Warren Barton: Arsenal have to get rid of Arsene Wenger
Arsenal were beaten by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16, 5-1. With that, their European dreams died again. And Warren Barton thinks that it should also mark the end of Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal.
That performance for Arsenal, Arsene Wenger now should walk. If he ain't gonna walk, the board has to make a decision because that performance was inept.
The first 10 years when he came into English football has been brilliant. And I don't want to see him go like this. I wanted to do like when Fergie left. He went out on a high.
Wenger has to go, for the benefit of Arsenal Football Club. Not him, what's right for the club.
Assuming Arsenal don't come back in the second leg, this will be the seventh straight season that the Gunners crash out of the Champions League in the round of 16. All the while, they are out of the Premier League title race, having lost to Chelsea last week to end their hopes there. Now they're focused on just trying to stay in the top four, which is hardly a guarantee with just one point separating them and fifth place Liverpool.
Barton thinks they're out their way out of the top four, making it all the more obvious for Wenger to go.
Patrick Vieira and Henry, must be looking at this ... and be be shaking. They must want to rip the TV to pieces because that's not what Wenger's been about. The last 10 years, it has to stop. They might drop out of the top four. This is probably the last time Arsenal fans will see them in the Champions League.
Rumors have been swirling that this will be it for Wenger. His contract with the club ends after the season and reports have linked Juventus boss Max Allegri to the Emirates. Getting pummeled by Bayern Munich sure won't help his case and, in Barton's mind, it should be the final nail in his coffin.
