Arsenal: Arsene Wenger’s sudden transparency can lead to revelations

Arsene Wenger has always been a bit guarded about certain things at Arsenal, but now that he isn’t, the future should be interesting for sure.

Arsenal fans have always been frustrated at Arsene Wenger‘s “The Riddler” persona, where he wouldn’t completely open up about certain things, particularly about transfers and about what goes on behind the scenes. It was frustrating because there this guarded nature and yet the major trophies were eluding us and we wanted answers.

Related Story: 4 Summer Transfer Mistakes That Must Be Rectified

But Wenger has been changing lately. He has become more and more open about things he was never open about and I don’t think it’s coincidental that this is happening at a very tough time in the club’s history while also being at a time when his contract is running down.

First of all, Wenger openly admitted that they were going to go right back after Thomas Lemar as soon as they could. That is not something I thought Wenger would ever outright say. Maybe something like “we like who is is as a player, and we will be exploring options in the future,” but nothing so forthright.

Now, Wenger is opening up to Telefoot about how he seriously considered leaving Arsenal in the midst of such heated controversy for personal reasons.

Again, Wenger has hinted at this kind of stuff before, but he is completely transparent now, letting us see into things that we never completely saw into before.

Which makes me a bit excited over what could happen when he does retire. Because I have a theory.

I know that Wenger isn’t the coach he used to be and that his nurturing atmosphere isn’t conducive to everyone. But I also still believe that he has had to be the front of a clueless and stingy board ever since David Dein left and that it has left him in a precarious spot of wanting to do what is right for the club while also protecting his job with the club, as he has no greater love in the world.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

It makes me think that he, too, like us, is frustrated by the club’s shortcomings and, dare I say it, frustrated that he and the club don’t have more support (mostly financial) from the board.

I can hear the Wenger-outers begging to differ already, as the belief that Wenger “runs the club” is a pretty established and backable claim as well. But for Wenger to love the club as much as he does – a whole damn lot – I believe that he would do everything in his power to see it to success.

If he was unable to do that, I have to believe that he is being held back. And the only people capable of that are the board, particularly Stan Kroenke.

Back to the point of Wenger’s transparency. I hope that this new brutal honesty carries on post-retirement, when he can finally tell us what was happening behind the scenes. It would be a big test for an honest man like he is, whether or not he wants to do that, but I really hope he does. I want him to vindicate this belief that he has done all he could (granted, he has some things he has to directly answer to, like that horrid starting XI against Liverpool) but big picture, I want to know how much of it was his fault.

And I want to hear it directly from him, not from some speculative report from an “unnamed source.”

Next: Arsenal's Predicted FIFA 18 Player Ratings

Maybe, just maybe, this transparency that is coming about, whether born of frustration or something else entirely, hints that he will be open to revealing what went on behind the scenes while he was trying to get the club over the hill.