Things started to go downhill for Arsene Wenger in the year they moved to the Emirates and reached a Champions League final, says RTÉ commentator George Hamilton.
The year in question was 2006. That was 12 years ago and today it was announced that Wenger would step down as Arsenal manager at the end of this season.
Hamilton, who spent many seasons commentating on Arsenal's exploits in the Champions League, shares the widely held view that now is the right time for a parting of the ways.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's News at One, Hamilton said: "I think what has changed is what has happened on the pitch. Arsenal have played five times away from home since the start of the year and have not picked up a point from those games.
"The Emirates has been his legacy and the Emirates in his sense has been his downfall"
"Their form has been going down and at the moment are jousting for sixth spot in the Premier League with Burnley of all teams. They are behind Chelsea and, most significantly are behind Tottenham in fourth place. It’s getting worse for Arsenal and it’s getting worse for Arsene Wenger.
"The time had to come for them to bite the bullet. The Europa League is their only route into the Champions and that’s just not good enough."
And while Wenger has been credited with ensuring that Arsenal's have been financially sound since they moved to the Emirates, Hamilton takes a more negative view when saying: "The Emirates has been his legacy and the Emirates in his sense has been his downfall."
In the aftermath of that Champions League decider against Barcelona, he added: "The last match they played at Highbury was the last game they played before the Champions League final in Paris in 2006.
"That match against Wigan they won 4-2. Then they lost to Barcelona – Jens Lehmann became the first player to be sent off in a Champions League final - and you could see that as half-time in Wenger’s reign because they have gone downhill ever since.
"Since that marvelous night in Paris that went all sour for them, they only have three FA Cups to show for their efforts – those three in the last four seasons it must be said.
"That did not betoken an Arsenal revival because the FA Cup is not what it once was. Arsenal, under Wenger, were going nowhere pretty fast after a wonderful decade before they moved to the Emirates.
"It seemed the Emirates became something of a millstone."
