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Tag: Arsene Wenger

  • Arsene Wenger likens Salah to Messi

    Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has compared Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah to Lionel Messi and called the Egyptian “a complete player”.

    Salah set up Naby Keita’s opening goal in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Monterrey in the Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar on Wednesday, taking him to 13 goals and seven assists in 23 games across all competitions for the season.

    And Wenger was impressed with the forward’s ability to both score goals and set them up, praising his transformation from merely a goalscorer.

    “I like his evolution,” Wenger said to beIN Sports. “Because he had touches last night [against Monterrey] of a playmaker.

    “He created chances around the box that are exceptional, [there were shades] of Messi in him last night and I like that a guy who can score so many goals also becomes the guy who gives assists.

    “That is a complete player. That’s what we all admire and what we want from our players.”

  • Arteta has great future but no top job experience, Wenger tells Arsenal

    Spaniard Mikel Arteta, in talks to be the next Arsenal coach, has “no experience” as a manager and will need help, former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday.

    Former Arsenal captain Arteta, assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, is the leading candidate to succeed Unai Emery at the London club.

    This emerged after their chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, was pictured outside the 37-year-old’s house early on Monday.

    Another of Wenger’s former players, Swede Freddie Ljungberg, is currently interim head coach, but looks set to be overlooked for the top job.

    “I am an Arsenal supporter and at the moment I support the manager in charge and the manager in charge is Ljungberg. When Arteta will be in charge I will support Arteta,” said Wenger.

    But the Frenchman, who won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during nearly 22 years in charge of the club, said he saw many positives in both men.

    “He (Arteta) is intelligent, he has passion, he has knowledge, but Ljungberg (does) as well,” Wenger added.

    “I believe that Arteta has certainly a great future, he has certainly learned a lot in his first position as an assistant coach and after that as well he will have to deal with the fact that he has no
    experience at that level and he will have to get surrounded well.”

    However, Wenger, 70, who left Arsenal in 2018, said the club needed to be smarter in their recruitment.

    He added that it was not necessarily the case that they needed a lengthy period to get back to their best.

    “When I left the club was in a very strong financial position and they bought many players in-between, they have not all worked out,” he said.

    “I believe that it’s not a question of time. The change can be very efficient very quickly, it’s just about the right decision-making and that’s all that it’s about in football, it’s about good players.

    “We speak about the success of Liverpool. Of course they have a great manager, but you have to say as well that in the last three to four years, they bought the right players.”

    Last month, Wenger was appointed FIFA’s new chief of global football development and is in Doha observing the Club World Cup.

  • La Liga: Hazard can’t replace Ronaldo – Wenger

    Former Arsenal manager Arsenal Wenger says Real Madrid still haven’t seen the real Eden Hazard, but even when they do, he still won’t replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
    Hazard registered his first La Liga goal and assist in Madrid’s last game before the international break, a 4-2 win over Granada which kept Zinedine Zidane’s side top of the Spanish table.

    Despite their lofty position, Madrid have already faltered this campaign and are yet to discover their best form.

    “He will be the answer but not in replacing Ronaldo, that is for sure,” Wenger told beIN Sports when asked about Hazard. “He will not score 50 goals a year because that’s now how they play football.

    “They need another goalscorer at Real Madrid because [Karim] Benzema is now 32 and if they had someone younger around him to score the goals, maybe they could do very well.

    “Eden Hazard is an exceptional player to create chances to sometimes finish when he needs to in the big games.

    “He’s not scared of anybody – I don’t think Real have yet to see the real Hazard, he’s not as sharp physically as he can be. That’s why I believe they will discover the real Hazard.”

  • After Arsenal’s exit, Wenger declares love for rival club

    Arsene Wenger has said Manchester United is a “dream job” and claimed he has “ideas” about restoring the club to its former glory.

    Wenger ended his Arsenal career at the end of the 2017/2018 season, after 22 years of service with the North London club.

    The Frenchman has mainly appeared as a pundit, but is yet to land a permanent job.

    “Manchester United is a dream job for any coach. I have confidence, I have courage…and you’re right, I have ideas,” Wenger told Fox Sports Asia.

    The 69-year-old also believes that United would be capable of contending for honours once more with four key signings.

    “They need -in my opinion – four first-team players.

    “But around those players, I see a squad that is capable of challenging. They aren’t as far away as people think.

    “The team have no pattern of play, no pattern of pressing. There is a team there, but it needs to be coached and developed. Like I said, four players and they can be challengers. For everything,” he added.

  • Alex Ferguson, Wenger my sweet enemies – Mourinho

    Former Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has said that legendary Red Devils boss, Alex Ferguson and ex-Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger were his “sweet enemies”.

    According to Mourinho, it was all about confrontation of forces between himself, Ferguson and Wenger during their time in the Premier League.

    He stated this ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

    “Wenger is a very intelligent person and one of the best managers in the history of football,” Mourinho was quoted by Goal as saying.

    “I arrived in England and I found ‘the Invincibles’ and I found Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson very much hurt by that Arsenal season.

    “And we were like a third force coming. Chelsea had a great desire to be champions for the first time in so many years. So, of course, it was the confrontation of forces and you can imagine that Sir Alex, Wenger and myself we were fighting for the same. We were like, I like to say in football, ‘sweet enemies’.

    “My feeling is where are the next ‘Invincibles’? Where are they? Who did it again? Who made people forget that he was the manager of the invincible team? Lots of philosophies, lots of talk, lots of PR. Football today is a lot about this, but [it is about] results, and who did better than him?”

  • I rejected Real Madrid more than once – Wenger

    I rejected Real Madrid more than once – Wenger

    Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has revealed he rejected the opportunity to become Real Madrid manager “more than once”.

    Wenger left Arsenal last May after 22 years at the club as manager, having won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups.

    The 69-year-old is yet to return to the game, despite stating that he would be back in management in January.

    But Wenger insists a desire to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu is not on his agenda.

    “I have turned down Real Madrid more than once. I must say now it’s over for me,” Wenger told beIN Sports.

    “I feel if you ask any manager in the world, would you be interested in coaching Real Madrid? Everybody would say yes – it’s the biggest club in the world.”

    When asked if loyalty to Arsenal stopped him from leaving for Madrid, Wenger added: “Yes, we live always to our values.

    “It was in the middle of a process where we built the stadium, we had to pay it back, I guaranteed I would stay and I am quite happy with my decision.”

  • Arsene Wenger takes side, says PSG too good for Man Utd

    Arsene Wenger takes side, says PSG too good for Man Utd

    Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger believes Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated the huge gulf in quality between the two teams.

    United’s defeat to PSG marks Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first defeat as interim boss after winning 10 of his first 11 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December.

    Arsene Wenger, 69, who took the Gunners to the Champions League final in 2006, said United lost the game in one key area.

    “The difference, technically, in speed of understanding of the game between the two teams, was huge and it became bigger as the game went on,” Wenger told BeIN Sport.

    “Man United played at home and had one shot on goal in a Champions League game – that tells you the difference between the two teams.

    “In the Champions League you can’t be dominated in midfield and the whole evening, Manchester United were dominated in midfield.

    “PSG played with five midfielders and they never lost the ball.

    “Manchester United could never win the ball back and when they had the ball they lost it very quickly because PSG dominated the midfield to win the ball back.

    “They lost the battle in midfield. When you play at home and you cannot keep the ball, you’re always in trouble.”

  • Arsenal were in decline under Wenger, Emery declares

    Arsenal were in decline under Wenger, Emery declares

    Arsenal head coach Unai Emery believes Arsenal were in decline towards the end of Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign and “had to change things”.

    The Gunners will resume Premier League action following the international break with a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, looking to extend a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

    Arsenal failed to finish in the top four for the first time under Wenger in his final two campaigns, a situation former Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery believes was down to losing the “defensive structure”.

    In an interview with Spanish media outlet Marca, Arsenal head coach Emery said: “I met once with him, and little else. I respect him a lot, but no matter how much info he gave me, I had to change things.

    “I told the players: ‘We started at kilometre zero’. Even now, four months later, I still say it: ‘We are in the beginning!’.”

    Emery feels Arsenal lost sight of a key aspect during Wenger’s closing seasons.

    “Before Wenger arrived, Arsenal celebrated the 1-0 (win) and was based on defensive solidity. Then with Arsene, joy was turned into attack, with players of good standing, and the perfect combination was ‘The Invincibles’ (when Arsenal won the Premier League undefeated in 2003-2004),” he said.

    “But over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, and the team lost the defensive structure.

    “What I want is to unite both essences and be more competitive. The Arsenal was in decline. We had to stop it and start climbing.”

    Arsenal head to Bournemouth looking to close the gap on north-London rivals Tottenham, who are three points clear in fourth place.

    While Emery’s side have also impressed in their Europa League campaign so far, the Gunners head coach is keeping attention on their key target.

    “The Premier League is our priority, and our objective in terms of the table is to finish in the top four,” Emery told Arsenal official website.

    “The club wants to return to Europe’s top club competition which is the Champions League, and we have two opportunities by which to do that – one is the Premier League, and the other is the Europa League, because obviously you qualify by winning that competition.

    “Both are very difficult, but we want to ensure we perform the best we can on both fronts.

    “At the same time, every competition where there’s a title up for grabs is important and that counts for the two domestic cup competitions as well.”

    Emery also revealed a “third objective” of transmitting a “connection with the fans”, who were so divided under towards the end of Wenger’s tenure.

    “We want it to convey energy, desire about winning and also a sense of solidity,” he said. “Within that we want to see individual footballers growing and developing.

    “We want to create that kind of atmosphere so it’s about both how we finish in the table and also in terms of creating a team both individually and collectively that has motivation.

    “We want Arsenal to convey energy and hunger.”

  • I'll return to football in January – Wenger

    Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has expressed his intention to return to football in January having received “enquires from all over the world”.
    The 68-year-old ended his reign at Arsenal last season after a disappointing end to his time at the Emirates, but he feels re-energised and ready to take up a new challenge.
    “From my 22 years at Arsenal, I have big experience on different levels. There are enquiries from all over the world,” the Frenchman said. “There are associations, national teams, it could be in Japan.
    “I believe that I will start again on January 1st,” said Wenger, who joined Arsenal from Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996.
    The former Gunners boss has been linked to the Japan head coach job, and more recently to a boardroom position at French giants PSG, but Wenger explained he does not know what role he will take up, SkySports reports.
    “I feel rested and am ready to work again. But where? I don’t know yet.”
    Wenger also addressed the issue of Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil calling time on his international career with Germany following their disappointing World Cup, and his falling out with the national federation.
    “I believe that Germany needs Ozil. I hope that Joachim Low (Germany boss) can convince him that he will come back,” Wenger said.
    “Ozil is a super football player, who was not the worst in the World Cup. I did not love that he left the German national team.
    “I love it when the players are as good as possible. He loses a bit if he does not play at an international level.”
     

  • George Weah decorates Wenger with Liberia’s highest honour

    Liberia’s President George Weah has decorated former Arsenal football club manager Arsène Wenger with the country’s highest honour at a ceremony in the capital, Monrovia, BBC Africa reports.

    Wenger was Mr Weah’s first European football coach and brought him to Monaco in 1988.

    Mr Weah went on to become the only African to win Fifa World Player of the Year, and the first international sports star to become president.

    Wenger was inducted into Liberia’s Order of Distinction and has been given the title of Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption.

    Some Liberians say that the honour should not have been given to an individual for what they had done for the president personally, reports the BBC’s Jonathan Paye-Layleh from the capital, Monrovia.

    Liberia’s Information Minister Eugene Nagbe told the BBC the award was not only about Mr Weah’s personal connection with Wenger, but was a way to recognize that the Frenchman had “contributed to sports in Africa and has given many Africans opportunities”.