There has been a torrent of negative press around Arsenal this season and with their capitulation to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last weekend, the spotlight has once again fallen on Arsene Wenger and his team's failings.
Jamie Carragher was in studio with Thierry Henry on Sky Sports ahead of their Premier League clash with City and argued that the only way that the club can dissipate all the negativity surrounding the Gunners is to announce that Wenger is leaving at the end of the season:
The only way you can turn this negative into a positive is, if they (Arsenal) come out and announce that he (Wenger) was going to move on at the end of the season and everyone could get behind him. And as soon as it happens what would we say? 'What a man, one of the great managers in the Premier League one of the greatest managers in British football in 20 years time. That's what should be getting said, but this place (the Emirates) could turn toxic tonight if Man City get an early goal.
And I actually think there'll be some Arsenal fans who think 'I don't want us to win the Europa League, because if we get in the Champions League the manager might stay. That's a sad thing when your own supporters think like that. Imagine if they could turn it the other way, the whole country would be behind Arsenal to try and win the Europa League.
You do get the sense that Arsenal are a club are reaching a tipping point with Wenger and with the fans voting with their feet tonight, the members of the Arsenal board will need to make a decision soon if they have serious aspirations of attaining silverware.
Carragher was measured in his assessment of the Frenchman's tenure as of late. The former Liverpool defender stated that Wenger has done a good job at the club over the past few years three FA Cups in the space of four years as proof but that someone needs to come in to take the club in a new direction:
He's doing a good job, but he's not doing a great job. Someone needs to come in and do a great job at this club.
You do get the sense that Arsenal are a club are reaching a tipping point with Wenger and with the fans voting with their feet tonight, the members of the Arsenal board will need to make a decision soon if they have serious aspirations of attaining silverware.
