Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour calls on his former side manager Arsene Wenger to make his stand at the club known after he announced he has decided what his next step would be.
Wenger, who have been the coach at Emirates for the past 20-years, is contracted till this summer and there have been reports that the Frenchman will soon be penning an extension which would keep him at the club for another year after.
At the conference held after the 3-1 defeat to West Brom, Wenger told Standard Sport that he has made up his mind and said his decision will be made known soon.
Arsenal fans have been heavily displeased with Wenger’s managerial ways and there have protest against him with placards and banners seen raised up reading ‘Wenger Out’. A counter protest plane was flown displaying a message in support of the 67-year-old.
Parlour, who achieved success with Wenger as his boss – winning Premier League thrice and three FA Cups, believes the pressure is getting to his former boss but also advised him to speak out and clear the air.
“Without a doubt [Wenger is suffering],” he told Sky Sport’s Goals on Sunday. “He loves the club to bits but at the moment it’s going against him so much and he doesn’t want to see his team lacking confidence.
“You can see that he is stressed out at the moment. When I played under him you could see he was great fun, but you can see that it’s really getting to him at the moment…the way their playing.
“I don’t think a lot of people will know what he’s going to do. Not even his backroom staff. But he’s probably going to come out – I imagine very soon – and they [the club and fans] deserve to know what is happening next season.”
Wenger and his players came under fire after they were humiliated at Hawthorns and for their obvious lack of skill in defending set pieces.
Parlour also entreated the players to examine themselves; he also said the club’s transfer policy needs a shake-up and that they should check if their recent signing are quality players.
“Wenger’s more attack minded, but sometimes you have to your common sense as a player…you defend when you have to.
“In game you know when you’re under pressure – you know when you’ve got to weather the storm for ten minutes – but we had leaders and players on the pitch who sorted that out [in my time]. And I don’t know if they’ve got enough of that now.
“I always look at the players they’ve bought in as well. Are they good enough?”