Pardew: Emirates should be named after Wenger

Alan Pardew can’t understand Arsenal fans’ frustrations with manager Arsene Wenger — and the Newcastle boss believes the Gunners should name Emirates Stadium after the Frenchman for his services to the club.

Pardew infuriated Wenger as West Ham boss, with his overzealous celebrations of a last-minute win over the Gunners at Upton Park, and the pair angrily squared up.

But Pardew told Newcastle’s Chronicle he has always had huge respect for his old rival.

Pardew said: “I’ve had one run-in with Arsene at West Ham when there was a last-minute goal, but otherwise he’s been fantastic. I have nothing but respect for him and I’ve always enjoyed watching his teams. His squad is very strong at the moment with lots of options and they are the third-best side in the division — and will want to improve on that.

“They are playing a slightly more conservative game and we are not shipping many goals, so I think it will be a lot tighter this time.”

“This is a guy who has done an unbelievable job and the stadium should have been named after him. When they moved houses they couldn’t have competed in the Champions League without him being so astute in the transfer market.

“Bearing in mind the debt they had when they first moved in, he has done an absolutely marvellous job. He’s had a couple of difficult results recently, but Arsene will get through it as every manager does.

“His treatment at the train station after the Stoke game was one of total disrespect.”

Meanwhile Sam Allardyce has warned clubs they will have to pay £20 million if they want to sign defender Winston Reid in the January transfer window.

The 26-year-old New Zealand international’s contract at Upton Park expires at the end of the season and he has reportedly attracted the attention of Arsenal, as well as Liverpool.

With Reid able to leave the club for nothing, the Hammers could have looked to cash in on the former FC Midtjylland defender and look to sign a replacement during the January transfer window.

But Allardyce intends on holding out for a big payday as he looks to keep his best players together in the hunt for European football.

“He isn’t going anywhere,” Allardyce insisted.

“He is not going anywhere unless someone bids £20m or something like that. There is obviously not a lot I can do about that.

“If somebody flirts around with a measly offer because he is in the last year of his contract, we would make more money by keeping him and finishing where we are in the league than selling him and putting our good season in jeopardy.

“Because replacing him in January — replacing anybody in January — is a very difficult job indeed.”

Eight wins in their opening 15 games has left West Ham in fourth place heading into their clash with Sunderland and Allardyce hopes that a continuation of that form could tempt Reid to stay.