Arsene Wenger: Is He Nearing the End with Arsenal, and Could England Be Calling?

A disappointing season for Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal team just got worse last night—as the Gunners were humbled in the San Siro.

Torn apart by AC Milan to the eventual tune of four goals to nil, Wenger admitted after the match that it had been the worst performance in Europe since his arrival at the club—16 years ago.

Just how bad can it get before he decides the club has progressed as far as it can under his tutelage?

The performance and result alone were embarrassing enough for the Frenchman, but his misery was self-compounded following comments he made on the eve of the match. He referenced arch-rivals Tottenham's date on the same ground at the same stage of the same competition last season. Spurs won that match 1-0 and went on to progress to the next round of the competition:

"It was a game which was vastly dominated, especially in the second half, by Milan. We will not decide at the start of the game that we will sit in our half if we have to, like Tottenham did.

"Spurs won the game when they were dominated, but that is football today.”

Needless to say, Tottenham supporters woke up this morning with a smile on their faces and a spring in their step following these comments. A brief glance at the Premier League table is all it takes to put a smile on the face of a Spurs' supporter at the moment.

Third place and 10 points above Arsenal has only been made all the more sweeter following last night's events at the San Siro.

Add to that the fact that it was a former Tottenham player that got the ball rolling (or should that be, got the ball smashed into the back of the net?) for Milan. Also, with an injury to Laurent Koscielny—it really could not have been any worse for Arsenal and Wenger.

Talking to the media after the game about Arsenal's chances of wiping out their deficit in the return leg, Wenger said:

"There is maybe a 2 percent or 5 percent chance statistically, but realistically we are out of this competition."

Following this admission, what is left for the current season?

Defensive options are limited for the weekend's FA Cup Fifth Round clash with Martin O'Neill's rejuvenated Sunderland, and if Arsenal go on to lose that encounter—their season will look very bleak indeed.

Arsenal's consistent (and long-term) frailties, coupled with an inability to retain their best players, point to a worrying future at The Emirates. Speaking hypothetically, early elimination from their last hope of a trophy this season (and thus rendering their current drought seven years long) leaves only one thing to play for: Champions League qualification for next season.

Failure to achieve that and it is reasonable to predict it would lead to the departure of their talisman, Robin Van Persie—at the end of the season. His departure, speculative as it is at this point of course, would follow those of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas during the previous close-season.

The combination of slowly-deteriorating results on the pitch and the consistent sale of top players could be enough to cause Wenger to call it a day. It is unlikely that he would then have time to build another club up like he has at Arsenal (he is now 62, after all).

So what beckons for the future of Arsene Wenger?

Harry Redknapp is clearly the fans' choice for England, but he may be tempted to see just how far he can take his current Tottenham team. Perhaps Wenger could be a viable alternative.

It would be remiss of the FA not to ask the question at least. The opportunity to work with players of all ages without the strain of transfer speculation, which clearly dogs Wenger's summers and winters, might be tempting to the man who has developed countless players from relative mediocrity into world beaters.

With Arsenal on a seemingly unstoppable decline, Wenger and England might just be perfect for each other.