There is a saying attributed to Batman villain Harvey Dent and overused by fellas you used to go to school with on Facebook: “You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain”.
Now while it’s not necessarily the best idea to take life advice from a fictional bad guy, the main points of this quote ring true; the good times don’t last forever, and those who preside over a success will more than likely be the cause of its demise.
All of this is a roundabout way of saying that Arsene Wenger has become the villain of his own story.
Here is a man – suave and composed and a gentleman by all accounts – whose initial impact at Arsenal was akin to a meteor descending from space onto the prehistoric landscape of English football.
His methods were unusual. He wanted players to stop drinking pints all the time; he wanted them to pass the ball in training, not just run.
At the time the way he worked was revolutionary and widely derided, but today his techniques seem normal and, if anything, a little obvious.
Whether by design or due to a belief in his own techniques, Wenger laid the groundwork for much of modern English football. He forced those around him to get better and he forced those coming through the ranks to adapt.
R.I.P. Arsenal's season. pic.twitter.com/WHjtC17jII
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) March 4, 2017
He has done more for modern English football than millennia of a functioning governing body could ever hope for, which makes what we now witness all the more upsetting.
Sure, there are still some good times; occasions on which his side provide us with a glimpse of classic, breathtaking, brutal Arsenal. But these sunny days which were once the norm now merely serve to highlight the mundanity which has become the club’s reality.
One of Wenger’s greatest strengths during his most successful period at Arsenal – aside from the quality of football – was the fact that the players seemed like they would do anything for him.
These former players – many of whom remain loyal to Wenger today as pundits on television – followed his methods to the letter and it worked for everyone.
For those earlier teams, Wenger was the pinnacle of football intelligence; a man with a wisdom rarely seen and an uncanny ability to transform that wisdom into tangible success.
But that ability is gone and the commitment from a squad willing to carry out their manager’s instructions word-for-word is now a thing of the past, as it is for all but the most enigmatic of managers.
No one is pretending that it’s shameful to lose to the Bayern Munichs or Barcelonas of this world, because most teams do, but performances such as this season’s 10-2 defeat – as well as many others in recent years – showed once and for all that these players don’t believe in their manager.
Belief comes from proof; it comes from consistent and recent success, not from two major trophies in 10 years and a near-obsession with “next year”.
What happened when Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger went for a drive together? (via #FFL with @888Sport) #MUFC #LFC #AFC pic.twitter.com/g5EJDLAzzN
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) May 15, 2017
Wenger is a smart man. He can see all of this happening and more, but his pride and love for the club prevent him from doing what is best for everyone.
His past successes blind him to the inevitability of his situation and to modern football in general. As sad as it is to say, he has been overtaken, rendered obsolete by the same forces of change that left his predecessors hopelessly snatching at his heels.
His bosses have indulged him for too long; to their, his and the fans’ detriment.
Once the disruptor; the quiet rabble-rouser who spearheaded a beautiful uprising, Wenger is now a gentle despot, refusing to abdicate a failing regime because, obviously, he knows best.
Had Wenger left four years ago, he would have died a hero, unfortunately he has lived long enough to see himself become the villain.
