Former Arsenal skipper Tony Adams has thrown his weight behind Gunners manager Arsene Wenger and has revealed that he still dreams of eventually managing his old club.
In an exclusive interview with Goal.com, Adams, who is currently coaching Gabala FC in Azerbaijan, gave Wenger a timely boost as the Frenchman prepares to face old adversary Sir Alex Ferguson when Arsenal take on Manchester United on Sunday with some Gunners supporters voicing doubts about his position.
The finger of blame has been pointed at Wenger for Arsenal’s failure to replace star midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri following their big-money moves to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, but Adams has no doubts about the Frenchman's ability to run the Premier League outfit.
In a glittering playing career, Adams captained Wenger's Arsenal to two Premier League and FA Cup doubles in 1997-98 and 2001-02 and he has insisted that he would one day fancy a crack at emulating those feats as a manager at the Emirates if asked to take on the challenge by chairman Peter Hill-Wood or owner Stan Kroenke.
“Arsenal are a great club, who have a great manager but if one day Peter [Hill-Wood, the chairman] – or Stan [Kroenke, the owner] - was to ask me to be manager, then given the right resources, I would love to win another trophy for the club but this time with me at the helm. Dreams are free,” Adams told Goal.com.
“I miss England, it is a beautiful country and I was very lucky to have been born there. The things I really miss are the food, the theatre, the Gloucestershire countryside and of course The Arsenal.
“I see my next step as being a head coach of a top European team so I can get experience in challenging for league titles and going into the European competitions. In my brief tenure as manager, I enjoyed taking Portsmouth to play Wolfsburg in the Europa league and I think the game against AC Milan at Fratton Park was probably my top experience so far as a manager.
“I am nine years into my new chosen career and I am gathering experiences and learning a great deal as I go. I have managed and coached in all of the leagues in England except the Championship and I have coached at two clubs in Holland. I don’t know my next move but I do know that I don’t really want to take on any more projects like the one I have here at Gabala.”
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For now, though, he is relishing the chance to develop his managerial career away from the spotlight and is just about to start his second season in charge of Gabala.
“The best thing about Azerbaijan is that I have time to develop and the freedom to practice and live,” the 45-year-old added.
“I am developing skills in all areas because of the nature of this project. I would say that my work here is 50 per cent technical director/chief scout, 25 per cent manager and 25 per cent coach.
“The football scene in Azerbaijan is very different from England and the level of media interest is nominal. It is not their national sport but I must say that, even in the 18 months I have been here, it is growing at a rapid pace.
“The Gabala supporters may not be as many as The Gooners but they have just as much passion and, like all supporters, they want their team to win.
“I think they can see that I am changing the team for the better and at the moment they are very behind me. I think the supporters can see the changes on and off the pitch and are very pleased that it is their special club that is being transformed. I think I have improved the team from last season and I would like to challenge for the Euro places this season.”
Away from football, Adams, who grew up in Essex, is also enjoying life as a whole in Azerbaijan as he watches the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia flourish.
“Life is good in Azerbaijan,” he continued. “My family have settled well and I love the climate and scenery in the Gabala region. I came here with no expectations, just an open mind.
“Azerbaijan is unusual to me in many ways because I have had an English upbringing. In general and because of numerous circumstances I would say that the people in Azerbaijan have a different way of being to people living in England or English-born people.
“In fact, the whole country is developing astonishingly. The main problem we face from a football view is the standard of facilities and pitches. If they can improve the quality of surface on their pitches then I am sure it will become a more attractive spectacle for all.”
Originally Posted by Grebbo
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