Pep Guardiola puts Wenger and Arsenal on notice

Arsenal fans are in despair after seeing their team outgunned by Bradford City of League Two last Tuesday in the League Cup quarter-final.

But amazingly Arsene Wenger is unfazed by their latest debacle seemingly oblvious to the fact that Arsenal are in their eighth season without any silverware.

The three Premier League titles and four FA Cups Arsenal have won under him during a golden period of the club, now seems a distant memory.

His proud boast that Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League consistently is a also a oft-repeated stock reply to deflect any criticism.

"At the moment we have qualified for the Champions League knockout stage for 13 years out of the last 16. When I listen to the media, it must be a mistake: they talk like we are in the Championship," he told the Daily Mail on Friday.

But the question is whether the 63-year old Frenchman still represents the future of the club after 16 years in the job.

He bristled at suggestions that the club was in turmoil with rubbishing media reports that he had a rift with assistant coach Steven Bould.

Reports of problems in the working relationship between Wenger and his backroom staff surfaced after the midweek defeat to Bradford City, according to BBC.

"We are a united staff and cannot control lies which are written," the Arsenal manager said.

"When our results are not good we have to take that on the chin. To face a lot of lies is less acceptable."

Wenger vigorously defending his own position, claiming he was still "determined" and "hungry" to bring success to the club and silence the critics.

He said: "What is important for us now is the future; how we do in the Premier League, the Champions League and FA Cup, not whether we are out of the Capital One Cup.

"We all look to the future. I believe we have a strong squad and it is up to them to show I am right.

"We are sorry for that (the Bradford loss), but what is important is the next game."

But unless Wenger seriously succeeds in turning around eighth placed Arsenal's fortune, all his posterings will count for nothing.

He gets an opportunity to kickstart Arsenal's flagging campaign during their trip to rock-bottom Reading on Monday.

Speculation is rife that former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is waiting on the wings to succeed Wenger.

Guardiola, who is on a year’s sabbatical in New York, is in the frame for leading posts in England, as well as Continental giants like AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

But Goal.com reported that “Guardiola’s preference in England is Arsenal,” quoting an unnamed source. “The club are aware he would be interested in the job in 2013."

The good news for the Arsenal fans is that Wenger is finally willing to buy top quality players.

Wenger has hinted that he might bid for AC Milan sensation Stephan El Shaarawy in the January transfer window, according to The Metro.
 
El Shaarawy is currently enjoying a breakthrough season at Milan, scoring 13 goals in his first 16 matches.
 
When quizzed about El Shaarawy’s sparkling form earlier this week, Wenger couldn’t help but confess his admiration for the 20-year-old, admitting he is a classic Arsenal player.
 
"El Shaarawy is a very mobile, very technical young player. His philosophy fits perfectly with mine," Wenger told Eurosport.

With Theo Walcott on his way out and having failed to find a potent weapon to replace the mercurial Robin van Persie, making a move for El Shaarawy who likely cost a club record £20million, would go a long way in quelling the growing unrest at Emirates among both fans and players.
 

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