Wenger- Managers Must Cope With Permanent Tribunal Nowadays

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expects managers to familiarise with the day-to-day assessment by today’s society and learn to tolerate overtly critical fans.

Leicester City coach Nigel Pearson was, yesterday, charged by the Football Association (FA) after an incident with a fan during his side’s 1-0 home defeat by Liverpool on December 2.

A statement by the FA read: “It is alleged that during the fixture Mr Pearson used abusive and/or insulting words towards a spectator.”

Wenger, who on his own part was booed by disgruntled fans following last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Stoke City, says managers must try to accommodate judgmental supporters.

“I think society is like it is today,” the 65-year-old said. “You want to win the next game. It’s a permanent tribunal from everybody, and it is as it is. You have to cope with that.

Arsene Wenger Says Managers Must Learn to Cope With Judgmental Supporters. Image: Getty.
Arsene Wenger Says Managers Must Learn to Cope With Judgmental Supporters. Image: Getty.

“I believe that you want zero tolerance for no respect. You want respect in society and you want to legally make sure that respect is applied to everybody.

“Everybody has the right to be respected. I don’t think that anybody likes not to be respected.”

The ‘Gunners’ rebounded from the disastrous defeat at the Britannia Stadium with a commanding display against Galatasaray in their final Champions League group stage game in the midweek. Despite a 4-1 win in Istanbul as well as finishing on the same point tally with group winners Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal ended as runners-up in their pool and could be headed for further rough path in the round of 16 of the competition.

Wenger explained: “Ideally you want to finish first because then you feel you have done your job. Galatasaray, like last season with Marseille, didn’t take many points and that’s why the total – even though it’s high – didn’t guarantee us the first place.”

Arsenal conceded three first-half goals against Stoke and, despite a second-half fight-back, ended the day with another setback, 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea.

The French boss says his side’s defensive performance at Stoke did not portray their objective but was pleased with their organisation at the back in Turkey.

“I think we defended well in Galatasaray,” he said. “Before that game we had three clean sheets in a row but that is the modern game – it is always the last game that is judged definitively on the quality of the team.

“The last one was Galatasaray, before it was Stoke. Yes, we did not defend well at Stoke but I feel that at Galatasaray we defended well.

“We want to play top level games and over the years we have learnt to cope with that and we don’t want to complain. I have played my 180th Champions League game, that means we can cope with that and Arsenal has learnt to cope with that.”

Arsenal have conceded 18 times after 15 rounds of matches so far this season. Injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal, and Calum Chambers’ suspension means Wenger faces another bout of selection headache ahead of Newcastle’s visit to the Emirate Stadium on Saturday.

“Definitely, I have 24 hours to think of about it and I will find a solution,” he said. “We have to play someone with almost no experience or someone who is not used to playing in the position.”

Wenger then expressed satisfaction with the progress of Academy player Hector Bellerin, who played against Galatsaray.

“He’s getting better from game to game,” said the manager. “At the start he was a bit inhibited, but in the last game I think he played with more freedom.”

On his plans for January transfer window, Wenger warned Arsenal supporters that movement of players will be limited as “all the big clubs want to keep their players, and it will be as usual quiet in the first three weeks and a bit frenetic in the last three or four days.”

On solving the club’s defensive woes, he continued: If everybody is fit and available, we don’t need to go on the transfer market. But we have to consider that there could be a question mark with Koscielny’s fitness and we have to go out on the transfer market.”

Aaron Ramsey, who scored a brilliant volley against Galatasaray on Tuesday, looks set to miss much of the festive season with a hamstring injury, according to the manager. The club has not put time scale on the Welsh midfielder’s recovery period.