Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal fans have been ‘brainwashed’ by a poor standard of punditry, in which he has been constantly criticised.
The French tactician has come under fire for an abject 10-2 on aggregate Champions League last-16 exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Arsenal look set to fall short in the Premier League once again also and many believe the Frenchman is nearing the end of his time at the Emirates.
However, Wenger has guided the Gunners into the semi-finals of the FA Cup after a 5-0 win against Lincoln and is on course to lift a record seventh trophy in the competition – one more than Sir Alex Ferguson managed.
The Arsenal boss will hope that winning the tournament will allow him to continue his work at the club and he took aim at those commenting on the game.
‘You can’t live in an isolated world,’ he said.
‘When you’re a footballer, even if you don’t read it you’re told what people think. You can’t live in a world where you can’t be influenced by anything.
‘For example, I watched the last 20 minutes of PSG v Barca again. It’s interesting when you see all the conclusions that come out of the game.
‘And the same people who spoke after the game said with 10 minutes to go that PSG was absolutely outstanding. Ten minutes later, they’re absolutely rubbish.
‘People brainwash you with what they think is right.
‘Get out of that heated atmosphere and look at things in an objective way. Sometimes it confirms what people say. Sometimes it doesn’t.
‘I managed about 2,000 games – I might know a little something about the game as well.’
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