Betfair Official Blog

Premiership

Arsene Wenger - The French Artist

Click here to view market

Pablo Luna - Moonlighting for Betfair. Pablo has his usual rant, this time at the Arsenal board... but saves plenty of praise for Wenger.

I have to say what a truly magnificent job Arsene Wenger has done at Arsenal. He truly deserves the highest praise for taking this club forward and now consolidating against the free spending Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Despite having a budget the fraction of the top three (in wages and transfers) he has maintained the highest standards. He has the ability to find gems, polish them and then present them in a most attractive manner. He is a true artist.

The players hold him with the highest regard and if he does decide to leave the Emirates this season there will be carnage, then a mass exodus. It would be suicidal for the Gunners and will send them into the wilderness.

We are now in the last months of Wenger's current contract and the biggest battle is about to commence. Make no mistake - he will go if the David Dein led consortium fails to regain control. There is a list a mile long of foreign clubs wanting his services, which include Real Madrid, as well as national sides.

It would be a pity should the Premiership lose this man, we need him, he has no superiors in world football management.

The David Dein-led consortium must win the boardroom battle that is currently pulling the club apart. He is the man Arsene wants back in the club. They worked very well together in the past. If he wins he will be able to release badly-needed funds that will allow Arsenal the chance to close the gap on the top three.

On the other hand, Chairman Peter Hill-Wood must go, he is the seaweed around Arsenal's feet. This is the man who says he doesn't want mucky money. I am afraid these days you do not have the choice if you want to compete with those that do and that is why Hill-Wood should have a reality check then go! He is yesterday's news.

I would like Keith Edelman (Chief Executive) to go also. He is currently on record saying that the Gunners do not need any new investment and that we should wait for the September results. Of course they need new investment! The fool. All top clubs need to upgrade whenever it is needed.

I love to watch the freeflowing Gunners play and it is a sight to behold. It is true that they have been over-elaborate and a little too pretty (perhaps this will change post Thiery Henry). That would be my only negative comment about AW. They also have a lot of young players and this is a problem when they are not in balance with seasoned battle hard players.

This year winning the Premiership (10.5 with Betfair) is out of the question for me but they will be in the top four (1.31 with Betfair). Should Arsene look like going during the season, then lay them because there will be an aftermath and results will surely suffer.

I can see them getting close to winning a cup although the Champions League (18 with Betfair) is also asking too much this year. I can see them reaching the quarter-finals and it is possible they will eliminate a side seeded above them out of the competition.

I watch this situation with baited breath, who will win the argument within Arsenal? I know who I want to win!

Bet on Betfair