Wenger will stick to his guns

ON Saturday morning, according to French magazine L’Equipe at least, the Arsene Wenger era was fast approaching its end.

By Saturday afternoon, the Arsenal manager was happily telling all and sundry he remained as committed as ever to the “club of my life”.

Oh yes, there was a game sandwiched in between as well. Arsenal won it and Robin van Persie scored both their goals. So at least one issue was as clear as ever: the Gunners really do rely on the Dutchman, who has now netted 31 Premier League goals in 2011.

But back to Wenger. The article in L’Equipe, from an interview conducted well after Arsenal’s early season implosion and deadline day panic-buying spree, painted a very vivid picture: the manager now regarded the Gunners as a short-term project and had a duty to prepare the ground for his eventual successor. He would even review his position at the end of the season, two years before his current contract commitments are scheduled to end.

Unsurprisingly, bloggers and tweeters of a red and white persuasion went into electronic overdrive at such unexpectedly juicy news.

Indeed, were those supporters who had turned against Wenger following his failure to keep Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri about to get their wish? No was the eventual answer, with the author of the original article busy tweeting before kick-off that under no circumstances whatsoever had Wenger said he was definitely planning to stand down.

Yet the Arsene Wenger quoted in his homeland sounded remarkably different from the Arsene Wenger clarifying his position to reporters outside the gents in the main stand at Carrow Road.

Had he been misquoted like so many before him? Or had he, to coin a phrase, ‘done a Blatter’? You decide.

Arsene Wenger in L’Equipe: “What is hard is the feeling something is coming to an end. For me, we’re now talking short-term, it’s obvious. We’ll look at things at the end of this season.”

Arsene Wenger outside the gents: “It’s a non-story, for me. The club could decide to get rid of me tomorrow morning but I cannot interfere with that decision. I am completely committed to this club and I will show you that at the end of the season. I have two more years to go, I will stay and that’s it.”

As for the game itself, Arsenal were far more superior than the scoreline suggested and that is also a familiar tale as far as their supporters are concerned.

Chance after chance was spurned before some dreadful defending by Per Mertesacker, one of those aforementioned deadline day signings, allowed Steven Morison to open the scoring in the 16th minute.

It took Arsenal 10 minutes to restore parity, with van Persie converting Theo Walcott’s cross after the otherwise-excellent Gervinho had seemingly made a pig’s ear of his own attempt at a close-range finish.

Van Persie’s winner was also the result of a defensive error as Russell Martin — who had made three goal-line clearances, one of the miraculous variety — surrendered possession to Alex Song in the centre-circle, and within seconds, the ball was in the Norwich net.

The Canaries remained in the game to the final whistle — the Gunners had to defend a free-kick on the edge of the area in stoppage time — but it would have been an injustice had Arsenal not taken all three points.

Norwich have an Irishman in their ranks in Wes Hoolahan and another potential Euro 2012 finalist in Anthony Pilkington, who though born in England is an Under-21 cap.

Did Paul Lambert, the Norwich manager, feel the duo were worthy of squad berths next summer?

If so the Champions League winner (“It’s nothing really, I don’t talk about it”) wasn’t about to say so.

“I don’t pick the Irish team,” he said.

“If the lads get picked for their country it’s a brilliant honour but what I don’t do is picking someone else’s team for them. It’s hard enough picking my own team.”

Okay Paul, we get the point. No fear of mistranslation there.