Last weekend, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger dropped the bombshell that shocked many as he announced that he would be leaving Arsenal at the end of the season. He is leaving with one year remaining on his contract.
The announcement which came out of the blue has, as it should be expected, sparked joy and relief for the 'Wenger Out' brigade while it has led neutrals and supporters of Wenger to wax lyrical and pay tribute to his achievements and legacy at Arsenal.
Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably Wenger's most bitter rival, commended his decision to step down. He statement was: "I am pleased he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season as he can now have the send off he truly deserves".
" He is without doubt one of the greatest premier league managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague, and a friend to such a great man". Ferguson added.
Arsenal captain, Per Mertasacker, who is also stepping down at the end of the season to join the Arsenal coaching staff said he was 'sad and emotional' at the announcement.
Other premier league managers such as Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte also had some kind words to say about the Frenchman.
Arsene Wenger, who has endured a turbulent season this year and the year before, paid tribute to the fans and the club.
"I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the clubs for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity." He said.
Wenger joined Arsenal on 1st October 1996. And at the end of this season, he would have spent 22 years at the helm. He won 3 premier league titles and a record 7 FA cups during his reign. He also led Arsenal to the final of the UEFA cup and Champions League.
Wenger who is currently the premier league's longest serving coach is also overseeing Arsenal's worst premier league position since he became manager. Arsenal currently lie 6th on the league table and will have to win the Europa league if they are to return to the Champions league next season.
Why is Wenger stepping down?
The last few seasons has seen an increase in fans discontent about the failure of Arsenal to challenge for the premier league title. Arsenal last won the premier league title in 2004-the season they went unbeaten. 14 years ago.
His critics point to the fact that Wenger keeps lowering the bar in terms of expectations by stating that the top 4 is a trophy since it guarantees a Champions League place. Sadly, Arsenal will for the second season in a row finish outside the top 4.
A few days after his announcement that he was stepping down, Wenger revealed that the decision to leave now wasn't his. This implies that the powers that be at the Emirates namely, Stan and Josh Kroenke have noticed the signs of apathy and disaffection of some of the VIP support and have decided to act before profits start to dwindle.
In recent weeks, many Gunners faithful have decided to show their frustrations by voting with their feet. The sight of many empty seats at the Emirates and the slow renewal of season tickets would have sent alarm bells round the Arsenal boardroom.
In a nutshell, Wenger has been forced to step down.
How will Wenger be remembered?
After spending 22 years on the Arsenal hot seat, there will of course be a lot Arsenal supporters and indeed observers of the premier league will remember Arsene Wenger by.
He brought new and innovative ideas to the English game when he arrived England. He changed the diets and nutrition of his players such that several players careers were prolonged as a result. He also transformed the football too. Boring Arsenal was no longer boring.
He challenged the established order. He threatened Sir Alex Ferguson's domination of the league and won 3 premier league titles which culminated in the season of the 'Invincibles'. That season (2003/04) where Arsenal remarkably went unbeaten in the league. They would continue the run for 49 matches.
Wenger holds the record for the highest number of FA cup titles. He has won 7. 3 in the last 4 years. Unfortunately, it has done little to pacify his staunchest critics. Many of his critics believe he should have left on a high after winning any of these FA cup titles.
This is not to forget that Arsenal's move to the Emirates from Highbury was managed spectacularly by Wenger who ensured that the quality of Arsenal's football was not compromised and that they still competed with the likes of Chelsea and Man United for the league.
With the paucity of funds due to the building of the Emirates stadium and later on, the paying of debts incurred by the club for the financing of the project, it became a Herculean task for Wenger to compete with rivals in acquiring the best players. He managed the situation admirably. Players like Nasri, Fabregas, Coquelin, Sagna, Clichy, Van Persie etc were transformed from players who were virtually unknown into players in high demand by the best clubs under his guidance.
But for every success of Wenger, his critics who want him out can easily point to his failures as a manager.
Wenger was often accused of not having a plan B and being tactically clueless when teams shut out Arsenal or are very physical when playing his team.
He was also accused of refusing to spend money in signing better players that would improve the squad even when the Arsenal hierarchy assured fans that there was money in the bank. He stubbornly reiterated the fact that he would only sign players at the right price. This as a result, led to teams like Spurs and Man City leaving Arsenal behind.
Several irate fans have pointed out that one of the reasons that prove that Wenger has lost his mojo is his penchant for selling star players to strengthen direct rivals like Man united and Man City. Top teams hardly sell their top players to domestic rivals. Not for Wenger apparently.... He sold Van Persie and Alexis Sanchez to the Red Devils. He also sold the likes of Toure, Nasri, Sagna, Adebayor etc to City.
Many of his detractors feel Wenger is loyal to his team to a fault. A situation which leads to a non performing player being given an extended run in the team (Xhaka) or getting bumper contracts for underperforming (Ozil) or keeping injury prone players such as Abou Diaby Tomas Rosicky and currently Santi Cazorla. A slightly more ruthless manager would have pushed such players out of the club far earlier than Wenger would.
Worst of all has to be the trophy drought. Wenger after spending 22 years in a supposedly big club can only account for only 3 premier league titles. The last of which came in 2004. He won the FA cup in 2005 but would not win any more trophies until 2014 when he finally ended a drought of 9 years without winning any major silverware by defeating Hull City in the final of the FA cup.
It is also fair to say that part of the reasons Wenger has stayed so long is due to the fact that the club owners feel some form of gratitude and respect for Wenger's management as his presence guarantees profits. Until recently anyway... It took the arrival of the ruthless Josh Kroenke to the scene to convince Stan his father that Wenger's time was up.
Nevertheless, there are many fond memories Wenger will be leaving behind as well as many sad ones in which fans who once adored him feel were opportunities missed due to the stubbornness and pride of the manager.
Wenger, 68, the football purist who considers football to be an art will be missed by those who love him and who experienced the first half of his successful years. The younger generation who have only experienced the consolation of 3 FA cup trophies in the last 4 years and have seen how his stock has fallen and how stale he has become believe the new regime can't come soon enough.
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