Arsene Wenger Defends Arsenal Record; Talks Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended his tenure in charge of the Gunners, saying that if the current team were to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, then those associated with the club would be "very happy."

Wenger walked away from his position as Arsenal boss in the summer of 2018, ending a remarkable 22-year spell in charge of the club.

In addition to the three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups Wenger won, his teams consistently finished high enough in their domestic league to qualify for European football's premier club competition.

Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t Rich Jones of the Daily Mirror), the Frenchman said that level of achievement would be welcomed at the moment.

"Every year people want something more from you," he said. "I experienced that at Arsenal. We were twenty consecutive years in the top four but in the end it was not enough anymore. Today if you get into the Champions League people are very happy."

Here is more of what the former Arsenal boss had to say in the interview:

Wenger was also asked for his thoughts on the recent struggles being endured by former rivals Tottenham Hotspur and their manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"That happened to Pochettino. Once you're somewhere four or five years, no matter how good a job you have done, you have to show people you can give even more. He's at that stage.

"When I played them two or three years ago, they looked like a young, hungry team who had found good strengths, good core of the team with people who were together, growing inside the club.

"They expressed that hunger and players from outside were vital, like [Christian] Eriksen. Today, you don't feel exactly the same chemistry, and a player like Eriksen is a bit sidelined because it looks like he doesn't want to commit his future to the club."

Spurs endured a torrid week prior to the current international break, as they were beaten 7-2 by Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday before losing 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of flak has come the way of Pochettino following the losses. Alasdair Gold of Football.London thinks Pochettino deserves the opportunity to try to turn things around:

Football writer Daniel Storey believes the Tottenham team built by Pochettino may be coming towards a natural end:

Wenger was given total backing by Arsenal during his time at the club. While there was frustration from supporters during the final years of his tenure, the consistency he showcased in getting the team into the Champions League is to be commended and certainly something his successor Unai Emery would like to emulate this term.

Pochettino has proven himself as one of the best managers in the world during his time at Tottenham and appears set to be given the chance to steady the ship in north London. The visit of bottom club Watford on October 19 gives the manager the perfect chance to get a win back on the board.