‘Wenger has silenced Arsenal critics’

Manager Arsene Wenger has silenced his critics
with Arsenal's rip-roaring start to the season,
club great Dennis Bergkamp said on Friday.
After losing their opening Premier League
match 3-1 at home to Aston Villa, the north
Londoners have been revitalised by the signing
of Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil and are
unbeaten in the 11 matches they have played
in all competitions since.
The Premier League leaders are without a
trophy since 2005 but ex-Arsenal striker
Bergkamp believes they can end that barren
run by winning the title in May.
"He (Wenger) has silenced the critics a little
bit although you never know what will happen
in the season," the former Netherlands
international told talkSPORT radio.
"For now they're doing really well. They bought
a terrific player in Mesut Ozil. It's going well at
the minute.
"It's still early days of course but they're now
going into November, a month where Arsenal
are known for having problems. If they are
still up at the top of the league in January or
February I think they've got a good (title)
chance."
Bergkamp joined Arsenal from Inter Milan in
1995, playing 423 times for the club in 11
years and scoring 120 goals.
He won the league on three occasions and the
FA Cup four times and was a key part of the
club's undefeated league season in 2003-04.
Having been a part of Wenger's golden era,
Bergkamp says the criticism the Frenchman
received in the close season was unjustified.
"I was really surprised by the stick Wenger got
this summer," he added.
"Looking back over the last six or seven years
where there weren't any trophies it was
disappointing. But can you blame just him? I
don't think so," said Bergkamp who is now on
the coaching staff at Ajax Amsterdam.
"He's a manager who wants to win trophies.
He wants to be successful. He's not doing it on
purpose."
Arsenal, who lead Liverpool on goals scored at
the top of the table, host Norwich City on
Saturday.
Bergkamp said he would like to work for the
north London club again in the future.
"I would love to go to England some time,
preferably Arsenal," he said in a separate
interview with Sky Sports television.
"But I don't see myself as a head coach or
manager. I see myself as part of a coaching
team."