Thierry Henry is not ready to replace 'visionary' Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager, says Emmanuel Petit

 

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Tom Farmery17 March 2015

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that Thierry Henry is not ready to replace Arsene Wenger in the Emirates dugout.

Despite ending Arsenal's nine-year wait for a trophy by winning the FA Cup last season, Wenger has come under increasing pressure following the 3-1 defeat to Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

But Petit has stressed that, if Wenger was to depart in the summer, Henry should not be considered for the role of head coach because of his inexperience.

"It's way too early to tell [if Henry can succeed Wenger]," he told RMC Sport. "We live in a society where fast food is consumed very quickly and we also quickly discard what was consumed. For Henry, as with Zinedine Zidane, he needs time.

"You do not become a coach just because you pass your degrees. It's like when you become a parent. One becomes a function of his children, we adapt, we learn about ourselves. So getting the degree is one thing. Become a coach week after week, that's something else."

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Asked whether it is likely that Wenger will leave or be sacked as Arsenal manager, he replied: "No, I do not think so. The future of Arsene is really related to Arsenal. Even if tomorrow he is no longer the coach, he will always be involved.

"He will always pull some strings at the club. Because he is a visionary. He is an extremely important dimension at the shareholder level. But for several years, fans are starting to rumble because they want titles.

"They want to fight in the Premier League and Champions League," continued Petit. "It is true that it is a disappointment year after year."

"The difficult choice for Arsene is to see whether to continue to please shareholders by qualifying for the Champions League or to try to make a competitive team to play for the top titles."

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