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Ray Parlour names Patrick Vieira as the man who should succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal

Former Arsenal Footballer Ray Parlour speaks during the Western Sydney Wanderers Gold Star Luncheon at The Westin on July 14, 2017 in Sydney, Austr...
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The Arsenal manager has received heavy criticism for the manner in which he has gone about his job over the past few years.

Former British professional football player Ray Parlour, who played for Arsenal, smiles  during his visit to Addis Ababa on December 14, 2015.

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour spoke exclusively to Sky Sports, and urged his former club to take a gamble by appointing Patrick Vieira as Arsene Wenger’s successor.

The Frenchman has been manager of the Gunners since 1996, but he has come under heavy criticism in recent months, with his side languishing in sixth place in the Premier League table, and a massive 27 points adrift of league leaders Manchester City.

Arsene Wenger of Arsenal talks with Patrick Vieira during the Barclays Premiership match between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage on September 11, 2004 in London.

Wenger worked wonders during his first decade in charge of Arsenal, but he is in danger of tarnishing his legacy, with the majority of Gunners fans now calling for his time at the club to be cut short.

Parlour, who made 413 appearances for Arsenal, explained why his former club should appoint club legend Patrick Vieira when they part ways with Wenger, when speaking exclusively to Sky Sports:

Former Arsenal Footballer Ray Parlour speaks during the Western Sydney Wanderers Gold Star Luncheon at The Westin on July 14, 2017 in Sydney, Australia.

“They may decide to go with an inexperienced person like Patrick Vieira or Thierry Henry. Or do we want to go with someone who has Champions League experience like Diego Simeone? Obviously then there’s Carlo Ancelotti, who has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world. But the one I would take a gamble on, and I think he’d be given time, is Patrick Vieira.”

Wenger’s contract at Arsenal does not expire until he summer of 2019, but the general consensus is that his time at the Emirates might be cut short in the summer, if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League, either through a top four finish in the Premier League table, or by winning the Europa League.

It seems like it could be a sad end for the Frenchman, who was once adored by the Gunners faithful, and if he does leave in the summer, Vieira seems like an exciting replacement, despite his inexperience in club management.