Martinez hits out at Wenger critics

Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez has blasted Arsene Wenger’s critics, claiming that the Arsenal manager is one of the best in the world.

The Wigan manager was shocked by the calls for Wenger to leave the Emirates following the Gunners’ shaky start to the season and Martinez blames social networking sites like Twitter for the unnecessary abuse Wenger faced.

“It’s because of social networking and how easy it is to express your opinion,” Martinez said.

“Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in world football. It is an example of the times that we live in that even he can get criticised.”

“It makes you wonder – have we all gone mad? We get carried away with an incident or a result.”

“To see someone like Arsene Wenger with doubters makes me ask, ‘what’s wrong with public opinion around football?'”

Wigan welcome Arsenal to the DW Stadium on Saturday as they attempt to escape the relegation zone.

“We both need the points for different reasons, so it will be a great match,” Martinez added.

“You can’t beat Arsenal by trying to be solid and defensive, they will find a way through.”

“There are always plenty of goals in the games (against Arsenal) here. We both treat the ball really well and play football from the back.”

“Their philosophy is a great example for any other team in the world. Arsenal represent huge values in the game.”

“We will have to put a lot of our energy into trying to break them down at the back.”