Wenger speaks expansively about not talking too much

Arsene Wenger has spoken to the media ahead of Saturday’s game with Blackburn Rovers taking time to address a wide range of issues. In relaxed mood at the club’s training ground in London Colney, the Frenchman spoke about rebuilding his team’s confidence, the importance of ignoring external negativity, why being a manager never gets any easier, his opinion on big money wages and whether or not he will sign Yossi Benayoun on a permanent deal in the summer.

On the result in Dortmund…

Overall I feel that the draw is a fair result. Dortmund created some chances as well, they scored a little bit of what you can call sometimes a lucky goal. But they were always putting pressure on us and always going forward and it was a good point.

We will see at the end of this Group Stage [how valuable it is], but overall you would think that the other teams can drop points.

Overall I feel we have shown a great spirit and attitude, and for me Dortmund are a very good side. They are physically one of the best teams and their team discipline and effort to win the ball back are the best I’ve seen this week in Europe.”

On the performance of Arteta, Benayoun and Mertesacker…

I believe that if you look at the class of their attitude we were right, at their intelligence level we were right, at their quality we were right. It takes a little bit of time [for them] to know the other players well and to find a good balance in the team, but it is positive.

On restoring confidence…

You lose your confidence quickly with the result we suffered at Old Trafford. You gain it back slowly and that’s what we try to do from game to game; work hard for each other to get back. The other side of our game will then come out.

On turning a corner…

We will be judged on the consistency of our results. We feel inside the club that we are on the right track, that the spirit of the team is good, strong and together. We want of course to only chase the scepticism around us if we are consistent with our results. Let’s get result after result, stick together and not talk too much.

The atmosphere was of course very down after our Old Trafford game. Since we have put together two results and that straightaway changes the atmosphere in the camp.

We live in an environment where questions are asked when you do not win. We cannot criticise that, we have to live with that. We have to show in our performances a consistency and quality of attitude and that will make us respected. It is as simple as that. At the moment it is important we don’t talk too much and just play as well as we can.

On outside negativity…

It has always an influence, but the strength of your attitude and the mental strength of the club and of the players stops that influence a little bit. It never wipes it out completely, but it can stop it [a bit]. The best thing is your last result.

On their first Premier League away game since Manchester United…

You have to consider that last year we were the best away team in the league and that result [at Old Trafford] was a one off result; you cannot take that as a general rule. What we have achieved over the last few years away from home, that is what is regular.

People forget how much effort we had to put in at Udinese and how many players we lost before the game at Old Trafford.

For us at the moment, the important thing is to get points. The best way to get the points is to play well. We want to play well. Against Swansea we were under massive pressure and we will be again. We must focus on having the ball, playing our game then we have a chance to win.

On Steve Kean…

I have a lot of sympathy for Steve Kean. He is a young manager and you want to give him time to do his job. A lot of the time you complain that the English managers do not get a chance and I can understand that, but when they do get a chance you must give them time.  It’s hard for everybody, even for those who manage for 30 years.

I just believe this job is difficult. Everyone who has been in it knows it, and how much depends on the situation you are in at the moment. When you don’t win at the start it’s difficult.

On signing Yossi Benayoun permanently….

It’s too early to say at the moment [whether we will sign him]. I want him to contribute as much as he can to the rest of the squad like every other player – not more, not less.

He gives his best every time he plays and we think he can integrate well – he can play on both flanks. He can play in the middle, although I think he prefers to play on the wing.  Overall he has shown on Tuesday night that he is completely physically fit again.

On the significance of money flooding into football…

At the end of the day you know you will not see the poorest teams winning the Champions League; that’s impossible. Money is a very important factor in success, but not the only one because the quality of the work [by a manager] and duration of that work plays a part.

Of course it [money] has a big input, but we’ll see at the end of the season. People at the moment always have definite opinions – one game played and everybody knows who will win the European Cup, everybody knows who will the Championship, everybody knows absolutely everything. But they forget that next when they are wrong to say ‘sorry I was wrong’.

On clubs paying huge money to players…

I believe you spend the money you have inside the club and give it to players who deserve it. I am very happy when the players make a lot of money with one restriction; that their attitude has to be right. That means you have to show that you give absolutely everything to deserve it, the same goes for managers.

You must show honest behaviour to your club, you must give everything to justify the money you make and if that money is what the club earns, I’m alright with that.

On Ryo Miyaichi having a chance to play on Saturday and against Shrewsbury…

Yes to both questions. I don’t know [whether he will travel to Blackburn], but certainly on Tuesday against Shrewsbury [he has a chance to play].