Wenger worried as managers lose control over transfers

ARSENE Wenger is concerned with the diminishing role of managers following the influx of foreign owners into the Premier League — but maintained he would never work under such conditions at Arsenal.

Both Kevin Keegan at Newcastle and former West Ham boss Alan Curbishley cited a perceived lack of hands-on control over transfers as reason behind their decisions to quit.

Manchester City’s new owners splashed out £32m (€40.3m) to snatch Robinho from under the noses of Chelsea — although that move was more than welcomed by Eastlands boss Mark Hughes.

However, such cultures of a manager becoming little more than a coach hired to look after the players they are given is something Wenger — who operates without a director of football — feels could prove detrimental to the game in the long-term.

“I am scared they (managers) are not becoming more like on the continent, but even less,” said the Frenchman.

“On the continent at least you are informed on what kind of players you buy. It looks like some are not even informed any more. It looks to be going a very worrying way.

“We face responsibilities and we stand up for it — but at least you want to feel you are responsible for the decisions you are judged on.”

Wenger maintained: “I feel I am in charge on the technical front of course — but that is the definition of my job. Yet there is a type of ownership which changes and it is provoking a different kind of management and a different kind of responsibilities. People who come from another country, they import the way people manage in their country — in England you had a tradition that was never questioned.”

While Wenger insists it is up to each club how they conduct their own internal affairs, the situation would not fit into the current blueprint for success at Emirates Stadium.

“There’s no problem with directors of football so long as you have a very good one — I feel myself and the board are on the same wavelength in that regard,” he said.

“In life everyone is free to work as you want to work. If I go into a job and someone says to me that you have a director of football who buys and sells the players, I accept or don’t accept it. If I accept it, I cannot complain.

“I would personally not accept that — but I can understand as well that some people don’t want to deal with that.”

Arsenal head to Blackburn this afternoon, with Rovers having now to deal with speculation their newly-appointed manager Paul Ince is being lined up to work with Dennis Wise, the executive director (football) at St James Park.

Wenger, though, will be fully focused with matters on the pitch rather than boardroom manoeuvres as he aims to continue Arsenal’s momentum.

Today’s trip is the first of three tough away matches, which includes a visit to the Ukraine for their Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.

Wenger maintained: “It is down to us to make them look fantastic matches, and that is the challenge in front of us. Many players had positive experiences on international duty — Theo Walcott with England and France won as did Spain.

“Overall the confidence our players got from international games will help — and also that we responded well to defeat at Fulham, with four goals against Twente and then three against Newcastle. We have a very good basis to think we can do well.”