• Premier League

Edu leaps to Wenger's defence

ESPN staff
October 10, 2011

Former Arsenal midfielder Edu, a member of the squad that went unbeaten throughout the 2003/4 Premier League season, insists Arsene Wenger is the right man to turn the Gunners' season around.

Arsenal lost several experienced players over the summer, most notably Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and have struggled in the early months of this campaign.

They are currently 15th in the league table, having lost four of their opening seven games, conceding 16 goals in the process - and Wenger has been heavily criticised for the club's struggles at the back.

But Edu, who left Arsenal in 2005 after four years at the club, feels Wenger does not need to employ a defensive coach. When asked if the Arsenal boss should employ a specialist, Edu said to Sky Sports News: "Of course not. They have always been doing so well.

"They sold very important players who are difficult to replace. The 'Invincibles' team [in 2003/4] was building for three or four years, building together to have an unbeaten title. To build a whole team you need time, you can't build for just a season, then buy two or three players and make a good team.

"It is difficult to explain [selling Nasri and Fabregas]. It is difficult to find the right time to keep or sell a player, maybe they were thinking it was the right time to sell them.

"Sometimes I cannot imagine why people cannot understand why [Wenger] is good or not good. He has been doing so well for Arsenal. He cannot be not good for one season. I still believe he is a good manager - for me he is one of the best one or two I worked with. I'm sure he will change [the] situation at Arsenal."

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