Arsenal: Major Shake-Up The Beginning Of The End

Arsenal are searching for a sporting director. The major shake-up is the beginning of the end for Arsene Wenger as the transition period is initiated.

For many Arsenal fans, they do not know a world in which the club was without Arsene Wenger. I, as a fresh-faced 22-year old, am one of those. I was only two when Wenger was hired to be the leader of the then faltering North London club under the guidance of Bruce Rioch, who was sacked after just 61 weeks in the job thanks to a difficult relationship with vice-chairman David Dein.

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It would be the latter figure who would be so instrumental in Wenger’s ascension to almost godly status. Dein was a task-master, a hard-nosed negotiator. He was willing to challenge Wenger, to sharpen his ideas, to hone his approaches. It was, though, a blossoming relationship, one that was the centrepiece of the most successful period in the club’s history.

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On 18 April 2007 everything changed. Dein left the club due to what was described as ‘irreconcilable differences’ between him and the board. It was a hammer blow for Arsenal. Dein was instrumental in the hiring of Wenger; had, by the time of his departure, developed a close and formidable relationship with the now well-entrenched manager; and, as a result of his exit, left major questions regarding the future of Wenger and many of the established first team players, such was his importance to the makeup of the team.

Since that time, it has been tough going, both for the club and Wenger. Success has been hard to find, the relationship with the fans has become increasingly fractious and it has led to an atmosphere around the Emirates stadium of great division and uncertainty. No one is sure what the future holds and everyone wants it to hold something different.

However, perhaps the one common need that the fans, the board and even Wenger can accept as gospel is the implementation of a transitional process; the implementation of some key figures to aid the eventual replacement of the man who has moulded the club in his own image.

And that is what the club are currently undertaking. Per a report in the Telegraph, Arsenal are looking to hire a sporting director with the primary intention of working with Wenger to ease the burden on him – he is the only manager in football to have such an influence on all the inner-workings of a football club, the last of which was Sir Alex Ferguson – and begin to find a suitable successor.

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It is an off-field shake-up that has been much-needed for many years. Wenger’s eventual departure is no surprise. And yet the club seemingly have little to no plans in place for when that time comes. Now, though, decisions are beginning to be made, a sign that the end is coming.