The Manchester City full-back is typical of the talent drain that has occurred over the years, having left the Emirates in 2011 after Arsenal failed to match the wages that the France international was being promised at the Etihad.
At the same time, the tightening of the north London club’s purse strings following the move to the Emirates in the first place has meant that in the eyes of Clichy, Arsene Wenger has not been able to show his true ability as a __football manager.
“I’m not going to get into any detail but I do believe he’s the right man,” Clichy said. “He has been the right man for so many years and I am listening to what people are saying. But I do believe what he has done in the past is amazing.
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“If the club had been spending more money and they had got the players they need, then perhaps Wenger is the perfect man.
“If you take him off and you bring someone else with the same structure, would he be better? I’m not sure.”
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis yesterday clarified to supporters that a “mutual” decision had not been taken on Wenger’s contract offer despite the Frenchman claiming after the game against West Brom two weeks ago that he “knew his future”.
Fans once again protested outside the stadium, hiring a display van to help amplify their message, but the mood inside the Emirates was largely supportive despite Arsenal trailing for much of the 2-2 draw against Manchester City – although there were pockets of dissent.
“It is always difficult when teams are in this kind of form,” Clichy added. “Most of the time you can hear what people are saying.
“It is hard because the manager does not really deserve what he is getting. I can understand because __football is free for everybody to have opinions so you cannot stop that.
“And you cannot only think about the past because it is also about the present. But I don’t think many managers could have done what he has in the last 10 years.
“You always want something new when you are used to something and what you get is probably most of the time not better than what you have so you have to be careful what you wish for.”