Wenger to extend Arsenal contract: The case for and against

Arsenal must demand more from Wenger as he faces the board

30 May

Arsenal may have won the FA Cup on Saturday but the most significant result for the Gunners this week will be the outcome of a meeting between manager Arsene Wenger and the board today.

Wenger held talks with Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke on Monday and is widely expected to extend his tenure as boss at the Emirates. But he will face a grilling from the board after a season that ended with success at Wembley but no Champions League football to look forward to next campaign.

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Although Wenger wants to stay on, Jack Austin of The Independent says there are "major issues that need addressing which could see Wenger ultimately call time on his 21-year reign in north London".

This would throw the club into complete chaos, but some level of turmoil seems inevitable whatever happens. There have been calls for a shake-up behind the scenes and for a director of football to be appointed, although Wenger is opposed to that idea.

"The manager is firmly against a director of football but the board are keen to ease the workload on Wenger," says the paper. "But it is likely a compromise will be made where a lower-profile role will be created to work on such areas as scouting and contracts."

Wenger will be ordered to improve his methods in the transfer market. "The board feel that the Frenchman lacks conviction in bringing in potential transfers and they want to avoid the scenario of recent years when they were frantically signing players on the final day of the summer transfer window," says Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail.

Wenger will view any "external interference in recruitment, selection or tactics" as a "red line", says Jonathan Liew of the Daily Telegraph.

But changes are needed as the Gunners have been sliding down the table and are faced with a battle to secure the services of their two major stars, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, whose contracts have been allowed to enter their final 12 months.

"Arsenal's spectacular end to the season, thanks to a long-overdue tactical shift from their manager, should not gloss over the problems which ultimately saw them fail to finish in the top four," says Liew.

And that means Wenger must deliver next season.

"No less than a sustained Premier League title challenge should be the ambition for a club who have flattered to deceive in this regard virtually every season since their Invincibles year. Simply getting back into the Champions League should not be considered good enough, even if it is accompanied by winning another cup."

Arsenal to decide Arsene Wenger's future after FA Cup

19 May

Arsene Wenger has revealed that his future as Arsenal manager will be decided at a board meeting after the FA Cup final.

Speaking ahead of his side's final game of the season against Everton on Sunday, he said: "At the moment I think we should focus on the short-term; on the last game and the cup final."

But he indicated there would be crunch talks about his future, plus those of key players Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

"There are lots of different aspects of a football club that have to be discussed at a board meeting and one of them will be the manager's future, as well as the players that have to come in, the contracts and all of that," he said. "You don't miss problems in a board meeting."

Despite growing unrest among fans, Wenger seems keen to stay at the Emirates and appeared to soften his stance on the idea of a restructure at the club, says the Daily Telegraph.

"Arsenal have been assessing candidates for a new role and, while Wenger was utterly dismissive previously of a 'director of football' title, the club believe that they can create an operations/sporting director position that will not undermine the manager’s job.

"This situation has become pivotal to deciding Wenger's future – with the Frenchman adamant that he must retain control over the sporting operations – but he did on Friday appear noticeably more open to change."

Wenger's "increasingly embattled status" has been "starkly illustrated" by claims about his coaching ability from Arsenal legend Tony Adams, reports The Times.

The former defender, whose new book Sober: Football. My Story. My Life is being serialised in The Sun, told the tabloid that Wenger is "essentially not a coach" and "couldn’t coach his way out of a paper bag".

Arsenal power struggle looms between Wenger and Gazidis

10 May

A power struggle between Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis could be on the cards, with the Frenchman's future now apparently causing conflict in the boardroom as well as the stands.

Wenger's refusal to countenance the idea of working with a technical or sporting director at the Emirates has put him at loggerheads with Gazidis, who has vowed to change things this summer in an effort to make the Gunners more competitive in the Premier League.

"Gazidis… told supporters at a fans' forum last month that if Wenger stayed beyond the summer, he would be expected to oversee changes on and off the field," reports Gary Jacob of The Times.

But after Wenger's recent remarks, the pair are now in a position of "potential conflict".

Jacob adds: "The apparent disagreement with Gazidis may have contributed to the delay in Wenger signing a two-year contract beyond the summer."

David Hytner of The Guardian says Wenger's comments about sharing power have "drawn the battle lines for the looming power struggle".

It appears the manager is not prepared to give up any of his influence at the club, even though the level of control he exerts has become a cause for concern in some quarters.

"Gazidis wants to harness Wenger's strengths but also help him in areas where he feels the manager and the club are weaker. For example, a director of football or sporting director could be responsible for keeping abreast of developments in analytics and sports science," says the Guardian.

"There are many employees, at present, who report to Wenger and it is not only the coaches. They include staff members such as the facilities manager and kitmen."

That power structure could hinder attempts to improve the scouting and coaching systems, especially if Wenger remains resistant to change.

Meanwhile, the question over whether he will sign a new deal continues to overshadow the Gunners' faltering campaign. Arsenal face Southampton in the Premier League tonight, needing a win to maintain their faint hopes of a top-four finish.

Arsenal rift looms as Wenger sneers at director of football

9 May

With his future at Arsenal still undecided, Arsene Wenger has further muddied the waters at the Emirates after he "ridiculed" the idea of working alongside a director of football.

The under-pressure manager is out of contract at the end of the season and is facing growing calls to quit. He had said he would make an announcement about his future in March or April, but admitted last week that was a mistake.

Now he has "made it clear that he will only stay as Arsenal manager if he retains final power on all sporting decisions", reports the Daily Telegraph.

"Arsenal have been actively assessing options for a new sporting director position to potentially work alongside Wenger – and chief executive Ivan Gazidis had told fans that this summer should be a 'catalyst for change' – but the Frenchman is adamant that he will not fundamentally alter how he works."

It was reported that the Gunners had approached Borussia Dortmund director of football Michael Zorc about a role at the Emirates.

Asked about the idea, Wenger said: "I don't know what director of football means... I'm the manager of Arsenal Football Club and as long as I'm manager of Arsenal Football Club, I will decide what happens on the technical front. That's it."

His reaction suggests there is "considerable distance between the respective visions for Arsenal of Wenger and Gazidis", adds the Telegraph. "The bottom line, however, is that the ultimate decision on how the club now proceeds will rest with majority owner Stan Kroenke."

It is believed that Wenger is inclined to stay on as manager, says the Daily Mail.

"But amid the uncertainty – and calls for change among a section of the club's fans – there has emerged the prospect of changes to the club's executive tier, including the idea that a director of football might be introduced for the first time to oversee the recruitment strategy.

"Wenger, who has been in charge at Arsenal for more than 20 years, appears as if he is not about to accept such a drastic change of direction."