Arsène Wenger has hit out at a lack of respect shown to him by Arsenal shareholders who criticised the defender Mickaël Silvestre as "geriatric" during a heated question and answer exchange. The Arsenal manager said he was not prepared to put up with personal attacks on his players.

"There are two things in our job. Criticism I accept with respect. Disrespect I don't accept and don't respect," said Wenger. "Maybe one day you will have worked 25 years in the media and people demonstrate to you that you don't understand anything in your job and maybe they are right, but you have to take a distance with that.

"I accept everyone's opinion, but what was not enjoyable in that meeting was that it was disrespectful to some players and I don't accept that. No matter even if you lose 38 games on the trot I won't accept that."

Meanwhile Wenger remained coy as to whether he will be active in the transfer market this summer, claiming that, to reveal his hand, could drive up the price of his potential targets.

"If I tell you I have £250 million, every player I call will cost three times more," he said. "You have never heard me complain about the money that was available.

"But as well I do not accept people to think that I am stupid enough to have £100m at my disposal and put it in the bank because I am scared to spend it."