Thursday 5 March 2015 18:32, UK
Arsenal should follow Manchester United's lead with Sir Alex Ferguson and give Arsene Wenger a rolling contract, says the Independent's Sam Wallace.
Wenger signed a new three-year deal to remain as Arsenal manager last summer after leading the club to their first trophy since 2005 when winning the FA Cup.
Meanwhile, United decided to hand Ferguson a rolling one-year deal in his last years as their manager, meaning it was easier to change things if required and allow Ferguson to leave in dignified fashion.
Arsenal's 3-1 home defeat to Monaco in the first leg of the Champions League round-of-32 was another collective failure by Wenger's men against elite opposition, which continues to restrict their progress.
Wallace thinks it was a brave decision by the Arsenal board to award Wenger a lengthy contract.
A rolling contract gives the option of if things go wrong, it allows the manager to have a more dignified exit because it’s not a sacking.
"They've given him a three-year contract, so it's going to be more of the same - that was brave," he said.
"Sir Alex Ferguson in his last few years at Manchester United was on a one-year-deal and I thought that was more sensible. A rolling contract gives the option of if things go wrong, it allows the manager to have a more dignified exit because it’s not a sacking.
"If you go before the end of your contract, that’s a sacking. I think Arsenal have gone into a comfort zone."
The pressure on Wenger has intensified since the Monaco defeat and Wallace thinks that the club’s board would have expected more this season from the squad, who currently sit 12 points behind Chelsea in the title race.
"I think the club expected Wenger to be doing better this season," Wallace said.
"This was the season when things were supposed to change. The new Puma deal came in and they got a new deal with The Emirates. Also, clubs like Man City and Chelsea, who have taken Arsenal’s place at the hierarchy of English football, have got FFP pressures.
"Wenger's had two years of big signings - Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and they bought a centre-half (Gabriel) in the last transfer window. They've spent a lot of money. They spent about getting on for £100m in the summer with very little coming in.
"The club think the squad is in place now. You look at Wednesday night and there weren’t many injuries - Debuchy maybe. He had the full complement to beat the team in fourth place in Ligue One and they didn’t do it. There has been mitigating circumstances in recent years but Tuesday was as bad as it gets for Arsenal in the Champions League."
