Why Arsenal's Victory Over Hull in the FA Cup Final Proves Nothing

It's true that hasty decisions and unreasonable sackings are ruining football, but surely Wenger's time was up a long time ago and winning the FA Cup final against Hull proves nothing about Wenger's suitability as Arsenal manager.

In a champagne-soaked frenzy, amidst scenes of celebrations and long-awaited relief, Arsene Wenger earned himself a little bit of redemption after he ended Arsenal fans' nine year wait for a major trophy.

Nine years of failure, jokes at their expense and a baron trophy cabinet which only got dustier and dustier. But it all ended on Saturday as they overcame a poor start and a two-goal deficit to beat a gutsy Hull City side.

An Aaron Ramsay strike in extra time relieved the pressure on the French boss and possibly restored a little bit of faith for the loyal following of the great club.

After the game, Wenger told the media that the FA Cup win is 'a good platform to build on' and a turning point in the life of the club, which suggests that he could be signing a new deal at the Emirates.

But is it a case of too little too late for the seasoned manager?

Wenger only delivered success during his 18 years as Arsenal boss up until 2005, the year in which he last lifted a trophy. Since then, the other 'big clubs' of the Premier League, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, have won at least one major trophy each.

Now that the nine-year wait for a trophy is over with the FA Cup win, speculation has it that Arsene Wenger will sign a new deal with the club.

It's pretty shocking really, especially in today's football, that a manager who has pretty much failed for such a long period of time at such a massive club still holds his position as boss.

We've seen managers get sacked even when they've won trophies.

Think about Roberto Mancini at City and both Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

All three won at least two major trophies with their respective clubs, but were still given the boot and it's outstanding to think that a major club like Arsenal and its fans have withstood nine years of nothing.

It's true that hasty decisions and unreasonable sackings are ruining football, but surely Wenger's time was up a long time ago and winning the FA Cup final against Hull proves nothing about Wenger's suitability as Arsenal manager.

It's been far too long for a single tournament, which has a diminishing reputation and is becoming a little obsolete, to change Wenger's credibility as a top-class manager who can lead the club to any further glories.

Winning the FA Cup is an achievement, it's harsh to say that it isn't, but it's certainly not harsh to say Arsenal almost didn't deserve it after only just beating a Hull City side who barely beat relegation.

Wenger's team were nervous, all over the place and looked a team seemingly unable to cope with the pressure of being in a cup final.

True, the Tigers put up a fight and all of the pressure was on their opponents, but allowing two goals within ten minutes of the first half is unacceptable from a club with Arsenal's quality.

I guess that's what nine years of being out of contention can do.

Wenger's unsuitability as Arsenal manager is also exemplified by the monumental collapse which saw the Gunners swap Premier League dominance in December for fourth-place obscurity by April.

Wenger had a chance to give the fans something to really celebrate about with the Premier League title, but his naivety in the transfer window and inability to ensure consistency cost that.

The 64-year-old has been given plenty of time to turn his club's fortunes around and despite the FA Cup win, it still hasn't happened.

One fleeting moment of triumph, which the fans will no doubt celebrate for a while (and have every right to) does not account for years of frustration.

More importantly, Arsenal didn't look like a team who would be able to pull it off again.

Many will argue that the FA Cup will lead to happier, more successful times at Arsenal under the reign of Wenger, but La Prof needs to deliver a whole lot more to restore the club to its former glories.

The Frenchman may have finally delivered a trophy, albeit with a stumble and a scare, but at what cost? Nine years of disappointment isn't resolved with one trophy for a club like Arsenal.

Wenger has run long enough on borrowed time. The Cup win may have given him a little longer, but another inevitably unsuccessful season is all it will take to see him gone.

Sorry Arsene, one trophy every nine years doesn't cut it in the Premier League and certainly not for the historically successful club that is Arsenal FC.

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