The model of managing is the club is one that is aspired to by clubs around the world. My boyhood club in La Liga Athletic Bilbao are even copying how we moved from Highbury to The Emirates.
The problem here is not so much how the club is managed - our balance sheet is very healthy. We pay our bills and generate a good profit. It's more the management of our football.
In the last eight years since we won a trophy, that is nearly half of Wenger's tenure at Arsenal, we appear to have ground to a halt.
We went from a squad from between 1998 and 2005 that had a strong defence that gave Wenger's flair players to damage the opposition. To a certain degree as much as I thank Wenger for tweaking the squad and revitalising our back four, it was thanks to Adam's, Bold, Keown, Dixon and Parlour that we won silverware.
Wenger then set to rebuild this and brought in Campbell and Lauren, two players that if defenders came up against them they would hesitate enough for Vieira to get stuck in, steal the ball and counter attack with our flair.
The success that we had between 1998 and 2005 was In my opinion because Wenger tweaked and got a balanced squad.
Since 2005 thing have been different. We knew that it would take a couple of years to rebuild a squad, but since then he just has not managed to get us anywhere near what we had.
Yes, Sunderland did knock Diaby, while Shawcross destroyed Ramsey. Eduardo was incredible until Taylor went in. Fact is, opposition teams felt that the only way to stop us was by going dirty. And the media never helped in siding with a club that brought in millions to watch our games. Commentators like Keys and Gray felt we needed to toughen-up. Sick comments given the injuries that we have sustained. But, a small part of me does think that there might be some truth in what they said.
Fact is that since 2005 we have lacked grit.
Wenger has been too focused on control and attack. Problem is that that the flair football that won us trophies was only possible because of the defensive players we had.
And what about the players. Again, since 2005 we have seen the coming and going of several players that were over-paid.
For some strange reason, Arsene believes that if you keep players wages within a similar band (socialist wages) then players will perform better. Fact is, they haven't. Young players that we have bought or brought through have been rewarded before they've won anything. Some players have even been given new improved contracts. I would love to have clients that paid me more if I did not achieve my goals.
I was speaking with my brother-in-law at the weekend. He is a ManUtd supporter. We were talking about youngsters being over paid and he said that Ferguson's philosophy to young players is, 'play well and the money will find you.' He added that for most young players it's worked. Other's though have demanded the 100k per week and when they did not get it they went. Ferg was furious, but at the end of the day let's look at his trophy cabinet since 2005.
Wenger has also brought in players like Gervinho, Chamack and other. Even Arshavin. At their previous clubs, these players looked good, they scored or created plenty of assits. Even the crap of Squillaci was well regarded at Sevilla. The question here is, what has happened. How come players that were good elsewhere fail here? This is something that for the last number of years has concerned me.
Wenger has not adapted his football style, while oppositions have.
The injuries that we pick up are just a joke. And Diaby, well, for how many years have we talked about his potential? Enough is enough.
As Matt Law in The Mirror today says, Wenger answers to himself.
Former players that could be an inspiration are pushed out. Imagine us with Henry, Pires, Keown and Bergkamp. Even Lehmann. All of these legends teaching our kids and our reserves. Fact is that if Arsene thinks that they will question him then he will push them out. That for me signals insecurity and not the confidence that he says he has.
There needs to be a healthy amount of fear in the dressing room. The amount that motivates players.
Gazidis and the board need to not hold on to Wenger because of the past success that he brought to us. In management you make decisions based on the future.
Gazidis wants improved income from merchandising and sponsorship. That is not going to come with a squad that way way under delivers. And it is these big contracts that are at risk. Why would anybody sponsor with big money a club with that is not really in the race? See, it all comes down to Wenger.
In the first eight years he has been an inspiration, but in his last four years, giving him time to rebuild, he has been shocking.
He has my respect, but Arsene has to go.