Wenger on Big Sam and English coaches

Arsene Wenger says Sam Allardyce and Eddie Howe can lead the way for more English managers to get a chance in the Premier League.

Our next three opponents - Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Preston North End - have English coaches at the helm at a time when Wenger has said it’s harder for homegrown managers to break through.

“Somewhere when you are in a country you want the culture of the country to be represented and defended, and I think it is fair to have local people to be at the top,” said the boss. “That is why I speak about mixture.

“Sam Allardyce is an example to follow as he can give hope to other English managers to get a chance. They can do it with their club and come up and be successful, of course.”

Sean Dyche at Burnley and Mike Phelan at Hull City take the total of English top-flight bosses to four, and Wenger doesn’t think the door to the very top jobs is closed to them.

“When I arrived, the Scots were in charge,” he said. “Slowly the foreign mangers arrived. When I arrived people said the foreign managers can never be successful in England. That has changed over the years. But English football… Liverpool, Arsenal, was more Scottish managers.

“It’s the same with the players. For me, the passport is not important. It is the quality that is important and don’t look too much at the passport of people. We speak about [Bournemouth coach] Eddie Howe, he shows he has the quality to be successful and nobody questions him now.”