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| Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has urged Remi Garde to take the vacant Aston Villa job |
REMI GARDE has been urged by his former manager to bite the bullet and take over at Aston Villa - with or without his trusted allies.
Villa's pursuit of Garde has hit a stumbling block with the availability of his coaching staff at Lyon holding up the move.
But Arsene Wenger says Garde should replace Tim Sherwood and return to England even if he cannot bring with him his right-hand men.
Wenger, who made Garde his fellow Frenchman his first signing as Arsenal manager in 1996, said: "It's a big challenge for him but it's a big opportunity.
"You do not get 20 opportunities to come to England and at the moment, in Europe, you find 250 managers who want to come to England. He should just take it. I don't know if he will manage to sort it (coaching hold up) out or not.
"You know our job is to be faithful to your personality and have the courage to live with your ideas."
Wenger revealed he had been sought out by Villa chief executive Tom Fox over the suitability of Garde.
Fox spent five years as Arsenal's chief commercial officer and Wenger said: "He texted me. I think they met Remi with the chairman (Randy Lerner) and they made their opinion.
"I don't think Tom Fox knew Remi, I don't think he was here at the time but certainly he got some information from people who knew Remi,"
Villa do not play until Monday when they visit Spurs, with Kevin MacDonald in caretaker charge.
Wenger's side, meanwhile, travel to Swansea today with the manager launching a robust defence of his training methods after coming under attack following Arsenal's latest injury woes.
Arsenal are stretched with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring) and Theo Walcott (calf) becoming the latest casualties.
The England pair limped off in Tuesday's Capital One Cup exit at Sheffield Wednesday.
It now means Wenger will be without eight players, to spark facing fresh criticism of the club's medical set-up.
Dutch fitness expert Raymond Verheijen has accused the Frenchman's outdated training regime for the fresh setbacks.
But Wenger responded by saying: "This guy looks like he knows absolutely everything.
"I'm amazed that he knows more than all our physics and all our doctors. I trust the medical staff to do well and my coaching staff to do the fitness planning very well.
"It's like in life, why does he catch the flu and him not? You have to accept that medically we are not all even."
Swansea are unbeaten against the Gunners under Garry Monk's leadership and will look to make it three wins in-a-row.
Monk said: "We've achieved those results on different merits and by playing in different ways, so big credit goes to the players for that."
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