There was a quirky statistic doing the rounds last week, as somebody took the time to calculate that since Arsene Wenger last won a trophy some 91 of the 92 league clubs in England had changed their manager.
In a notoriously fickle job, the recent retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and subsequent appointment of David Moyes at Manchester United left Wenger as a one surviving member of an endangered species. He is the last of his breed, the only unsackable, unshakable manager left in English football. These days coaches job hop, players are traded, billionaire owners arrive, clubs emerge and fade in the race for the prizes. But every year, whatever else is going on, Wenger guides Arsenal into the top four of the English game. He has done it now for 16 years in a row.
Although the “fourth place trophy” has become a joke with which his critics like to take aim - Wenger bashers are not shy of sniggering at the manager's pleasure in lifting football's great invisible silver cup - that kind of consistency is impressive, especially as the quality of his squad has noticeably weakened over time.
The sentiment, as Arsenal held out for a nervy 1-0 win at Newcastle to rubber stamp a Champions League position, was mainly one of relief. "It was the most nervous I've ever been," said Theo Walcott afterwards. That summed up how fine the line was, and how imperative the basic goal of a top four finish remains.
So, what next for Arsenal? More of the same next year? Another season pockmarked by mediocrity and inconsistency that ends on an acceptably high note with the relief of Champions League football?
Arsenal are not in the mood to shout about it but quietly they are saying: possibly not. It feels like a promising time to make a big push, with all the three clubs above them - Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea - under new management and inevitably changing some faces in their squads. Of course all three may go from strength to strength, but it would not be unreasonable for any new regime to experience a wobble as they settle in.
Can Arsenal step up to take advantage if that happens? Can they make the required big push? The club's financial gurus are confident that things are about to change. They insist that Arsenal are ready to enter the market to buy higher caliber players. They promise that the club are well placed now, with new commercial deals due to kick in, to be more competitive. If Wenger has been operating on a modest net spend as Arsenal undertook an expensive house move to the Emirates Stadium, the theory is that he is now able to splurge, splurge, splurge. This could be a fascinating summer.
This is a massive test of Wenger's ideals. The last of the old fashioned managers has been a reticent spender for so long now, second-guessing what he has in mind for this transfer window seems a fruitless task. "We want to make additions to the squad but keep the structure and spirit of the team we have now," said Wenger, which suggests he is hardly about to leap around during transfer negotiations with the reckless abandon of a lottery winner.
It’s going to take a giant leap of faith for Arsenal to suddenly bid for the statement signings that would make waves. That bracket type of player is a high demand, and will command the kind of gigantic salaries on top of hefty transfer fees that they naturally shy away from. Arsenal certainly need a focal point striker to take the load off Olivier Giroud. But can they really compete with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain for the big movers and shakers on the market this summer? The destination for the likes of Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao, Robert Lewandowski is unlikely to be the red corner of north London.
Despite their new wealth, Arsenal cannot flex the kind of financial muscles of the clubs backed by oligarchs and sheiks. Deep down, you sense Wenger doesn't really want to play that game anyway. But a handful of clever and imaginative signings from the range just below where the mega-rich do their shopping could still be transformative.
There have been occasions in recent seasons where the Arsenal board have pleaded with Wenger to be bolder in the transfer market. Similar conversations are likely behind the scenes over the coming days.
This will all be bubbling along in the knowledge that Wenger has one more year left on his current Arsenal deal. There are some other major discussions on that front in the pipeline too. A contract extension will be on the table this summer.
Having endured his most complex and trying seasons over the last couple of years, with his management called into question by supporters as never before, Wenger has a big decision to make about whether he wants to commit to a longer stay with Arsenal. The French manager runs the risk of entering a final season which would only intensify pressure and uncertainty at the merest hint of a bad run.
English football's longest serving manager has plenty to think about ahead of an intriguing summer.
