Wenger: 'My players gave a solid performance'
Dear Arsenal supporter,
I thought my players gave a solid performance at Newcastle on Saturday.
We were in control of the match and I felt that Newcastle had last season's 4-4 draw more in their mind than we did because they were organised not to concede goals.
I must say they defended well and made it difficult for us but I felt that we were missing something in the final third and in the speed of our passing.
But overall we had a good performance and I can't remember Newcastle having a clear-cut chance of scoring. We deserve credit for that and I believe that Vermaelen and Koscielny played very well together.
The big talking point came at the end with Gervinho's sending off and I feel we were harshly punished. We try to play football and sometimes we overreact so we have to take control of that. If we have an area to improve on, then that is it.
You will know by now that the Club has agreed terms with Barcelona for the transfer of Cesc Fabregas.
We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We want to thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and we wish him success in the future.
The transfer window is still open and we are not scared to spend money if we find the right player. If it is for £2 million or £20 million we will do it if he adds quality to our squad. We have all our scouts all over the world and we look everywhere.
Thanks for your support.
Kind Regards,
The Arsenal Membership Team
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
2011-05-22 : Fulham 2 - 2 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We are frustrated and disappointed'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I thought it was an average game at Fulham and, in the end, a fourth place finish is disappointing because three weeks ago we were in a position to win the league.
We are frustrated and disappointed but we should not go overboard. We just have to rectify things in the areas that we need to improve.
We didn't lose third place on Sunday, we lost it last week. Facing a Champions League qualifier is less reassuring than being in the top three, of course, but we have given ourselves the chance to get into the group stage.
I think I am responsible for the results and I am very disappointed. The players have had an outstanding attitude. We have played 58 games but in the decisive moments, we have never had the whole team together. Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, for example, have not played many games.
We will try to do the right thing this summer and we will try to buy the right players. The amount of money is not always linked with the quality of the player but if we find the right players we will spend the money.
Finally, I want to praise you our fans - you have been outstanding all season and gave us incredible support again at Fulham.
You are not happy, I am not happy, and we have to accept that. But we should not go overboard. Even if people say we have to spend money, we have to be realistic. We cannot buy players for £50 million and, even if we try to strengthen our team and spend money if needed, that is a fact.
The Manager's Email will return at the start of the 2011/12 season.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I thought it was an average game at Fulham and, in the end, a fourth place finish is disappointing because three weeks ago we were in a position to win the league.
We are frustrated and disappointed but we should not go overboard. We just have to rectify things in the areas that we need to improve.
We didn't lose third place on Sunday, we lost it last week. Facing a Champions League qualifier is less reassuring than being in the top three, of course, but we have given ourselves the chance to get into the group stage.
I think I am responsible for the results and I am very disappointed. The players have had an outstanding attitude. We have played 58 games but in the decisive moments, we have never had the whole team together. Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, for example, have not played many games.
We will try to do the right thing this summer and we will try to buy the right players. The amount of money is not always linked with the quality of the player but if we find the right players we will spend the money.
Finally, I want to praise you our fans - you have been outstanding all season and gave us incredible support again at Fulham.
You are not happy, I am not happy, and we have to accept that. But we should not go overboard. Even if people say we have to spend money, we have to be realistic. We cannot buy players for £50 million and, even if we try to strengthen our team and spend money if needed, that is a fact.
The Manager's Email will return at the start of the 2011/12 season.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, May 16, 2011
2011-05-15 : Arsenal 1 - 2 Aston Villa
Wenger: 'We were punished for a poor start'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Sunday was very disappointing because we made a very bad start and Aston Villa punished us.
We went into the game too tentatively, we were not dominant enough in anything we did and we were on the back foot at the start. After that we battled to get back into the game but we were a bit unlucky.
I feel we should have had a penalty, we had a goal ruled out for something that often goes unpunished and overall we are very frustrated. We dropped three points which could cost us automatic qualification for the Champions League.
Why were we so tentative? We have been hit very hard by bad results and you could see that we suffered a little bit at the start of the game. But we have to rise above that. By the time we looked comfortable it was too late.
Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci played together for the first time but they are two players with experience so normally it should work. Vermaelen grew stronger as the game went on but it is a lot to ask to be dominant when he has not played since September.
I believe we gave very cheap goals away and at half time I took off Squillaci because we had to take a gamble, we had to score two goals. Because Villa closed us down we were forced to play out from the back and we needed somebody - a midfielder - at the back.
Some people have questioned whether we were right to do a 'lap of appreciation' after the game but it is our job to thank the fans and you should never feel embarrassed for doing your job.
It was not a tour of glory, of course. But I think, no matter what happens, you have to respect your fans for turning up for the whole season. It was not an ego trip, it was a chance to show our respect for the fans.
I know many fans left the stadium before the 'lap of appreciation' but you have to thank those who are still in the stand. What is important is that this Club has values and respects those values.
I feel fortunate that for 15 years we have played with full stands so when people are not happy they can show it. We are in a job where you have to please people and if they are not happy, we have to accept that.
Finally, we now know that Cesc Fabregas will not play against Fulham next weekend after suffering a setback with his thigh injury. Samir Nasri has a very small chance of returning next Sunday and Johan Djourou is also a big doubt.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Sunday was very disappointing because we made a very bad start and Aston Villa punished us.
We went into the game too tentatively, we were not dominant enough in anything we did and we were on the back foot at the start. After that we battled to get back into the game but we were a bit unlucky.
I feel we should have had a penalty, we had a goal ruled out for something that often goes unpunished and overall we are very frustrated. We dropped three points which could cost us automatic qualification for the Champions League.
Why were we so tentative? We have been hit very hard by bad results and you could see that we suffered a little bit at the start of the game. But we have to rise above that. By the time we looked comfortable it was too late.
Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci played together for the first time but they are two players with experience so normally it should work. Vermaelen grew stronger as the game went on but it is a lot to ask to be dominant when he has not played since September.
I believe we gave very cheap goals away and at half time I took off Squillaci because we had to take a gamble, we had to score two goals. Because Villa closed us down we were forced to play out from the back and we needed somebody - a midfielder - at the back.
Some people have questioned whether we were right to do a 'lap of appreciation' after the game but it is our job to thank the fans and you should never feel embarrassed for doing your job.
It was not a tour of glory, of course. But I think, no matter what happens, you have to respect your fans for turning up for the whole season. It was not an ego trip, it was a chance to show our respect for the fans.
I know many fans left the stadium before the 'lap of appreciation' but you have to thank those who are still in the stand. What is important is that this Club has values and respects those values.
I feel fortunate that for 15 years we have played with full stands so when people are not happy they can show it. We are in a job where you have to please people and if they are not happy, we have to accept that.
Finally, we now know that Cesc Fabregas will not play against Fulham next weekend after suffering a setback with his thigh injury. Samir Nasri has a very small chance of returning next Sunday and Johan Djourou is also a big doubt.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
2011-05-08 : Stoke City 3 - 1 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We were not dangerous enough'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a disappointing performance from us on Sunday.
The competitive level of Stoke was higher than ours and I think we lost the game because Stoke defended much better than we did and with much more purpose. At the end of the day we were not dangerous enough.
Stoke are a good team and they have a lot of confidence with the FA Cup Final coming up next weekend. Maybe if they had needed to fight from 1-0 down it would have been a different story on Sunday but from 1-0 up they defended well and caught us on the break.
We have been inconsistent and if you do not turn up with the same competitive spirit in every game you can lose anywhere. Stoke defend well and make it difficult so the most important thing at the Britannia Stadium is not to be 1-0 down, but after their first free kick we were 1-0 down.
We have conceded, I think, 21 goals from set pieces and only 17 in open play. That's fewer than anybody else in open play but it's clear we have been caught on set-pieces.
On Sunday Kenwyne Jones didn't even need to jump to head the ball in and that is something we have to correct. It is the easiest thing to correct but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first to the ball.
Aaron Ramsey returned to the scene of his injury and he did alright, he was not scared. But of course he is still short of sharpness because he has not played enough games.
Substituting him was just a tactical thing because we were 2-0 down and needed to go for more penetration. We had a lot of possession but not a lot of progression.
We played poorly on Sunday but my team has done well overall this season. If you analyse all the competitions and how we have done, we have done well. Something has gone and you could see that at Stoke but we have to take a distance and make the right analysis of the season.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a disappointing performance from us on Sunday.
The competitive level of Stoke was higher than ours and I think we lost the game because Stoke defended much better than we did and with much more purpose. At the end of the day we were not dangerous enough.
Stoke are a good team and they have a lot of confidence with the FA Cup Final coming up next weekend. Maybe if they had needed to fight from 1-0 down it would have been a different story on Sunday but from 1-0 up they defended well and caught us on the break.
We have been inconsistent and if you do not turn up with the same competitive spirit in every game you can lose anywhere. Stoke defend well and make it difficult so the most important thing at the Britannia Stadium is not to be 1-0 down, but after their first free kick we were 1-0 down.
We have conceded, I think, 21 goals from set pieces and only 17 in open play. That's fewer than anybody else in open play but it's clear we have been caught on set-pieces.
On Sunday Kenwyne Jones didn't even need to jump to head the ball in and that is something we have to correct. It is the easiest thing to correct but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first to the ball.
Aaron Ramsey returned to the scene of his injury and he did alright, he was not scared. But of course he is still short of sharpness because he has not played enough games.
Substituting him was just a tactical thing because we were 2-0 down and needed to go for more penetration. We had a lot of possession but not a lot of progression.
We played poorly on Sunday but my team has done well overall this season. If you analyse all the competitions and how we have done, we have done well. Something has gone and you could see that at Stoke but we have to take a distance and make the right analysis of the season.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
2011-05-01 : Arsenal 1 - 0 Manchester United**
Wenger: 'I am very happy for Aaron Ramsey'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We produced a good performance against Manchester United on Sunday with discipline, fighting spirit and our usual passing game.
Until we scored the goal, I feel we completely controlled the game. Then, because we have not won a lot recently, we tried to protect our advantage and were more under pressure. Overall, I believe we deserved to win the game.
I am very happy for Aaron Ramsey, who scored our winner. When you consider that his injury happened 14 months ago, he now looks to be back to his best. If you look at the age of the team on Sunday I think it's really encouraging for the Club. We had a very young midfield and were still very positive in our display.
There were two big penalty appeals. It was a handball by Vidic and I think the referee didn't see it. On that front, we have not been lucky this season. There were some debatable decisions over the weekend and I must say I am a big fan of video technology and I have been for a long time. But I have little power to make that happen.
As for the title race, I have not given up any hope. We want to fight until the last second of the season. Let's hope we have a bit more luck in the final three weeks because you never know. But Manchester United remain in the best position and the second best is Chelsea because they play against United next week.
I still make United the favourites because when you play at home for the title you see an advantage. But if we want to have a small chance, it's in our interest that Chelsea win at Old Trafford and for us to win our games. After that, we could be back mathematically but I still think United has an advantage.
If we do lose the title we will point to last week as the moment we lost it, especially against Bolton and Liverpool. We were 1-0 up in the 97th minute against Liverpool, we were 3-1 up at Tottenham and we had three chances to go 2-1 up against Bolton. If we could have won nine points from those games plus the win today, we would have been ahead of Man United.
I gave young players a chance on Sunday and, although we want to add what we need, I feel it is important for the Club that we keep faith in what we do. You can see that the players grow when they get the chance to play. Like Szczesny, for example, you can see already that compared to two months ago, he has already grown.
It is a law in our game that you can only grow, at some stage, if you play. So people want both, they want to win every game and they want us to produce quality young players. If Wilshere has grown this season it is because he played. But on the other hand, if you do not win, people say, 'why do you play young players?'
Finally, we picked up a couple of injuries on Sunday. Samir has a hamstring problem, a small one I think. Cesc has got a kick on his thigh, we'll know on Tuesday if he can practice again. He has a chance to play at Stoke on Sunday.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We produced a good performance against Manchester United on Sunday with discipline, fighting spirit and our usual passing game.
Until we scored the goal, I feel we completely controlled the game. Then, because we have not won a lot recently, we tried to protect our advantage and were more under pressure. Overall, I believe we deserved to win the game.
I am very happy for Aaron Ramsey, who scored our winner. When you consider that his injury happened 14 months ago, he now looks to be back to his best. If you look at the age of the team on Sunday I think it's really encouraging for the Club. We had a very young midfield and were still very positive in our display.
There were two big penalty appeals. It was a handball by Vidic and I think the referee didn't see it. On that front, we have not been lucky this season. There were some debatable decisions over the weekend and I must say I am a big fan of video technology and I have been for a long time. But I have little power to make that happen.
As for the title race, I have not given up any hope. We want to fight until the last second of the season. Let's hope we have a bit more luck in the final three weeks because you never know. But Manchester United remain in the best position and the second best is Chelsea because they play against United next week.
I still make United the favourites because when you play at home for the title you see an advantage. But if we want to have a small chance, it's in our interest that Chelsea win at Old Trafford and for us to win our games. After that, we could be back mathematically but I still think United has an advantage.
If we do lose the title we will point to last week as the moment we lost it, especially against Bolton and Liverpool. We were 1-0 up in the 97th minute against Liverpool, we were 3-1 up at Tottenham and we had three chances to go 2-1 up against Bolton. If we could have won nine points from those games plus the win today, we would have been ahead of Man United.
I gave young players a chance on Sunday and, although we want to add what we need, I feel it is important for the Club that we keep faith in what we do. You can see that the players grow when they get the chance to play. Like Szczesny, for example, you can see already that compared to two months ago, he has already grown.
It is a law in our game that you can only grow, at some stage, if you play. So people want both, they want to win every game and they want us to produce quality young players. If Wilshere has grown this season it is because he played. But on the other hand, if you do not win, people say, 'why do you play young players?'
Finally, we picked up a couple of injuries on Sunday. Samir has a hamstring problem, a small one I think. Cesc has got a kick on his thigh, we'll know on Tuesday if he can practice again. He has a chance to play at Stoke on Sunday.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
2011-04-24 : Bolton Wanderers 2 - 1 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We must give our best until the end of the season'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Sunday's defeat at Bolton was as frustrating for me as it was for the fans.
In games like that it is important not to be 1-0 down. We came back to 1-1 and had chances to make it 2-1 and 3-1. We had given so much, physically, that in the end we did not have the concentration to stop the corner.
It is very frustrating because we should have nine points from this week's games against Liverpool, Tottenham and Bolton but we have two. That's to some degree the story of our season.
Our chances of winning the title are very minimal now, that is for sure. But we have to continue to fight. It is true that we have dropped too many points but we must give our best until the end of the season.
I feel the players have shown an outstanding attitude during the whole season and they are not to blame for what has happened. If there is someone to blame, it is me. I pick the team and I choose the players.
A very promising season has become very unsatisfactory because that is one of the easiest run-ins we have had for a long time. We didn't take our chances many times during the season and that is frustrating because you feel that the potential is there.
But we live in a job where you have to take your chances and be realistic. We still lack something and that is maturity, experience and calmness in important situations.
I have been asked if I will change my principles and if you can convince me that my principles are wrong, then I am ready to change. But I feel we try to play football the proper way. When you don't win, your principles are questioned.
You always have to take the right distance to see what is right and wrong in what you do. I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principle of playing our football the way we do.
I am convinced we are a very good footballing side. We have not been stable enough defensively. The numbers show that. We have conceded six goals this week at a moment where you cannot afford to conceded six goals in three games and still win the championship.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Sunday's defeat at Bolton was as frustrating for me as it was for the fans.
In games like that it is important not to be 1-0 down. We came back to 1-1 and had chances to make it 2-1 and 3-1. We had given so much, physically, that in the end we did not have the concentration to stop the corner.
It is very frustrating because we should have nine points from this week's games against Liverpool, Tottenham and Bolton but we have two. That's to some degree the story of our season.
Our chances of winning the title are very minimal now, that is for sure. But we have to continue to fight. It is true that we have dropped too many points but we must give our best until the end of the season.
I feel the players have shown an outstanding attitude during the whole season and they are not to blame for what has happened. If there is someone to blame, it is me. I pick the team and I choose the players.
A very promising season has become very unsatisfactory because that is one of the easiest run-ins we have had for a long time. We didn't take our chances many times during the season and that is frustrating because you feel that the potential is there.
But we live in a job where you have to take your chances and be realistic. We still lack something and that is maturity, experience and calmness in important situations.
I have been asked if I will change my principles and if you can convince me that my principles are wrong, then I am ready to change. But I feel we try to play football the proper way. When you don't win, your principles are questioned.
You always have to take the right distance to see what is right and wrong in what you do. I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principle of playing our football the way we do.
I am convinced we are a very good footballing side. We have not been stable enough defensively. The numbers show that. We have conceded six goals this week at a moment where you cannot afford to conceded six goals in three games and still win the championship.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, April 18, 2011
2011-04-17: Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
Wenger: 'We will fight until the end of the season'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The players and the backroom staff came into work this morning very disappointed after Sunday's match against Liverpool. But we remain positive and fully focussed.
Sunday was so frustrating because we conceded the penalty after 11 minutes of stoppage time, when injury time was indicated to be eight minutes. We dropped two points after scoring our own penalty right at the end of the match. It's difficult to accept, but we have to continue and fight until the end of the season.
We will be working very hard in training on Monday and Tuesday in order to get ready for Wednesday's match against Spurs. Believe me, the players know how important this match is, and we will be ready for this game.
We are six points behind with six games to go, and we will give everything until the last game of the season and see if it is our year or not.
It is about us winning our games. The hope is always there but, to keep the hope alive, it is now up to us to win our games and to win our next game at Tottenham on Wednesday. Yes, we haven't taken enough points recently, but we are still on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league and we will continue fighting.
As ever, the supporters were fantastic yesterday and you have been all season, home and away. I know that you'll be there in full voice at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night and with us until the end of the season. Thanks for your continued support.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The players and the backroom staff came into work this morning very disappointed after Sunday's match against Liverpool. But we remain positive and fully focussed.
Sunday was so frustrating because we conceded the penalty after 11 minutes of stoppage time, when injury time was indicated to be eight minutes. We dropped two points after scoring our own penalty right at the end of the match. It's difficult to accept, but we have to continue and fight until the end of the season.
We will be working very hard in training on Monday and Tuesday in order to get ready for Wednesday's match against Spurs. Believe me, the players know how important this match is, and we will be ready for this game.
We are six points behind with six games to go, and we will give everything until the last game of the season and see if it is our year or not.
It is about us winning our games. The hope is always there but, to keep the hope alive, it is now up to us to win our games and to win our next game at Tottenham on Wednesday. Yes, we haven't taken enough points recently, but we are still on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league and we will continue fighting.
As ever, the supporters were fantastic yesterday and you have been all season, home and away. I know that you'll be there in full voice at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night and with us until the end of the season. Thanks for your continued support.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, April 11, 2011
2011-04-10 : Blackpool 1 - 3 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We had to stand up and respond'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a hard-fought game on Sunday and that's what you get with Blackpool, a team that is fighting against relegation.
I knew that they would not give up at 2-0 and, after we missed some chances in the first half, we had a little nervy period when Blackpool scored. Making it 3-1 killed the game because they had given a lot.
Overall, I think it was a good display from us because we had a good response to a flat performance against Blackburn last week. What people forget is that we are on a long unbeaten run, even if we had not won recently. But it was important to get a win again and we now have to go from game to game.
Jens Lehmann started the game because Manuel Almunia injured his knee in the warm-up. It's an injury that we now have to assess. I don't know whether Manuel will be ready for the Liverpool game, but we have Wojciech Szczesny who is not far away from fitness.
When Manuel was injured, we replaced a good goalkeeper with a good goalkeeper. The only concern was not having a goalkeeper on the bench. If something had happened to Jens, because he had not played for a long time, we would have had a problem.
Jens did well though. His decision-making was spot-on. In fairness, he didn't have a lot to do because we controlled the game quite well. But he is commanding and his authority helped us on set-pieces.
I did fear the worst when Jens brought down DJ Campbell - it was the important split-second of the game. I felt Jens played the ball, so even if the referee had given a penalty he could have given Jens a yellow card because he tried to intercept the ball.
Only three points was enough on Sunday to keep our title chances alive. We went through a difficult period after losing in three cup competitions, but we had to stand up and show we had the mental strength to respond. The team has done that remarkably well.
We have promised ourselves to give everything until the end of the season. There are still seven games left and that is a long time. I think we can maintain this intensity. We now have a rest, then we play on Sunday and then Tottenham the Wednesday after. We will give 100 per cent in every game.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a hard-fought game on Sunday and that's what you get with Blackpool, a team that is fighting against relegation.
I knew that they would not give up at 2-0 and, after we missed some chances in the first half, we had a little nervy period when Blackpool scored. Making it 3-1 killed the game because they had given a lot.
Overall, I think it was a good display from us because we had a good response to a flat performance against Blackburn last week. What people forget is that we are on a long unbeaten run, even if we had not won recently. But it was important to get a win again and we now have to go from game to game.
Jens Lehmann started the game because Manuel Almunia injured his knee in the warm-up. It's an injury that we now have to assess. I don't know whether Manuel will be ready for the Liverpool game, but we have Wojciech Szczesny who is not far away from fitness.
When Manuel was injured, we replaced a good goalkeeper with a good goalkeeper. The only concern was not having a goalkeeper on the bench. If something had happened to Jens, because he had not played for a long time, we would have had a problem.
Jens did well though. His decision-making was spot-on. In fairness, he didn't have a lot to do because we controlled the game quite well. But he is commanding and his authority helped us on set-pieces.
I did fear the worst when Jens brought down DJ Campbell - it was the important split-second of the game. I felt Jens played the ball, so even if the referee had given a penalty he could have given Jens a yellow card because he tried to intercept the ball.
Only three points was enough on Sunday to keep our title chances alive. We went through a difficult period after losing in three cup competitions, but we had to stand up and show we had the mental strength to respond. The team has done that remarkably well.
We have promised ourselves to give everything until the end of the season. There are still seven games left and that is a long time. I think we can maintain this intensity. We now have a rest, then we play on Sunday and then Tottenham the Wednesday after. We will give 100 per cent in every game.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, April 4, 2011
2011-04-02 : Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers
Wenger: 'We had no pace in our game'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a very frustrating performance on Saturday. We had no pace in our game. We were flat, we lacked energy and we lacked sharpness.
I felt we started OK but after that our game became flat and it is difficult to identify one special reason why we played poorly.
Very few players looked to have the resources to put the pace up in the game. Part of it is down to the fact that Blackburn defended well but that was not the main reason. I feel it was more down to our poor offensive performance.
We did have chances. We had golden opportunities in the first half and the second half but when you don't take them it is not a coincidence.
We are now seven points behind and now is the time just to focus on our performance, not on Manchester United. Before we can even speak about the title, I believe we have to come back to a good level. That is our first concern.
It was a difficult decision to start Cesc Fabregas on the bench on Saturday. I believe he is over his injury and on Saturday he was fit, but he has had a few setbacks of course, so we did not know completely if he could play 90 minutes. He will take it step-by-step to get completely back to his best, to be 'free' in his head and not concerned about the injury.
Our next game is on Sunday at Blackpool and we must show we have the mental strength to deal with recent disappointments. You cannot worry about yesterday and lose the targets you have in front of you.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was a very frustrating performance on Saturday. We had no pace in our game. We were flat, we lacked energy and we lacked sharpness.
I felt we started OK but after that our game became flat and it is difficult to identify one special reason why we played poorly.
Very few players looked to have the resources to put the pace up in the game. Part of it is down to the fact that Blackburn defended well but that was not the main reason. I feel it was more down to our poor offensive performance.
We did have chances. We had golden opportunities in the first half and the second half but when you don't take them it is not a coincidence.
We are now seven points behind and now is the time just to focus on our performance, not on Manchester United. Before we can even speak about the title, I believe we have to come back to a good level. That is our first concern.
It was a difficult decision to start Cesc Fabregas on the bench on Saturday. I believe he is over his injury and on Saturday he was fit, but he has had a few setbacks of course, so we did not know completely if he could play 90 minutes. He will take it step-by-step to get completely back to his best, to be 'free' in his head and not concerned about the injury.
Our next game is on Sunday at Blackpool and we must show we have the mental strength to deal with recent disappointments. You cannot worry about yesterday and lose the targets you have in front of you.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, March 21, 2011
2011-03-19: W.B.A. 2-2 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We were too tentative at first'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I am proud of the spirit we showed on Saturday. It shows we are ready for a fight.
We made things difficult for ourselves with the second West Brom goal and we faced opponents who were very well organised. It was a little bit 'attack against defence', like a training game, and the pitch was very difficult for us, it looked difficult to get our passing to its top speed.
I think we were far too nervous and tentative in the first part of the game. They played with more freedom than we did. We were a bit nervy and you could see that the recent games had an impact in our mind.
In the end it was more down to character and resilience, and we have shown plenty of that. Mathematically we have lost two points in the title race but psychologically we have gained a point because when you are 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you are not too unhappy to come back.
What was good was the reaction the whole team showed. It will be interesting until the end of the season, we are ready to focus and ready to fight.
As far as the title race is concerned, I felt that it would not be over whatever happened on Saturday. But for the team it was important not to lose. Considering what happened to us recently, you wonder how easy it would have been to recover if we had lost the game.
Of course it's frustrating to see us make mistakes but that's the Premier League this season. It is the least predictable season since I have been in England so from now on it will be down to consistency and character.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I am proud of the spirit we showed on Saturday. It shows we are ready for a fight.
We made things difficult for ourselves with the second West Brom goal and we faced opponents who were very well organised. It was a little bit 'attack against defence', like a training game, and the pitch was very difficult for us, it looked difficult to get our passing to its top speed.
I think we were far too nervous and tentative in the first part of the game. They played with more freedom than we did. We were a bit nervy and you could see that the recent games had an impact in our mind.
In the end it was more down to character and resilience, and we have shown plenty of that. Mathematically we have lost two points in the title race but psychologically we have gained a point because when you are 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you are not too unhappy to come back.
What was good was the reaction the whole team showed. It will be interesting until the end of the season, we are ready to focus and ready to fight.
As far as the title race is concerned, I felt that it would not be over whatever happened on Saturday. But for the team it was important not to lose. Considering what happened to us recently, you wonder how easy it would have been to recover if we had lost the game.
Of course it's frustrating to see us make mistakes but that's the Premier League this season. It is the least predictable season since I have been in England so from now on it will be down to consistency and character.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, March 14, 2011
2011-03-12 : Manchester United 2 - 0 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Wenger: 'They were more clinical than us'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We are all very disappointed by Saturday's defeat in the FA Cup. We were not outplayed but Manchester United but we were punished by a team that was more clinical than us.
I felt we had good control of the game. Man United had very few chances but they scored with almost their first attempt on goal. After that we put them in a position they like to be in, on the counter attack and they showed they are strong and clinical in front of goal.
In the second half we had a good opportunity to come back to 1-1 and two minutes later it was 2-0. As long as we could not come back to 2-1, they were comfortable. In the end, I cannot fault our effort but things do not go our way at the moment. We have gone out of three competitions in a strange way.
Now we have to keep going, support each other and come back strong. It was a strange game but we put a lot of effort in. At the moment, every goalkeeper against us is Man of the Match.
I also believe, subconsciously, that the disappointment of Tuesday night in Barcelona played a part on Saturday. You could see something has gone, not in our effort or our attitude, but confidence-wise.
Now we will find out about our mental strength because we will have to answer some questions in the next few weeks. We have to show that we have an answer to those who doubt us. We are used to being questioned by our environment, we have to show we are strong enough to deal with that.
I believe that we can win the title. It is a good test for us now, to show that we can regroup, show our mental strength and respond quickly. We have a week without a midweek game, that is the first time for a long time.
I don't believe the season is slipping away and Saturday's game can strengthen our resolve. The Man United game in the Premier League is only important if we win our games before that. But I am convinced that if that game is decisive, we have a good chance to do it at home.
Before that, it's important we respond very quickly. We go to West Brom on Saturday, we will see the first signs of how we recover there.
Unfortunately we will have to cope without Johan Djourou for the rest of the season - he has a dislocated shoulder. It will be difficult but we have a good opportunity to show that we are solid.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We are all very disappointed by Saturday's defeat in the FA Cup. We were not outplayed but Manchester United but we were punished by a team that was more clinical than us.
I felt we had good control of the game. Man United had very few chances but they scored with almost their first attempt on goal. After that we put them in a position they like to be in, on the counter attack and they showed they are strong and clinical in front of goal.
In the second half we had a good opportunity to come back to 1-1 and two minutes later it was 2-0. As long as we could not come back to 2-1, they were comfortable. In the end, I cannot fault our effort but things do not go our way at the moment. We have gone out of three competitions in a strange way.
Now we have to keep going, support each other and come back strong. It was a strange game but we put a lot of effort in. At the moment, every goalkeeper against us is Man of the Match.
I also believe, subconsciously, that the disappointment of Tuesday night in Barcelona played a part on Saturday. You could see something has gone, not in our effort or our attitude, but confidence-wise.
Now we will find out about our mental strength because we will have to answer some questions in the next few weeks. We have to show that we have an answer to those who doubt us. We are used to being questioned by our environment, we have to show we are strong enough to deal with that.
I believe that we can win the title. It is a good test for us now, to show that we can regroup, show our mental strength and respond quickly. We have a week without a midweek game, that is the first time for a long time.
I don't believe the season is slipping away and Saturday's game can strengthen our resolve. The Man United game in the Premier League is only important if we win our games before that. But I am convinced that if that game is decisive, we have a good chance to do it at home.
Before that, it's important we respond very quickly. We go to West Brom on Saturday, we will see the first signs of how we recover there.
Unfortunately we will have to cope without Johan Djourou for the rest of the season - he has a dislocated shoulder. It will be difficult but we have a good opportunity to show that we are solid.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, March 7, 2011
2011-03-05 : Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland
Wenger: 'We lacked a bit of sharpness'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Although we did not win on Saturday I was happy with the performance.
I feel defensively we were very good, we gave a lot physically but we lacked a bit of creativity and sharpness in the final third so we didn't manage to score.
We had two decisions go against us as well and they punished us severely, especially the offside that was given against Andrey Arshavin near the end. To win 1-0 on Saturday would have been important and the only thing I can say is that Andrey was not offside.
The same player could have had a penalty earlier in the second half and I think he did the right thing to try and stay on his feet. But it was clear that Titus Bramble was beaten when he came back at Andrey.
Saturday was our 46th game of the season and I cannot fault the players' attitude. It's true that we had problems to find our fluency today and I put that down to the quality of Sunderland's defending as well as our lack of sharpness. They marked us man-to-man and we missed some offensive players who could have had an impact.
But I think we have now eight wins and three draws in our last 11 League games - so we are quite consistent with our results. What we have to do now is focus on Tuesday night and Barcelona.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Although we did not win on Saturday I was happy with the performance.
I feel defensively we were very good, we gave a lot physically but we lacked a bit of creativity and sharpness in the final third so we didn't manage to score.
We had two decisions go against us as well and they punished us severely, especially the offside that was given against Andrey Arshavin near the end. To win 1-0 on Saturday would have been important and the only thing I can say is that Andrey was not offside.
The same player could have had a penalty earlier in the second half and I think he did the right thing to try and stay on his feet. But it was clear that Titus Bramble was beaten when he came back at Andrey.
Saturday was our 46th game of the season and I cannot fault the players' attitude. It's true that we had problems to find our fluency today and I put that down to the quality of Sunderland's defending as well as our lack of sharpness. They marked us man-to-man and we missed some offensive players who could have had an impact.
But I think we have now eight wins and three draws in our last 11 League games - so we are quite consistent with our results. What we have to do now is focus on Tuesday night and Barcelona.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, February 28, 2011
2011-02-27 : Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham City (Carling Cup Finals)
Wenger: 'The defeat is difficult to take'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I am bitterly disappointed about the Carling Cup Final, like the whole team.
We had some problems to start the game quickly, the number of games we have played caught up on us a little bit. It took us a while to get into the rhythm and pace of the game. In the second half we were on top, but unfortunately we couldn't score the second goal and, in the end, we made a mistake that left us no time at all to respond.
Congratulations to Birmingham, they took advantage of the mistake we made and they took the trophy which hurts us tremendously. We have to continue with our belief, pick ourselves up and face the other challenges we have.
The team is very disappointed and we will face a lot of questions after that mistake at Wembley but we have to be strong enough to stand up. It is a good opportunity to show that we have the mental strength to respond to the situation like that.
The big talking point from Sunday was Birmingham's winning goal and it was down to a lack of communication and determination. Like always, when the ball is in no-man's land someone has to take responsibility and go for it.
Both Koscielny and Szczesny felt destroyed afterwards and we have to lift them up again and help them, that is what a team is about. It is part of the game, we had enough chances to kill the game off before that mistake.
It's hard to say how much that defeat will affect my squad. It is a massive disappointment but we have massive challenges in front of us. The Carling Cup is five games but a championship season is 38. We will not throw 38 games away because of one game. I am confident we have the character and this is a good opportunity to show it.
In the last 18 games we have lost one at Ipswich in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Final and we lost on Sunday in the last minute on a very special goal. What the team is achieving overall is absolutely tremendous and the defeat is difficult to take because we are used to winning.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I am bitterly disappointed about the Carling Cup Final, like the whole team.
We had some problems to start the game quickly, the number of games we have played caught up on us a little bit. It took us a while to get into the rhythm and pace of the game. In the second half we were on top, but unfortunately we couldn't score the second goal and, in the end, we made a mistake that left us no time at all to respond.
Congratulations to Birmingham, they took advantage of the mistake we made and they took the trophy which hurts us tremendously. We have to continue with our belief, pick ourselves up and face the other challenges we have.
The team is very disappointed and we will face a lot of questions after that mistake at Wembley but we have to be strong enough to stand up. It is a good opportunity to show that we have the mental strength to respond to the situation like that.
The big talking point from Sunday was Birmingham's winning goal and it was down to a lack of communication and determination. Like always, when the ball is in no-man's land someone has to take responsibility and go for it.
Both Koscielny and Szczesny felt destroyed afterwards and we have to lift them up again and help them, that is what a team is about. It is part of the game, we had enough chances to kill the game off before that mistake.
It's hard to say how much that defeat will affect my squad. It is a massive disappointment but we have massive challenges in front of us. The Carling Cup is five games but a championship season is 38. We will not throw 38 games away because of one game. I am confident we have the character and this is a good opportunity to show it.
In the last 18 games we have lost one at Ipswich in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Final and we lost on Sunday in the last minute on a very special goal. What the team is achieving overall is absolutely tremendous and the defeat is difficult to take because we are used to winning.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, February 21, 2011
2011-02-20: Leyton Orient 1 - 1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Wenger: 'My squad can cope with a replay'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We were in control against Leyton Orient until their late equaliser, but we have to accept it, as that's what football is all about.
I believe we played the game with the right attitude and I cannot fault our fighting spirit. You have to give credit to Leyton Orient. They never gave up and, as long as you don't score the second goal, this kind of thing can happen.
It's a disappointment of course, but the most important thing is that we go through in the replay. It's frustrating not to win the game, but we are still in the FA Cup. On Sunday we saw a game that a team with fighting spirit against a team who were technically superior, but in a Cup tie fighting spirit has a chance.
Jonathan Tehoue scored their equaliser and I admit I had never heard of him before he came on. If they did not start him maybe they had a plan to defend up front with Alex Revell. But when he came on they went to a 4-4-2 shape and Tehoue did very well.
For us, Andrey Arshavin played the full 90 minutes on Sunday and he is coming back into form. What he is missing is a goal to get completely back to full confidence. But he is lively and dangerous at the moment.
Since the beginning of December we have played almost every three days. Sometimes it would not be bad to have a week where we can give a breather to the players. But we have a large enough squad to cope with a replay - we even left a few players at home on Sunday.
We didn't watch the draw, as we were preparing for the match, but somebody told me just before the game started that we will play Manchester United if we go through. It's an exciting and an interesting draw, but we have had a good warning that Leyton Orient at home will be a difficult game and we are not there yet.
Leyton Orient didn't drop physically, they kept their shape, they fought very hard and they will make it difficult in the replay as well.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We were in control against Leyton Orient until their late equaliser, but we have to accept it, as that's what football is all about.
I believe we played the game with the right attitude and I cannot fault our fighting spirit. You have to give credit to Leyton Orient. They never gave up and, as long as you don't score the second goal, this kind of thing can happen.
It's a disappointment of course, but the most important thing is that we go through in the replay. It's frustrating not to win the game, but we are still in the FA Cup. On Sunday we saw a game that a team with fighting spirit against a team who were technically superior, but in a Cup tie fighting spirit has a chance.
Jonathan Tehoue scored their equaliser and I admit I had never heard of him before he came on. If they did not start him maybe they had a plan to defend up front with Alex Revell. But when he came on they went to a 4-4-2 shape and Tehoue did very well.
For us, Andrey Arshavin played the full 90 minutes on Sunday and he is coming back into form. What he is missing is a goal to get completely back to full confidence. But he is lively and dangerous at the moment.
Since the beginning of December we have played almost every three days. Sometimes it would not be bad to have a week where we can give a breather to the players. But we have a large enough squad to cope with a replay - we even left a few players at home on Sunday.
We didn't watch the draw, as we were preparing for the match, but somebody told me just before the game started that we will play Manchester United if we go through. It's an exciting and an interesting draw, but we have had a good warning that Leyton Orient at home will be a difficult game and we are not there yet.
Leyton Orient didn't drop physically, they kept their shape, they fought very hard and they will make it difficult in the replay as well.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, February 14, 2011
2011-02-12 : Arsenal 2 - 0 Wolverhampton
Wenger: 'We showed the right focus'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
There was no hangover from the Newcastle game on Saturday.
In fact our win over Wolves confirmed the quality of our performance at Newcastle because we had an outstanding game as long as it was 11 against 11. It was confirmed against Wolves with the number of chances we created, the quality of our play.
We were defensively solid too and that was important after the four goals we conceded. We create many chances, the only regret is that maybe we didn't score enough goals. Part of that is down to their goalkeeper Hennessey - all the goalkeepers look very inspired here at the Emirates. Their keeper had an outstanding game.
Robin scored two different goals, one with his right foot - that is not usually what he likes to do - and one on the counter-attack where we know we can be very dangerous.
We had to stay focused. For us it is important because on Wednesday we play certainly at the moment the best team in the world. It is important to go into that Barcelona game with psychological confidence and as well in a strong position in the league. We are in a Premier League race, we believe we can do it, we have the hunger, and we can focus on every single competition and that is important. We showed the focus on Saturday and did not have Barcelona in mind.
Jack had a very good game against Wolves. He defends well, attacks well, creates chances, had assists. I believe he will soon score, he looks very close. He has a hesitation sometimes to finish himself and chooses at the moment to give the ball, but I think when he is a bit more confident he will score goals. He has not scored yet but Cesc was for a while like that.
Will he prove himself against Barcelona? You wouldn't want to put too much responsibility on Jack in a game like that. When you play against an opponent of that quality you need everybody, all 11 to be absolutely at their top end.
For us it is important that we play with belief and on full cylinders. What we have learned from last season is that in the first half we gave Barcelona too much respect and we were lucky to get away with it. We are not favourite in this tie but I think we can do it.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
There was no hangover from the Newcastle game on Saturday.
In fact our win over Wolves confirmed the quality of our performance at Newcastle because we had an outstanding game as long as it was 11 against 11. It was confirmed against Wolves with the number of chances we created, the quality of our play.
We were defensively solid too and that was important after the four goals we conceded. We create many chances, the only regret is that maybe we didn't score enough goals. Part of that is down to their goalkeeper Hennessey - all the goalkeepers look very inspired here at the Emirates. Their keeper had an outstanding game.
Robin scored two different goals, one with his right foot - that is not usually what he likes to do - and one on the counter-attack where we know we can be very dangerous.
We had to stay focused. For us it is important because on Wednesday we play certainly at the moment the best team in the world. It is important to go into that Barcelona game with psychological confidence and as well in a strong position in the league. We are in a Premier League race, we believe we can do it, we have the hunger, and we can focus on every single competition and that is important. We showed the focus on Saturday and did not have Barcelona in mind.
Jack had a very good game against Wolves. He defends well, attacks well, creates chances, had assists. I believe he will soon score, he looks very close. He has a hesitation sometimes to finish himself and chooses at the moment to give the ball, but I think when he is a bit more confident he will score goals. He has not scored yet but Cesc was for a while like that.
Will he prove himself against Barcelona? You wouldn't want to put too much responsibility on Jack in a game like that. When you play against an opponent of that quality you need everybody, all 11 to be absolutely at their top end.
For us it is important that we play with belief and on full cylinders. What we have learned from last season is that in the first half we gave Barcelona too much respect and we were lucky to get away with it. We are not favourite in this tie but I think we can do it.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, February 7, 2011
2011-02-05: Newcastle 4 - 4 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We invited too much pressure'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Abou Diaby's sending off changed the game on Saturday.
It affected us more psychologically than on the footballing side because we became too worried about protecting our lead as we were down to ten men. Instead of continuing to play, we invited pressure. I thought we were very unlucky with some of the decisions as well but I cannot do anything about that.
It's very frustrating to let such a big lead slip because we played a good game and we had an opportunity to take three points in the title race. Newcastle kept fighting, I knew at 4-0 the game was not over because it was important to keep our nerves and continue to play.
Against a team that has already 'lost' the game, when they get back into the game you are always under threat. That was very important for us, not to allow them to get back into the game. Therefore, we were certainly guilty by going down to ten men.
Abou was very disappointed after the red card and he has to try to get over that. It's a shame because he had a great first half. His reaction could be explained by the fact he has been injured so many times from bad tackles that he lost his composure.
I was surprised by both penalty decisions too. But I am not the referee and I don't think my opinion is very important now because we cannot go back and change it.
Mathematically we dropped two points but psychologically the damage was bigger on Saturday because everyone was very disappointed in the dressing room. The future will tell whether we bounce back strongly.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
Abou Diaby's sending off changed the game on Saturday.
It affected us more psychologically than on the footballing side because we became too worried about protecting our lead as we were down to ten men. Instead of continuing to play, we invited pressure. I thought we were very unlucky with some of the decisions as well but I cannot do anything about that.
It's very frustrating to let such a big lead slip because we played a good game and we had an opportunity to take three points in the title race. Newcastle kept fighting, I knew at 4-0 the game was not over because it was important to keep our nerves and continue to play.
Against a team that has already 'lost' the game, when they get back into the game you are always under threat. That was very important for us, not to allow them to get back into the game. Therefore, we were certainly guilty by going down to ten men.
Abou was very disappointed after the red card and he has to try to get over that. It's a shame because he had a great first half. His reaction could be explained by the fact he has been injured so many times from bad tackles that he lost his composure.
I was surprised by both penalty decisions too. But I am not the referee and I don't think my opinion is very important now because we cannot go back and change it.
Mathematically we dropped two points but psychologically the damage was bigger on Saturday because everyone was very disappointed in the dressing room. The future will tell whether we bounce back strongly.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, January 31, 2011
2011-01-22 : Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan Athletic
Wenger: 'We feel stronger in every game'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The players were a bit frustrated after the first half on Saturday because we did not take our chances but I felt we played outstanding football.
We feel stronger and stronger in every single game. It is interesting the chance we have in front of us because we have an interesting game, the way we play is for me fantastic to watch. Let's just keep going.
I thought Cesc Fabregas was outstanding. At the end of the game he was frustrated because he didn't score but for me the ball he gave for the second goal was absolutely amazing. The second goal I could watch that and watch it and watch it again because it's just pure class from the pass to the finish.
Robin van Persie scored all three of our goals and he is certainly back in form. He was already fit and sharp last week. Of course it is important to have Robin at this level but we have plenty of offensive players. First of all let's hope we can keep him fit until the end of the season. It is down to us to use him in the right proportion of the games we play.
We will rotate the squad for Tuesday's game against Ipswich, we have no choice. We play nine games in January, it's the most we have ever played. When you look at the fixtures we had in December it means we need to rotate from game to game. But we have fantastic players on the bench and it is very important because we cannot always play with the same XI.
But Robin handles it alright when I tell him he has to be rested. He is intelligent but of course he wants to play. He was at Leeds on the bench, he came on and scored.
Defensively we look more and more stable even though we were questioned a lot on that front. Maybe the fact that reporters ask me in every press conference 'do I buy a defender?' has kept our defenders on their toes!
I am open-minded on the idea of buying another defender and if the right opportunity turns up we will take it. We are not desperate, we have Vermaelen who can still play a big part in the end of the season and we have Squillaci who comes back maybe next Sunday. Song can play at the back too.
It is not about having two weeks to make your mind up, it is two weeks to find the right players. It is not just because you want to buy that you find exactly what you need. I think that if you look at the defenders who play the moment - we have Djourou and Koscielny, and Vermaelen who played before - we have always found the right players.
Trust us - if the opportunity is there we will take it, if it's not we will play with the players we have, and I will not use that as an excuse if we don't win trophies.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The players were a bit frustrated after the first half on Saturday because we did not take our chances but I felt we played outstanding football.
We feel stronger and stronger in every single game. It is interesting the chance we have in front of us because we have an interesting game, the way we play is for me fantastic to watch. Let's just keep going.
I thought Cesc Fabregas was outstanding. At the end of the game he was frustrated because he didn't score but for me the ball he gave for the second goal was absolutely amazing. The second goal I could watch that and watch it and watch it again because it's just pure class from the pass to the finish.
Robin van Persie scored all three of our goals and he is certainly back in form. He was already fit and sharp last week. Of course it is important to have Robin at this level but we have plenty of offensive players. First of all let's hope we can keep him fit until the end of the season. It is down to us to use him in the right proportion of the games we play.
We will rotate the squad for Tuesday's game against Ipswich, we have no choice. We play nine games in January, it's the most we have ever played. When you look at the fixtures we had in December it means we need to rotate from game to game. But we have fantastic players on the bench and it is very important because we cannot always play with the same XI.
But Robin handles it alright when I tell him he has to be rested. He is intelligent but of course he wants to play. He was at Leeds on the bench, he came on and scored.
Defensively we look more and more stable even though we were questioned a lot on that front. Maybe the fact that reporters ask me in every press conference 'do I buy a defender?' has kept our defenders on their toes!
I am open-minded on the idea of buying another defender and if the right opportunity turns up we will take it. We are not desperate, we have Vermaelen who can still play a big part in the end of the season and we have Squillaci who comes back maybe next Sunday. Song can play at the back too.
It is not about having two weeks to make your mind up, it is two weeks to find the right players. It is not just because you want to buy that you find exactly what you need. I think that if you look at the defenders who play the moment - we have Djourou and Koscielny, and Vermaelen who played before - we have always found the right players.
Trust us - if the opportunity is there we will take it, if it's not we will play with the players we have, and I will not use that as an excuse if we don't win trophies.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, January 17, 2011
2011-01-15 : West Ham 0 - 3 Arsenal
Wenger: 'It was a comprehensive win'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It became a pretty comprehensive win on Saturday because on the whole we had a very strong first half.
That affected West Ham's morale and in the second half it looked as if they were a bit flat. They didn't put us under pressure after the break, didn't really get out of their own half, and we always looked like we were closer to scoring the third goal than to conceding one. From then on it became a comprehensive victory. We had a good, mature performance.
It was a convincing win. In fact we are on a very strong run in the Premier League because we beat Chelsea, won twice 3-0 away from home and had a convincing 0-0 against Man City at home. So overall we are on a strong run. I have said many times that the Premier League will be exciting and interesting until the end.
Robin van Persie scored twice and set up the other goal for Theo Walcott. We have many offensive players and he plays them in well because he keeps the ball. You can see now that because he has a few games he's much sharper physically, and that is very interesting for us.
I don't know if we were more motivated because of the defeat at Ipswich as it is difficult to compare the competitions. The Cup is the Cup and you've seen that sometimes teams do well in the championship but not so well in the Cup.
Did we underestimate a little bit the difficulty of the Ipswich game? I don't know, but certainly you could come to that conclusion if you saw the team at West Ham.
We are building momentum in the title race and I think it's in our hands because we play all of the big teams at home and are on a strong run at home now. We have played many away games, so now we'll see that it is down to us.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It became a pretty comprehensive win on Saturday because on the whole we had a very strong first half.
That affected West Ham's morale and in the second half it looked as if they were a bit flat. They didn't put us under pressure after the break, didn't really get out of their own half, and we always looked like we were closer to scoring the third goal than to conceding one. From then on it became a comprehensive victory. We had a good, mature performance.
It was a convincing win. In fact we are on a very strong run in the Premier League because we beat Chelsea, won twice 3-0 away from home and had a convincing 0-0 against Man City at home. So overall we are on a strong run. I have said many times that the Premier League will be exciting and interesting until the end.
Robin van Persie scored twice and set up the other goal for Theo Walcott. We have many offensive players and he plays them in well because he keeps the ball. You can see now that because he has a few games he's much sharper physically, and that is very interesting for us.
I don't know if we were more motivated because of the defeat at Ipswich as it is difficult to compare the competitions. The Cup is the Cup and you've seen that sometimes teams do well in the championship but not so well in the Cup.
Did we underestimate a little bit the difficulty of the Ipswich game? I don't know, but certainly you could come to that conclusion if you saw the team at West Ham.
We are building momentum in the title race and I think it's in our hands because we play all of the big teams at home and are on a strong run at home now. We have played many away games, so now we'll see that it is down to us.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011-01-01 : Birmingham City 0 - 3 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We were prepared for a physical game'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We were prepared mentally to face physical challenges against Birmingham on Saturday.
We prepared ourselves not to lose our passing game and be calm, intelligent and especially keep the focus to put the ball down and play. We had chances in the first half and in the second half we were outstanding.
I was asked after the game about Lee Bowyer's challenge on Bacary Sagna but I don't want to talk too much about that. I don't want to keep that in my mind because what's more important is the way we want to play football. I am convinced this win will strengthen the belief of the squad.
A draw away is not a good enough, especially if you saw the results of the other top teams on Saturday. Every time when you play away from home you think a point is a disaster because you lose ground and you cannot afford to because there are so many teams fighting. You do not want to get behind.
I was criticised for making eight changes at Wigan but, in fairness, I am used to criticism! I can understand why I was critisied but I think what is important is that I am paid to make decisions.
Strong decisions are better than half decisions. I took a decision and it nearly worked, we were a little bit unlucky last Wednesday. I could have played the same team three times and lost at Wigan and tonight. I know that we dropped two points at Wigan but you can also say that Manchester United dropped two points at St Andrew's.
Over the festive period we were the team with less recovery time than any team and the team who played, along with United, twice away from home. I decided from the start when I saw the fixtures that I needed to rotate. You can do four or five in one game and four or five in the other game but I decided to go with the whole lot in one game and come back with the whole lot in the third game.
Now we take on Manchester City at Emirates Stadium and it is a big game. We have known since the start of December that the games at home against the big sides will have a big impact on the league. We started well with Chelsea and I think that win lifted the team and we can go into the City game with confidence.
So far we have played 20 games, with 11 away and nine at home. We have a good opportunity to take advantage of the number of games we have to play at home, especially against the big teams.
We are in a race where every game becomes important. You cannot choose your games. We have learnt two things since the start of the season: the most consistent team will win it and you can drop points anywhere. West Brom, who are in the second half of the table, play outstanding football and that has changed in the Premier League.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
We were prepared mentally to face physical challenges against Birmingham on Saturday.
We prepared ourselves not to lose our passing game and be calm, intelligent and especially keep the focus to put the ball down and play. We had chances in the first half and in the second half we were outstanding.
I was asked after the game about Lee Bowyer's challenge on Bacary Sagna but I don't want to talk too much about that. I don't want to keep that in my mind because what's more important is the way we want to play football. I am convinced this win will strengthen the belief of the squad.
A draw away is not a good enough, especially if you saw the results of the other top teams on Saturday. Every time when you play away from home you think a point is a disaster because you lose ground and you cannot afford to because there are so many teams fighting. You do not want to get behind.
I was criticised for making eight changes at Wigan but, in fairness, I am used to criticism! I can understand why I was critisied but I think what is important is that I am paid to make decisions.
Strong decisions are better than half decisions. I took a decision and it nearly worked, we were a little bit unlucky last Wednesday. I could have played the same team three times and lost at Wigan and tonight. I know that we dropped two points at Wigan but you can also say that Manchester United dropped two points at St Andrew's.
Over the festive period we were the team with less recovery time than any team and the team who played, along with United, twice away from home. I decided from the start when I saw the fixtures that I needed to rotate. You can do four or five in one game and four or five in the other game but I decided to go with the whole lot in one game and come back with the whole lot in the third game.
Now we take on Manchester City at Emirates Stadium and it is a big game. We have known since the start of December that the games at home against the big sides will have a big impact on the league. We started well with Chelsea and I think that win lifted the team and we can go into the City game with confidence.
So far we have played 20 games, with 11 away and nine at home. We have a good opportunity to take advantage of the number of games we have to play at home, especially against the big teams.
We are in a race where every game becomes important. You cannot choose your games. We have learnt two things since the start of the season: the most consistent team will win it and you can drop points anywhere. West Brom, who are in the second half of the table, play outstanding football and that has changed in the Premier League.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
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