We have 9 players with contracts ending next year, another 8 with contracts ending in 2019 (As Arseblogger says). The squad is unbalanced with a lot of dead wood and best players looking to leave. There is something going on behind the curtains ( see Mustafi case), that we are not aware of. The situation with the squad is truly awful.
How did we come to that?
My only explanation (I do not know if it is the right one) is that Wenger actually seriously planned to leave this summer. Somewhere in the Summer 2016 he decided to finish his AFC carreer for good and not to extend his contract. So he did not care much about what will happen afterwards. More than that, the more problems his successor has with the squad the better Wenger looks in comparison. Remember he said in Feb -March: "You will know soon" ? But we did not, because all of a sudden he reconsidered, and the reason was that negative atmosphere created by the fans in the Spring. His departure would have not looked dignified enough, it would look as if he was pushed out of the club the fans. Obviously it was not the way for him to go. Wenger wanted to show that he could leave on his own terms. He wanted to show who was the boss. Now when he won, when he has the scared Board firmly in his pocket and proved that he can do whatever pleases him, he is thoroughly enjoying life at the Emirates. He can start selling CBs when we need them, can sell WS even though the Pole was probably our best goalkeeper. He can play two left backs as CB, and then say "You know what I am not convinced ha ha", he can shuffle our defence line, put Bellerin on the left and Monreal in the middle just to give Ox the start at RB, he can drop Lacazette against Pool, he can sub players just because he wants it, he can state that he needed Walcott to cross to Giroud (what???) etc. etc. - simply because he knows he will get away with murder. And he is thoroughly enjoying it. It is like "Ok, practically I have already gone, but lets stay for a while and have some real fun". Neverthelrss now he has to deal with the problems he left for his succesor.
This is the only theory that in my view explains al this mess.
How did we come to that?
My only explanation (I do not know if it is the right one) is that Wenger actually seriously planned to leave this summer. Somewhere in the Summer 2016 he decided to finish his AFC carreer for good and not to extend his contract. So he did not care much about what will happen afterwards. More than that, the more problems his successor has with the squad the better Wenger looks in comparison. Remember he said in Feb -March: "You will know soon" ? But we did not, because all of a sudden he reconsidered, and the reason was that negative atmosphere created by the fans in the Spring. His departure would have not looked dignified enough, it would look as if he was pushed out of the club the fans. Obviously it was not the way for him to go. Wenger wanted to show that he could leave on his own terms. He wanted to show who was the boss. Now when he won, when he has the scared Board firmly in his pocket and proved that he can do whatever pleases him, he is thoroughly enjoying life at the Emirates. He can start selling CBs when we need them, can sell WS even though the Pole was probably our best goalkeeper. He can play two left backs as CB, and then say "You know what I am not convinced ha ha", he can shuffle our defence line, put Bellerin on the left and Monreal in the middle just to give Ox the start at RB, he can drop Lacazette against Pool, he can sub players just because he wants it, he can state that he needed Walcott to cross to Giroud (what???) etc. etc. - simply because he knows he will get away with murder. And he is thoroughly enjoying it. It is like "Ok, practically I have already gone, but lets stay for a while and have some real fun". Neverthelrss now he has to deal with the problems he left for his succesor.
This is the only theory that in my view explains al this mess.
Last edited: