Arsenal: Arsene Wenger’s “plight” indicative of club problems

Arsenal may or may not need to replace Arsene Wenger soon, but isn’t his situation a glaring reminder of the bigger problem at work here?

Arsenal’s ongoing issues over the past decade have not improved, despite an improved transfer policy, a sudden willingness to make changes by Arsene Wenger and overcoming the biggest obstacle of all – extending a superstar contract.

There have been successes, more than Liverpool and Tottenham can boast, but it’s no secret that this club needs/deserves more than FA Cup trophies. It’s all a matter of confidence and consistency at the club, and that is the one thing they just can’t wrap their heads around.

Which has lead to rumors that Wenger is gone in the summer, that his two year contract will be torn up and that final year will be left without Le Prof.

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Wenger wasn’t too concerned with this chatter, saying via BBC that he was “amazed” that he still had to answer these kinds of questions and adding:

"I’ve turned the whole world down to respect my contracts,. My position is the last worry I have at the moment. My worry is to get the team focused and ready for tomorrow’s game."

Which would tend to hint that there is, as usual, absolutely no immediate threat to him. But we knew that already. Wenger is the man of the highest power and authority at the club, despite what titles other people boast.

As such, it has long been understood that Wenger will not leave until he wants to and until he has the perfect successor ready to take the the throne.

It’s a comfortable position for a club, to not stress over the managerial lottery, but that comfort may be what has undone the entire decade of attempted successes gone awry.

I have already pointed to what has to be public enemy no. 1 at the club – it’s this pervading sense of comfort. No one is ever that worried about their continued stay at the club because why should they be? Wenger is here and everything is just cushy.

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I’m not saying that everyone should be fearing for their jobs every night when they go to bed and every morning when they wake up. That’s stressful. But there needs to be some sort of pressure, some sort of consequence if they fail to do their jobs.

As of right now, that doesn’t exist, and it stems from Wenger being in an identical situation up top, even cozier in fact. There is absolutely no pressure on him to perform or to deliver anything because he is the ultimate decision maker.

There are benefits to this – stability, for instance. But problems that stem from stability are obvious – being always close, but never at, the top. And that’s the biggest problem of all.

Wenger loves this club and the players do to. There is no questioning that. But the plight of Wenger is that he has no way to put more pressure on himself to deliver, or put more pressure on perfectly capable players who just don’t perform to the standards that they should on a daily basis.

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It’s starting to look like an unwinnable situation for the club as a whole and, unfortunately, it starts with this pervading aura of comfort emanating from the top.