Thierry Henry has admitted the
pressure is on to deliver silverware next season, but has told the
critics to lay off Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal have suffered a difficult season in which they dropped out
of the title race, lost in the Carling Cup final to Chelsea and
were eliminated from the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
The silver lining for The Gunners has been the emergence of a range
of young stars, but Henry knows they must get results soon.
"If someone asks me how to describe this season, I would say we
could have done better," he told The Sun. "I don't think anyone
would argue the potential is certainly there within the team.
"Next season, we need to bring back some silverware. I think that
is very important. We need to repay the fans, but we also need to
repay Arsene, who has shown a lot of confidence in the team.
"It is generally a young side, but Arsene has shown great faith in
the players.
"Hopefully now, the team can continue its improvement and compete
with United and Chelsea next season. I am sure that will be the
case."
He added that critics of Arsene Wenger should remember that he has
assembled his side on a restricted budget.
"Everyone must keep faith with Arsene. Some people are having a go
at him from outside the club, but it is very unfair.
"Whatever people are saying about him, he is still the main man. He
has put together the current team at a fraction of the cost of what
other managers have. That's something he should get great credit
for."