Friday 12 December 2014 14:34, UK
Arsene Wenger says he has no choice but to cope with the constant judgements of supporters.
Arsenal fans are increasingly divided in their opinions of the club's most successful and longest-serving manager, and last week mobile phone footage emerged showing a small group haranguing Wenger after the defeat at Stoke.
Newcastle visit the Emirates on Saturday Night Football this weekend and ahead of that game Wenger has found an ally in Alan Pardew, whose relationship with the St James' Park crowd plumbed new depths earlier this season.
Pardew accused the Arsenal fans who abused Wenger of "total disrespect", but the Frenchman said: "I think society is like it is today. It's a permanent tribunal from everybody, and it is as it is. You have to cope with that.
"I believe that you want zero tolerance for no respect. You want respect in society and you want to legally make sure that respect is applied to everybody. Everybody has the right to be respected. I don't think that anybody likes not to be respected."
Of Pardew's support he said: "I am very thankful for compliments, but I don't want anything. I don't deserve that one thing. The one thing is to do well in my job for this club, which is what I always try to do."
Arsenal players continue to be vocal in their support of Wenger, and Olivier Giroud has become the latest to back the manager.
He said: "I understand the fans because when you are a team like Arsenal, the fans want you to win every single game, especially when they follow you to away games. It's always like that when you suffer a defeat.
"I understand the fans are really disappointed but we are very disappointed as well. It is not the manager (who is to blame). He is a great manager. Just because we lost at Stoke in an away game does not mean the season is finished or that everything is over.
"They have to remember what the manager has brought to the club. There is no other coach who knows Arsenal better than him so I am in no doubt he is the man to solve this situation."
Giroud started the game at Stoke before making way for Lukas Podolski, who then marked just his second start fo the season with two goals at Galatasaray in midweek.
Wenger said: "Of course I can understand the frustrations of the players who are top quality and don't play, but as well that is part of the job. You always have to be ready when you can help the team and the club. I cannot play all of them so I have to make decisions."
Watch Arsenal v Newcastle live on Saturday Night Football this weekend. Kick-off is at 5.30pm.
