Arsene Wenger has earned an awful lot of respect over the years. But with Arsenal now treading water – at best – respect for the past clearly doesn’t always help build for the future.
Arsene Wenger deserves to decide when his time at Arsenal is up. He’s earned that right. That is a view often heard when it comes to the Frenchman and his tenure with the Gunners. But although Wenger has earned a certain level of respect, how much is too much?
If every manager got to choose when he was to leave a club, there would be a lot of messed up clubs around. Nobody would leave. All convinced they can change the situation and find success in the future.
Now, Wenger has been in charge at Arsenal for in excess of 20 years. Certain privileges have been earned. But deciding your own future? It’s crazy when you really think about it. How can that be a good thing for any club? Just one look at Arsenal tells you it’s not.
It’s like a fighter taking a beating round after round, sometimes they need saving from themselves. They just don’t know any better. All they know is to keep pushing forward. Never give up. Wenger just wont give up.
A manager should never be in charge of his own destiny. Never. Not directly. Indirectly, they’re all in charge of their destiny, really, because if they perform well, then they will continue in their role. But if you do a poor job, then your position should be in danger. That goes for everybody.
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Claudio Ranieri was a manager recently in a similar position to Wenger. After making history last season by sensationally guiding Leicester City to the Premier League title, many said he had a job for life. That the club should give him a five or six-year contract and a statue outside the stadium.
But less than a year later, and Ranieri has been sacked by the Foxes. Why? The club went from 1st place to a club barely outside the relegation zone inside just six months. On paper, it was a fair dismissal, really. But in reality, that respect word came up again.
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Ranieri deserves this…. Ranieri deserves that….. What Ranieri deserves is a ton of respect. No doubt. But how much is too much? Allowing Ranieri to relegate the club and then try and bring them back, is that really smart? Is that how you run a club?
It could take 10 years to gain promotion back to the Premier League. Also, the club gets relegated and people in the background lose their jobs. Spending cuts across the board. Hows does that respect work out for those people?
Ultimately, all clubs have to live in the moment. Judge their managers on what they are doing today. You can show respect to an Arsene Wenger or a Claudio Ranieri without holding the club back.
Sometimes, club owners and fans spend so long looking back at the past and reflecting on former glories, that they forget to look forward and create more. But time stops for nobody. There is such a thing as sticking around too long. Outstaying your welcome. Going stale.
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Wenger, for all the great things he has done for Arsenal, is now holding the club back. Nobody wants to show disrespect to a Premier League and Arsenal legend. Nobody. Accepting time has moved on is not doing that.
Respect should be mandatory in the game for certain individuals. However, respect can be stretched too far. It’s a fine line and Arsenal have been treading on that line too carefully. Respect can end up holding your club back, and Arsenal are the perfect example of that for everybody else.