If sports teach us anything, it's that no one can hang on to a job forever. No matter how good somebody is for years on end, eventually the time will come when the reality of age sets in and new ideas are needed to move organizations forward. In the English Premier League, two such cases are playing out at almost exactly the same time. Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Arsène Wenger of Arsenal, two of the greatest managers of all time, are nearing ages after which they might need to consider stepping away from the game.
Whenever they do decide to hang up their coaching whistle, Ferguson, 70, and Wenger, 62, will go down as titans of the English game and of soccer at large. Ferguson has led Manchester United since 1986, hauling in an incredible 12 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles, as well as numerous other trophies and awards during his tenure. But perhaps his greatest achievement is his longevity and versatility, as he has rebuilt the United roster numerous times to adapt to different trends in the game, making it the most popular sports team in the world in the process.
Wenger also totes a record that any manager would envy — in addition to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, he oversaw probably the greatest single season in European soccer history in 2003-04, going the entire league season undefeated. The squad known as "the Invincibles" is Wenger's greatest achievement and will be talked about for years to come, regardless of the situation regarding his retirement.
But despite all their former achievements and the legendary status they retain at their respective clubs, it's their future chances of victory that concern both fans and management and will determine how long the two can keep their jobs. This is mostly due to a disastrous 2011-2012 campaign that has not gone as planned for either man.
For Ferguson, disaster struck on Dec. 7, when his team lost 2-1 to FC Basel of Switzerland, bowing out of the Champions League before the group stage for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Red Devils were in perhaps the easiest group of the whole tournament, but the grinding Champions League campaign exposed their lack of depth and quality, especially in the midfield. Even though United is still in second place in the Premier League, getting knocked out of the Champions League so early was a major embarrassment and led some to question Ferguson's ability to get the job done going forward.
Wenger has had an even more difficult season, with things going from bad to worse. Arsenal lost 8-2 at the hands of Manchester United in August while taking a full three points in just one of its first five matches. The Gunners then crashed out of the Carling Cup in November against Manchester City.
Arsenal has since stabilized in the Premiership, improving to a tie for fourth in the league, but just last week suffered a 4-0 away thrashing to AC Milan that essentially knocked them out of the Champions League as well. They completed the tournament dropout trifecta with a 2-0 FA Cup loss to Sunderland, leaving their chances of ending a trophy drought that began in 2005 at nearly nil.
So the question becomes: how much longer can these two hold on? There is growing speculation that Wenger may be fired if he does not manage to qualify for next season's Champions League by finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
For a man who is immortalized with a bust inside the Emirates, Arsenal's home pitch, an ignominious end would be disappointing. He is likely Arsenal's greatest manager ever and is directly responsible for making Arsenal a modern-day "superclub."
Similarly, Sir Alex Ferguson has taken Manchester United to international fame and fortune under multiple owners, but unlike Wenger, there is probably never going to be a situation where he would be fired. Still, eventually, both Ferguson and Wenger will have to face Father Time.
In sports, even the most brilliant careers must eventually end, and for these two titans of the game, it will be no different.
