Arsenal: The Man Who Should Hate Arsene Wenger Supports Him

Lukas Podolski has stated that Arsenal would struggle greatly to replace Arsene Wenger. If there is anyone who shouldn’t support Wenger, then it’s him.

The future of Arsenal football club is in a great state of flux. With answers hard to find and division rife within the media and the fanbase, it is difficult distinguish between what many want the club to do and what the club will actually do.

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At the centre of this uncertain storm is Arsene Wenger. The man who has shaped and moulded this club in his own image for over two decades has come under intense scrutiny thanks to the team’s recent struggles, that could see them drop out of the top four for the first time since Wenger’s hiring in 1996.

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With Wenger being such a high-profile and significant figure, not just in North London, but in world football, the question of whether he should stay beyond the expiration of his contract at the end of the season is one that everyone remotely related to the club must face. The latest man to be asked his opinion on Wenger and his future is former attacker Lukas Podolski.

Speaking after Germany’s 1-0 win over England on Wednesday night, a game which was decided by a thumping Podolski strike which nestled into the top corner beyond the outstretched Joe Hart, Podolski questioned whether Arsenal would be able to find a suitable replacement if Wenger were indeed to either leave or be sacked:

"“I follow nearly every match – when not live then on social media – and I don’t know what has happened. Arsene Wenger is a good guy and a good coach. He built this club from nothing to now. It will be interesting what happens in the next few months. I don’t know who the guy is that can replace him. He is Arsenal.”"

Given the issues that Manchester United have had in the aftermath of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the last manager to hold a candle to the same level of influence over a club’s running, it is certainly a fair question to ask. However, Podolski’s comments take on a new meaning when the context of them are considered.

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Podolski is a former player who should not hold respect and reverence for Wenger. He was misused and underused; his prime was wasted and his talent scuppered. And yet, even Podolski can highlight the entrenched need for Wenger at the club. The man who should hate Wenger is in fact in support of him. That perhaps tells you more than any pundit or deranged fan.