• Premier League

Wenger sympathetic toward AVB plight

ESPNsoccernet staff
December 3, 2011
Arsene Wenger endured a difficult start to this season © PA Photos
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Arsene Wenger understands the plight of under-fire Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, and says some of his players thought the Frenchman's own approach was "mad" when he first came to Arsenal.

Villas-Boas, 34, replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge in the summer but has seen his position come under severe scrutiny following a slump in form, which has left them outside the Premier League top four, and in danger of not qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Wenger may now be an established manager in English football, but the former Monaco tactician knows from his own experiences that it did not happen overnight.

"I have big sympathy for Villas-Boas. I like him personally. I think he is intelligent, competent. You can only think that he will get it right,'' said Wenger, who transformed the Gunners' fortunes after his somewhat controversial appointment in September 1996.

"In our job you can only survive if you do what you feel. After, you can get it through or not. That is what I did, so for me it was not too difficult. I was just convinced of what I wanted and I was fortunate to face intelligent players.

"I had Steve Bould, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown - they are all intelligent people, and maybe they thought 'this guy is completely mad, but we will try and it can work'.

"It is hard, but I believe as well when a manager has strong players in the squad and they share what he thinks, it makes him stronger. If they go against (him), it is difficult."

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich went all out to secure the services of the man who had guided Porto to Europa League success, paying £13.3 million in compensation to take the manager from the Portuguese club. The Russian has been through several managers since the departure of Jose Mourinho, under whom Villas-Boas had worked as a coach.

Wenger, though, accepts he has been fortunate to continue to have the backing of the Arsenal board for so long.

"It is basically down to the club to make the right decision," he said. "There are two things that are very important inside the football club - to take a distance with the storm that you are facing and analyse whether the guy is competent, strong and capable to turn things around or not.

"That is not down to the manager, that is down to the people who decide at the club. That is where the big clubs make a difference. I feel fortunate to be in a club where they can be resistant to pressure."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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