In a statement released this morning, Arsene Wenger is to resign his position as Arsenal FC manager at the end of this season, bringing to a close his 22 year tenure at the Club.
It has been long wondered when Wenger would finally release his hold on the Gunners hotseat, with fans becoming ever more disenchanted with their wait for a Premier League title that has not been theirs since the 2003/04 season.
Wenger will go down as one of the greatest ever Premier League managers, with his battles of words and wit with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson part of Premier League folklore, as well as producing some of the finest football teams that England has ever seen. Indeed, his Arsenal ‘invincibles’ team of that same 2003/04 season are, arguably, the best team that the Premier League has ever seen.
But after a dismal Premier League campaign, with the Gunners only embroiled in a battle with Burnley for 6th place and a whopping 34 points behind champions Manchester City seems to have been the final straw for Wenger, despite Arsenal still in the Europa League and having made the Carabao Cup final, although they were dismantled by City at Wembley.
There is no doubt that, just as Sir Alex Ferguson left behind at Manchester United, Wenger will leave huge shoes to fill for whomever the new manager at the Emirates Stadium will be, and he will become a huge part of the rich history of Arsenal….but the general feeling is that a new approach is needed to get the Gunners back in the Premier League fight and as sad as it is to see one of the best managers around of his generation leave, Arsenal fans will be looking forward with fresh hope for the future.
Thank you for some great memories Mr Wenger.