Wenger Faces Fan Fury As Arsenal F.C. Slump Worsens

Besieged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faced fury from supporters and mounting exasperation from pundits following his side’s latest capitulation against Crystal Palace. A fan holds up an anti-Arsene Wenger sign during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on March 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO Arsenal’s players were branded “cowards” after Monday’s 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park, which left them seven points off the Champions League places in sixth place. With Wenger refusing to address the subject of his future, the atmosphere around the club has become increasingly toxic. Supporters hurled abuse at their own players during the defeat at Palace, while there were chants of: “We want Wenger out!” In one second-half flashpoint, a group of Arsenal fans refused to return the ball to Hector Bellerin at a throw-in before chanting: “You’re not fit to wear the shirt!” The full-time whistle drew the now familiar displaying of “WENGER OUT” posters and banners by Arsenal’s fans. Wenger and his squad were barracked as they boarded the team bus after the match and supporters on social media struggled to articulate their frustrations. Theo Walcott, Arsenal’s captain on the night, apologised for “letting the fans down”. Despite the rising crescendo of discontent, British media reports suggest Wenger, Arsenal’s manager since 1996, will accept the offer of a new contract from the club’s board. The 67-year-old Frenchman once again batted away questions about his future after the game, saying he was “not in the mood” to discuss it. But the impact of the uncertainty about his position on the team’s performances is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore, despite Wenger’s claims it has had no effect.