Arsene Wenger may be desperate for Arsenal to progress to the next round of the FA up when he takes the team north to face Hull City for the replay tomorrow, but I am sure he will be feeling very well disposed towards their manager, after Steve Bruce used his press conference to hit back at the critics of the Arsenal boss.
As reported by Sky Sports the former defender suggested that all the critics of Wenger and the way that Arsenal have faltered recently in the title race is hugely unfair and disrespectful and also that it comes from people that are not actually involved in the game from the inside, pointing out that all real football people have nothing but respect for the Frenchman.
Bruce said, “From inside the game, you are not going to hear people criticise I would not have thought.
“When you are a manager as long as he has been and see what he has achieved, and what he has been able to do at Arsenal, who is anybody to criticise him?
“I find that really appalling, that people can criticise him. He has helped build a fantastic club, he has helped finance it, he has had to sell players.
“He has never been able to really compete the way everyone else has at a top club but he has kept them in the top four for 17, 18 years.
“From me, he will only get one thing, which is respect. I think he deserves a bit more than he gets dished out, considering what he has achieved.
“It is very difficult to win a title. Man United went 20-odd years before they won 10 of them, Liverpool have gone 20-odd years (without a title).
“With the emergence of Chelsea and Manchester City over the last decade, it is very difficult for any big club to win a title. It doesn’t just come as easy as maybe it used to.”
It is interesting to hear this point of view amid all the questions about Wenger, especially the bit about not being able to compete financially. And as if this personal backing of his opposite number was not enough, the Hull boss revealed that he was still looking at the promotion chase as a big priority and so would be making a lot of changes just as he did in the first leg at the Emirates.
The Arsenal players still need to take advantage of this and Wenger will no doubt be making a few changes himself but has he just been handed a massive double boost by Steve Bruce?
Anytime u hand Arsenal a Boost, that’s when they eventually go on to bottle it!
since that is often the case, PLS DON’T HAND US ANY BOOST!
You said earlier that you/we may never know whats going on upstairs with you Trev, Ill try and explain some because I have been given out some conflicting thoughts. Ill start by reminding you that Arsene is our most successful manager ever, also he is still in charge. Whenever I read something I deem an insult rather than criticism I feel I must defend him, I can’t help it, it is a natural instinct as I see the man as one of our own. However, I do feel we can’t go on like this for much longer and something needs to be fixed. And while I’m on it, I despise some of the abuse the pro Arsene people put up with from a certain few on here, they don’t seek you out for abuse and are only trying to defend the most successful manager in our clubs history. When I see this again I feel riled and am more inclined to argue a point with someone from your side.
This said about the change and what not, it doesn’t mean I think Arsene is a bad manager. For you it may be black and white AKB or WOB but for me criticism can be constructive.
Thank you. Some people have honestly lost the plot when it comes to the AKB AOB debate.
If following Arsenal brings you nothing but misery all of the time, and makes you want to moan and complain so much, go follow Real Madrid. They’ve won a ton of UCL trophies and they win La Liga constantly and OH WAIT… their fans are bitter complainers too, and throw things at Bale as he drives away from practice. Interesting?
Even when teams win everything, bitter fans are bitter. We begged for a trophy for a decade, we’ve gotten 2 FA cups in 2 years. Its not like we’re CHELSEA in 10th right now.
Haha those are jst mind games…evryone knws Wenger is failing at Arsenal!
No one is denying what fantasy job Wenger has done for AFC and even the EPL in general and he is well respected and might I add we remunerated for it…and that is why MOST fans will loathe to see hm sacked and are praying fir him to move on himself. he has done well but he has taken the club as far as he can and should my ve upstairs and allow a younger more dynamic and vibrant manager to have a shot
upstairs?????………… I’m having mixed feelings now
Totally agree. Wenger should be thanked for his time at Arsenal, given a gold watch and even a statue erected in his honour for his early glory days but when the new man steps in Wenger should be a thousand or so miles away from Arsenal and all of its affairs.
Leicester have three big advantages over Spuds, us and City.
1. 5-10 points ahead with only 9 matches left
2. Leicester doesn’t need to worry about FA Cup or European football
3, little pressure. They will still be applauded if they don’t finish 1st and deservedly so. DoiNG this well in your. First year is amazing
So Arsenal need a bigger boost than that lol
Yes! Perhaps someone can hand us the PL and UCL too!
It’s all going our way! Must be that ‘luck’ again..
Pffff..
Don’t trust wenger’s boys,they’ll probably bottle it and arsene will blame donald trump
Just to add. Really surprised Mr Potato nose didn’t come out and say what a failure Wenger is for have never being able to win in Europe or be champions of England for over 10 years.
Leicester have proved that financial excuses don’t hold water anymore especially when you are loaded anyway.
@AOT
All Leicester has proved, is that as long as you only have the League games to play, you stand a better chance of wining it…
That NY, is a Rrrrrrrrrrridiculous statement! Made me laugh.
Of course that’s all they have proved, of course;)
It’s not all they have proved but it is a fair point. We know this to be true it’s said allot over years. But give them some credit man they may well have earned it, even if they did collapse they still deserve a huge amount of respect.
I give them huge credit and they DESERVE to win.
They have:
A owner/backers who support the club
And actually like football. They even watch their teams matches. And by support I mean that the Thai owners they have put in more than £120 million of their OWN money. Not just purchased shares..
– they have a manager who has assembled a team of non superstars, drilled, motivated and gelled them into an effective unit. And in a fraction of the time and other resources that our manager has had.
– they are top of the league and may just win it!
Kudos to Leicester City football club indeed!
@AOT
Ranieri inherited the team. Nigel had them well drilled already. Ranieri just pumped new hope and better tactics into the squad.
@Trevor
I’m not taking anything away from LC’s achievements. I think they had a damn good squad last season, but internal strife put them off their stride. And if they do win the League this season, then much respect to their well deserved effort the put in to do so.
I just made the point that lack of extra cup fixtures is mos def a major key to them being able to excel as they have. Same might just be said for West Ham.
Remember, a couple seasons ago Liverpool were in the same situation. All due to lack of extra matches. IJS
Spot on NY. How many teams qualify for europe one season, and the next season finish the league just outside of relegation, or worse, because of the extra load of games on their schedule? It definitely does make a difference when you only have 1 match a week.
Who knows what Steve Bruce does or doesn’t think about Wenger. They always bull each other up pre match., but on the day they will be shoving each other around.Bruce couldn’t care less about Arsenal or Wenger or has he had to put up with the deception and ineptitude and his total failure to address a growing culture of failure.Every end of season is like reading the same final chapter word for word…
@proffetic
If you’ve ever watched his interviews, Bruce comes across as a straight foward down to earth type of guy.
I wouldn’t under estimate Hull City, considering that their reserves got a draw and a cleansheet against a pretty strong Arsenal team, at the Emirates.
I’m sure that Hull will be up for this, especially with a home tie against Watford, waiting for the winners in the next round and It’s a great opportunity to secure a semi final spot at Wembley by beating Watford. So I seriously doubt that Steve Bruce is being totally honest about not being bothered about the Fa cup, as it would be a moral booster for his Club and players, which will help them towards their quest for promotion.
I can understand why Bruce played a reserve team at the Emirates, as he didn’t expect to get anything there, even with his strongest team, but I am sure that he will be quietly confident of causing an upset tomorrow night.
So don’t be surprised when he puts out his strongest team.