The Hull City manager, whose side face Arsenal on Tuesday night, cannot fathom why the his counterpart is being criticised for his performance at the Emirates Stadium
Hull City manager Steve Bruce has launched a staunch defence of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger ahead of the two teams' FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday.
The Gunners boss has come in for fresh criticism after a five-match winless run in all competitions left his side's hopes of winning the Premier League and Champions League hanging by a thread.
But Bruce does not believe Wenger gets anywhere near enough credit for the work he has done at Arsenal and slammed those calling for him to be replaced at Emirates Stadium.
"They have had a bit of criticism which I find ridiculous but then again it's part and parcel as a football manager at the moment," he said.
"How anybody can criticise him is beyond me with what he's achieved and what he's done.
"From inside the game you're not going to hear people criticise Arsene Wenger because when you are in management as long as he's done and what he's been able to get at Arsenal then who is anybody to criticise him?
"I find that really appalling. He's built a fantastic squad - he's helped finance it, he's had to sell players. He's never been able to really compete at the top level like anybody else has at a top club yet has kept them in the top four for 17 or 18 years.
"For me you only get one thing, which is respect. He deserves a bit more than what he gets dished out considering what he's achieved.
"It's very difficult to win a title. Manchester United went 20-odd years before they won 10 of them. With the emergence of Chelsea and Manchester City over the last decade then it is very, very difficult - it doesn't just come as easy than what it used to."
Bruce will ring the changes for the visit of the Gunners as he prioritises Hull's attempts to gain promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
"The priority is the league and where we want to get to," he said. "We want to be playing the Arsenals and the Chelseas every week.
"There is a whole raft of teams playing in the Championship on Tuesday, there is a full fixture list. If we manage to get through then we will have to move next Saturday too, so it just piles up the fixtures which is a bit of a concern.
"Thankfully the squad that we have got at the moment everybody is fit. Some of the squad have not played since the first game against Arsenal so it will good for them, people like [Shaun][ Maloney and [Nick] Powell in particular.
"In that respect we will be making changes, yes. But there is nothing quite like an FA Cup tie or FA Cup run. Once it gets to this stage there is all to play for."
- Goal