Arsenal: How much longer will we wait for Wenger to deliver a trophy?

A great man, mind and manager, but how many more trophy-less seasons can Arsenal withstand before drawing the line?

Fresh from a convincing win at Liverpool, a new air of confidence is blowing around the Arsenal faithful. A third consecutive clean sheet in the bag, a couple of goals for our new boys … it all seems very positive for the boys in red. But am I the only one that feels a sense of familiarity in Arsenal’s start to the 2012/13 season?

Ignoring last year’s shenanigans, Arsenal have experienced similar, hopeful starts to the campaigns following on from that now very distant FA Cup victory. Yet all too familiarly, Arsenal lacked the strength to last the distance. With Arsenal fans growing more and more impatient, more and more fingers are starting to point at the French man in the impeccable suit, Arsene Wenger. Although clearly a brilliant manager, his old fashioned stubbornness in regards to signings and the retaining of star players has to be partially blamed for the ever mounting dust in Arsenal’s once filled trophy cabinet.

The situation of Arsene Wenger is oddly comparable to that of Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish, a Liverpool legend both on the pitch and in the dugout, was recently asked to leave after a miserable season in charge. Both Wenger and Dalglish have shown their ability to win titles for their respective clubs and are both club legends.

The difference between these two situations however is that after seven years without a trophy, Arsene Wenger still remains the main man in charge, while it took the Liverpool board one year to realise that Kenny Dalglish had to leave. And although it could be argued that Liverpool finished 8th and Arsenal have always finished in the top four under Arsene Wenger’s reign, Arsenal should not be content with 4th place. We are a club that should be challenging for the title every year. There is no trophy for Champions League qualification.

When looking at this year’s squad I see a lot of talent, but the talent has always been there. The consistency of the squad however, not quite so. Only one player remains from the 07/08 squad, something that should be noted as a reason behind Arsenal’s lack of success. Arsenal boasts a new look squad each year, but that’s not something that should be celebrated. Forgetting the fans, it must be difficult for players to get new team-mates each year.

All of that being said, I do still remain hopeful that Arsenal can challenge for silverware this year. The squad looks good with some very hopeful additions and also players returning from injury. We may not be title favourites, but fingers crossed, a nifty little cup run and a nice little victory at Old Trafford (where Van Persie breaks both his legs in a freak own goal and Vermaelen scores a hat-trick), could be just what Wenger needs to bring the club back to its glory days.

Article by Josh Ben Moshe

Calling all Arsenal fans: How much longer does Wenger have at Arsenal? Can he bring silverware back to the Emirates before he retires? Will this barren spell all be worth it in the end when the trophies come flooding in? How confident are you of the future for Arsenal and does that future contain Wenger at the helm? Whatever your view, we'd love to hear from you.

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