Arsenal players, not Arsene Wenger, should bear the responsibility for their side’s recent struggles, according to Gunners great Patrick Vieira.
Wenger is under growing pressure at Arsenal after a run of five defeats in seven games that has sent the Gunners crashing out of the Champions League and Premier League top four, with the FA Cup their last realistic hope of silverware this season.
An increasingly vocal section of Arsenal fans are calling on the club to withdraw its offer of a two-year contract for Wenger, whose current terms are due to expire at the end of the season. Club chairman Sir Chips Keswick issued a statement earlier this week stating any decision over the manager’s future would be “mutual”.
Arsenal’s season has been all the more disappointing after nearly £90million of spending in the summer, bringing in two of the clubs four most expensive signings in their history in Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi.
Those two have been among several to struggle in recent months and Vieira, who won three League titles at Arsenal including as captain of the famed ‘Invincibles’, believes the players must take responsibility for their team’s struggles.
“I know Arsene and he’s not the type of person that will throw the towel in and just walk out of this situation,” Vieira said. “He will fight for it because he’s proud and he will give everything like he has been doing for the football club.
Arsenal fans protest against Arsene Wenger | March 7, 2017
“You have to look at some of the players. In some of the situations players have been letting Arsene down a lot.
“Of course coaches have responsibility but players have responsibility as well. You can work all week on your approach you want to have for the game but when players are on the field they are the ones who have to fight. They are the ones who have to put their feet on, jump, compete. If you don’t do it then it will be a problem.
“We can talk about Arsene but I think it’s important for players to take responsibility and look at themselves in the mirror as well.”
Vieira is currently manager of Major League Soccer side New York City FC, who lost their first game of the season in Orlando.
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The 40-yer-old has previously been critical of Wenger, who he claimed never invited him to start his coaching career at the Emirates.
