Iwobi: Wenger deserves respect

Arsenal midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has called on fans to show “more respect” toward Arsene Wenger and said he wants the under-fire manager to stay at the club.
Wenger is under massive pressure as Arsenal’s recent string of bad results have increased the calls from supporters for him to step down at the end of the season, when his contract expires.
A few hundred fans have staged protest marches before Arsenal’s recent home games demanding that Wenger doesn’t sign a new deal, while differing banners flew over The Hawthorns during the Gunners’ 3-1 loss at West Brom last weekend.
But Iwobi, who came up through Arsenal’s academy and was promoted to the first team by Wenger last season, said the fans are too “impatient.”
“They need to have a bit more respect in my opinion,” Iwobi told the Daily Mail after playing for Nigeria in their draw with Senegal in a friendly on Thursday. “I mean, he’s been at the club for 20 years, he’s achieved a lot, obviously they’re a bit impatient with the results and where they want to finish.
“We also want to finish there, we want to win the league like anyone else, I can guarantee we are trying our hardest. Whatever happens we are the players, we affect the result. We don’t really look at the banners or what fans are screaming, we focus on trying to do our jobs on the pitch.”
Wenger said after the West Brom game that he knows what he will do in the future and would announce it “very soon.” But Iwobi insisted that even the players are still in the dark as to whether he will stay on.
“Honestly, I’m waiting as much as you guys are. I don’t know exactly what’s going on. But me, personally, I’d like him to stay,” Iwobi said. “No matter who is in the job, or who gets the role, we’re always going to fight for the manager, every player always gives 100 percent, no matter what, we’ll just play.
“He always backs our players and he is a great man. He’s been great to me as well, I’ll always back him, no matter what. For what he’s done for me, I’d like to say thank you, for bringing me into such a world class team, and I’m playing almost regularly.”