Wenger wants to stay at Arsenal forever

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger would happily
see out the rest of his years at the north
London club whose consistent support over
nearly 17 years in the post has made him shun
plenty of other job offers.
The longest-serving manager in the Premier
League by around 14 years, Wenger told a
news conference on Friday that majority
shareholder Stan Kroenke's belief that the
Frenchman was central to his long-term vision
for the club was a big boost.
"I am very honoured to have the support of
Stan Kroenke and that he thinks I can help the
club. That is a huge confidence vote, that is of
course for me something that is very positive,"
Wenger said.
Kroenke was full of praise for the 63-year-old
manager, whose contract runs out at the end
of this season, in an interview with British
newspaper The Daily Telegraph published on
Friday.
"There's no one I feel more strongly about and
I think he is doing a great job," Kroenke said.
"We have been very supportive, we have never
wavered, we are proud of him, proud of the
club, the way the club is run and how it holds
itself out to the world."
With Kroenke backing him so openly, Wenger
talking about his love for the club and Arsenal
enjoying an excellent start to the season, a
new deal seems likely to be a formality.
"The good thing with me, if I have one quality,
you don't need a lot of talks to extend the
contract," Wenger said.
Asked when he would sign a deal, he replied: "I
don't know. When we find time. I don't think
that's the most important problem at the
moment."
Wenger, whose team are top of the Premier
League on goal difference from Tottenham
Hotspur with 12 points from five games, put
his longevity down to the club's mentality in an
era where trigger-happy owners sack managers
just months into a job.
"I'm very grateful to this club because during
the 17 years we had ups and downs they have
always shown big faith in me and they let me
always do the job like I thought it had to be
done," he said.
"If I'm still here today it's because I got that
consistent support from inside the club. I
turned many offers down because I rate what
I've got here and I always thought this club is
special on that front."
'HERE FOREVER'
The highs include Wenger leading Arsenal to
three Premier League titles and four FA Cups,
while among the lows have been fan
frustration that the trophies have dried up
with the last one coming in 2005.
He has also battled criticism at a lack of
activity in the transfer market but answered it
in style with this month's deadline-day coup in
signing Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil from
Real Madrid.
If Kroenke gets his way, there could be plenty
more action on the Wenger rollercoaster.
"Honestly, I would love to be here forever
because that would mean I would be immortal
but I am not naive enough to believe that so
just what I would like to do as long as I am
here is to give the best for this club because I
love his club of course," Wenger said.
"It's a long time and a short time (in the job),
because I don't know where the 17 years have
gone. Our job has a good advantage, you just
look forward to the next game, you never look
back."
Arsenal's next match is a trip to Swansea City
on Saturday in the Premier League with
midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini
facing fitness tests on thigh and shoulder
problems respectively.
Wenger said winger Theo Walcott had come
through minor surgery on an abdominal injury
but was likely to be out for up to five weeks.