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Wenger gets Arsenal chief’s full backing

Comment: 0 September 30th, 2011 by: admin

ARSENE Wenger got a nice gift to celebrate his 15th year as manager of Arsenal.

It came in the form of an assurance from no less than Gunners owner Stan Kroenke of his full backing of the French boss.

Kroenke, the American tycoon who became Arsenal’s majority shareholder this year, said Wenger will decide how long he wants to stay in charge despitethe team’s poor start in the Premier League.

In a rare interview, Kroenke said: “With Arsene, it’s his decision and only he will know that. He is one of my favorite people I have met in the last 20 years. He is a great person and I love the way he handles himself. I love his focus.”

Kroenke added that Wenger is a very intelligent guy. “You can talk to him about anything and when he starts talking to people, I reallylove to listen to him. He should hold seminars. I have tremendous confidence in him. He is one of the great managers in the world. Arsene’s our man.”

Kroenke’s statement of support came after the Gunners posted a confidence-boosting 2-1 Champions League win over Olympiacos on Wednesday night with Pat Rice taking the coaching chores from Wenger.

They will face Tottenham Hotspur in what is expected to be a tough north London derby on Saturday.

“That is a completely different ballgame at Tottenham,” said Rice. “The most important thing is for us was to win, because it takes us closer to qualifying.”

In a related Arsenal development, idle midfielder Jack Wilshere became a father on Thursday.

His girlfriend, Lauren Neal, gave birth to a boy, Archie Jack.

Wilshere, who is on a 5-month layoff following an ankle surgery, said on his Twitter account: “I am the happiest man in the world!”

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