Arsene Wenger turns on Arsenal fans, criticising ‘slaughter’ of his team

Arsène Wenger employed all of his charm to quell the ire of some disgruntled shareholders who turned on his Arsenal team last night. Just hours after the manager admitted that he is prepared to sell Emmanuel Adebayor to Chelsea if the striker leaves this summer, he was forced to defend his players during a testy question-and-answer session at the Emirates Stadium.

The team were criticised for lacking fight, backbone and leadership on the field and Adebayor was accused of diving to the approval of some assembled who suggested that the Togo forward should depart this summer.

Wenger, who said that he does have money to spend during the close season, reacted to the ferocity of some questions by criticising a section of the club’s fans, particularly at home, for turning on the team at the end of a fourth season without a trophy. He said that he and the players should be judged in two years’ time, a prediction he has made in previous seasons.

The tone of the evening was set by the opening question, expressing doubt as to whether the players had taken enough responsibility after their capitulation against Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final. “It is easy to sit in the stand and say that they are not up for the fight,” Wenger said. “What they have done in this season in a negative environment shows what they can do.

“There is a massive difference between the away fans, who are absolutely fantastic, and the home ones. It is always that negative way of thinking, that the players do not care. If we do not get there next year [playing in this style] then I am responsible and will stand up for it. But what this team needs is people who are fans of the club.”

Wenger was astonished when one shareholder labelled Mikaël Silvestre, the 31-year-old defender, “geriatric”. “I cannot accept that you speak about the players of your club like that,” Wenger said. “You are attacking the players and that is much worse [than attacking me].”

The ability of Alexandre Song and Abou Diaby was also called into question after the sale of several experienced midfield players last summer. “People always criticise the players and if they go somewhere else in two or three years you will say ‘why did you let them go, they are great players?’ ” Wenger, who at least gained a round of applause when one shareholder defended him as “a genius” said. “Many times people are upset when the players have gone.

“Some players have good periods or bad periods. If they don’t do well it is because they have lost confidence. But the only way to help a guy who has lost confidence is to support him. But by slaughtering him it does not help. We have had negative vibes and manipulation around the team. It is very hard work to keep the confidence and energy demands because we had to support the team against the odds.”

Wenger said that the club’s structure and philosophy is correct, claiming that Arsenal are the only club to have kept a high standard while coping with the cost of a new stadium.

Adebayor nearly joined AC Milan last summer and Wenger was less than definitive about what would transpire if a suitable offer was made, even if it came from Stamford Bridge. “It’s unusual [to sell to a rival], but we sold Ashley Cole to Chelsea and we bought William Gallas [from Chelsea], so you can never say I never do it, because I’ve already done it,” Wenger said. “If I feel that a player should go, or could go, why not sell him to one of the other top four?

“Adebayor is part of our plans for the future. I believe he has been disturbed at the start of the season a little bit, by bad feelings from the fans because he was close to leaving.”