Arsene Wenger today announced that he'd be stepping down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season, ending a 22-year spell with the London club.
The Frenchman's decision to part ways with the club he's led to three Premier League titles 10 FA Cups hasn't divided opinion like it possibly would have some years ago, as most felt his time at the helm was coming to a close, with many calling for his resignation or termination of his contract for a number of seasons now. One such voice is former Arsenal player Stewart Robson, who joined OTB for a special broadcast in the wake of the news.
"I've been fed up with Arsene Wenger's managerial reign for the past probably seven or eight years. So I'm pleased, I think it's the best thing that can happen to Arsenal, I'm looking at it very straightforward".
"Obviously he had a magnificent first few seasons. I was watching from afar then because I was working with other clubs, and I was looking at players at a lower level. Then when I started to be a pundit and started to analyse Arsenal in 2006/2007, the last season at Highbury, I started to question what I was seeing. I started to question all the interviews I was hearing where Arsene Wenger contradicting himself about tactics, about how players should be developed, all these sort of things I started to question. Then when I saw Arsenal lose games, I saw them lose games in the same way, time and time again".
#MerciArsène pic.twitter.com/h3XAQvr2pw
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 20, 2018
Robson went on to say that the problems that Arsenal have endured under Wenger have been obvious for the past decade, and said his failings as Arsenal boss have been clear for a decade.
"My view is what he did very well in the early days was he recruited well, he knew the French market when bringing in Henry, Vieira, and players like that. Bergkamp was already there, he had a back four that had already been designed by George Graham, and George Graham did that brilliantly, and he went into an environment where he changed the environment. It wasn't all about scrapping, and fighting, and shouting at each other".
"He wanted to calm everything down, he went into the nutritional side of things, so he was a really good person to come in at that time. When it started to go wrong, I just can't see...he didn't have the tactical nous to then change it and that's been my opinion since I would say the last 10 years".
Robson also said that he feels the mentality around both the players and the club needs to improve, and criticised Wenger's unwillingness to change his management style or delegate power, noting the elements under his control that have been stripped from him this season, such as the signing of players, the medical team, and the youth set up.
"When Arsene Wenger says he loves the club, and he's done everything he possibly can to make the club better, I would disagree. I think in recent times he's almost gone away from that and made it more difficult for the next manager coming in".
"I get very agitated when I hear him say he loves the club, and that he's tried to do everything...if he wanted to move the club forward he's had allowed some of the things that have been taking place recently to have happened earlier, because it's been taken away from him. The recruitment, the sports science, the development of young players, it's all gone wrong at Arsenal over the last few years. Instead of embracing help, he's actually shied away from it and said, 'no, I know best', and I think he's been rather selfish in that way".
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
