ARSENAL legend Ian Wright says “it is tearing him apart” to see Arsene Wenger come under fire from Gunners fans.
Wenger faces increasing criticism from some supporters angry with the club’s poor form, with one banner urging him to end his 19-year reign as manager.
The London club have slipped to third in the Premier League table and exited the FA Cup at the weekend.
Wright told BBC Radio 5 live that he found it “very uncomfortable” to see Wenger being treated the way he is.
“It is tearing me apart because I played for him and have a lot of respect for him,” said Wright. “He gave me extra years on my career.”
Arsenal’s season looked very healthy just a few weeks ago.
They were top of the Premier League on 4 January and fighting for silverware in two cup competitions.
But they have won only two of their past nine league games and now lie third in the table, eight points behind leaders Leicester City and six behind north London rivals Tottenham.
They are also heading out of the Champions League.
They were beaten 2-0 at home by Barcelona in the first leg of their last-16 tie and travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Wright spent seven seasons at Arsenal between 1991 and 1998, scoring 185 goals, winning both domestic cups and helping them win a league title as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
He said “a lot of questions have to be asked” of the current players, adding that they were not doing enough for Wenger.
Wright said Wenger had made them into “massive, rich men” and they had “not achieved what they should have achieved”.
