Arsenal

Kolo Toure: 'Arsene Wenger feeling the pressure'

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 07 September 2017

Former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure says that manager Arsene Wenger is feeling the "pressure" after the club's poor start to the new Premier League season.

Former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure has said that the "pressure" on Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is having an adverse effect on his players.

The Frenchman refused to decide whether to sign a new deal with the club for much of last season, only putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract after the end of the campaign.

Wenger's position has been called into question by a vocal section of the club's support once again following their activity in the summer transfer market and disastrous start to the new season, which saw them suffer a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool last time out.

"When you're a manager of a club like Arsenal and you don't win trophies for such a long time, I mean the league of course, you will have always pressure," Toure told the Evening Standard.

"But the guy has experience, the guy has been there before and he wants the best for the club that is all I know and he wants to do his best for the club.

"When things stalk around it makes things difficult for him because the players can feel that as well, the players can feel that the fans are putting pressure on the manager and the players are in a position where they are not really comfortable.

"If anything happens they know it is going to be a big problem the next day and that's quite difficult to be honest.

"But Mr Wenger has a very strong mentality and he loves the club, he loves the club and the fans love the club, we will see what happens next."

Wenger has been with Arsenal since 1996 and is the club's most decorated manager ever, winning three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields.