Campbell backs Wenger for Arsenal renewal

Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell expects Arsene Wenger to sign a contract renewal despite their recent struggles.

Wenger's contract with Arsenal is due to expire at the end of the season and there is no clarity on his future as of yet.

The Frenchman has been heavily criticised in recent days following his decision to drop Alexis Sanchez from the starting XI for the 3-1 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend, with previous heavy defeats against Bayern Munich and Chelsea having already piled the pressure on Wenger.

But Campbell, who won the Premier League twice and three FA Cups with the Gunners under Wenger's stewardship, does not believe the 67-year-old's long association with Arsenal will come to an end just yet.

"I think he will assess it, he has two years on the table. I think eventually he will take it," Campbell told Sky Sports.

"What he has done for the club, how he has steered the club from Highbury to the new ground, and also the training ground, obviously now there are other clubs with unbelievable training grounds but at the time he was visionary with his ideas about the training ground - he kind of co-designed that.

"While building the stadium the club had to get, out of eight years, at least five Champions League [qualifications], they got all eight times and beyond. 

"The hierarchy will look at it and say 'at a difficult time, he was there; he ticked all the boxes and allowed us not to have to dip into our own pockets for the stadium and all the interest payments and whatever. They have got to look at that, as a business, a CEO, he steered it, unbelievable'.

"Now, there is the pressure from the fans, the pressure from the media but the only people who are going to make that decision are him and the board. At the moment the board are comfortable with him.

"He is the manager, a very experienced manager. The blame will be spread among everybody, no one is perfect. 

"His record, trophy-wise, is fantastic in the first 10 years. Obviously past that it is not the best but the things he has done, the Champions League qualifying, that is no mean feat. 

"Some teams have not qualified over the past 20 years but he has been a regular and the players, the manager, the staff - they are in it together. You win together and you lose together and that is what it is all about."

 

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