Impassioned Wenger rails against Arsenal’s ‘boring’ detractors

Arsene Wenger has launched an impassioned defence of his tenure as Arsenal manager in the face of mounting recent criticism. A faltering title challenge has been accompanied by relentless questioning, which has provoked Europe's longest-serving manager to snap back.

“Look, I have worked here for 19 years and I’m always sitting here having to justify that I’m good enough to do the job,” he said.

"I have no problem to cope with everything but I find that a bit boring in the end. I always have to convince you that I am good enough. I worked for 35 years at the top level." The toll of having to defend himself and his team over a period of poor results – with three wins from the past 12 games – showed. Wenger was clearly piqued. Reproach from pundits and supporters has created an intense white noise around him and, with Arsenal looking for a victory against Hull in an FA Cup replay tonight after five winless matches, the relentlessness of the interrogations from outside got under his skin.

“What I find just boring is always sitting here after 19 years to face [the question]: ‘Do you think you are good enough?’” said Wenger. “I am not on Twitter. I don’t invite anybody to go out to dinner and be nice with them. I work and work and work and work. If it’s not good enough, someone will tell me one day. That’s all I can do. I do not worry what you [journalists]say about me or what fans say about me. I try to do my job in a proper way and with full commitment. After that everybody has the right to have an opinion.

“I cannot influence the behaviour of the fans. How can I do that? I don’t know. I am humble enough every day to question myself, to accept my mistakes and, believe me, I do that. After that there is no coincidence that the people who own the club tell me to be here for 19 years. Do you think they are more stupid than you or me? I feel privileged to have the confidence of the club for such a long time. I work seven days a week with full commitment. That’s all I can do.”

It is not uncommon when he is under pressure for Wenger to give the impression that he does not perceive external criticism to be valid. Deep down, though, he is not immune to the weight of expectation. His preference is to try to present a confident front and to absorb the stress to prevent too much of it from being aimed at his players.

Steve Bruce sprang to Wenger's defence before their meeting at the KC Stadium this evening. "From inside the game you're not going to hear people criticising him because, when you're in management as long as he's been with what he's achieved, who is anyone to criticise him?" the Hull manager said.

“I find it appalling that they can. For me he would only get one thing and that is respect. It’s a blame culture now. Managers get the sack after 12 weeks. I don’t know why we’re questioning him. He’s been one of the great managers that this country has seen.”

Wenger believes the overall mood and sense of belief in his squad took a big step in the right direction thanks to Alexis Sanchez’s equaliser for 10-man Arsenal at Tottenham on Saturday. “They will feel different,” he said. “We feel we had the right response. We were really down after Swansea because I feel that was a terrible night for us. We responded very well showing this group is united.”

He will make some changes to his team to play Hull. “We have to,” he said. “It’s more about rotating a little bit and keeping the right balance in the team. I have the same respect and same idea that every player in my squad can play and win the game.”

A group including Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Mathieu Flamini and Calum Chambers, who did not start at Tottenham, are likely to be in the starting XI, with the youngster Alex Iwobi pushing for a place.

Wenger remains focused on being strong enough to make a serious attempt to win the FA Cup for the third consecutive time. “We will try to do our best again in this competition,” he said. “I believe that, if we were able to do it again, it would be absolutely fantastic. There’s no country where the national cup is bigger.” – (Guardian Service)