Former Gunners star Emmanuel Petit believes the club must win a trophy this season or risk losing boss Arsene Wenger.
Petit, who was a key part of the double winning squad in 1998, fears Wenger could walk away from The Emirates at the end of the season to take over as coach of the French national side.
The Gunners boss has not won silverware since the FA Cup triumph in 2005 and the fans are desperate to end their six-year wait for Premier League glory. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sunderland has kept Wenger’s men in the title race. The Gunners are six points behind Chelsea and two points behind champions Manchester United, but the top two play each other at Old Trafford in April, while Arsenal’s run-in looks more favourable.
Wenger is desperate to taste glory but Petit and others think the French tactician could end his 14-year stay in the capital to take over as France boss.
The French FA will announce a replacement for current coach Raymond Domenech in May, with the new man taking charge after the World Cup finals.
France’s World Cup betting odds suggest they are unlikely to win the tournament, and with Domenech something of a hate figure among fans whoever is appointed after him should benefit from a great deal of goodwill.
For his part, Wenger is a popular figure in France and the 60-year-old recently finished third behind Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps in a poll of fans asked who they would like to take charge of Les Bleus.
World Cup winner Petit, 39, said: “If Arsenal do not win any trophies this season, then anger or even boredom could win over Arsene.
“He knows the elements of high-level football down to the slightest detail.
“His philosophy of how the game should be played is ideal – it is his trademark.”
If Wenger does decide to move on, a number of Arsenal’s young stars could follow him out of the exit door.
In horse racing news, the Gold Cup clash between Denman and Kauto Star is attracting evermore attention as the big day moves closer.
The two horses will go head to head on March 19th in what is one of the most keenly anticipated Cheltenham races in some time.
Article written by Betfair.
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just shut up man you ediot your a sell out yourself a couple of seasons at asenal then you went to sell yourself to barcelona and then chelsea what the fuc*k, what happened there, your career FINISHED and you have the guts to come back and comment on arsene, just be quiet for once, ex-player or not, keep your mouth shut, you clown
Wenger Will NOT LEAVE.It’s Like saying Almunia is better than Seaman. I think he was drunk at the time of the interview.
It’s Arsenes team, hand picked and home grown. So Manu, why, if they don’t win anything would he leave? That’s tantamount to admitting he’s got it wrong in fielding this side!
Exatly roy vasey,
if we’ve won nothing its his doing afte numerous ‘we dont need to spend’ and ‘i believe in my sqaud’ soundbites.
if he left it would be like saying i was wrong, im running away and im useless – my philosophy stinks
Well if Wenger leaves i can guarantee you 120% that so will Cesc . That would be great! the moaners will get some new manager and he will buy second rate pl players(Cos lets face it, how many top players do you get for 40M?) So with most of the young ones gone its great that we can buy some seconhand ones with a new manager.
But hey, atlest the moaners will be happy…
the logic is astounding, he hasnt won anything with Arsenal, a club where he gets to decide who showers first and whats on the lunch time menu each day, to the French national team that hasnt won anything for a long time and where he gets to coach football 20 days a year, the rest flying around watching other managers on the touchline.
Wenger has said repeatedly that he is not interesting in being a National coach
only thang worse than an idiot is dxxk arsene wenger would NEVER leave arsenal next 10 years he’ll still be there hopefully csec too but i doubt that he is without any doubt the greatest manager ever just look at what he has done with arsenal we dont deserve to be playing in europa league with the investment we put in the club, just go look at the last 5 years how much every pl club has spent on transfers and see what number we are on that list then and only then would you realise he is the best manager in the world simple because u only manage what you have and with what we do have he has done nothang short of a miracle being that we are the most consistent team in the knockout stages of the champions league in the last 10 years considering all the teams in europe damn what a blessing he has been to us true fans who can see this but this is for all half hearted idiots that come on here and start talking a load of rubish because we loose a game or 2 and when we win a few join on the band wagon again u make me sick look at our team against man united chelsea or liverpool even the scums forget city and aston villa i will even go as far as west ham and sunderland how many more do i need to name all their squads cost more than ours respect the genius that is arsene and support your team through thick n thin.
Have a pleasant day
What with Petit’s nagging about Arsenal must thi must that? Why cant he just zip it? We will be fine whatever happens. Our club is on a finer footing with finance in sound balance and a stock of decent players. Just let it be man.
only thang worse than an idiot is dxxk arsene wenger would NEVER leave arsenal next 10 years he’ll still be there hopefully csec too but i doubt that he is without any doubt the greatest manager ever just look at what he has done with arsenal we dont deserve to be playing in europa league with the investment we put in the club, just go look at the last 5 years how much every pl club has spent on transfers and see what number we are on that list then and only then would you realise he is the best manager in the world simple because u only manage what you have and with what we do have he has done nothang short of a miracle being that we are the most consistent team in the knockout stages of the champions league in the last 10 years considering all the teams in europe damn what a blessing he has been to us true fans who can see this but this is for all half hearted idiots that come on here and start talking a load of rubish because we loose a game or 2 and when we win a few join on the band wagon again u make me sick look at our team against man united chelsea or liverpool even the scums forget city and aston villa i will even go as far as west ham and sunderland how many more do i need to name all their squads cost more than ours respect the genius that is arsene and support your team through thick n thin.
Have a pleasant day
I have to say I don’t think he will stay beyond next season.If he doesn’t win anything this year and he comes to a conclusion he isn’t getting any closer with these players he may walk this year.14 years is a long time and he seems to be getting increasingly frustrated and for the first time he is getting questioned and criticized. He may feel he’s taken the club as far as he can and needs a change. This is merely an observation, but all his former players know him well and still speak to him.
clearly a publicity stunt, clearly bullshit
If he leaves (which I hope he won’t)I hope he at least takes Denilson, Fabianski, Almunia and Sylvestre with him.
this was too much…lol…..are u from la la la land??
Arsenal play Arsene Wenger,s style not their owners or club chairman,s style ,meaning he doesn,t have to conform to a rigid style of play like Luckypool who have to play the age old style of yesteryear which is clerly outdated,so why should he leave for Spain or anywhere else where there will be political inteference from big headed club owners ?