The Most Extreme Reactions to Arsene Wenger Signing a New Deal

It's official: Arsene Wenger on Wednesday signed for another two years at Arsenal. The news sparked debate across the world, and in this piece, we identify some of the most extreme reactions to Wenger's renewal.

Whether you're "Wenger in" or "Wenger out," this is inflammatory news. There has been delight, and there has been rage—and most things in between. Read on as we pick out and dissect a number of views, both from Arsenal supporters and fans of other clubs.

Piers Morgan

Twitter.com

Celebrity Arsenal fan Piers Morgan has long made his opposition to Wenger plain on social media. The decision to give Wenger a new deal seems to have been the last straw—he is saying he will never tweet about the Gunners boss again.

Surely it won't be long before Morgan takes another potshot at Arsenal's embattled manager? He simply doesn't seem able to resist taking jibes at Arsenal's long-serving coach.

@Artekkers

Twitter.com

There are certainly those among the Arsenal fans who are pleased to see Wenger is staying. After all, this is man who has brought the club three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups. He is arguably the greatest manager in their history, and many supporters believe he should be entitled to walk away when he sees fit.

While the tide of fan opinion did seem to turn against Wenger during the 2016/17 season, he retains a number of loyal followers.

Arseblog

Twitter.com

Fan website Arseblog is typically one of the most measured commentators on Arsenal matters. However, the outlet's Twitter account described the situation at the club as a "shambles."

Arseblog is right; Arsenal simply weren't set up for change. There appeared to be no transition plan—no contingency for if Wenger didn't stay on. Arsenal made the only real choice that was available to them. When Wenger's contract comes to an end in two years' time, the Gunners must ensure they are better prepared.

Mr DT

Twitter.com

ArsenalFanTV sensation Mr DT has spent the season talking about the necessity for managerial change at the club. He even led protests and marches against Wenger under the slogan "time for change."

Here he states his belief that offering Wenger a new deal is tantamount to "rewarding failure." That's a highly contentious statement given the Frenchman has just lifted the FA Cup, although presumably DT would counter that he's referring to the unsuccessful Premier League and Champions League campaigns.

@ProudGoonerAlwaysWLD

Twitter.com

Even some of the fans who believe Arsenal could benefit from a change in manager accept the club is in no position to make such an appointment. 

There is plenty of distrust for the manager, but this tweet shows there is uncertainty about the capacity of the board to handle any transition. Losing Wenger at such short notice would have left them with a huge task—and they have shown no sign that they are up to it.

Le Grove

Twitter.com

Le Grove is an Arsenal blogger who has long insisted Wenger's time ought to be up. Understandably, he was disappointed to hear the Gunners were facing another two years with the Frenchman at the helm.

DT referred to the manager's "selfishness," and there is a similar theme to this tweet in a lot of reactions. Some Arsenal fans clearly believe Wenger is more motivated by serving his own interests than those of the club.

Arsenal Fan Jamie Sanderson

FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images

Jamie Sanderson is an Arsenal supporter who wrote a column on Wenger's new contract for The Sun. He said:

"A Premier League trophy looks further away than ever, while it's hard to imagine Arsenal taking the Europa League seriously, so another year of frustration and disappointment looks imminent.

"Wenger will feel like he's won the battle with the board to stay put, but he may end up being the loser after missing the perfect chance to bow out."

That's a concern many Arsenal fans share. The FA Cup final victory over Chelsea was a great opportunity for Wenger to walk away on a high. He now runs the risk of leaving in far less celebratory circumstances.

Claude

Outspoken ArsenalFanTV star Claude was surprisingly measured when it came to assessing the news of Wenger's extension. Speaking to the YouTube channel, he voiced his frustration that the announcement was not come accompanied by news of a sweeping structural change:

"[The board] have said they're going to renew the structure [of the club], but why—if they knew he was going to stay—wasn't that done six or seven months ago so it's in place now? ... That's got to be answered.

"To be quite honest, I'm not happy [about the extension], but there's not much I can do or anyone else can do."

Claude is right: Wenger is staying, and Arsenal fans have to rally behind him and support the team.

@MohamedRashido1

Twitter.com

Arsenal fan Mohamed Rashido's views on the matter are quite clear—he even changed his Twitter display name to "Le Fraud," which is surely an allusion to Arsenal's French boss.

He made the point that if opposition fans are rejoicing at the news Wenger is staying, it's not a good sign. What's more, he's right. Read on to the next slide for an example of how rival supporters greeted the news.

Manchester United Fans

Twitter.com

Manchester United fan channel FullTimeDevils' Twitter account made light of Wenger's renewal, posting a picture of Roy Keane laughing in response to the official announcement.

United may have finished below Arsenal in this season's Premier League table, but unlike the Gunners, they will be in the Champions League in 2017/18 thanks to their Europa League triumph. Perhaps Arsenal will have to follow suit next season if they are to reclaim their place in Europe's elite club competition.

Chelsea Fans

Twitter.com

Chelsea may have suffered defeat in the FA Cup final, but their supporters have been given something to celebrate by Wenger's decision to stay at Arsenal.

This Chelsea supporter joked that Blues manager Antonio Conte threw the cup final to keep his underachieving Arsenal counterpart in a job.