Pires: Arsenal nothing without Wenger
The French coach has allayed fears he was set to quit Emirates Stadium for Real Madrid following criticism by some supporters in the wake of a fourth season without silverware.
Wenger, whose contract runs until 2011, continues to have the full support of the board, with chief executive Ivan Gazidis insisting their manager was going nowhere when quizzed while on a visit to Dubai at the unveiling of a new soccer school.
Pires, 35, was part of the all-conquering Arsenal side which won the double in 2002 and went unbeaten throughout the entire 2003/2004 league campaign.
The French winger – whose last game for the Gunners was in the 2006 Champions League final before moving to Spanish side Villarreal – feels Wenger has become synonymous with the north London club over the past 13 years, and it would be hard to imagine life without him at the helm.
“Arsenal need Arsene Wenger more than he needs Arsenal,” Pires maintained.
“Arsene made Arsenal what they are today, and the fans understand it perfectly.
“If he was to leave tomorrow, he would do it with his head up, not by the back door.”
Pires, who won the World Cup and European Championships with France, added: “His youth policy will pay off in the future, no doubt.
“Arsene wants to die with his ideas. As far as I am concerned, I cannot see him embarking on another boat.
“Indeed, he has not won anything in four years, but the most important thing is to know what he really wants.
“The question is: ‘is he capable of leaving Arsenal?’ It would be starting from zero, obviously, and the Spanish mentality is not similar at all to the English one – he would not have absolute power at Madrid.” Meanwhile Andrei Arshavin is confident he can hit the ground running for the start of next season – and help Arsenal mount a serious challenge for honours.
“I have only been at the club since January, so the new campaign will give me a chance to have a full pre-season and I think it will benefit me and the club,” Arshavin said.
“I have settled in quickly, though, and am looking forward to the challenges of the new season – one that we all hope will see us bring some trophies to the club for the players and the fans.”
Meanwhile rookie Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone could be handed a shock first-team debut against Stoke in the final Barclays Premier League game of the season on Sunday.
Regular number one Manuel Almunia has been sidelined for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury, and Poland international Lukasz Fabianski is now rated as only 50/50 to face the Potters because of a knee problem.
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