Rioch

Former Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch has leapt to the defence of under-fire Gunners boss Arsene Wenger following the club’s Champions League humbling by AC Milan and insisted the Frenchman is better at his job than ever. 

Rioch, who made way for Wenger at Arsenal in 1996, rallied behind the Emirates boss following the 4-0 rout at San Siro and maintained that the manager who succeeded him still has what it takes to enable the north London club to prosper.

“I am not one that is campaigning for Arsene to leave, that’s for sure,” Rioch told Goal.com.
“I think that he has done a magnificent job. He hasn’t got worse as a manager through the  years. He has got better, he is more experienced.

“I don’t think it is time for him to go. Who is going to replace him and where are the resources? Would a replacement have the resources to do more than he has in terms of finance? To replace him you really would have to find a damned good manager.

Wenger has been criticised for not spending lavish sums on new players but Rioch argued that he should not be held solely responsible for the transfer strategy at the Emirates.

“In the broader sense, he has been criticised for not spending money regularly over the last season or two and because of that people are saying that he has not won a trophy for six years,” Rioch added.

“But we have to get lot of things in perspective. There is a balance between spending an awful lot of money and putting yourself in a situation that Rangers have just done and being a viable, solid football club.
“I know from my own experience at Middlesbrough the pain and the difficulties the club suffered when the club went into provisional liquidation in 1986.

“It was extremely damaging and hurtful to an awful lot of people. I get the feeling that a lot of other clubs up and down the country are on the brink as well but I do not think Arsenal are.”

Rioch, who brought Dennis Bergkamp to Arsenal, continued: “From the moment they moved from Highbury to the Emirates, there was an assumption that a bigger capacity and more corporate business would generate more money to spend on bigger players.

“But one has to remember that the stadium itself would have cost something like £300 million so there was a cost there to pay and unfortunately we are in an environment where most people think it is about win, win, win all the time, irrespective of how much it will cost and how much damage it is doing to the club.
“There has to be a balance somewhere down the line and through the past few years Arsene Wenger has ensured this along with the board because - and I do not think it is a one-sided scenario this – it is how much money has been available.”

Wenger’s players will be aiming to redeem themselves following their San Siro mauling in their FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sunderland on Saturday before turning their attention to maintaining a top-four place in the Premier League.

“The result in Milan was bitterly disappointing for everyone concerned with Arsenal Football Club,” Rioch said.

“I know that Arsene, the board, the players and the fans would have expected a better result in Milan but it wasn’t to be.

“It was clear from the post-match interview how hurt and pained Arsene was. It really had an effect on him to see his team go down 4-0.

“It is evident that the team they have at the moment is clearly not as good as the double-winning teams of the past but those teams were absolutely exceptional and the current team are suffering in comparison.”

The two shares – bought for £16,500 each by an mystery investor – mean Arsenal would be valued at £1.1 billion according to The Daily Mail.

Stan Kroenke, the American majority shareholder and owner of 66 per cent of the club, and Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, owner of 29.95 per cent, are not believed to be involved in the costly purchase.

Usmanov has been looking to increase his share in the club to 30 per cent and has an opportunity to buy shares for £14,000.

The £16,500 is £5,000 more than the mandatory offer Kroenke made to shareholders last April, when he took control of the north London club.

Should Usmanov increase his holding to 30 per cent, he will become liable for the Premier League's fit and proper persons test.

This would force the hand of the Arsenal board to give him director status contradicting attempts to freeze him out at board level.

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres wishes his team-mate David Luiz was a fellow Spain international.

 The Brazilian defender arrived at Stamford Bridge from Benfica in January 2011 for a fee of around £30 million.

Torres revealed that the 24-year-old would be his choice Chelsea player to join the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup winners squad.

He told the club’s official website: “If I could take one non-Spanish player from Chelsea to join the Spanish national team I would take David Luiz because I think he would be a very good player for us.

The striker has had a tough time finding the back of the net since his arrival at Chelsea last year but Torres insists he and other the Blues players have a great camaraderie, especially the Spanish team-mates.

“All the Spanish players we are friends,” he added. “We have been very successful together so obviously we have a very good relationship.

“I still have contact with my team-mates when I played with Atletico, many years ago, but they are still good friends.
“Especially with Benayoun, he is a really good friend, so hopefully he can join Chelsea after his loan in Arsenal.”

The former Atletico Madrid forward also added that he believes Barcelona will win La Liga this season despite the 10 point gap between the club and current table toppers Real Madrid.

He said: “Real Madrid are in a very good position now but I still believe in Barcelona – they can go through and win their fourth consecutive Spanish tournament.”