Clichy lends support to Wenger

Arsenal defender Gael Clichy maintains the club are right to keep faith in manager Arsene Wenger - and declared changing managers does not guarantee success.

The Gunners boss has, for the first time in his 12-season tenure, come under scrutiny as his young side struggle for consistency and remain outside the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

However, Arsenal are unbeaten in 16 games and Clichy said: "When you see a club like Chelsea who change managers, have a few in a year, it is difficult. As a footballer you just want to focus on football, but when something like that happens with your coach it is difficult to cope with."

He added: "That is the main thing for Arsenal, to have someone like Arsene Wenger as a manager.

"You can play well even without your best player in the team, but the club cannot have success with many different coaches."

Clichy feels Wenger - who took Arsenal to the 2006 Champions League final - has somewhat become a victim of his own success.

"In football you can have 10 fantastic years and then one year the results are not there, but that is the top level," he said.

"Arsenal are who we are thanks in a big part to the boss, and people tend to forget a little bit. We have to realise he is an amazing coach.

"The boss has shown that he has a lot of commitment to this club and all the success is down to him. We can respect what he has done for the club."