Sam Allardyce backs old foe Arsene Wenger

Sam Allardyce believes Arsene Wenger should feel no obligation to tell Arsenal fans what his future holds.

Allardyce’s Crystal Palace welcome the Gunners to Selhurst Park Monday amid growing tension between the Arsenal boss and supporters following another unsuccessful Premier League challenge.

Allardyce is not surprised by the recent climate at Arsenal, where Wenger is due to reach the end of his contract this summer. Asked if Wenger should be making his plans for next season known, Allardyce said: “Not really, that’s a conversation the club has, not Arsene himself. The whole club decides if you’re going to make an announcement or not, not just the manager.”

On the protests against the Frenchman, Allardyce said: “It’s the norm...today. It’s what you have to accept across the board as a manager. We’ve all had it but we’re tough enough to deal with it. He’s been an outstanding manager in this league for 20-odd years so I’m sure he will be fighting with his players to put things right.

“And they had a very good victory, 3-0, which showed they bounced back and as always it will be a hugely tough game for us because of the quality of their players.”