Robert Pires: Arsene Wenger will die with Arsenal

The former Gunners midfielder believes the 62-year-old needs the club, and that they need him too, and suggests that Chelsea are going through a period of crisis at present.Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires believes manager Arsene Wenger will "die" at the club, despite the Gunners manager having previously suggested he would just be happy to see out the season. Pires feels that, as well as Wenger needing Arsenal, the club also need his expertise after 15 years as the Gunners' manager despite some calls for a change at the helm after the north London outfit's initial poor start to the season. He told the Telegraph: "I think he will die with Arsenal. He is the same as Ferguson at Manchester United or Guy Roux at Auxerre. He will stay with Arsenal, that is my opinion, because Arsenal need him and he needs Arsenal. C’est l’amour." After a slow start to the season that included an 8-2 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford, the Gunners have turned things around by going nine games unbeaten in all competitions. Pires believes the slow start was down to established players leaving the club and suggests that Chelsea are the team currently going through a crisis. He added: "It has calmed down now and things are more relaxed for Arsene. In August he lost three important players for the club in Nasri, Clichy and Fabregas and I think that was a shock for Wenger. And for the fans too, of course. "Every club in England has a period of crisis. At the beginning it was Arsenal and now it is Chelsea. I remember the day after Man United had lost 6-1 to City when everyone was saying United were finished. That is football, especially when you play for the big teams."