Removing Wenger won’t end problems for Arsenal: Ex-defender Clichy
London, April 4 (IANS) Contending that the removal of manager Arsene Wenger might not help Arsenal solve its problems, the London football club’s former defender Gael Clichy insists that the Frenchman is still the right person for the job.
Arsenal, yet to win an English Premier League (EPL) title since the 2003-04 season, are currently languishing sixth in the standings. They are seven points outside the top four with 10 games remaining.
They are already out of the UEFA Champions League after being hammered by Bayern Munich in the pre-quarterfinal.
This has led to several fans and critics demanding the removal of Frenchman Wenger, who has been coaching Arsenal since 1996.
“The manager does not really deserve what he is getting. I can understand because football is free for everybody to have opinions so you cannot stop that. And you cannot only think about the past because it is also about the present. But I don’t think many managers could have done what he has in the last 10 years,” Clichy, who currently plays for Manchester City, was quoted as saying by espnfc.
“You always want something new when you are used to something and what you get is probably most of the time not better than what you have, so you have to be careful what you wish for,” the 31-year-old, who played for Arsenal between 2003 and 2011, added.
“I’m not going to get into any detail but I do believe he is the right man. He has been the right man for so many years and I am listening to what people are saying. If the club is spending more money and they have the players they need, then perhaps Wenger is the perfect man. If you take him off and you bring someone else with the same structure, would he be better? Would he do better? I’m not sure.”
Clichy, who was part of Arsenal’s last EPL winning team in 2004, warned that a change may not be as beneficial for the club as it is expected to be.
“It’s not for me to say if it’s in the right hands or not but I do believe what he has done in the past is amazing,” the French international said.