Arsene Wenger believes the Champions League has lost some of its appeal because Arsenal aren’t in it this year most people are only watching ‘one or two games’.

Arsenal finished outside the top four, relegating themselves to the European kiddies table for the first time in 19 years.

While it’s easy to poke fun at Wenger’s comments (which I and many others will do) like with so much that the Frenchman says, it actually makes sense if you get past all the editorialising around his words.

“I think that, in the group stage, there are not many interesting games,” Wenger said. “You choose only one or two games.”

He added that the group games had become “a routine” before continuing: “Look at the audiences. It has lost some attraction power.”

It really is hard to argue with that. Arsenal fans were bored stupid with group games even though they knew that the Gunners would make it interesting right until the final one by way of their own stupidity.

Wenger is, of course, missing being in the Champions League. “I have had nearly 200 games in the Champions League, so I can feel privileged,” he said. But for Arsenal fans, are they really all that bothered? Not the ones I work with and have come across.

Every year it was the same – boring group games followed by knock-out humiliation. At least the Europa League gives us a break from that monotony and a chance to be hilariously awful in new and unexplored ways.

Regardless of all this, expect the Champions League to start shining again next season should Arsenal make it back to Europe’s elite dining table.