The former Liverpool manager has paid tribute to his compatriot on Wenger’s 60th birthday and believes he still has a ‘good chance’ of winning the Champions League.
A European trophy has escaped Wenger throughout his career after he was beaten in the final of the Cup Winners Cup while at Monaco and the UEFA Cup and European Cup finals with Arsenal. Only Ferguson and Raymond Goethals have won the Champions League after turning sixty but Howard Wilkinson, chairman of the League Managers Association, added to the chorus of support that believes Wenger can do it. Wilkinson said:
"I can remember Sir Matt Busby sitting there with the European Cup at 59 and Bob Paisley doing the same at 62.
"There is no reason why Arsene won't do the same."
If Wenger doesn’t win the Champions League there will always be those that question his record, despite the revolution he has performed at the Arsenal. Gerard Houllier gave these words of encouragement as Wenger chases his holy grail:
"Football is a job of experience and the coming years could be Arsene's finest. If he can stay healthy and keeps this team together he has a good chance of winning the Champions League."
Despite Fabregas recently declaring that the Premier League was the most important competition for the squad, the priority for Wenger must be the Champions League. The majority of his players have the whole of their careers in which to win Europe’s top prize but, for Wenger, the time is now.