At this stage Arsene Wenger would probably take a moral victory.
Following the first leg chasing they took from Barcelona, Arsenal went on a chastening run of results that all but put paid to their season.
Premier League defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Swansea – not to mention the death of their three-in-a-row FA Cup dream at home to Watford – has heaped the weight of North London, if not the world, on to the shoulders of the Gunners manager.
All they had left was Europe but Graeme Souness rejects the notion Wenger’s fate hung in the balance in Catalonia.
Heading to the Nou Camp to face the reigning kings of Europe, hoping to be the side to put a stop to Barcelona’s 37-game unbeaten run and become the first team to overcome a 2-0 home deficit in the first leg of a Champions League tie… you’d certainly hope not, for the Frenchman’s sake.
“That’s not what has put him under pressure,” Souness told SportsJOE. “Going out of the FA Cup at home to Watford and Tottenham moving above them, I think that has increased the pressure on him somewhat.
“I think in his entire career at Arsenal, if Tottenham were to finish above them this season I think that would be the first time.
“The pressure would really, really come on if Tottenham were to go on and win that league. Things are conspiring against them…. Going out of the Cup to Watford and not looking like they can win the league when all the other big team are faltering.”
Souness describes as “outrageous” the calls for Wenger to be sacked or to stand down – calls that Wenger himself said were a “farce”. However it is getting difficult to ignore the ever more voluble complaints from Arsenal’s always voluble supporters.
“I think he has done that much at Arsenal that he should be allowed to dictate when he leaves,” said Souness. “I don’t think anyone should be talking about sacking him. I think that is outrageous, given what he has done for the football club.”
Souness has no issue with the protests by the likes of Arsenal Fan TV, but he is dubious about how much they will bother Wenger.
“I know we live in a democracy and people should be allowed to express their pleasure or displeasure and if that interferes with football management, so be it,” said the former Liverpool, Blackburn and Galatasaray boss.
“I don’t think managers concern themselves with social media and supporters groups. If you take on a manager’s job you know you won’t get as much time as you did 10 years ago, you know that results will dictate how long you spend at that football club.
“Nothing has changed, nothing has changed – I don’t think social media has brought any extra pressure on to managers. The manager knows the reason he is coming under pressure is he is not winning games.
“A group of supporters joining in phone-ins, meeting outside the ground, on social media, he doesn’t need that – he knows if he loses on a Saturday afternoon he is going to be under pressure that week.”
Carlsberg’s ambassador, Graeme Souness, was in Belfast Wednesday with the UEFA Euro 2016 Trophy to announce Carlsberg’s Probably the biggest Euro ticket giveaway in Ireland with over 1,100 tickets up for grabs. To enter go to Facebook.com/Carlsberg or visit participating outlets over the next 6 weeks.
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