Wenger lacks support from arsenal board: Usmanov

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has not had enough support from the Premier League club’s board, shareholder Alisher Usmanov said on Thursday. The Uzbek billionaire, who has a stake of just under 30 percent but is not on the board, questioned the effectiveness of the London club’s commercial strategy in a television interview with CNBC. ‘If I have a big stake in Arsenal of course I have my opinion of what we must do,’ Usmanov said. ‘For example, on the commercial side, I think there are also many questions about the effectiveness of the commercial management of Arsenal. ‘Mr Wenger is one of the best coaches in the world. During the last five years he hasn’t had enough support to provide his conceptions of his game from the board.’ Usmanov refused to blame Wenger, preferring to direct his criticism at the board. I openly admit he has many, many difficulties to contend with,’ he said.