Kolo Toure holds no grudges over Wigan sacking and advises old club Arsenal to sign Bukayo Saka up for 10 years | Football News

Kolo Toure holds no grudges over his sacking as Wigan boss and is looking to get straight back into management.

The size of the task to keep Wigan up was perhaps highlighted this week as the club failed to pay their players on time, with Shaun Maloney now in charge as manager.

But despite only being in charge for nine games, without recording a win, Toure accepts he made mistakes in the job which he can learn from going forward.

Toure told Sky Sports News: “It was a great experience for me joining Wigan. Of course, it was a tough job with the team fighting for relegation but I love challenges.

“The idea was to change the style of play and to try and stay up. Changing the style of training takes time and changing the system as well was quite stressful for the players.

“During my time we tried to change a lot of things but unfortunately it didn’t work. We lost a few games and drew a couple.

“I made some good choices and there were things I needed to do better, but most importantly I learned, and I want to go again.

“It was very exciting working with those players but when you’re not winning games and fighting for relegation everyone is stressed. The board had to do what they did.”

It was obvious that Toure felt he tried to change too much too fast at Wigan. When he took over Wigan they were in 22nd place with six wins from 21 games.

With Toure playing under managers such as Arsene Wenger and coaching alongside Brendan Rodgers, it was no surprise his style would revolve around possession and patient build up play. But on this occasion, it seems like wrong place, wrong time.

“You always need more time, especially if you change the style of play. It’s a business of results and if it’s not working and you’re not winning games, you’re under threat to be sacked and that’s what happened.

“I’m taking it in a positive way because when you have a job you must be ready for the sack as well because it’s part of the job and it’s part of the new job I want to do.

“I want to learn from that and prepare myself to go for another opportunity.

“One thing I learned is, it’s all about the players. You must work to the strength of the players. You must give them the best platform to express themselves.”

Toure isn’t the first manager to have played at the highest level to discover what might have been possible in the teams he played in, isn’t possible in the team you manage.

His playing days saw him play alongside a Premier League legend in Patrick Vieira, who was recently sacked himself from his job as Crystal Palace manager.

Kolo’s brother Yaya Toure told Sky Sports News he was surprised at that outcome, and his older brother agrees.

Kolo said: “For me seeing Patrick get sacked was difficult. I believe he was doing a great job with what he had done last season and what he was doing this season.

“His position (12th) was not the worst one. The Premier League is the hardest league in the world, every team is fantastic and has great players and managers.”

Vieira’s sacking means there are currently no black managers in the Premier League, a point not lost on Kolo Toure.

He said: “To be in the position Patrick was and to get sacked was harsh. He needed the support in my opinion and when I see that with the fact that we are talking about there being not many black managers – it’s an alarm in my head.

“I think there’s not many but the ones we have are doing their best. They have to be at their extra best which is not fair in my opinion. Patrick could have kept Crystal Palace up for sure.”

Toure: “Advice to Arsenal – sign Saka for 10 years!”

Although Kolo Toure is rarely without a smile on his face, an even bigger grin appears when Arsenal is mentioned.

He was part of the last Arsenal team to win the Premier League in 2004 and believes the current team who top the league can match their achievement.

Toure said: “They look like a team that can win the Premier League. The quality they have on the pitch, the chemistry they have with each other.

“They defend and attack together. They suffer together and they enjoy together. I can see this family bond. You can see these are guys who are ready to fight for each other.”

Arsenal are close to finalising a new long-term deal for Bukayo Saka, but it remains to be seen if it’s as long as Toure wants it to be.

“One thing I have to say – my advice to Arsenal is for Bukayo Saka to sign for 10 years!

“One mistake that Arsenal made down the years, they had key players that loved the club and they let them go.

“You must keep those players because these players are the players that are going to lead the team for you.

“These are the players you can rely on; these are the players that when it’s tough they will put their bodies on the line because they love the club.

“You have two types of players, players that love the club and players who just come and go. You need players who love the club because these are players who are going to fight with their heart.”

Arsenal are joint-top for clean sheets in the Premier League this season with 12, alongside Newcastle.

The centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel has been a significant factor in that, and former defender Toure is a fan of the pair.

“I’ve been very impressed with them because their partnership only started this year. They gel very well together,” he said.

“But for me when a team defends well it’s not just the two defenders. It’s the squad and Arsenal are a squad well drilled by the manager.

“Everybody works hard from the first minute to the end and this is the key to winning football matches.”

Toure says he’s been admiring the work of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta from afar, but admits another old team of his, Manchester City, are to be feared as the title race gets set to heat up.

“He’s (Arteta) been incredible. What he is doing as a young manager is inspiring us. You can see the energy he is bringing.

“He was really lucky to work with one of the best managers in the world in Pep Guardiola – learning from him was vital.

“But with Man City, they have the experience and Arsenal have to be really careful they don’t slip because this Man City team will give everything they have until the last game.”