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FA Cup: Clouds Gather Over Wenger’s Future
John Wardle | February 19, 2012

Arsenal fans are increasingly unhappy with Arsene Wenger, the club’s longtime manager. (Agency Photo) Arsenal fans are increasingly unhappy with Arsene Wenger, the club’s longtime manager. (Agency Photo)
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Sunderland, Britain. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger remained defiant despite facing further questions about his future in the wake of its 2-0 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The club is now heading toward its seventh season without a trophy, but Wenger told his critics, “We will stay united, fight and focus on the next game. It is important for us to show strength and resilience.”

The only problem is that the next game is against its neighbor Tottenham Hotspur, and another defeat would provide further ammunition for supporters who are increasingly unhappy with the team’s performance.

While Wenger accepts fans have a right to their opinions, he was less impressed by the verdict of Roy Keane, a former Sunderland manager, who described the current Arsenal team as the worst he had seen.

“I think it’s a very harsh judgment,” said Wenger, who was already under fire after a midweek 4-0 Champions League rout at the hands of AC Milan.

There was plenty in this Cup exit to fuel the fans’ anger.

Sunderland may have relied on a deflected shot from Kieran Richardson and an own goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to claim a place in the quarterfinals, but it was a deserved success.

Sunderland survived an early claim for a penalty to become the more committed and incisive team, although even its manager, Martin O’Neill, acknowledged the team had been aided by the fact that Arsenal had played a Champions League game in midweek.

Wenger also pointed toward his club’s defeat at AC Milan as a factor in the loss on Saturday.

“I felt it was a committed performance and the players gave absolutely everything that was left in their legs,” he said. “It has been very difficult. We have played three successive away games in a week on three very difficult pitches, so I believe we have been very unfortunate.”

While Wenger prepares his player for the meeting with Tottenham, the focus of others is on what will happen after the end of the season, with questions about the future of the manager and some of his players, notably Robin van Persie.

“It is very difficult to say where this leaves us and what we will do. Let’s focus on the next game to finish well in the Premier League,” Wenger said.

Speculation about Wenger overshadowed Sunderland’s march into the last eight of the FA Cup, and even O’Neill contributed to the debate.

“When Arsene eventually decides to retire, he will be regarded by everyone, including me, as one of the great managers in the game,” O’Neill said. “We might not always see eye to eye about events but I think he’s been fantastic. He will be disappointed that they have lost but my own view is that criticism is not particularly merited.”

“I thought we had lots of energy and got stronger as the game went on. I’m really delighted for everyone concerned with Sunderland Football Club, particularly the players,” he added.

Agence France-Presse