Arsene-Wenger-001In a typical job setting, most employees that are recognized by management for promotion or for greatness are people that improve the business or that consistently perform better at their job. However, European football is not a typical job setting and the managerial positions and ownership groups are completely unlike your basic office set-up. For the red side of London and Arsenal, it is looking like the club has decided a string of seasons without a major trophy but with constant financial improvement and top four finishes is enough to justify keeping you around for a little while longer.

Arsene Wenger currently has Arsenal at the apex of the English Premier League. With only seven games played, it will still take a serious run by the Gunners to maintain their top spot before the end. However, the longer Arsenal sit in the top spot, the more faith and momentum rehiring Wenger will gain. With that being said, if Arsenal lose out on the EPL after enjoying a few weeks as the top team in England, Wenger might end up being the first major manager on the chopping block (although, Moyes is currently occupying the hottest seat in England).

The French manager has long been under fire for Arsenal not adding to their silverware cabinet, but he has always faced insurmountable odds. Typically depending on youngsters that have been relatively unproven, working in and out of the transfer window with serious handcuffs on spending, and still putting an impressive 11 out on the pitch and making deep runs in nearly every competition that Arsenal have been able to be involved with. Although I may not like the man personally, he has done more with less for years. Considering how many teams have pulled into the top four and how many teams have fallen out of the top four in the last two decades, Wenger’s magic definitely pervades and stands above 99% of the other EPL managers in his time.

Arsenal may stick by the man because the club ownership realize how amazing Wenger’s run has been and how much better it might be now that money is starting to flow back into the transfer coffers, but the fans will need some silverware soon. The fans do not get to see the bank statement at the end of the year and they also have no clue how difficult it may have been for the Professor for his Arsenal tenure, but the show of faith that Wenger might get in a contract extension shows that someone in the higher-ups is aware of how great his accomplishments have been. What’s the funny part here? If Wenger ends up bringing home trophies after this extension, all the fans will talk about how they always believed in Wenger and how much they agreed with giving him the extension. I love football…