A routine FA Cup victory over non-league Sutton United hasn’t really done much to alleviate the pressure on Arsene Wenger with former players like Bob Wilson and Frank McLintock calling for the Gunners not to extend his contract in the summer.
William Hill actually quote the Frenchman at 5/4 to still be in charge on the first day of next season and that could be decent value as there are powerful indications that the manager will not be forced out of the Emirates so the question that Gooners and punters have to ask themselves is – is Wenger a quitter?
Having overseen three Premier League titles and six FA Cups, the Frenchman is Arsenal’s most successful-ever manager. However, his 21-year-reign has become increasingly filled with disappointment as his team consistently come up short in major competitions. That 2006 final defeat is the closest that Arsenal have come to Champions League glory while their last Premier League triumph came two years earlier. A new contract will almost certainly be offered at the end of the current campaign and that will mean only Wenger himself can make the decision as to when to leave North London.
Former Gunners legend Charlie Nicholas believes Wenger has already made his mind up to leave but the 67-year-old certainly doesn’t want to quit management and is on record as saying he is good for another three of four years at least – but are Arsenal fans deserving of more?
Gooners are notorious for their glass half-empty attitude yet they’ve had Champions League football every season for longer than I care to remember. Admittedly, getting beyond the first round of the knockout stages has become an issue but there top flight clubs across Europe with similar aspirations and the money to back their objectives. Wenger almost certainly has never had the budget that the fan base and facilities suggest he should have. Several bookmakers have compiled a market for Next Arsenal Manager with Paddy Power probably offering the best value at present. They have Eddie Howe at 10/1 and the Bournemouth manager’s playing philosophy would certainly see the Wenger legacy continued but maybe the days of pure football are coming to an end with even Barcelona struggling to dominate more physical and well-organised teams this season. Winning punters may yet have to wait to collect on the Next Arsenal Manager bets!
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Arsenal fans should, perhaps, be careful of what they wish for. Jose Mourinho finally appears to have Manchester United moving back in the right direction but look how long it has taken arguably the biggest club in Britain to recover from the retirement of their mentor Sir Alex Ferguson! High-profile managers have tried and failed and years have effectively been lost. Even this season, United are going to have their work cut out reaching the Champions League places and their purse strings aren’t nearly as tight.
Next Permanent Arsenal Manager Current Best Odds
Massimiliano Allegri (5/1), Eddie Howe and Thomas Tuchel (10/1), Diego Simeone, Brendan Rodgers and Patrick Viera (16/1), Joachim Low (18/1), Luis Enrique and Manuel Pellegrini (20/1), Dragan Stojkovic, Leonardo Jardim, Marco Silva and Ralph Hasenhuttl (25/1)
