Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has launched an impassionate defence of his record at Arsenal, while claiming he has ‘built the club’. The legendary Gunners manager has come under intense fire recently, after Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Watford, resulting in calls for the Frenchman to be sacked.
Ahead of Arsenal’s blockbuster UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona, Wenger was in a defiant mood as he faced up to the press, saying “I built the club with hard work, without any external resources and, if you compare where we are today to when I arrived, we have moved forward and without any money from anybody, just the money we produced from the work.”
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With Wenger facing perhaps the most pressure on his job, ever, the Arsenal manager reminded everyone that his motivation was at his strongest, saying “The problem when you're a long time somewhere [is that] you are questioned about your dedication, but I don't question my dedication at all and I give more time to my club now than when I arrived.”
“I have no doubts about my huge motivation. I am even more motivated from the first day I arrived and feel the pressure and the responsibility to keep moving this club forward more now.”
Wenger evasive on fan criticism
The outpouring of frustration amongst the Gunners faithful was at its pinnacle after Arsenal’s FA Cup exit, although Arsene Wenger did not comment on whether the criticism affected him, saying “I don't want to go into that discussion because it can be interpreted both ways.”
However, the Arsenal legend maintained that he retains the values that can overcome the fallow spell, saying “I am honest enough to make sure that I give my best. I'm not too much of an image person, I just want to think I give my best for this club and I'm determined to do that. Honest dedication and total commitment is the most important thing.”
Wenger still confident of this season’s prospects
The FA Cup was considered by many to be Arsenal’s best chance of a trophy this season, as Arsenal are 11 points behind table-toppers Leicester City in the Premier League, while they must overcome a 2-0 deficit to Barcelona in the Camp Nou, a rather daunting prospect.
Wenger, for his part, remains confident, saying “I have played 200 Champions League games. We have won everywhere in Europe but not here yet. So we have the chance to achieve that tomorrow. I'm convinced that the players have decided and are united to give a strong response tomorrow and I'm convinced that a great result tomorrow would be a big boost for the rest of the season.”
“We have gone through a disappointing spell recently, with our results, but it's important to stay calm and strong.”
