It's become obvious that Wenger is - to all real intents and purposes - over. There has been plenty of disappointment, anger and bile about where he has led the club - most stemming, I think from the seemingly endless groundhog days where the same mistakes are played out endlessly - and our drift away from being a competetive team.

Now that the disappointment of Sunday, and the last few weeks is subsiding, however, I am interested in peoples' serious analysis of why things have reached this point under AW. I think that 'he is shit'; 'complacent' or 'cares more about the money than winning trophies' are, on serious reflection, over simplistic and inaccurate summaries of a once great manager. I think even that pointing to lack of funds after building the stadium; not being able to compete with the new powers in English football or deficiencies of individual players do not tell an accurate story.

Instead, being a glutton for Arsenal related punishment and listening to Arsecast Extra on Arseblog today, I think that Andrew and James have nailed it. I think I agree with them that Wenger's problem is that football has simply moved past the era where his methods worked. I don't think the manager is doing anything different or trying any less. I think that the reason is - as most effective explanations are - a simple one. Footballers these days - owing to the way in which they are developed and the sheer attention to detail that they are exposed to both tactically and technically - need constant direction and guidance in how to approach, and play games. The demands of the game; the riches available and the technological advances that have been made mean that every angle, every tiny potential for an edge have been exploited. This means that players' individual abilities are not enough. They need to be put in a position where their abilities are maximised - and this means that coaches and managers must micro manage them - both in terms of the players' own skill sets and the stregths and weaknesses of the opposition. Sure, there are still individuals - usually those experienced players at the very top - who have the vision to do this themselves to an extent - our own Sanchez was an example - but even they do not generally have the ability to manage those around them on the pitch.

Now contrast this reality with Wenger's approach to football management. We don't really know that much for certain about how managers and coaches operate, but what we DO know about wenger is that a) he does not 'micro manage' in this way; b) he does not pay huge attention to the way the opposition sets up and plays; and c) his strenths are not tactical. I am not that convinced that the reason his early teams worked so well was because the players were so much more talented than those he has today. In fact, today's players may be even more gifted technically. I think that it was becuse spotting talent, and then getting players to go out and express themselves on the pitch worked in a different era - where other teams and managers were not so proficient in micro management and tactical awareness and analysis.

We have been debating the strenghts and weaknesses of players on other threads. Mustafi and Xhaka being the most recent. What many of our players have in common is that they operated more effetively in other teams and seem to regress after some time at Arsenal. Other players improve after leaving our team. I think that the reason that our players look naive and clueless, and seemingly unable to correct mistakes made on the pitch is not down to their lack of individual ability - it is because (in common with most other players) they are not getting the assistance and instruction that they need to flourish.

So I am not sure that Wenger necessarily deserves the opprobrium that he is receiving for his (lack of) coaching/managerial skills. I think that his skill set is simply not sufficient to achieve consistent success in today's game. I don't think he has 'gone wrong' in his management. Where he has gone wrong is that the same dogged self belief that saw him as such a successful innovator in his early years has blinded him to the methods necessary to succeed today, and his misplaced 'loyalty' to his club and his contract is now dragging us back.

What are your thoughts?