■ Arsenal v Southampton, 10.45pm UAE, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
Arsene Wenger has said he never wants to work alongside a director of football at Arsenal.
Wenger, 67, is yet to be drawn on whether he will sign a new contract to remain at Emirates Stadium beyond this season.
After another season which has seen Arsenal drop out of the Premier League title race and exit the Uefa Champions League at the last-16 stage, reports continue to surface that the London club’s board are keen to reshuffle the backroom set-up.
Former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars and the former Germany international Michael Zorc have been linked with a director of football role among others, with the pair filling that position for Ajax and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
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Many Premier League clubs now have a director of football in some guise, while others rely on a transfer committee to decide on potential new recruits.
But Wenger, who has been in charge at Arsenal for over 20 years, says he does not want such a structure introduced while he is still in the job.
“I’m the manager of Arsenal Football Club and as long as I’m manager of Arsenal Football Club I will decide what happens on the technical front, that’s it,” he said.
“I don’t know what director of football means. Is it somebody who stands in the road and directs play right and left? I don’t understand and I never did understand what it means.”
Wenger has seen a several Arsenal fans protest against him continuing as manager beyond this season.
The Frenchman said he would know whether he was staying or going in March or April but is still yet to make that announcement.
Asked yesterday if this was the day he would reveal any decision, he simply said: “No.”
The second half of the campaign has been one to forget for Wenger and his side as they slipped from potential title winners to a team now fighting to finish in the top four.
But there was some relief for Wenger, who also takes Arsenal into their third FA Cup final in four seasons later this month, as he finally recorded a victory over long-term adversary Jose Mourinho on Sunday.
The 2-0 victory over Manchester United was Wenger’s first league win over the Portuguese at the 13th attempt and kept Arsenal’s hopes of Champions League qualification alive.
“We built our success with intelligence and patience and organisation,” Wenger said in reflection on the game. “We took advantage of the chances we created at the right moments in the game. It gives us still a chance to go into the top four.”
Former United player and assistant manager Phil Neville berated the players of both United and Arsenal for their conduct in the tunnel ahead of Sunday’s clash. Many of the players were seen hugging and sharing a joke with their opposite numbers, in stark contrast to the rivalry between the sides in recent years.
Wenger conceded his own surprise at the level of cordiality ahead of what was a big game for his side but said it is now often the way with so many different nationalities sharing the tunnel.
“I agree with you. But it doesn’t look like because of that the commitment and the focus of the players has gone down,” he said about Neville’s comments.
“I think I understand that the pundits are a bit surprised by that because 10 or 15 years ago that did not exist. But it is an overall, international thing now.
“You can watch Real Madrid against Barcelona – it’s the same, because people play together, come from the same country.
“I was surprised as well I must say, but I must confess as well that it doesn’t stop the players to focus and concentrate after on the game.”
Next up for Arsenal is a trip to St Mary’s on Wednesday to face a Southampton side who inflicted a 4-0 win over the visitors in the corresponding fixture last season.
Wenger has a fitness worry over defender Laurent Koscielny who injured his calf in the win against United.
But he should have Granit Xhaka available after the midfielder limped out of that game having given Arsenal the lead, while Lucas Perez is also back following a slight setback in recovering from a thigh issue.
* Press Association
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