Gary Neville: 'Arsene Wenger deserves more respect from fans'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 17 February 2017

Gary Neville believes that Arsene Wenger deserves more respect from some Arsenal fans due to his "unbelievable" success at the club over the past two decades.

Gary Neville has warned Arsenal supporters to 'be careful what they wish for' following further calls this week for manager Arsene Wenger to leave the club.

Wenger's 21-year reign as Gunners boss looks to be coming to an end following an abject performance in the Champions League in midweek, as his side fell to a 5-1 defeat away to Bayern Munich.

A number of former players have hinted that Wenger is close to bringing down the curtain on his long-running spell in North London, while ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown described the latest last-16 setback as arguably the lowest point of the Frenchman's tenure.

Neville believes that context is needed, however, due to Wenger's commitment to the club over the past two decades and his previous achievements.

"Does Arsene Wenger's 20 years of service at the club deserve a little bit more respect than certain types of things that have happened? Some would say yes, some no, he deserves everything he gets," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "Some people, including myself, would say hang on a minute. If it was Dimitri Payet, who just handed in a transfer request at West Ham and has left the club now, you can understand why fans would go full on.

"If it was John Terry, who has given Chelsea 20 years and might not be in the team anymore, might not be playing as well. Does he deserve banners and abuse? No. It's a unique one with Arsene Wenger, what he has achieved at the club, the greatest ever manager for Arsenal. His performance levels consistently for 20 years have been unbelievable. And you'd have to say, I do go along the line of, 'be careful what you wish for'.

"Not in the sense that change isn't good, because it can be, but Arsenal's spending has been less than all the other clubs. Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea. If you spend less, you're more than likely - and I know Leicester are the exception - to finish below those other clubs. To continue to finish second, third, fourth over that period while still spending that much is an unbelievable achievement."

"Look at the other clubs who are currently below him in the league, who have spent more money and don't get the same abuse. What Arsenal have got, and still do to this day - and you should never underestimate the power of this - is stability, support, loyalty, being a club that offers managers an opportunity for more than 12 months."

Wenger revealed on Friday that he intends to make a decision over his future in the next couple of months, with a contract extension understood to be on the table.