No place in Wenger's world for class one egos

Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie have all proved there is life at the Emirates after the departure of talismanic skipper Thierry Henry.

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But Wenger admitted he must guard against any of his youngsters hogging the limelight like Henry did.

"They are very together because they started very well," said Wenger. "They have gone through difficult periods together and they are more mature.

"They are experiencing what it means to have a team pleasure. At the moment, it is a pleasure to work with the players because they are really focused, really humble and love to play.

"You have to make sure success doesn't disrupt that and does not individualise the spirits of your players."

Team disruption rather than the boardroom variety is of much more concern to Wenger, despite Alisher Usmanov's assertion that he intends to buy a "blocking stake" in the club.

To do so, the Uzbek billionaire must raise his 21 per cent shareholding by four per cent.

Gaining a "blocking stake" would allow Usmanov's company Red and White Holdings, fronted by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, to have a say in constitutional changes of the club.

However, it would not allow him to break the "lock down" agreement by Arsenal's majority shareholder not to sell, or to gain a place in the boardroom, although it does amount to yet another example of sabre rattling by Usmanov, who yesterday described Wenger as a "genius".

Confirming his interest in Arsenal is both business and pleasure, Usmanov said: "If I am involved in business, what do you do it for?

"You do it to increase the number of banknotes either on your bank account or in your pocket.

"So far, thank God, I've never invested my money and lost it. Arsenal is a place where benefit and pleasure go together.

"The business of Arsenal football club is underestimated by at least two times. I have made a portfolio strategic investment and I am intending to obtain a blocking stock of shares — 25 per cent.

"After that I'll quietly wait until the price of the stock increases. I'll go on being an Arsenal fan. I have already been a fan for eight years."

Usmanov said he would not interfere in playing matters. "There's a genius of a coach there, and there's only one thing you can advise to a genius — to stay in touch with us lesser mortals and let us be at least a bit like him."

Asked, in reference to this week's upheaval at Chelsea, whether he would be willing to work with a director of football, Wenger responded: "I don't mind working with a director of football as long as he does exactly what I tell him to do."