Reports are out claiming that Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand has questioned Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s appetite for winning silverware.
The Frenchman, in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game with Barcelona, questioned the criticism consistently directed at him by claiming that he has helped build the North London club since his arrival in 1996.
However the former England international star believes that winning trophies is as important as ensuring the financial health of the club and Wenger needs to start delivering on that front if he is considered to be a success at the end of his career.
Ferdinand told BT Sport: “I was listening to some quotes from his press conference yesterday and it was about ‘I built this club and the financial state the club’s in now and how they’ve improved.’
“That’s all great and needed, yes. But that’s got to be married up to winning.
“He came into the club and they were winning, but it’s been a long time since they won the Premier League and that is the benchmark for any team in the Premier League to win trophies.
“It’s alright getting the financial model right, that’s great, but you’ve got to win things to really appease the needs of the fans as well because they are the people who create atmosphere.
“You need a good atmosphere and winning does create that.”