BELEAGUERED ARSENAL MANAGER Arsene Wenger has decided to stay at the club, according to British media reports on Monday.
The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror said Wenger will inform Arsenal’s board he wants to extend his contract, which expires at the end of the season.
Wenger, 67, has come under fire from fans after Arsenal were thrashed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and slipped out of the Premier League’s top four.
Supporters renewed calls for him to step down during and after Saturday’s 3-1 loss at West Bromwich Albion, with some holding up “WENGER OUT” banners.
Speaking after the game, Wenger said he had made up his mind about his future and would make his intentions public “very soon”.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis said Wenger had told him he intended to stay.
“I’ll be surprised if he goes,” Pulis told reporters after Saturday’s game, as revealed in Monday’s newspapers.
Asked why he thought Wenger would stay, Pulis replied: “Because he told me.”
Arsenal have not commented on the reports on Wenger’s future.
The Frenchman, Arsenal’s manager since 1996, is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract.
Arsenal’s support is split over Wenger, who won seven trophies in his first nine seasons as manager but has won only two FA Cups in the 12 years since.
Rival groups of Arsenal supporters paid for planes trailing banners that were both critical and supportive of him to fly over the stadium during the game against West Brom.
One banner read “NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT”, the other: “IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW”.
The defeat at West Brom was Arsenal’s fourth in five league games and left them in sixth place in the Premier League table, six points below the Champions League places with two games in hand.
They recently lost 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern in the Champions League, going out in the round of 16 for the seventh season running.
Wenger said his future at Arsenal was not contingent on the club securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
My decision will not necessarily be linked with that because I’ve done the top four 20 times. It’s more. It’s not that,” he said.
“I take a bigger perspective than that. It’s not the last result that will decide what I will do.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Not in keeping exactly on topic but most football fans are hypocrites, they cry foul when the likes of Karanka get sacked yet they want Wenger sacked and humiliated. Guaranteed they’ll miss him in 2 years or so.
Sure Arsenal have been in the same position over and over for years, which just happens to be in the top 4, the same position United and Liverpool fans would have sold their nan to be in for the past few years and are fighting tooth and nail for this season. Arsenal have no divine right to win a league title, especially with the likes of City, United and Chelsea spending bucket loads these days. The fact they are even in the mix every year is a testament to Wenger.
Wenger probably should go because the players seem to have lost the plot. But all the speculation about Wenger and the protests just give the players an excuse and takes the spotlight off their awful performances recently. I’m sure Arsenal don’t want to be in the same position United were in after Fergie went and actually want a plan for when he leaves which they’re probably working on now. They could have had one ages ago but the manager landscape changes every month in football.
I went on a few tangents there so to sum up:
Wenger deserves more respect
Arsenal players are pathetic
Arsenal fans are also pathetic
Very well said. That arsenal fan tv thing is an utter disgrace. They’ll be crying for him back after they’re blasted out of Europe the first season after hes gone…grass is always greener for some folk though
@Anthony: even @Brian admits wenger should leave so why are the fans on arsenalfantv a disgrace. They are just fans who have been given a platform to voice their opinions and they share the opinion that the majority of arsenal fans have that wenger should leave. They respect wenger and his achievements as much as any football fan, but they appreciate that his tactics have become outdated in the ever-changing premier league. Look at the adaptation chelsea made under conte, why is it disgraceful for arsenal fans not to except their continual embarrassment against the top teams.
I actually think he should leave. But not because his tactics, which continually place AFC in the top 4 of one of the most competitive leagues in the world and get them to the last 16 of the top club tournament in the world, have become outdated according to some so called knowledgeable football people. He should leave because he deserves better than the abuse that he gets from these sunshine supporters. As an arsenal fan myself, I categorically reject your assumption that the majority of fans are continually embarrassed by wenger as the lads on AFT and you claim. Was it embarrassing when we beat Chelsea 3 nil in September? Conveniently short memories on the lot of them. Finally, you are right, they can of course voice their opinion. That doesn’t make their opinion less idiotic and shortsighted. Just like I can voice my opinion and call then a bunch of jackasses…which they are.
@Anthony: Do you think wenger will win the premier league title again or even come close to competing for the champions league?? Wait we saw on Saturday was your typical heartless arsenal performance, where the players showed not an ounce of drive to succeed and push on. This is because the mentality they have been brainwashed into believing that 4th place and last 16 in the champions league is the aim. Forgive me and the fans on AFTV for showing ambition and desire to succeed. Has there not been a point in the last 10-15 years where you just thought you’d love to see arsenal lifting a meaningful trophy. Well that is what I’d like to see and pull the veil over your eyes and realise that wenger is a product of the mediocre mentality and has lost the cutting edge to win at all costs and to make a team of champions.
Antony do you not think that Wenger should leave because of his inability to move the team on to the next level. All too often they have fallen short in big games and they cannot sustain a challenge for the title. Arsenal fans are paying the most expensive prices in the premier league yet Wenger continually says he has faith in the squad. Fans are tired of the same old excuses again and again
Why is it up to him and him alone? Awful running of a club by the board.
@Kris Ertz: because the board love Wenger he is a great business man and that’s all they care about..
@Kris Ertz: Until he actually gets handed the P45 it is absolutely his decision to stay or go. If someone asked you are you going to leave or stay in your job would you just say “I don’t know it’s up to the boss”? Unless you get sacked it’s in your hands, we don’t know what the Arsenal board are really thinking.
Great news
Wenger out bludfamblud
He should have gone after they were humiliated in Europe by Man U
And that was years ago
Be honest. Arsenal professional footballers, playing at the very highest Club level in the English Premiership, when looking back over the last 12 years, won’t count their career success on the number of times they played in European competitions but by the winners medals they have won. And in that regard Wenger is a disaster. Period.
@Ed Burke: Ed board doesn’t seem to care about medals only CL money
@Johnny Bravo: I know. That was the essence of my text. Players who effectively spent their career with Arsenal over the last 12yrs have virtually nothing to show for it and, equally as importantly, neither do the fans. But the coffers of the Board sure do.
As a United fan I am delighted they are keeping him on,its like a new signing for the rest of the league,they will get no where keeping him and will make top 4 easier for everyone
The absolute scenes when it is announced that he’s staying on. Long live Wenger!