Arsenal FC

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• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

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Hill-Wood: Wenger will stay

19 May 2009 - 08:57:41

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Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood does not believe Arsene Wenger will turn his back on the club to join Real Madrid.

Wenger has come under fire from disgruntled fans and shareholders in recent days on the back of a fourth trophyless season for the Gunners.

The criticism has coincided with fresh reports linking long-time admirers Real Madrid with a summer move for the Frenchman.

However, Hill-Wood is confident that Wenger will still be in the hot-seat at the Emirates Stadium when the new season kicks off in August.

"I am not concerned about it," said Hill-Wood when asked about the reported interest of the Spanish giants.

"Arsene is here and under contract and I am sure that is how it is going to remain.

"I think he is a big enough man to accept that a few people are not prepared to be reasonable.

"I think we all have to accept criticism, but you expect it to be reasonably constructive, rather than destructive."

Wenger is under contract with the Gunners until 2011 and Hill-Wood claims that some of the criticism aimed at the manager of late has been nothing short of disgraceful.

Wenger was forced to answer some difficult questions about the make-up of his squad following an often stormy meeting at the Emirates Stadium last week.

The signing of a 'geriatric' Mikael Silvestre and the inconsistent form of Emmanuel Adebayor this season were both questioned by disgruntled fans.

"Frankly, some of the questions were quite disgraceful," Hill-Wood told the Daily Mirror.

"There you have the most successful manager in our history and two or three of the shareholders made the most negative and somewhat hostile and sarcastic comments, which I think were completely out of order.

"I was very upset by the questions, I have to say. We, and he, kindly agreed to have this meeting and whether we have another one is a moot point.

"Arsene was very diplomatic and honest in his answers and deserves great credit for that.

"But I wouldn't have been anything like as polite if they had asked me."