Gunnerblog

The Wenger quotes every Arsenal fan should read

2 comments April 11th, 2009

I’ve just seen this.  Arsene’s most frank interview in a long time.  Not sure of the original source.  Possibly a French publication.

I’m just going to post the following quotes without comment.  Arsenal fans have waited a long time to hear Arsene admit how bad things were in the first half of the season, and it’s taken an eighteen-game unbeaten run in the league for him to feel he can reveal the truth.  Read on, fellow Gooners:

“I did make a mistake in perhaps underestimating the harmful effects of last season, especially the loss of the title. I asked myself a lot of questions during the close season about the influence losing the title in the last two months might cause.

And we lost Hleb, Flamini and Rosicky. There was a midfield for me to rebuild. Should I have anticipated Flamini’s departure? I couldn’t because I really didn’t think he was going to leave.

The Adebayor business: ‘I’m going, I’m staying, I’m going, I’m staying’ was also an important factor. One thing followed another. Earlier this season, our game wasn’t there. Even the people who love Arsenal were saying: ‘This is a disaster.’

You wonder why, with the same players, our game could crumble so much. The staff and I wondered whether we had made mistakes, if the training was being done badly.

The most worrying match was our 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in November. That was one loss too many. We hit the bottom.But, just after that, we won 2-1 at Chelsea and I thought my team were not ready to totally go under.

The barometer is confidence and when that seizes up . . .  now we are unbeaten for 18 Premier League matches and that leaves with me with a lot of regrets.

I think I have been tough because I have continued to believe in this team when nobody else did.  And I remained faithful to my policy when everyone told me I was heading straight for a brick wall. People reproach me for not having bought Gareth Barry or Xavi Alonso. But I am a prisoner of my own policy. Buying Barry or Alonso is killing Alexandre Song, Abou Diaby and Denilson.

I don’t mind criticism.  Win or lose, I try to look in the mirror and think I do the job as well as I can. What you cannot fault is my commitment. When the results are not at the right level, people have the right to criticise. I know what I do and why I do it.

I stood back from the criticism. I am not running after personal glory. Everything I do is for the club, the players and the supporters.

You can’t do a public job in a big club – not win matches and say they are all imbeciles.“

He knew how bad things were.  He just couldn’t and wouldn’t say.

Wigan write-up tomorrow.

Wigan away is not an easy fixture

Add comment April 11th, 2009

I’m back from Barcelona, and back on the blog.  Arsenal, meanwhile, are long since returned from Villarreal, and recommence Premier League action with a game at Wigan.

Whilst 1-1 was a favourable result, especially in light of Villarreal’s excellent first-half display, the draw came at a cost.  Gael Clichy and Manuel Almunia will both miss the return leg at the Emirates and the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea (a game which Almunia would not have started anyway).  Even more unfortunate is the medial ligament injury to William Gallas, who is expected to miss the rest of the season.

It’s a significant blow – since being stripped of the captaincy, Gallas has produced his best run of form in an Arsenal shirt.  In his absence, we’ll have to hope Johan Djourou can rediscover the form that was keeping Kolo Toure out of the side around Christmas.

Kieran Gibbs will start at left-back, and obviously Lukasz Fabianski will replace Almunia.  There is an outside chance that Robin van Persie and Eduardo could be fit to boost our attacking options, whilst Andrey Arshavin (who seems to be enjoying himself at Arsenal) is of course eligible to play in domestic competition.  Whilst we’re now a little light at the back, we’re absolutely overloaded with attacking options.

Wigan are a good side, and have been a consistent feature in the top half of the table this season.  I think they’ll provide a stern test, and am a little nervous about today’s fixture.

Anything else before I go…?  Ah, yes, there’s this interview with Theo Walcott, which gives a rather endearing explanation as to just how he ended up with Thierry Henry’s number 14 shirt.

With the two sides immediately below us, Everton and Aston Villa, facing each other today, there may well be an opportunity to tighten our grip on fourth place.  It won’t be easy, but for the first time in this season we seem to have built up some momentum.  Hopefully that can carry us to an eighteenth league game unbeaten.  Come On You Gunners.