PIRES: I HOPE ARSENE STAYS WITH GUNNERS

IT WAS last summer during pre-season that Arsene Wenger let Robert Pires in on his determination not to fail again. “It was ahead of the first game, against Lens,” said Pires. “I was on the team bus with him. “I talked with him and he said, ‘You know, Robert, my first objective is to win the Premier League – not the FA Cup, not the Champions League. This is the reality’.” Wenger ended up not even making the top four. It has left fans wanting him out, insiders at the Emirates wanting change – and Arsenal in the Europa League. Yet Pires retains his faith in the man who signed him for the club 17 years ago from Marseille. And whatever happens in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea tomorrow, Pires is hoping Wenger confirms he is staying and returns next season to defy the critics. “I hope he will extend his contract – this is the man for Arsenal,” insisted Pires. “I know a lot of Arsenal fans don’t have the same opinion as me. “And Arsene knows that, if he extends the contract, he needs to change something – spend a lot of money and build a new team. “He also knows that it will not be that easy. “Some other managers are critical about Arsene, but he doesn’t care. Because he is very, very strong in his mind. He is still hungry. He loves Arsenal, he loves the team, he loves the players.“Chelsea will be fresh from winning the title, while Arsenal will be without the suspended Laurent Koscielny and the injured pair of Gabriel and talisman Alexis Sanchez. Defeat would increase the calls for Wenger, 67, to stand aside. But Pires said: “Time to retire? No, no. Impossible. The last chance for silverware is the FA Cup. “Arsenal are in love with it because we have won it 12 times. That’s why the players are very focused. “Chelsea are the favourites, of course. But, you know football.” Whatever the outcome of the final tomorrow, Pires, 43 will be captaining and playing for France – alongside Marcel Desailly, Eric Abidal and many more big names – at Star Sixes, a new six-aside world cup for legends staged at The O2, London, from July 13 to 16. “For some players, like Marcel, it’s not so easy now,” added Pires. “I am 43 whereas he is 48 or 49. So he needs to keep fit again and start a new regime of training. “But he said yes because he is a professional.” Also signed up are Deco who will captain Portugal, Michael Ballack, who will skipper Germany, and England’s Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen.