Premier League managers yesterday defended Leicester manager Nigel Pearson’s decision to stand up for himself when abuse was hurled at him from a spectator.

Pearson was charged by the Football Association on Thursday after he reportedly told the fan to “fuck off and die.”

But Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Swansea manager Gary Monk both feel that respect is a two-way street and if fans don’t want to be shouted at by managers then they shouldn’t attack them in the first place.

Video footage emerged of Wenger being booed by a small minority of Gunners fans after the 3-2 defeat away to Stoke last weekend, with some fans telling him to get out of the club.

The Wenger Out campaign has grown larger over the past few seasons and while Wenger accepts that fans are allowed to voice their opinions, whether that is vocally or through banners and protests, the Frenchman wants to see more respect shown to the men in the dugout.

He said: “I believe that you want zero tolerance for no respect but not only going one way.

“I just can repeat that you want respect in society and you want to legally make sure that respect is applied to everybody. Everybody has the right to be respected. I don’t think that anybody likes not to be respected.”

While Monk is yet to experience that level of discontent from fans, he admits it is difficult not to bite back when supporters take things too far and doesn’t understand why managers are punished for defending themselves.

“If someone says something to you and you can’t say anything back I find that absurd,” he said.

“If you dish it out you should be able to take it. In terms of what he said I don’t know the exact words used, but it’s a difficult situation and I have sympathy for him.

“People have the right to have opinions but when it goes over the lines and becomes abuse I find it strange that you can’t say anything back.”

He then added: “It’s a difficult situation for sure. I’ve been in it for many years and we have to protect the image of the game, but it’s very difficult when someone can just abuse you and shout whatever abuse they want and you have to bite your tongue and not say anything back.

“It can be a split moment, a heated situation and you can react. You don’t want to but it’s difficult at times in any walk of life.”