Graham Poll is reported to be considering quitting at the end of the season, allegedly due to his weariness at the constant abuse hurled his way.

Referees' chief Keith Hackett maintains no formal notice of Poll's intentions have been given to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, but that any new contract negotiations would not start until the summer anyway.

For his part, Wenger would be disappointed to see Poll "quit on a rash decision".

He said: "I think he is one of the very good referees here in the country.

"He had a type of personality I found a bit more flexible, a bit more amicable over the years, and at the moment it is not good that referees leave because they are fed up with the game."

Wenger believes top-flight managers have to take their share of the blame for adding to the intensity the men in the middle have to work under.

The Arsenal boss said: "I personally believe that the FA and the Premier League have a reactive attitude about referees and not a preventative one before the games.

"The biggest damage is done before the games, because I understand managers saying 'the referee was terrible on this decision', because I know how much we suffer.

"But not before the game, because that is malicious and vicious - and nothing has been done about it in this country.

"I went into games knowing that the game was already spoilt by the manager of the opposite team before the game.

"It is unfair pressure on the referee.

"You do not talk about the referee before the game."

Wenger maintained: "If you get one article where I have spoken about the referee before the game, I apologise. After the game, sometimes I was not always very fair.

"I have said we need a strong referee, but I never had any preconceived judgement on a referee before because I am reminded that he gave a penalty against us three games before.

"Nothing is done to prevent this in the country. That is more important than afterwards.

"At half-time it is the same, though. I see what happens at half-time sometimes, and the referees have to be protected at half-time.

"I think before the games we should not be allowed to talk about the referee. It is as simple as that."

The French coach also feels the introduction of video technology would also help take the heat out of many situations during a match.

Wenger said: "Once the referee will say 'penalty or not penalty, let's go up to the man up there, I did not see it well' then he will lose straight away 50% of the pressure on the decisions and he will gain credibility, because when the decision comes down from there, no-one will argue any more.

"It will take away some authority from the referees, but it will give them some as well.

"Not offsides, I would not do that, it would slow the game down too much, but a controversial penalty decision for example I would do.

"At the moment you play 60 minutes in a game maximum, you never play more than that out of 90.

"People say you will lose time, but let's cut all the non-needed conversations between the referee and the player.

"Let's not talk too much, let's play and use the video to get more justice. That is all we need."