Premier League - Pires: Arsenal need Wenger

Eurosport - Thu, 21 May 12:07:00 2009

Gunners legend Robert Pires believes "Arsenal need Arsene Wenger more than he needs them".

2008-2009 Arsenal Arsene Wenger - 0

The French coach has allayed fears he was set to quit Emirates Stadium for Real Madrid following criticism by some supporters in the wake of a fourth season without silverware.

Wenger, whose contract runs until 2011, continues to have the full support of the board, with chief executive Ivan Gazidis insisting their manager was going nowhere when quizzed while on a visit to Dubai at the unveiling of a new football school.

Pires was part of the all-conquering Arsenal side which won the double twice and went unbeaten throughout the entire 2003-04 league campaign.

He feels Wenger has become synonymous with the North London club over the past 13 years, and it would be hard to imagine life without him at the helm.

"Arsenal need Arsene Wenger more than he needs Arsenal," Pires said. "Arsene made Arsenal what they are today, and the fans understand it perfectly.

"If he was to leave tomorrow, he would do it with his head up, not by the back door."

PA Sport

Comment 33 - 52 of 52

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  1. Wenger is our man, we wouldn't let him go. Arsenal­ 4 life!

    From wumi2k4love, on Fri 22 May 1:13PM

  2. Wenger should stop living on past glory.He should­ achieve all the objective Balance the Books,Make money­ for the Directors,and Win Throphies that is when he can­ be a True great.Past glory doesnt suffice in­ business.Dotun Nigeria

    From olaleye i, on Fri 22 May 8:14AM

  3. wenger dont quit arsenal tope from nigeria

    From Alvena, on Fri 22 May 6:58AM

  4. Arsene for life.

    From dercute, on Fri 22 May 4:33AM

  5. comment 44,arsene wenger just have 15million to spend­ on new players,i don`t think that is enough and arsenal­ needed a good and experience centre half and holding­ midfielder....not another striker.....get alex from­ chelsea,he`s good,have experience and strong....maybe­ can get him for 7-8 million.....

    From arsenal, on Fri 22 May 2:15AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Liverpoo liverpoo
    How did you fair,
    you beat us twice­ ,
    but no trophy was there,
    Don't be bitter­
    don't have a moan,
    tune in next wednesday,
    and­ watch us in Rome,
    18 times and thats a fact,
    and­ champions league finals
    back to back,
    I'll just­ say one thing ,
    I am a scouse hater,
    You'll win­ feck all
    with a fat spanish waiter. GLORY­ GLORY MAN UTD

    From Dean, on Fri 22 May 12:54AM

  7. arsene wenger is the best manager in the world wolves­ fan

    From bill w, on Thu 21 May 11:44PM

  8. d.papas2: Securing your future not financially but with­ a job with a good team in a team that will compete.­ Wenger could have kept him on a one year rolling­ contract. And every year Pires would be­ wondering...will i be here next season? So better to­ leave when you get a guaranteed 3 years elsewhere. No­ uncertainty. You can settle. Its about lifestyle,­ quality of life, and wanting to know where you stand.­ Money isnt the be all and end all with all footballers.

    From Tom, on Thu 21 May 11:41PM

  9. i agree with pires where will we be without him like­ for real

    From gunners4 lyfe:), on Thu 21 May 10:57PM

  10. Pires is right, Wenger has taken Arsenal to a level­ they couldn't previously have dreamt of. In the­ Wenger era they are rivals to Man U and Liverpool.­ Prior to him the best they could hope for was to rival­ Tottenham and Chelsea (Before the money infusion)

    From bigbrother09447, on Thu 21 May 10:27PM

  11. Arsene is a great coach.He has that approach that he­ develops the yongsters.And when these youngsters are­ fully developed then we will rock all the way.The only­ thing we are missing now is a good striker, an old dog­ in the midfield and a solid reserve defenders. I am­ sure that this summer Arsene will buy some defenders­ and i hope he buys Pogrebnyak.

    From 3D, on Thu 21 May 10:19PM

  12. Al these so called supporters should remember arsen has­ created stars from mediocre players such as Henry etc.­ success is not instantit will come and will these­ moaners then praise wenger arsenal fan for sixty­ years

    From bazzafingers, on Thu 21 May 9:48PM

  13. The only way to get the near 40 million quid he'll­ need is only one way which is to sell Adebayor, add the­ money from that to what apparently he will already have­ available which is 12-13 million.... who he gets in­ will make the difference between arsenal actually­ winning a domestic trophy or maybe even actually­ getting the champions league for the first time in 13­ attempts or so...

    From Raaj, on Thu 21 May 8:41PM

  14. while arsene wenger should not be blamed for the clubs­ transfer policy, however, he should take some­ responsibility with the decisions he has taken over the­ years, like selling Gilberto, Henry, Hleb(although he­ actually wants to leave then) and the likes. But the­ real issue here is that the fans have to realised that­ the club hasnt got the cash to throw around like other­ big clubs if i may say so. Who sets the salary cap? cos­ u cant make a 25mil signing and not xpect the player to­ get more than 100k/wk. the board is not helping Arsene­ at all. They should come out and explain to the­ shareholders that look,we havent got the cash, we cant­ just afford it.

    From Foluso, on Thu 21 May 7:40PM

  15. Because he is critised by the supporter he want to­ leave. So he expect to be praised for not winning?­ Well, continue in your present way of doing things.More­ grease to your elbow.

    From dapfash, on Thu 21 May 6:58PM

  16. Correct we need Wenger, anyway i have seen the new away­ kit and is much much better than that yellow one, its­ blue with strips not the green one as i thought.

    From Wilson-M, on Thu 21 May 6:45PM

  17. malek c, His biography would hardly be there to make­ him look bad! I'm my opinion the league and a cup­ is still a double, not just the FA cup, that was my­ point. Two trophies in a season. Like i said, the­ transfers are probably big name signings, not all the­ little youngesters they pay fee's for! But fair­ play to you, good to have a decent debate for a change!

    From d.papas2, on Thu 21 May 6:30PM

  18. D-PAPAS mourinho didnt win the double with chelsea­ those are all chelsea trophies: (Premier League: 1955,­ 2005, 2006; FA Cup: 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007; League Cup:­ 1965. 1998, 2005, 2007; Cup Winners' Cup: 1971,­ 1998; European Super Cup: 1998.)
    As for the spending i­ gave the example of Sir Alex F. because even that im an­ arsenal fan and even i love arsen and admire but SAF­ stays the best manager in the EPL, and if u wana­ compare u always compare with the best.
    PS: check­ Arsene biographie he is the only manager who made­ PROFIT from the transfer window OVERALL so i dont know­ from were did u get the 70M extra.
    Finally i didnt say­ u were criticising him it just a usefull and healthy­ conversation ;)

    From creed, on Thu 21 May 6:18PM

  19. Arsene Wenger is the BEST!!!

    From Weng, on Thu 21 May 4:14PM

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    From Nigel, on Thu 21 May 4:05PM
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