ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Available for over a year

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour - who played more than 450 games for the club, including an eight year spell under Arsene Wenger, has come to the defence of his former boss. Wenger has attracted criticism from some Arsenal fans this season, after the team's failure to mount a sustained challenge for the Premier League title. But Parlour insists Wenger is a top manager who commands the respect of his players: "He was brilliant... he was there every day on the training field making you a better player." Speaking to Phil Williams on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 5 Live, Parlour says his team-mates including Thierry Henry looked up to Wenger "as a father... they loved him so much." Parlour acknowledged the disappointment of a sizeable minority of Arsenal fans this season -- " I can see their frustrations... this could have been the season they've been waiting for." But he added: "it's harder now to win trophies, it's more competitive" -- and suggests Wenger may have become a victim of his early success at the club: "He set the bar really high." And Parlour -- who was nicknamed The Romford Pele during his time at the club -- says Wenger has improved Arsenal across the board during his time in charge: "If he did leave tomorrow, he's left the club in such a good situation." This clip is originally from Phil Williams on 10 May 2016