Arsene Wenger has stated that he may review his future as Arsenal manager at the conclusion of the season if he believes he is no longer capable of maximizing his team’s potential.
Wenger’s team maintained its strong performance by securing a fifth consecutive Premier League victory, triumphing 2-1 against Norwich on Saturday. He currently has two years remaining on his contract with the Emirates.
However, he has now acknowledged that the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to Barcelona and Manchester City last summer, which significantly weakened his young squad, were ‘painful’ and had disrupted his long-held aim of constructing a title-winning team with homegrown players.
He admitted that he is willing to question whether he is the right person to lead Arsenal moving forward. Wenger stated: ‘The only reason I would not respect my contract until the end would be if I feel I am not capable of fulfilling the role anymore. Therefore, I will assess the situation at the end of the season and determine if I have been able to maximize the team’s potential.’
‘I will not declare that I will resign if we fail to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League. However, after 15 years with Arsenal, I must evaluate the circumstances in a sincere and fully objective manner. I believe every manager would probably respond in a similar way.’
Wenger was addressing inquiries regarding a candid interview he provided to the French sports publication L’Equipe, where he seemed to cast doubt on his future with the club he has successfully managed since 1996.
The 62-year-old French manager reportedly mentioned: ‘I won’t be with Arsenal in 15 years. Will I still be here next season? We will reassess at the end of this season, and I have two years left on my contract after that.’
‘This marks the beginning of a new cycle. When we departed from Highbury, I envisioned a long-term plan with a youthful team. Unfortunately, that did not materialize and we are in the process of rebuilding. For me, we are currently focusing on the short-term, that is evident. Whether it is with me or someone else, it remains unchanged. My successor will require a strong foundation for success.’
‘Indeed, last season was the toughest I’ve encountered at Arsenal… What is challenging is the sense that something is coming to an end. For the first 
time, I lost young players who were achieving maturity.’
‘That was difficult for me. It is painful to lose key players in whom you’ve invested so much.’
On Saturday, while commenting on the interview, Wenger emphasized: ‘I am entirely committed to Arsenal. This club is my life. I have a contract here and I intend to honor it. The talk in L’Equipe is an interview I did about two weeks ago and it is not significant.’
‘The journalist merely asked whether there was any scenario in which I might leave Arsenal, and I explained that the only scenario would be if I felt I was not fulfilling expectations. However, I cherish the club and believe I have consistently demonstrated my complete dedication to it. I expect to uphold my Arsenal contract until its conclusion, despite some individuals questioning my decisions.’
Wenger’s friends admit he was unsettled by the events of the summer when Nasri and Fabregas departed the club, even though he believed he could have persuaded at least one of them to remain.
This event, along with a reluctance to compromise Arsenal’s negotiation positions, caused Wenger to postpone signing replacements, such as Santi Carzola, who chose to join Malaga instead of Arsenal, and Juan Mata, who later signed with Chelsea.
Clearly, the team morale at Arsenal was impacted by the departures of Fabregas and Nasri, as the club suffered a humiliating 8-2 loss to Manchester United and endured a chaotic 4-3 defeat at Blackburn.
Nevertheless, they have since bounced back and risen to sixth in the league standings. On Saturday, Wenger praised his Dutch forward Robin van Persie, whose two goals against Norwich expanded his total Premier League goals tally for 2011 to an astonishing 31.
Wenger remarked: ‘His current form is exceptional. He is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world and consistently makes the right choices in mere seconds. Furthermore, although he is primarily left-footed, he scored his second goal here with a brilliant chip using his right foot.’
‘Now at 28, I hope he will remain here for the entirety of his career. I will certainly do everything in my power to keep him.’
by Terence Johns
