Wenger tells Coppell: Arsenal helped you stay in Premier
League
Arsene Wenger has held up Reading as a prime example of why a quota
on foreign players would be bad for English football.
A key reason behind Reading's survival in the Barclays Premier
League last season was the midfield pairing of Steve Sidwell and
James Harper.
Both players are ex-Arsenal trainees who did not make the grade
under Wenger, with the likes of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit
ahead of them.
Reading manager Steve Coppell is one of those managers in favour of
a limit to the number of foreign players in the Barclays Premier
League.
But Wenger argues a quota system would deny the likes of Reading a
chance to snap up high-quality cast-offs, like Sidwell and Harper,
who still have a future at the highest level.
"The rule for success is just live around Arsenal and pick off the
players who do not make it completely and I promise you will have a
very good team," said Wenger.
"There are very good players who will not all make it here but when
they drop out they will still make a good team.
"Harper and Sidwell did not get in here because they had Petit and
Viera and Edu in front of them. I think to force the clubs in
England to have only English players in the side would be
detrimental to the smaller clubs."
Sidwell has now moved on to Chelsea but Reading also boast two
other former Arsenal players on their books in John Halls and
Graham Stack, although both are currently out on loan.
Others players plying their trade in the Premiership having
graduated at Arsenal include Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant,
Blackburn midfielder David Bentley, West Ham defender Matthew Upson
and Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes.
Wenger added: "I am happy if they have a good life. Sidwell was an
important player for them because he had a good partnership with
Harper.
"Sidwell's aim was to become a professional football player at a
top team. He is. "If we have just contributed a little bit we are
happy with that. We take the criticism, no problem.
"As a manager you want to have a positive influence on the life of
your football players."
Arsenal's current crop of stars head to Reading on Monday night on
the back of a 26-game unbeaten run, following the midweek Champions
League draw with Slavia Prague.
Reading, conversely, have been consistently inconsistent so far
this season.
But they have won four of their six home league games and Wenger is
full of respect for the work Coppell has done at the Madejski
Stadium.
"The expectation is not exactly the same at Reading as it is at
Arsenal," said Wenger.
"If he can manage to keep Reading in the Premier League for 10
years he will certainly be the manager.
"I think what he has done is absolutely exceptional and I rate it
at the same level as I do here.
"With less potential you can achieve less. But what is the purpose
of every manager? To do the maximum with what he has at his
disposal. "If you judge him on that, then he has done very well for
Reading."
Wenger is set to recall Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb, who were
rested for the midweek Champions League draw, plus Kolo Toure and
Tomas Rosicky after they recovered from injury.
