WENGER
The time has come for Arsene Wenger to call time on his
20-year association with Arsenal, but he has earned the right to decide when he
leaves, according to Charlie Nicholas.
The Gunners' Champions League last-16 struggles returned on
Wednesday as Bayern Munich all but ended their hopes of navigating the stage
for the first time since 2010 with a humbling 5-1 first-leg
victory.
Already under siege for Arsenal's faltering Premier League
title bid, Wenger's position at the Emirates Stadium has been the subject of
yet more scrutiny.
Nicholas feels the Frenchman's revolutionary tenure in north
London - which has yielded nine major honours - has run its course, but he
stressed Wenger deserves to leave in a dignified manner.
"He has earned the right to decide when to leave,"
he said. "For the last three years he has been questioned and last year
was the first time I started to turn.
"I don't enjoy saying it but the reality is that this
is not the Arsenal I want to see. He deserves criticism but I feel pain for him
more than anyone else.
"I want him to leave with dignity and humility after
the greatness he has achieved. He will decide when the time is right but I feel
that time is coming.
"He cannot continue with this pain, the anxiousness he
has before games and the players not reaching the level he has delivered in the
past.
"I suspect he will say enough is enough this summer, he
won't announce it until the season wears as to not affect their involvement in
the FA Cup.
"He will also want to uphold his record of securing a
top-four finish in every season, so he will put himself in a position to do so.
"The fact of the matter is that there has been no
improvement this season, even with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Nothing at
Arsenal is driven, it's all nice and easy, these players need driving.
"He will walk away this summer because of the intensity
surrounding his position and having blindly put his faith in players who simply
haven't improved."
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