Paul Merson: Former Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp was better tactician than Arsenal's Arsene Wenger

The ex-Arsenal manager is lauded as one of the greatest managers of modern times after guiding the Gunners to three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and two doubles during this 22 years in charge in north London.

Wenger’s 2003-04 title-winning side also remains one of the best teams ever to grace the English game as they went through the entire season unbeaten.

But, according to Merson, who captained Pompey to the 2002-03 Division One title in his one and only season at Fratton Park, Redknapp was the better manager, in his opinion.

The former England international – whose trophy-laden career also included two English top-flight league titles, an FA Cup, the League Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph (all with Arsenal) – said his former Blues boss was the best man-manager he ever worked with.

However, he also credited Redknapp, who guided Pompey to the 2008 FA Cup in his second spell in charge at Fratton Park, as tactically more astute than the much-more decorated Wenger.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Off Script podcast, Merson said: ‘He (Redknapp) is 100 per cent the best man-manager I ever worked under, by a million miles.

‘As a man, knowing what you want or what you need, you know, you can tell him what you need, he wouldn't tell you what you need - I think that was a massive thing with him.

‘The thing I get the hump with with Harry is people (say) "oh, he's a wheeler-dealer, what a wheeler and dealer”, but his knowledge of football is second to none.

‘I honestly think he's tactically better than Arsene Wenger, in my opinion.

‘You know, I worked under both. Tactically, if I know a manager wants to set up, make sure we don't lose a game and stop the other team playing, for me Harry's the man.

‘It's like with George Graham, that sort.

‘Arsene went out, he had unbelievable players.

‘If you have Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Pires, Vieira, Petit, people like that, and Overmars and Ljungberg, if I'm the manager of Arsenal and I know I've got them players, I'm opening the football match up.

‘I'm looking to expand, to go end-to-end, because if it does there’s only one winner – and that's Arsene because of the players I've just reeled off.

‘But when you've got a manager who hasn't got that quality of player, and you've got to set up, that's why I think Harry's a phenomenal manager.’

Merson’s capture from Aston Villa in 2002 on a free transfer was seen as something of a coup for Pompey.

The previous season had seen the Blues finish 17th in the table – 46 behind champions Manchester City.

But with the cultured midfielder on board and playing a key role in the club’s resurrection, Pompey lifted the title with 98 points to secure their return to the top flight and a first season ever in the Premiership.

That year Merson made 49 appearances for Redknapp’s side, scoring 12 goals in total.

His heorics during his sole season on the south coast makes him one of Fratton Park’s favourite sons.

But the now 52-year-old said none of his success at Pompey would have been possible but for the players Redknapp assembled at the time.

Merson added: ‘He (Redknapp) put a team together. He put a team together and he went bang, bang, bang and he brought players into certain positions and it clicked.

‘We had top players.

‘Again, I keep on going back to people going "oh, Mersey, you got us promoted, you're here at Portmouth” but I played in a phenomenal football team, a phenomenal Championship team and I'm the first to say, “I'm no good if I don't have good players round me”.

‘If I ain't got players round me who are on the same wavelength as me who are good players (shrugs his shoulders).

‘For me there was some special players - Tim Sherwood, what a player, won the Premier League, central midfield player.

‘I was also with Steve Stone at Aston Villa – no-one wants to win a football match more than Stone.

‘I mean, he'd run through a brick wall for you.

‘And then we had young good players and centre-halves.

‘When I got there I said to Harry, “what about Linvoy Primus?”

‘He had no chance of playing, he had no chance of playing, he was a million miles from playing for Portsmouth again.

‘He played the year before and he got in the team and he was the best player in the team.

‘He was our best player and it just shows you.

‘We had strong-minded players who waited and waited and then they got their chance and it was "I'm not coming out of the team”.

‘I mean, you had Yakubu and Todorov, I didn't even have to look.

‘I got the ball and I went bang, and I knew they were going to be there.

‘But it doesn’t matter how many good balls you put through, they're only good balls if someone scores.’