Wenger: It has been murder

ARSENE WENGER has fired back at critics of his Young Guns and himself by dramatically claiming he feels as if he has killed someone.

CLAIMS Wenger defended his Young Guns during a press conference CLAIMS: Wenger defended his Young Guns during a press conference

The Arsenal boss was grilled by shareholders at the Emirates Stadium about his policy, player choice and the fact they have failed to land silverware for four years.

But an incredulous Wenger – the club’s most successful manager ever – simply cannot understand the flak generated ahead of their match at Manchester United, who need just one point from their last two matches to win their 18th top-flight title and third in a row, with Arsenal lagging way behind in fourth.

Wenger insists people should accept United are the best team in the land, but give his young charges some credit.

“You sit here, you’re in the last four in Europe, and every day, you feel like you have killed someone. It’s unbelievable,” he said.

“If you do not step back from it, you think, ‘What kind of world do we live in?’.

“We lose against Man United, who have 10 times more resources. It’s not a shame, they’re the best in the world, congratulations to them. If you play tennis and you lose against [world No1 Rafael] Nadal, you can still say, ‘I am a good player’.”

After United put Arsenal out of the Champions League semi-finals last week Ferguson saluted Wenger for his achievements and said the big problem for both of them as long-serving managers at the same club was the continued and growing levels of high expectation - there was no grey, just black or white.

“It feels like it,” said Wenger, who agreed he was a victim of his own success, but how does he change that situation? He said: “You have to change that. Or you go or you stay and you win - it’s simple.

“I personally believe the way we’ve gone, our policy, to build on a young team, who went to the semi-final of the Champions League, and the semi-final of the FA Cup. It’s not like we have lost against Cardiff in the FA Cup. We’ve lost against Chelsea and we’ve lost against Manchester United.

“It hurts, believe me, but it’s not like we have lost against nobody. We’ve lost against the holders of the Champions League and were in the last four with a very young team - that’s the reality.

“Is it good enough for the club or not? That is not for me to assess. I believe we have to keep a little bit of common sense. Our average age in midfield is 22. Normally you play not to go down in the Premier League with a team like that. It’s as simple as that.”

The jibes from dissatisfied supporters and the critics clearly rankle but Wenger says he could not have done any more. He said: “I look in the mirror and think, ‘Have I given everything, have you done the maximum you can, and that’s it?’.

“Opinions are always manipulated. I believe this club is in a fantastic situation. You look at the shape of the club, you look at the financial situation of the club, you look at the quality of the squad. I’d be pretty envious of this club if I was on the outside.”

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?