Jamie Carragher believes that the Arsenal board ‘bottled it’ by handing Arsene Wenger a new two-year contract.

At the end of last season, despite come under heavy criticism from pundits and fans alike, Wenger signed a new two-year contract with Arsenal and Carragher believes that this was the board bottling it.

“It’s the last decade. We’re going to see the same performance for the next two years,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“The reason being is from the top to the bottom of the football club, starting with your owner, your chief executive, your manager and your players, there’s a lack of ruthlessness. 

“If I’m being honest, the board bottled the decision in the summer. They bottled it. 

“Terrified of moving the manager on who is a legend there and has been a great success. 

“There had to be a change at Arsenal, there had to be. Then the summer comes and there’s all this ‘things may be different’. 

“I think (Ivan) Gazidis the chief executive said ‘a catalyst for change’. That’s worse, what we’ve just seen there. 

“Last season I called them cowards and afterwards maybe I got a bit of criticism, thinking it’s a bit too strong, you can’t say that on live TV. I’m going to say it again. Cowards. 

“That was worse than what I saw at Crystal Palace last year.”

As much as I hate to agree with the Liverpool legend, who was probably having the time of his life watching his former team humiliate Arsenal on Sunday, the decision to offer Wenger a new deal was an odd one.

At one stage last season, it seemed almost certain that the Frenchman would leave. However, the rumours linking various other managers with the job, such as Max Allegri, Diego Simeone and Thomas Tuchel, fizzled out and, sure enough, Arsenal offered Wenger a new deal. But, don’t worry, Ivan Gazidis reassured us, the boss would be a ‘catalyst for change’.

However, there’s been no change… except maybe the players have gotten even worse.

As Carragher says, it’s been the same for the last 10 years and it will continue this way for the next two, until maybe Arsenal bottle it again and offer Wenger another deal.

The fact that no one can foresee Wenger even trying to change anything this season is depressing, to say the least.