Premier League News: Arsene Wenger about to sign a new deal at Arsenal
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that he is on the verge of renewing his contract with the Gunners.
Wenger’s current deal will end after the 2010-11 season, but he has said that a new deal is all but done.
He said that he has to show his belief in the young team, and there is no doubt about his commitment to Arsenal. Wenger added that it is only a matter of time before he puts pen to paper on a new contract.
Arsene Wenger, also known as ‘The Professor’, has spent 13 years at Arsenal, and has been quite successful in general. He has won 11 pieces of silverware for the Gunners. However, the last few seasons have not been fruitful at all. Since winning the Premier League without losing a single match in 2003-04, Wenger’s team has not been able to put up a serious challenge for the title. The last trophy that Arsenal won was back in 2005 when they won the FA Cup.
The Gunners will begin the new Premier League campaign this Sunday when they take on Liverpool at Anfield.
Wenger said that his commitment to the team should not be judged by the performance of the team in the new season. He said that when he took over the club he had a certain strategy in his mind, and he has stuck to it. Wenger added that there has been some good success at the club, but admitted that the last few seasons have been tough. He said that the club has been in a state of transition with a number of big names leaving, but reiterated that he would not change his approach and will continue to believe in the youth.
The 60 year old manager said that if the club someday does not think that he is the right man for the job, he would be happy to walk away without any problems. He added that the board and the fans have stood by him through both good times and bad, and he hopes that this would continue. Wenger said that this may be the right time for his young brigade to come good; this season would go a long way towards determining the long-term future of the club.
Arsene Wenger came to Arsenal in 1996, and started a new chapter in the club’s history. Arsenal won the Premier League in 1998, 2002, and later in 2004. The club also picked up FA Cup wins in 1998, 2002, 2003, and finally in 2005. Arsenal also made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2005, but was beaten by Barcelona 2-1.
There is also a school of thought that since Arsenal left their traditional home known as Highbury and moved to the new stadium called the Emirates Stadium, the team has not been able to enjoy the same amount of success. Last season, Arsenal looked good at the start of the season, but the young players could not cope with the long and gruelling season and in the end fell short by 11 points finishing 3rd behind Manchester United and Chelsea.
Wenger has been doing his best to keep his most influential player Cesc Fabregas at the club this season. The Spanish midfielder has expressed his desire to leave, but somehow Wenger has managed to keep him at the club for now; however, there is immense speculation that Cesc may be on his way out in the next transfer window.
Wenger showed his frustration about the whole situation, and said that if this pattern continues, he will never be able to establish the team that he has been planning for a decade.
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