Graeme Souness has issued his say about legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (Image: GETTY)
Graeme Souness has labelled legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as “very, very lucky” and has questioned whether the Frenchman is even a football man. And the former Liverpool and Newcastle boss has been scolded for his views on social media.
Wenger is widely regarded as one of the best managers of the Premier League era after spending 22 years at the helm in north London.
The 74-year-old guided Arsenal to two Premier League and FA Cup doubles and is the only manager since the top-flight rebranded in 1992 to oversee an unbeaten league campaign.
And the former Sky Sports pundit, who also managed Southampton and Blackburn in the Premier League explained: “I’ve been on the bench listening to what he’s telling his players to do. I’ve been working for Sky in games where he’s made very strange decisions.
“My take on him is that he got very, very lucky at a time where French football had its greatest ever group of players. He inherited the best back five in world football, a 22-year-old [Dennis] Bergkamp, I think Wrighty (Ian Wright) - there was still life in him.
Arsene Wenger spent 22 years in charge of Arsenal and won three Premier League titles with the club (Image: GETTY)
“I think he had a lot of luck. And then he had 10 years where he won a couple of FA Cups because that cycle had been and gone.
“I’ve never spoken to him about football. He never came into my office after a game, the only manager that never did. I’d go to his office after a game and he’d never be there to talk football. I don’t know if he was a football man or not. I never spoke football with him.”
Deeney and Jordan appeared to be stunned by Souness’ analysis, with the former Crystal Palace chairman suggesting Wenger may not have liked the 71-year-old.
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And fans on X (formerly Twitter) took aim at Souness, with @NiliSaar72_2 penning: “Bitter little man isn’t he.” Fellow X user @ConorChambers wrote: “That’s actually one of the worst takes I’ve ever heard.”
Meanwhile, @alexbishop86 said: “If Jordan & Deeney think you’re spouting nonsense then you’re in trouble!”
And @redsmartiegames added: “Is there a more miserable man in punditry that Souness? Astounding how he can say Wenger isn't a football man and yet, at 74 years old, he is still working in football instead of sitting in a studio chatting b*******.”
