Wenger finds support ahead of City contest

STOCKHOLM: Some Arsenal fans may be calling for his head but Arsene Wenger is still the man for the Emirates, former Arsenal midfielder Kim Kallstrom has told Reuters ahead of the Londoners’ Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

Arsenal are sixth, seven points behind fourth-placed City, and badly need a win if they are to stake a claim for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Kallstrom and goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson — who once played between the sticks for City — have both returned to Stockholm club Djurgarden as they wind down their careers.

“He (Wenger) is under a bit of pressure at the moment, but within the walls of Arsenal he’s still the man,” Kallstrom said as the pair were interviewed ahead of their first game of the Allsvenskan season on Monday, against newcomers Sirius.

Having spent half a season under the 67-year-old at Arsenal, Kallstrom, who spoke to Wenger in French during his time there, clearly has enormous respect for him.

“What is most impressive about him is how he is around the club. Everyone calls him ‘boss’ - it was impressive. You felt that he was Arsenal, that no-one made a decision without the boss approving it,” the 34-year-old said.

Asked if and when Wenger would be forced out of the club where he has spent over 20 years, the Swede declined to speculate.

“Impossible to say. It depends on how the end of the season goes, but given how Chelsea look, it’s unlikely that they’ll win anything,” he said.

Kallstrom and Isaksson, who have long been close friends off the pitch and shared a room when playing for Sweden’s national side, both made their names with Djurgarden before departing for French side Rennes in 2004.

They left in 2006, Kallstrom going to Olympique Lyon for six

years while Isaksson spent a twoyear spell at City where the pace of the English game made a lasting impression on him.

“It’s the intensity. Every game is full-on. In other leagues I’ve played in some games are at a slower pace, but in England it’s full-on the whole time,” Isaksson explained.