Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit back at Gary Neville after the Manchester United legend said the Frenchman was either “naive or arrogant” for attempting to win the Premier League without powerful players to complement his side’s flair.
Neville blasted Wenger ahead of Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Monday, saying the Gunners boss needed to sign “players of power” if his side are to have any chance of winning the league title.
Wenger shrugged off Neville’s comments following the highly entertaining clash at the Emirates.
“Look, I don’t know what that has to do with arrogance,” Wenger is quoted as saying by The Guardian.
“I try just to do my job well for 20 years. I leave judgment to everybody else, the assessment of the quality of my work.
“Everybody is entitled to that opinion. I could prove to you that it’s not necessarily right but let’s not go into that debate tonight.
“When you don’t win, you’re wrong and people find reasons. Are they good reasons? I have enough experience to know when it’s right and when it’s wrong.”
Wenger’s retort came after Neville’s comments on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage.
“To me it’s arrogance. I think it’s arrogance. I really do,” Neville is quoted as saying by The Mirror.
“To think that you are not going to adapt your team, to change to impact on the other teams that you’re playing against and their strengths.
“It is either naive, or arrogance. Because they keep losing this way. Belief? It is mis-held belief.
“I’ve got great respect for Arsenal as a football club. Arsene Wenger’s job is absolutely amazing.
“But I just cannot get my head around why he would not sign players of power to assist these talented players that you’ve got to enable them to win the league.”
Arsenal have not won a league title since the 2003-04 season, and another year without a title will only add the the significant pressure already placed on Wenger.
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