football Club in the wake of the defeat also gave evidence to suggest that not all was rosy in the red half of North London. The official club Twitter account was silent the entirety of Sunday, while the website only published limited Wenger quotes following the game.
The increased spotlight on the club came when it was revealed that the traditional pre-match press conference had been cancelled ahead of Tuesday’s home clash against Swansea.
The events in the past 24 hours have led to suggestions that Arsène Wenger had announced his impending retirement to Arsenal members of staff and ordered the lockdown to avoid media leaks. This mirrors Sir Alex Ferguson’s swift departure from Manchester United last season.
Future
Former club captain Frank McLintock added fuel to fire by suggesting that Wenger may be willing to walk away from his 18 year project if his side fail to achieve FA Cup success this season. The Scotsman said that:
“The board think the world of him and he’s been magnificent for the club. I’m not knocking Wenger but his pride would hurt so much if he lost to Wigan.”
Popular betting site Sky Bet has slashed the Frenchman’s odds of being the next Premier League manager to leave to just 22/1 (at time of writing). The past few days suggest that while Spurs may need to ‘mind the gap’; Arsenal may have a gap of their own to fill soon - in the form of the managerial position.
Verdict
Whilst the club, manager and fans were clearly disturbed by Saturday’s result, such move by Wenger would not be based by one game.
The FA Cup still provides a fantastic opportunity for the boss to redeem himself, a trophy win perhaps the perfect way for the club legend to bow out gracefully.
Latest:
