In Wenger Will trusts

Actor Will Poulter told Soccer AM he has never lost faith in Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Actor thinks future's bright for beloved Gunners Will Poulter says at no point did he ever lose faith in Arsene Wenger or Arsenal's players this season. The 19-year-old actor grew up watching the Gunners win trophy after trophy during a golden period between 1998 and 2005, during which Wenger led the club to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups. Since then, the North Londoners have gone seven seasons without claiming any silverware and have looked in danger of finishing outside the top four for the first time under the Frenchman for much of the current campaign. However, a recent resurgence has seen Wenger's men win five out five matches to climb above bitter rivals Tottenham and into third in the Premier League table, and Poulter believes the future is bright for the Gunners. "Yeah I did (always believe in Wenger)," he told Soccer AM. "I was there as a young kid during all the glory days when Arsene Wenger was bossing it. "Obviously the last six years have been pretty disappointing and this season is disappointing in terms of trophies, but we're playing good football and it's amazing to see (Robin) Van Persie in this form. "I just keep thinking if we had Jack Wilshere (fit) it would be scary what we could do. It's good to see other players come into their own, and I'm hoping we can keep Van Persie. "I feel like he's going to stay and if he does we'll get a bit more team chemistry."

Wild Bill

Poulter rose to fame after his starring role in the brilliant comedy drama, Son of Rambow, but took to the orange sofas with director Dexter Fletcher to talk about his latest film, Wild Bill. Set in East London, the film, which centres on a father-son relationship, is Fletcher's directorial debut and has seen him earn a host of impressive reviews. But the 46-year-old - who children of the '80s will be familiar with from his starring role in the kids' TV show Press Gang - admitted he had a little bit of help from his friends. "It was a story I co-wrote with a guy called Danny King so I had a very good handle on the material," he said. "I was lucky that I surrounded myself with very good people and lots of old friends. There's Jason Flemyng in it and Andy Serkis; all the lads are there. Oh and Leo Gregory, you may have heard of Leo Gregory!" Going from being a peer to boss isn't the easiest transition, especially when it involves telling your friends what to do. But Fletcher said there were no issues on his set. "It's about trust," he continued. "Obviously you want everyone to bring their individual talents to the table and contribute and make them feel that there's an environment where they can do that. "But at the same time they need to trust you and what your final say is, ultimately. If you're asking them to do something it's because there's an eye on the bigger picture. "If they trust you it's a lot better, but that's something that you have to earn. It's not a given."