ARSENE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
Sir Alex leads the tributes to his old foe after Wenger brings the curtain down on his 22-year Arsenal reign
SIR ALEX FERGUSON led the tributes to Arsene Wenger last night and described him as “one of the greatest managers of all time”.
The former Manchester United boss insisted his old rival had done the right thing by announcing his departure from Arsenal at this time.
And Fergie hailed Wenger for the 22 years of service given to the Gunners.
The legendary Scot said: “I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal.
“It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that he has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job he loves. In an era where football managers sometimes only last one or two seasons, it shows what an achievement it is to serve that length of time at a club the size of Arsenal.
“I am pleased he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season as he can now have the send-off he deserves.
“Arsene is one of the greatest Premier League managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague and a friend to such a great man.”
Another fierce Wenger adversary, Jose Mourinho, said: “If he is happy with the decision he made and looks forward to the next chapter of his career and his life, I am happy for him.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp added: “He always developed teams, brought fantastic players in, was a dominating guy in the mid-90s, early 2000s when he was winning pretty much everything and played wonderful football.
“I admired his work, it was always brilliant. In Germany he was always a big role model in that job.”
Meanwhile, David Moyes has told Wenger’s replacement to strap themselves in for a rough ride at Arsenal.
Moyes – labelled ‘the Chosen One’ after being selected by Ferguson for Manchester United – should know about the pitfalls of succeeding a legend.
The Scot lasted just 10 months in the Old Trafford dugout after failing to step into Fergie’s giant shoes.
“It has been an incredible achievement for Wenger to be in the job for that long – as it was for Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I thought I did well with 11 years at Everton. Real football people appreciate what Arsene has done.”
West Ham are all but safe but that
And as Arsenal begin their search for a successor to legend Wenger, West Ham boss Moyes said: “It’s never easy when you follow great managers at big clubs. It will be tough for whoever takes the job.
won’t stop Moyes from spoiling the start of Wenger’s long farewell party.
The Hammers head to the Emirates tomorrow, just four days before Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final first leg.
With Wenger aiming to bring the curtain down with another trophy, Moyes believes the Gunners could have more on their mind than the London derby. He said: “I’d probably wish it hadn’t been announced before this weekend. Remaining unbeaten is a target to set ourselves.
“Most people appreciate Arsene and what he has done in football. I respect him for what a good football man he is. But we have to our job on the day.
“And maybe Arsene sees the Europa League as the priority.”