Arsene Wenger: Winners and Losers If the Frenchman Is Sacked by Arsenal

Should Arsene Wenger leave Arsenal? It would indicate the end of an era, and so much more.

Upon taking the Arsenal job in 1996, it was Wenger who ushered in an unprecedented revolution in North London.

Improved diets, a revamp of the way Arsenal (known for so long as "boring, boring") played the game.

All will be attached to his legacy.

Should he indeed leave (thankfully, the swirl of vitriolic dissent demanding his dismissal has faded somewhat after the epic North London derby last weekend), Arsenal will wave goodbye to seven years of careful philosophical building.

A youth policy begun in earnest upon moving into the gleaming Emirates Stadium in 2006 would in all likelihood be eschewed. Few managers would devote the same energy toward fostering young talent like the Frenchman has shown over the years.

This current team has been built a certain way for years running. Simply dismissing that policy and "starting over" will take some time to breed results. Things would likely get worse before they ever got better again.

Many players would suffer were Wenger to leave. A new manager, a new system; one might see a healthy bunch deemed surplus to requirements.

Case in point: Arsenal's bevy of central midfielders with attacking bent.

While two of those type players have left the club since last summer (Cesc Fabregas and Sam...he who shall not be named), Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere and Denilson (on loan this season) are all there looking for playing time.

Say a new manager decides to implement a 4-4-2, with only one attacking midfielder. Even if a variation of a 4-2-3-1 is maintained, allowing for a defensive-minded mid like Alex Song to be paired with a more creatively inclined holding counterpart (say, Jack Wilshere once he's recovered from injury), that still leaves three or four mids fighting for squad time.

Would they stay? Probably not.

When a new manager enters a club, it is nigh inevitable that he will bring players he has coached before. Wenger did it with Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit, whom he had managed at Monaco.

Roy Hodgson, who we'll get to a bit later, brought in Paul Konchesky to Liverpool after managing him at Fulham. Changes will be made. Managers enjoy going with players they know.

Look at what Jose Mourinho did with Chelsea, or what current Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas is attempting to do this summer: Each wanted former players they'd coached at Porto brought into the side.

If Wenger—a big "if", mind you—is sacked, asked to leave or terminated—you catch my drift—following the 2011-12 season, with him goes 15 seasons of top-four finishing, nine trophies and a raft of football bent on creative industry and attacking intent.

Would those players he brought in, especially those now on loan looking to make their way back into the side, be retained by a new manager?

To gain some perspective, a reference to another "classic" top-four side that hit decidedly rockier times than Arsenal have this season is in order.

One feels that, as we saw with Roy Hodgson's initial takeover of Liverpool, followed five months later by his subsequent removal and replacement by Kenny Dalglish, a thorough cleansing of the Arsenal squad would be undertaken.

Hodgson brought in Raul Meireles, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky, Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovich ahead of the start of 2010-11.

Four of those players found their way onto the pitch immediately, and while Poulsen and Jovanovich eventually fizzled, Cole, Konchesky and Meireles continued to see time.

Once Dalglish had manned the helm at the start of 2011, he immediately cast the underwhelming Poulsen, Konchesky and Jovanovich to the squad's "Siberia," then bringing in Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll as immediate talent infusions in January, 2011. Konchesky was promptly shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest.

The ensuing summer, Jordan Henderson, Doni, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Craig Bellamy, Sebastian Coates and Jose Enrique were signed. All players who fit into the vision Dalglish had for the club.

In little less than a year at the club, Konchesky and Jovanovich had gone to Leicester City and Anderlecht, respectively.

Looking at the Liverpool squad that started the 2010-11 season, against Arsenal of course (the match at Anfield ended in a 1-1 draw), there is a vast difference when contrasted to the outfit that started the 2011-12 campaign.

The starting XI on Aug. 15, 2010:

Pepe Reina, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard, David Ngog, Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovich and Dirk Kuyt.

Then, the starting XI on Aug. 13, 2011 against Sunderland:

Reina, Agger, Carragher, Jose Enrique, Conor Flanagan, Charlie Adam, Lucas, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

A rash of eight new faces. Wholesale makeover seemed to be the appropriate phrasing.

While it must be said that Steven Gerrard was out to injury for the Sunderland match and Dirk Kuyt has since found his way back into the first team at times, that is still a huge makeover.

Should Arsenal go in a new managerial direction, we'd likely see something akin to what occurred at Liverpool, not just because of a fresh authoritative face but also because, quite simply, some players simply would not be deemed good enough for pursuit of a title.

How many times do we hear an announcer bemoan the amount of world-class talent within the side, particularly on the defensive end?

Within a year, it does not take too much imagination to see a Carlos Vela plying his trade with Real Sociedad or an Abou Diaby moved elsewhere in Europe. Johan Djourou might be dropped entirely.

In terms of players currently starting for the club, at least half might be forced out. Is Kieran Gibbs a top-flight left-back? Perhaps, like we saw with Dalglish ahead of this season when he signed Jose Enrique, a more dependable (read: injury-free) option might be preferred.

Thus, if Wenger left, we'd see a host of "losers."

In terms of "winners?" I'm not so sure who might see an added chance of playing time. Perhaps some of the talented youngsters, but who could ever blame Wenger for not giving enough PT to the youth in his squad?