Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has insisted that Arsene Wenger shouldn’t leave the club, but changes must be made to end the 13-year wait for a Premier League title.
After damaging defeats to Watford and Chelsea last week, the knives are back out for the veteran manager having delivered just three FA Cups since the club’s last league success.
Calls for Wenger to go are growing and many pundits have expressed their belief that the time has come for the French tactician to walk away.
However, Henry has taken a different stance on his former boss and believes that he should stay but there is a lot of work to be done to transform the club into a perennial title challenger, and winner, again.
“Personally, I think Arsene shouldn’t leave,” he told RMC. “Should he change tactics or his way of doing things? I don’t know if he’s ready to do that. But the work he has to do right now is difficult, because it’s work on the mental side of things.
“Tactics help, but what I saw against Chelsea, it’s a mental problem. It’s what I’ve seen for a little while now. That’s where Arsene’s work is really difficult, because it’s a mental problem. It’s not easy to handle.
“You have to be good in training all the time. You have to get stuck into yourself from time to time. I think the Arsenal players aren’t aware of what they could achieve. There comes a time when you have to believe in your chances of winning. It takes looking after yourselves, auto-discipline within the squad.”
Henry flourished under Wenger at Arsenal as he became the club’s all-time record goalscorer and helped them win countless trophies during a glittering spell for the club.
However, whether it’s solely down to Wenger or his players not meeting expectations, it’s been frustrating for all concerned to see them consistently fall short.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, questions are being asked as to what the future holds. If he does end up signing a new deal, Wenger must show an ability to change in order to avoid causing uproar within certain sections of the supporters.