Thursday 23rd February 2017.

Nothing has polarised opinion more in the last season or so than the position of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Even among themselves the fans are at war over their greatest ever manager. A sizeable and growing number make their views clear at the Emirates every fortnight but it’s perhaps more the unrest in the away end in the intervening weeks that is the barometer of shifting opinion.

I feel for Wenger, a good man and a fine manager for a couple of decades but you have to wonder if this good thing has reached its end. Wenger has alluded to the possibility on a couple of occasions this season and while it’s still uncertain whether he’ll sign the two year contract that’s apparently still on the table, you can’t help feeling he can see the writing on the wall.

In many ways, if he is planning to leave I wish he’d announce it sooner rather than later. This would at least allow this seasons remaining home games to be the kind of respectful recognition of his achievements he so richly deserves.