Although Wenger and Pardew were involved in a well-publicised row on the touchline last month when Pardew's celebration of a late Hammers goal against the Gunners was perceived by Wenger as disrespectful, the Arsenal boss told BBC Five Live Sport: "That is not a reason to want someone to be unhappy.

"I think this is very cruel for Pardew as he's done remarkably well there.

"He wasn't given time by the new owners but sometimes that's the risk in our job, you undeservedly get the sack even if it's not linked with your quality."

Meanwhile Pardew's predecessor as West Ham manager, Glenn Roeder, now boss of Newcastle, said: "When one of the football family gets knocked down and lose their job like Alan has, of course there is sympathy.

"They were just seconds away from winning the FA Cup final and Alan Pardew would have been in West Ham's history books forever and a day.

"That is scary, how fine the dividing line is that we all live by. We all hang by a thread, all of us," said Roeder.

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