The Boo Boys have been quick to return to the Emirates.  But, then again, so too have the dodgy results.  An entertaining––too entertaining for a manager––win over Leicester, followed by defeat to Stoke and a thrashing by Liverpool is not the start to the season that Arsenal would have been wanting.

Wenger admitted that the uncertainty, which his own late contract signing had thrown over the club, had affected results during the 2016/17 season.  During that season, there had been speculation that he might move to Barcelona; the England national team; to PSG; back to Monaco.  When asked if he would be managing Arsenal at the end of the season, he would often reply, enigmatically, that he would be managing “somewhere”.

You wonder if he could make the same claim with such confidence now.  Barcelona always seemed unlikely; the England team are well set for World Cup qualification and––another Allardyce scandal excepted––are unlikely to rock the boat before 2018; PSG are spending big––would Wenger ever have paid close to £200M for Neymar?––and Monaco have just enjoyed one of the best seasons in their history, despite reports that Thomas Lemar may actually make the move to Arsenal in the next transfer window in January.

Wenger has been at Arsenal for 21 years.  Privately, I am quite sure he would love to surpass Alex Ferguson’s record at Manchester United of 26 years.

Five years: it is a long time in football.

© Donnie Blake

Donnie Blake finds himself sitting on the fence.

Arsène at Arsenal:

Should he stay or should he go?

Moi? Je ne sais pas.