Wenger is dead against quitting
TONY PULIS says Arsenal supporters could be in for more years of frustration – because Arsene Wenger “wants to be carried out in a box”.
Wenger, following his side’s Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich, is under pressure to quit when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 67-year-old, whose side face Pulis’s West Brom today, will decide at the end of the season.
Pulis said: “He will go down in history as the greatest manager Arsenal have had and you’re probably talking about a manager who wants to manage for another five or six years.
“I get the feeling Arsene probably wants to be carried out in a box still managing a football club. He’s football nuts.
“He’s still in charge of one of the great teams in Europe and they could finish in the top four and win the FA Cup.”
Wenger once accused then-Stoke manager Pulis of rugby tactics but Pulis said: “It’s just two competitive people getting on with their lives and having a bit of a scrap here and there. It makes no difference.
“I’ve worked with different groups of players against their groups, so I’ve seen what was their great team to the present team.
“They’re very, very talented. It’s just about making sure you stay with them and stay in the game. At times you have to grind it out, because they’ll have a lot of possession.”
Jake Livermore will line up for West Brom today before linking up with England following his shock recall, five years after his only previous cap.
But Pulis reckons Baggies fans will have to wait until next season to see the best of the midfielder, who joined from Hull in January.
“He’s got the opportunity and that’s the great thing,” said Pulis. “But I still think we’ll see the best of him next season.
“It’s brilliant for Jake. Now I hope he pushes on and gets a real identity about his game to put him in a position where he knows his strengths and weaknesses. He’s got all the tools to be a really good player.”
One Arsenal player missing some tools is Granit Xhaka. Wenger admits the midfielder he spent £30million on 10 months ago does not know how to tackle. Xhaka was read the riot act by the Arsenal manager after he was sent off against Burnley in January but has picked up yellow cards in each of the five matches he has played since his return. “It’s the way he tackles,” admitted Wenger. “It’s not that he tries to hurt people, it is more he doesn’t master well the technique of tackling.
“I think he has improved a lot since he arrived but he still has to work on his one-against-one.
“He was maybe looking to impress too much but overall he has to stay on the ground because it’s tackling that can get him sent off. When he defends well, staying on his feet, he’s a fair player.” Wenger likened Xhaka to club legend Emmanuel Petit when he arrived in May, but the Swiss has struggled to cope with the pace in England. The Burnley red card was his third for club and country this season and the frustrating thing for Arsenal fans is that two months after Xhaka’s arrival, Chelsea paid a comparable sum for N’Golo Kante. But Wenger said: “They are different. Xhaka is more in the distribution of the pass through the lines and Kante is more the ball winner with the ability to steal the ball without fouling.” Wenger has won just one away game against Pulis and can expect a fiery welcome at the Hawthorns. “He has his own way but he is very efficient and he makes life difficult for us,” he said of the Stoke boss. “This season they have moved to more possession and a less direct type of game, but they’re still efficient at set-pieces.” Pulis will be without winger Matt Phillips, who has a groin injury. James Morrison has an ankle problem.