Opinion | It may be too late for Arsene Wenger to prevent Arsenal's terminal decline
Arsenal must do whatever it takes, and fast, to halt an undignified fall from grace and tumble into oblivion
Bradford, Blackburn, Bayern are the three dreaded Bs that have heaped the blues on Arsene Wenger and fuelled the alarming meltdown at Arsenal. But it seems they do not spell the end of his 16-year tenure.
Despite a near-certain eighth successive season without silverware - and far worse, the very real prospect of losing out on a Champions League spot in 2013-14 - the Emirates board has declared it is standing by the Frenchman.
While the baying for Wenger's head grows louder, chairman Peter Hill-Wood and major shareholder Stan Kroenke adamantly stated after Thursday's board meeting that their trust remains rock solid. They then promised a huge summer war chest worth millions so Wenger can replace the class players desperately needed to complement the home-grown talent.
In this uncertain age of austerity, such a bonus for underperformance is viewed as immoral and a major factor in the financial crash and society's malaise. Not so at the Emirates, it seems. You have to admire Hill-Wood and Kroenke's patience and generosity as well as their bare-faced defiance of modern wisdom and convention.
After all, they are backing the man who can this season deliver only two things: a damage limitation exercise of epic proportions during the return Champions League leg in Munich next month and a vicious dog fight with, among others, neighbours Tottenham, for the crucial English Premier League fourth-spot finish.
Every manager knows you are only as good as your last trophy. The last time Wenger delivered a first-class ornament was in 2005. Yet despite the lack of success and growing fan discontent, he is under no threat from the board. Even the usually calm, cerebral Wenger was visibly shocked by the gulf in class in the 3-1 loss to Bayern.
Arsenal may look like poor pedestrians on the pitch, but the club is reportedly swimming in cash with some £150 million (HK$1.77 billion) in the bank. And that amount will soon be doubled thanks to a £150 million five-year deal with kit sponsor Emirates.