da betano casino： Earlier in the summer, the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust sent a condemning letter to the Gunners’ board declaring that renegotiating a contract with Arsene Wenger would be ‘inappropriate’ at that time, citing a lack of ambition in the transfer market on the Frenchman’s part as one of their major concerns.
da realsbet： The letter was issued following Arsenal’s shock 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2013/2014 Premier League season, and before the announcement of Mesut Ozil’s £42million transfer from Real Madrid, so now that Arsene Wenger has addressed the AST’s most significant criticism by making his first marquee signing for the best part of a decade, is it time to re-evaluate the Gunners gaffer’s situation and whether he should be issued a new contract at the Emriates? His current deal is set to expire in the summer.
In a press conference yesterday afternoon, that was on the most-part eaten up by questions for Arsenal’s new £42million signing, Wenger himself admitted that his successful deadline day escapade alone wasn’t enough for him to start demanding a new deal.
“I’ve said many times I want to do well with this club and in the end I will sit down and think how well have I done with the team I have had,” said Wenger.“That has to be sufficient for me to decide yes or no. One of the main judgements you can have about a manager is how well he does with his team. There’s no need to plan [for a new contract]. We are in no hurry. We are in September and my contract finishes in June. There’s a long way to go.”
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I can certainly see Wenger’s point of view, and his honesty is commendable. Arsenal fans are still amid a wave of euphoria and disbelief after their club signed one of Europe’s leading attacking midfielders out of the blue on the last day of the transfer window for a fee that was previously believed to be unthinkable whilst the Frenchman was still around, but Ozil alone does not solve all of the issues at the Emirates.
The German international has the highest assist rate in Europe over the last four years with a steady supply of goals to boot, and many in North London have been calling for a new Dennis Bergkamp, capable of creating and scoring in a supporting striker role, for some time – not that the Gunners were particularly lacking in the final third last season.
Yet to suggest his arrival at the Emirates has awoken Arsenal from their dormant state in the Premier League title race would be unjustified; in terms of quality and depth, they are still some way behind the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea.
Currently the Gunners have just one senior striker in Olivier Giroud, although it appears Nicklas Bendtner will now be brought into the first team fold after his two years in exile, and a lack of physical prowess in midfield will be Arsenal’s undoing in the heavyweight fixtures. Wojceich Szezney is easily the weakest goalkeeper out of last season’s top four Premier League clubs, and the reinforcements to bolster the North Londoners’ backline never arrived this summer.
A few too many injuries, and fourth spot will once again be viewed as a great accomplishment rather than the bare minimum of expectations, but at the beginning of the summer, it seemed three or four wise additions would reaffirm Arsenal as title contenders. Ozil is a great addition, but not all the boxes were ticked in the transfer window and Gunners fans will hope a few more signings are made in January if the right opportunities arise.
That being said, there’s no doubt Arsene Wenger has overcome his biggest obstacle this summer in the most glamorous of ways. Granted, the squad still has it’s fair share of holes and leaks, but it’s an established star the Gunners faithful wanted and there aren’t many more established than Mesut Ozil. Perhaps equally as important as attracting a player of world-class status during a period of malaise where the Gunners needed one most, is the fact the Frenchman has proved his spendophobia doubters wrong.
At one point it was hard to tell whether stubbornness, insanity, egotism or simply passing his sell-by date was driving Wenger’s reluctance to make a single excessive purchase, although his ability to spot a talented player has never been in question. For the fans, it was becoming an issue of embarrasment as local rivals Tottenham spent freely and lavishly this summer, but Wenger has now proved he is willing to spend big, as long as it’s on the right player.
He’s met the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust most critical condition regarding a new contract, but as Wenger himself admits, there’s still a long way to go before he proves himself worthy of extending his current deal.
Considering the Arsenal boss is the fourth highest paid manager in Europe, with a salary of £7.8million per year only trumped by Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, quite frankly, no silverware since 2005 five 4th place finishes since 2006 can hardly be deemed cost effective. Many have counter-argued that Wenger gave the best showing of his managerial abilities last season as he maintained Arsenal’s Champions League status despite possessing his weakest side since he took the Gunners post back in 1997, but it’s on the Frenchman’s watch that the club found themselves in such a precarious position last term.
The justification for Wenger’s hefty wages has always been his obvious talent and unrivalled experience in the top flight; he’s one of two managers, along with Mourinho, who’ve won the Premier League title previously, and after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement last season he’s now by far the division’s longest-serving manager. Many anticipate he could be a lethal weapon in other hands, at PSG for example, who were sniffing around the Gunners boss in the summer.
But there’s only so much longer Wenger can go without turning his prestigious reputation into silverware. The Gunners board should be commended for not falling into the trap of the Premier League’s hire-and-fire managerial culture, yet there’s a point when the need for change becomes obvious.
And whether or not the Emriates outfit need a change is what this season will determine; the Premier League title is still out of Arsenal’s reach, but equipped with their new £42million man, Gunners fans will expect a clear improvement on last season, either in the league or in the auxiliary tournaments.
Next summer will mark a decade since Arsenal last won a Premier League title, and there are few better illustrations of a lack of progress at the Emirates. If Wenger cannot improve the Gunners with one of the world’s leading attacking midfielders in his side, he’ll have to take full responsibility, and a new contract would be undeserved.
Does Arsene Wenger deserve a new contract?
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