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Arsene Wenger 'safe regardless of Arsenal's Champions League fate'

By David OrnsteinBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments812

Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger will attend Arsenal's monthly board meeting on Thursday but his future is not on the agenda.

It is understood the club have no intention of sacking Wenger, even if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.

The manager retains the unequivocal support of majority shareholder Stan Kroenke and his fellow directors.

Kroenke was at Tuesday's Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich and will also be at the board meeting in London.

Any decision over Wenger's future rests with the Frenchman himself - he is under contract until 2014 and Arsenal would be prepared to offer him a new deal if he wants to extend a reign that began in 1996.

There will be no out-of-the-ordinary show of support at the board meeting because the support is already there - Wenger and the board are united and agreed on what they are trying to achieve and what needs to be done to get there.

They recognise the shortcomings of the team and understand the concern of Arsenal supporters, but the club are adamant they are putting the structures in place to compete with Europe's biggest teams in the near future.

Arsenal are facing a battle to qualify for next season's Champions League. They sit fifth in the Premier League, four points adrift of the final qualification spot, which is currently occupied by neighbours Tottenham.

They have not won a trophy since beating Manchester United on penalties to lift the FA Cup in 2005, and hopes of silverware this season have all but disappeared.

Wenger's side were knocked out of the Capital One Cup by League Two side Bradford in December and suffered a home defeat by Blackburn in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.

Arsenal 2005 FA Cup
Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2005, their last trophy

Their chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals were severely dented with the 3-1 last-16 first-leg loss to Bayern.

Arsenal's move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006 restricted their spending power - and they did not anticipate the impact that cash-rich clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City would have on football's markets.

But the first instalment of a new shirt sponsorship deal will contribute to a fund of around £70m for new signings this summer.

The club will be boosted by which will give each club around an extra £30m per season from this summer.

They are expected to move on a number of fringe players to free up money for new signings, with Andrey Arshavin and Sebastien Squillaci out of contract at the end of the season and Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner also likely to leave.

Arsenal's pursuit of Barcelona striker David Villa in the January transfer window - which came to nothing because the Catalan club refused to sell - indicates they are ready to spend significantly.

The Gunners hierarchy are confident they have the resources to attract top-quality signings even if they miss out on next season's Champions League, although accept that would make the task harder.

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812 comments

  • Comment posted by User0241104362, at 11:22 21 Feb 2013

    Perhaps you can now get off his back.

    BTW Is Phil McNulty's job safe with the BBC?

  • Comment posted by kozoo, at 12:56 21 Feb 2013

    Phil McNulty will not attend any BBC board meeting this month but it is understood his position within the organisation is safe, for now. McNulty has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks due to a string of poor articles and many readers are losing patience with the writer. McNulty, who has been BBC Sport's Chief Football Writer since July 2000, hasn't written a decent... TBC

  • Comment posted by JMcCrea, at 11:08 21 Feb 2013

    This witch hunt is perverse and uncalled for. The man is a legend of the game, he has worked with what he has been given which is not a lot of money compared to the clubs above Arsenal in the table, and has delivered accordingly.

  • Comment posted by User0484648226, at 11:10 21 Feb 2013

    Good. It's ridiculous! Mr Wenger has managed Arsenal to consistently finished in a champions league spot, We play beautiful football & the club is financially stable! He has successfully overseen the stadium move and helped the club eradicate huge debts, while competing at the top with clubs spending £200 million and more. We are lucky to be in this position where many clubs can only dream to be

  • Comment posted by User0310291364, at 10:59 21 Feb 2013

    Give the poor man a break, he deserves more respect than this pathetic media witch hunt. A great manager who has proved time and again he has the goods to deliver.

    All the best from a Forest fan.

  • Comment posted by its up for grabs now, at 11:10 21 Feb 2013

    Ahhh... the BBCs daily Arsenal bashing article... and before midday...

    Oh... and the same three paragraphs that appeared in the previous articles over the last week just in case we'd all forgotten about the losses to Bradford, Blackburn and Bayern...

    I was also unaware that Arsenal had not won a trophy since 2005... what would we all do without the BBC...

  • Comment posted by James_AFC, at 13:37 21 Feb 2013

    I can picture the scene in Phil Mcnulty's office:

    PM: David, I need you to take the heat off me - I've removed my name from previous articles - true colours showing, I need yours on this.
    DO: Right on Phil. How's your team doing - when did Moyes last win a trophy?
    PM: Brendon Rodgers is out of his depth.
    DO: Are they sacking Moyes?
    PM: Wenger is past it.
    DO: Biscuit Phil?
    PM: Barca are in decline

  • Comment posted by Complete and utter horse, at 13:41 21 Feb 2013

    281.James
    Agreed. I've heard that Phil is hanging by a thread at the BBC after he was found charging about the BBC offices on all fours, sniffing underneath peoples' desks and dribbling all over the place. He incoherently mentioned something about Suarez diving before hopping onto his boss' desk and scoffing down an entire packet of Jaffa Cakes in one go.

  • Comment posted by Y0U, at 13:12 21 Feb 2013

    Considering that Arsenal are one of the very few clubs in English football ran to a profit with a healthy financial setup, I'd say Wenger is doing a good job by finishing in a CL place consistantly. Man City have spent £500m+ on 1 league title. Get off his back already, it isn't his fault that the board decide to ship out their star players and not find suitable replacements.

  • Comment posted by Sean, at 15:46 21 Feb 2013

    I am a Tottenham fan and have sang rude songs about Arsene Wenger while Arsenal finished above us year after year. It will be nice if we can overturn that this year but we'll be waiting a long time to achieve what they have under Wenger.
    Give the Man a break

  • Comment posted by User0361888705, at 13:17 21 Feb 2013

    @228. ronnieboy1 - Yes. All 'proper' Arsenal fans should turn their backs on an Arsenal legend just because things aren't going quite as well as they were before under... er... oh Wenger! You are no 'proper' fan you are just a trophy hunter. If you loved the club you would show its greatest manager some more loyalty and respect. I want Arsenal to win but I also want Arsene to win.

  • Comment posted by Be_Humble, at 15:16 21 Feb 2013

    Arsenal is one of the most stable premier league. I rather have a team under Arsene Wenger and have stability and continuity for decades to come than be partof a team like Chelsea with 1 investor dictating his culture on the fans, club and board.
    Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger has got a Man that knows Football but also with his economy degree know how to Manage a club. Trophies can wait!

  • Comment posted by private eye, at 15:42 21 Feb 2013

    Great news for all gooners and lovers of beautiful football. No club has a divine right to win trophies including Arsenal and a change of manager certainly will not. IMO we still have the best and I for one are grateful for all he has done and dread the thought of him leaving us.

  • Comment posted by Dr Heath, at 16:57 21 Feb 2013

    As a Liverpool fan, i respect how arsenal are run as a club, Arsenal are paying back a huge loan to build the Emirates. The would increase Arsenals Income but obviously increase its debts. This was always going to effect arsenals Transfer budget. Wenger has got them into the Champions league every season. I dont think there are many managers who could that in those in those circumstances

  • Comment posted by User0662690838, at 13:15 21 Feb 2013

    Guide to Arsenal articles;

    1) Mention recent loses
    2) Refer to winning nothing since the 2005 FA cup
    3) Bring up the 8-2 defeat to Manchester United
    4) Save the last two lines for some unsourced gossip

  • Comment posted by andy9, at 13:18 21 Feb 2013

    I can understand some of Wenger's frustration with the press, when we see a series of complacent lazy headline stories about things which aren't a story at all.

    I remember a completely fabricated story on here a while ago - Ferguson storms out of press conference, complete with video. But it was actually untrue, as the BBC man had asked a question after the formal end and AF was leaving anyway.

  • Comment posted by U14841845, at 15:39 21 Feb 2013

    Most Arsenal fans want him to stay - it's just the bunch of spoilt little puddings who believe AFC can compete financially with City and Chelsea who whitter on endlessly and bark the loudest.

    If he went, it would be a very sad day at Arsenal and for British football. If people don't understand why 90% want him to stay - do some research or something, open your minds.

  • Comment posted by User0890917872, at 13:22 21 Feb 2013

    News flash! David Ornstein and Phil Mcnulty, the comedy duo who write speculative drivel on a daily basis, are in trouble after not writing a decent article for 8 seasons. The BBC board meeting is suggesting that top of their agenda is to review the lazy journalism that has continued despite the bbc move to their new home in Manchester. Zippy and bungle from rainbow are the likely successors.

  • Comment posted by Ozan, at 13:57 21 Feb 2013

    Arsene is the best manager for Arsenal! If he was to be manager at any billionaire owned club, he'd be winning trophies regularly. Not his fault players want to treble their wages and left. He's left doing a rebuilding job every year!
    Keep going Arsene! you're a fantastic manager and we appreciate you at this club!!

  • Comment posted by User0856787130, at 11:27 21 Feb 2013

    Half the football media vultures should get the sack for the sheplike trash they spew out with hardly a grey cell used between them .

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