Why Arsene Wenger will remain at Arsenal next season | The Boot Room

My piece for the Boot Room on the one and only Arsene Wenger

Arsenal fans may not want to accept it but Arsene Wenger will stay at the club next season.

To paraphrase Commissioner Gordon’s speech from the Dark Knight slightly, he may not be the manager they need, or want, but he is the one they are stuck with.

The Gunners are in the midst of an all too familiar season of disappointment. Dumped out of the EFL cup early by eventual finalists, Southampton, out of the title race and certainly out of the Champions League, Arsenal’s only chance of silverware is the FA Cup. Having won the competition in two of the last three years, the Arsenal faithful won’t be too impressed with dominating a competition no longer high on the list of the elite.

Another year of tactical and mental failures has increased the calls for Wenger to leave the club and recent results haven’t helped. The 2-1 loss at home to Watford was followed by the somewhat expected 3-1 loss to Chelsea, though it’s the 5-1 hammering at the hands of Bayern that still sticks in the mind. Despite these issues, it seems likely that Wenger will stay at the club. The BBC recently reported that the Arsenal manager will make a decision on his future at the end of the season knowing that new deal has been offered.

And there lies one of the reasons why it is a certainty that Wenger will stay on beyond this season.

The decision makers at Arsenal are quite okay with the status quo and are seemingly in awe of the Professor. Consistent Champions League football and meekly attempted title challenges are good enough for Stan Kroenke, Ivan Gazidis, and co. No one on the board has the football knowledge to challenge Wenger, or at the very least help him improve their fortunes on the field. That also makes the possibility of finding a capable successor even more daunting. Wenger is the Director of Football, manager, and coach all rolled into one. There’s really no other manager, especially at a top club, that has such power. To expect a new manager to come in and fill all those roles is an almost certain recipe for failure. That could be negated by hiring someone to fill the role of Director Football, with the alternative being promoting Wenger to that position. Whether Wenger will want to relinquish everyday control of his team, or the new manager willing to have Wenger breathing down his neck, is another matter.

The names that have been mentioned as possible successors, Thomas Tuchel, Diego Simeone and Massimiliano Allegri favorite among them, are all exciting. Each would have his own reason for not wanting to join. Tuchel has an exciting project already underway at Borussia Dortmund, Simeone has much more ambition than yearly 4th place trophies, plus his style doesn’t fit the Arsenal way, and Allegri is doing well at Juventus where winning the domestic title is a given and actually winning the Champions League is the main concern.

There is the possibility of a lesser known manager taking the reins but that would surely require Wenger staying in an executive role or hiring from the outside. The best bet would be on Silent Stan wanting to keep Wenger around. He doesn’t seem to be the only one either.

The Guardian reports that both Mesut Ozil and Hector Bellerin would be more inclined to stick around if Wenger stays. The fans will have mixed feelings in this regard but will surely not want to return to the days of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie departing. Ozil’s form this season, and the continued doubts about his performance on the biggest stage means fans may not miss him too much should he go. Bellerin, as reported by ESPNFC, recently sign a new long-term contract so a departure is unlikely.

If the overwhelming majority of the team would like Wenger to stay then that makes the decision easy for the board. On the flipside, Alexis Sanchez, the one player Arsenal can’t lose, seems likely to leave if Wenger retains his place as manager. The Chilean has shown his frustration on numerous occasions this season and may feel his energy is better spent elsewhere. Should a new manager come in he might be tempted to stay.

Wenger is unlikely to want to leave on a sour note and has been in this position before. As far as his employers are concerned, he is meeting the requirements they have for him. One could argue that failure to qualify for the Champions League next season should prompt some response but, again, the likely action will be to trust Wenger to guide the club to a quick return to the competition. The board have given Wenger the utmost trust and confidence and their silence during the recent poor run does nothing to suggest a change will come.

The possibility of life at Arsenal without Arsenal is surely one that keeps “Silent Stan” screaming at night. The recent botched succession of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United is suggested as a major reason the board at Arsenal would be hesitant. That’s understandable but the club then risks falling behind by standing still. Regardless, the board have already made their decision.

A contract has been offered to Wenger in lieu of real success or progress, or silverware as the fans call it. The board is smart enough to know they lack the football knowledge to fill the gap the Frenchman’s departure would create and they probably feel he can’t be adequately replaced. While Arsenal is a club rich in history and full of talent, the elite managers may look at the lack of ambition shown from the top and be drawn elsewhere. The possibility of key players departing, however minute in some cases, also factors in.

Wenger has made himself indispensable to the current leadership at Arsenal. If they are happy with what he provides then a departure will only ever come on his terms. One can only hope Arsenal won’t be too far behind when that occurs.

Is Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil more important to Arsenal? | The Boot Room

My piece for the Boot Room on which of Arsenal’s two superstars is more important. 

Arsenal’s two superstars have been the subject of much debate as the Gunners continue their fine start to the 2016/17 season.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have been key to Arsenal’s recent revival and much of their good form this season. The duo arrived in consecutive summers when their former employers sought high-quality, and highly expensive, additions from two of their rivals. Arsenal were the benefactors from those moves and two FA Cups have since arrived to end the club’s trophy drought. Success in other competitions has been non-existent but the strong start this season has increased expectations.

A major cause for that is the ever-improving on-field relationship between the two stars. Sanchez’s deployment as a full-time striker for the Gunners has led to a partnership between him and Ozil reminiscent of the days of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Arsene Wenger has received credit in some corners for a long overdue move to place the Chilean livewire at the head of Arsenal’s attack. That decision has led to an increase in productivity and quality from both stars, as they play closer together in the central of the park with skills that complement each other well.

Both players are well on their way to their best tallies for the club, with Ozil’s nine goals and five assists bettered by Sanchez’s 13 goals and eight assists in all competitions. Both have produced match-winning performances and moments so far and its no wonder Arsenal fans are biting their nails over any bit of negative news about the duo.

The Telegraph reported at the beginning of the season that the Gunners were set to enter contract talks with both players. There has been little sign of progression where those talks are concerned and time is of essence with Sanchez and Ozil’s contracts due to expire in 2018. If either side fail to reach an agreement, or if Arsenal fail to land a major trophy once the season ends, then the possibility of one or both players leaving becomes very real.

If Arsenal were to lose either player it would come as a massive blow to the club’s reputation and chance for further progression.

Sanchez and Ozil are both in their prime and are key players for club and country. While the German is arguably the best player in his position and Sanchez is still coming to terms with the regularity of his new role, Arsenal need Sanchez more.

When comparing the two and what they bring to the club, Sanchez hits more marks. The Chilean’s form so far this season suggests that Arsenal’s wait for a long-term heir to Thierry Henry has ended. Sanchez provides much of the same power, pace and drive as the Frenchman and has showcased his clinical touch as well. One could argue that Ozil’s presence behind him is why he has been so effective in this role but there’s nothing to compare unlike the differences between Sanchez and Olivier Giroud up front. Arsenal have a few players who could play in Ozil’s position while arguably providing similar statistics but none can match Sanchez’s talents. Ozil is standing in the way of a few players, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere among them, who could eventually move on if they find a better opportunity elsewhere.

A look at the statistics favour the Chilean as well.

In their time at the club, considering only games in the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, Sanchez has 53 goals and 30 assists in 109 games. Ozil has 29 goals and 47 goals in 137 games. Both players had their injury spells and runs of poor form but these statistics showcase two points. Sanchez is a much more productive player who has also spent the majority of his time behind the striker as Ozil has. The Chilean is also much more durable than his teammate, having played only 29 games less than his teammate, about half a season, despite joining a full year later. Ozil has shown signs of increased durability but Sanchez is already ahead in that game as shown by his quick return from injury during the November international break.

Neither player is bigger than the club, and if Wenger really wants to stick to his guns then both may leave. That would be a mistake.

In a perfect world both players would stay and do so in such a way that won’t upset the balance Wenger wants in his dressing room. Sanchez may not yet be considered a world-class striker like his teammate in attacking midfield but those strikers are hard to find, or are beyond Wenger’s taste as far as cost, while are many quality attacking midfielders around. His redeployment centrally has led to the increased dynamism in Arsenal’s attack. There certainly won’t be a replica of Ozil, but Arsenal can surely find a player of the requisite quality to replace the German.

If it comes down to a choice, then it is Sanchez who provides a much bigger need for the club in the short and long-term.

All statistics courtesy of ESPNFC