Merse: Arsenal to sack Wenger replacement within a year

Matt Stead

Paul Merson expects Arsenal to suffer a “Man United situation” by sacking Arsene Wenger’s eventual replacement within a year.

Arsenal are sixth in the Premier League table, out of the FA Cup, beaten soundly in the Carabao Cup final and face a daunting task of winning the Europa League to reach the Champions League next season.

There is still no real sign of Wenger’s 22-year tenure coming to a close however, with the manager insistent on honouring the two-year contract he signed last summer.

Merson believes Arsenal’s current malaise will only get worse, and things “won’t work out” even under Wenger’s successor, as with David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson at United in 2013.

“Arsenal are a million miles away,” Merson told Sky Sports.

“This is a four-year project now, a four-year project and about £500m to get anywhere near back to where they were.

“You’re going to get a Man United situation when Sir Alex Ferguson left.

“The next manager will come in, it won’t work out, they’ll get rid of him within a year. Then another manager will come in.

“Things can’t get any worse to be honest. They’re sixth and that’s where they’re going to be.

“Surely it couldn’t get worse than that. I look at the other teams and no one is going to catch them, I don’t see anybody else coming above Arsenal in sixth.

“But this is Arsenal Football Club and they’re becoming an also-run, an also-run.”