Farewell, Arsene Wenger

Most of us cannot choose when we go out.  Do we leave when they love us?  Do we leave too early, as if we know that if we stayed too long we might get exposed?  Or do we leave too early and be missed, only to go to the next place and figure out that we might be exposed?  Or do we stay too late, failing to see the signs, keeping to the old methods, talking about the old days and not enough about the future?  Or, are we just fine, and, well, sometimes those in charge don't see eye to eye with us or we with them?  Departures, then, are a mixed bag.  There are always stories and facts, errors, omissions, the truth of the victors, the complaints of the vanquished, a sense that life is flawed, unfair, decisive, skewed, accelerated, too forgiving, not understanding enough, right, overdue, just plain wrong, or a combination of some or all of the above. 


At the end of the day, Arsene Wenger is leaving Arsenal.  Leaving as a legend after arriving as a relative unknown asked to replace a legend in George Graham.  A manager who made a quick mark on a hallowed club, got them to a high water mark with the Invincibles in 2004, only not to win another Premiership thereafter, not to win a Champions League, a Sisyphian struggle for the Gunners and their fans, still managing to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League for 20 straight years, always able to spot and develop young talent, and noteworthy for his steering the club through waffling ownership (the Kroenkes historically have owned their trophies but not done nearly enough to make them win) and finances taxing enough to compel him to sell contracts before he wanted to part with players.  A proud legacy, a successful one, but one that leaves an odd taste in the mouths of everyone involved.


Could it have gone more smoothly?  Could it have happened earlier?  Why did this exist have to be so public and so prolonged?  What are the Kroenkes up to? 


The latter question is the most compelling.  There is a striking parallel to their ownership of American football's Los Angeles Rams, where they were loyal to a head coach (Jeff Fisher) who will be mostly remembered for three things -- his inability to coach offense, his ability to coach defense, and his inability to develop quarterbacks.  Fisher languished in mediocrity so long that he gave rise to the following joke, told in mid-summer.  "Hey, today is Jeff Fisher Day."  "Why's that?"  The punchline:  "It's July 9.  7-9, get it?"  For those across the pond reading this, we Americans list the month first and then the day of it, not vice versa as many of you do.  Fisher's tendency for sub.-500, 7-win seasons drew a lot of notice, none of it favorable.


The Kroenkes were very loyal to Fisher, declaring their public support for him in the 2016 season and even giving him a contract extension.  Then the season ended badly, and the Kroenkes and Los Angeles Rams let him go.  The speculation was that the Rams would recycle a former head coach, the same way many English Premier League teams hire a Sam Allerdyce, Tony Pulis, David Moyes, Mark Hughes for one of their vacancies.  But instead, the Rams made an inspired choice.  They hired the 31 year-old offensive coordinator from the Washington Redskins (far from a good team right now) named Sean McVay. 


All McVay did was turn the Rams into one of the NFL's most dangerous teams, earning him coach-of-the-year honors.  He took a quarterback (Jared Goff) who was a disappointment under Fisher and whom some were already calling a bust into a formidable threat.  His team stood toe to toe with the best of the league and had a great year.


So now let's bring the spotlight back to Arsenal.   There are "dream jobs" in college football and college basketball in the United States, the heralded franchises with great traditions.  The same holds true in international football.  Who wouldn't want to coach at United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, as well as the hugely financed squads at Chelsea, City, PSG? 


What will the brain trust at Arsenal do?  Hire the young up-and-comer, or the tried and true veteran.  The speculation abounds.  That said, the pressure on this manager will differ from the pressure that was placed on David Moyes, who was named to replace United's legend, Sir Alex Ferguson, several years ago.  Moyes was expected to win right away.  The new Arsenal manager will be given some time.  The Gunners don't have the talent to compete with the top four teams in the league, but that can change quickly, the same way it did at Liverpool when Juergen Klopp took over.  The comparisons to Wenger will not be nearly as tough as they were for Moyes to Ferguson, as Wenger's teams have struggled under the brightest of lights in recent years.  Those facts, in and of themselves, present Arsenal as even more of an attractive opportunity.


Arsene Wenger deserves many accolades, left a huge mark on the game, the game is better for it, and he will go down in history as an all-time great.  Now it's time for Arsenal to start writing a new chapter, one that evolves its approach and game and makes the first team better able to compete for the top spot in the EPL.