Arsene Wenger accepts that his Arsenal side played poorly at St Mary’s in this evening’s 2-2 draw with Southampton and admits he was happy to escape with a point having watched his side reduced to ten men after Mathieu Flamini’s straight red card.
The Gunners battled back from Jose Fonte’s first half header to snatch the lead early in the second period thanks to strikes by Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla but Adam Lallana’s cool finish within minutes of the re-start prematurely ended hopes of a smash and grab three points.
Speaking to the media after the game, Wenger reflected: “I think in the first half Southampton played very well and we didn’t play well. Southampton deserved the lead at half-time. In the second half I felt we played well, it was a very good football game. We have shown a lot of character and resilience to respond to what happened to us in the first half.
“Overall I would say it’s a difficult point but a fair one in a very good football game. I wouldn’t say it was a very very bad performance, I think it was a very good football game and Southampton deserved some credit. I felt we were a bit unlucky with the decision on the first goal, twice. First on Mertesacker, there was no foul, after there was a foul on Monreal and that was the moment where we were a bit unlucky.
“I don’t complain on the quality of our game in the first half – it was not good enough. We had some problems to get into the pace of the game, in the second half it was much better but after when he had to push on for the third goal we were down to 10 men so we had a least to go home with a point.”
Wenger also promised to cast his eye over the incident which saw Mathieu Flamini receive his marching orders. The midfielder jumped in with two-feet on Morgan Schneiderlin and while he got the ball the challenge was certainly reckless.
“I will have to see it again,” continued the boss. “To me it looked harsh. He got the ball. At the some stage you have all the feet off the ground, when you want to run you need to put your feet off the ground. If you say that every time a guy who makes two-footed tackle it is a red card, he deserves a red card. If you say was it a violent tackle, I would say no because he played the ball. I don’t know, the referee made this decision and we have to cope with it.”
Quizzed by Sky Sports about potential transfer activity after the game, the boss refused to rule out a signing coyly stating: “I have nothing to tell you tonight, maybe I hope we have something to tell you because we lost a few players now.”
Sign on Drax
Sign on any professional football player…
No, that’s the thinking that got us Sylvestre, Squillaci, and Santos.
This really really hurts but here goes………I want Spuds to win
Draw rather?
For us would be better that Spuds win. We would gain a 1 point bigger lead over City
I’d take a draw so that neither team actually makes any ground on us. Plus, do you really want to see a happy Tim Sherwood?
“I have nothing to tell you tonight, maybe I hope we have something to tell you because we lost a few players now.”
A silver lining… Make it happen please.
Arsene is really enjoying this playing with the press. Don’t sleep on Arsene, I have a feeling he might be about to pull something again like the last transfer window. (or so we hope).
Smug Arsene is back, today’s performance notwithstanding.
Yes, please don’t sleep on Arsene. We need him alive.
interesting grin and quotes on transfers… wonder who it’ll be.
it’s blatantly not gonna be any of the names that’ve been bandied around.
It was a very strange performance. Like a load of strangers playing together.
Bit better in second half, and really good to see Ozil getting into 2nd gear ;o)
All of a sudden we look light. Gnabry (who can’t be blamed, player still learning his trade) was poor. Arteta was void of energy. Flamini frustration was building all game, he’s ideal when sitting on his own. Without Aaron,Jack,Tomas we lack drive. Mezut had one drive forward and looked pacey. We need to see that more. Looks like podolski isn’t trusted from the start either. I wonder is our midfield really as strong as people suggest. Chambo hasn’t really looked great for a good 12 months either.
Drax it and drop it here
Get a defender, speedy winger and striker – we are short on these three fronts and seem to be picking up injuries like they were going out of fashion!!!! Rotten luck!!!
Though Draxler is injured, having lost Theo earlier & Ramsey now – two goal scoring threats, Draxler would be an extremely timely addition for this window.
If that’s not happening, at the very least need a good forward to cover the short-term.
It’s probably reactionary to today’s result but the fact that every other team apart from us (& 1 other PL team can’t remember the name) have got new players, while we’ve lost players to injury, is a blow.
Can’t believe who I need to cheer tommorow night. Sucks. Mind you, City do know how to concede goals… Some hope.
Anyone know when the McCringleberry announcement will be and what number he’ll wear?
This is completely unrelated, but I was just reading this and thinking, remember Amaury Bischoff? Whatever was/who/is/happened to him?
He’s signing for us tomorrow.
he’s been replaced by Yoann Gourcuff
The only player from Alsace ever signed by AW. Wish it had worked out.
Every time Gazedis mouths off we drop points in the next game.
If the bald tosser will shut up, between now and May we might win something !
The Brendan Rodgers of CEOs?
You MUST beat shite sides like Southampton if you’re going to win the league….diabolical first half. City and Chels laughing…gutted.
City drew against them… so… yeah.
Chelsea and Spurs beat them so yeah.
We beat spurs, so yeah.
Astonvilla beat soton so yeah
still top of the league…so yeah?
man city only got a draw there last month
I’m always gutted when we drop points but while Southampton aren’t at their early season best, they’re not a shite side. They beat Liverpool, drew against ManUre (something we couldn’t manage), and City certainly weren’t laughing when they left St Mary’s after they drew.
Christ, the doomers are out big-time tonight. Southampton are not shite, they’ve had an insane amount of injuries, and given the first half and the red card we should be happy with a point.
Shite sides like Southampton. We played you off the park. You were lucky to get a point.
Only one person claimed you were shite, don’t lump us all in with them. Southampton played better than us for the first half, we came back in to it in the second and we showed our maturity to gain a point, especially being down to 10 men and not playing very well.
For your sake, and the sake of your academy that we like to go shopping in, I hope Pochettino stays on.
Southampton are not shit, but definitely couldn’t afford to drop points today.. Oh well hopefully it’s a kick up the arse and we go onto smash the sugar daddy clubs when we play them
At least barbatov if drax failes please wenger
Me: At least I’m home with a pint
That’s the spirit!!
I could take dropping 2 points but losing Flamini and Ramsey is a joke!!!
Question to those Arsenal fans, celebrating city’s 6 nil against Tottenham like it benefited us.
Will you be celebrating a city win tomorrow?
A city win is as inevitable as the sun rising! Can’t do anything about it, so may as well try and enjoy the hammering of the cockerels
If Tottenham play like Watford but defend better, then a win or draw could be on the cards. It would mean that Tottenham would have to try to be as good as, if not better than, Watford but anything can happen.
A point away to a good team, not what we wanted but nobody is winning all their games from here on out. Nobody will remember this when we smash City and Manure at home and Chelsea away.
Picking up bits and pieces here and there.
We hoped to win the game, but the worst didn’t happen, we have to live with it and win the next (home) game which will set the tone for the next month (fixture) pile-up. We are the Arsenal and I believe we will do it this year. COYG!
Yup! Enough moping. Got a point, which matches what City got against them. Fair enough. Let’s remember how we all felt before the home fixture when we knew they’d be a tough team to play, and we were very, very happy to have won 2-0. They’re a very good team. We’ve bounced back before and we’ll do it again. Onwards and upwards.
One of the good points from tonight was that Ozil was there again. I haven’t seen him taking that much responsibility with the ball for ages, so that’s encouraging.
@AmauryBischoff – fuckin howling !!!!!!!!!
Classic. Hat tipped.
It is a bad result not the worst can we atleast acknowledge that fuckholes?. we had a chance to pull 4 points clear and we fluffed our lines at a beatable soton side. First step in to accept it not cover it up.
I for one i’m happy such shit happens just before the window closes. whether its a panic buy or a genuine buy brought forward something should happen now. Wengers belief in his squad can sometimes be his downfall. we have not the fittest guys, frail all round. need 2 bodies in now. a striker and a M.F.
Im sorry, but after watching the game, I thought Arsenal were extremely lucky to escape with a point. They were outclassed in almost every area of the pitch.
As for Arsene if you’re gonna have a 100 times capped germany international on the bench and not plan on using him then please just go for you Dream boy Draxler atleast then we know you’ll play him. its painful to watch a player of poldis calibre underutilised like this. it really is.
Podolskis qualities will really be appreciated elsewhere, he’s just too happy a chap for me to be selfish for him….
I agree 100 %!! Don’t get it, how can Gnabry get a start ahead of him?! I think yesterday’s game was karma slapping wenger’s face for what he does to Poldi. And then putting him in 89th min?? It’s even worse, it’s humiliating. I love le prof, I do, I’m proud of him and not many coaches can come close to him in every aspect possible, but sometimes he frustrates me as there is no logic, only stubborness behind his decisions. Only he knows why he does that, but if it is to force Poldi out for p/ex for Draxler,… Read more »
buying a stiker wont solve the problem, unless he is Suarez. need an attacking striker going at the defence, too much zip zap around the box, ozil needs to charge in more, bring in that guy from la liga, heard man u got an eye on him, arsenal better not sleep on that.
We bought two of their promising stars and yet still couldn’t beat them- was it cos they’ve come so far, or was it some complacency creeping back in and wasn’t it even the right team tactically?
Obviously missing Wilshere; Ramsey and Theo goal threats. Did Flamini need to risk that type of tackle? Either way, things not on the team’s side with the first goal…
Double wank and shit chips. All of today.
Onwards and upwards! Let’s see what this transfer window brings.
I swear everytime that the Ox comes out and says… Oh we want to prove ourselves to everyone and show how good we are. We end up losing or we draw. So disappointed today. Hopefully this can install some urgency in our players so they have the deadly instinct right from the start of the game to the final whistle.
I don’t understand why it took according to AW ‘lost a few players’ to come to the decision to improve this team. The last time it took an acrimonious loss to Aston Villa to buy Ozil.
Dropped points. We should have banked this. As is, we will need to win some of our big games for sure. Which is why having something slightly different up top may be needed (granted Santi and Giroud continued their goal form and Poldy wasn’t allowed enough minutes) If Draxler is bought, then Chamberlain and Jack can cycle in beside Arteta along with Rosikcy in Ramsey’s absence. The bigger worry is if Arteta sustains any injury in between the 3 games Flamini is out. we don’t have an effective third (Diaby being well, still a bit away). Maybe Vermaelen but that’s… Read more »
Late subs denfensive line up was the case..
Fuck this…. adidas is courting manure for £70 mil a year….while some of us are happy with£30 a year….
Happy with a point given the result and performance and half time looking at it again monreal was ball watching on the first goal and has really got complaicent feb is usually arsenal bad month if u look back at previous seasons wenger needs to address this 3 days left if the window mr wenger pull off some major coups boost morale ,get fans excited
A point yesterday- ok! We shouldn’t overreact. We played awful in the first half. We were a little bit slim in the midfield in my opinion. When both Flamini and Arteta are playing in the DM-role we have less creative opportunities. We made some bad mistakes yesterday and 2 years ago we would have lost this game by 4:2. Flamini challenge is a red card without any question. The goal from Southampton was a foul on Nacho, but but… we didn’t deserve a better result. Arsene has to make some moves now – Giroud scores whenever I want him to… Read more »
Deserved red card, Arsene, deserved.
I don’t think that Wenger’s attitude at the moment is good
This is a joke right? The man looks healthier than ever, is smiling, taking the piss with the press and generally seems to be enjoying his football management… thing. Plus, he seems to have struck up a good bond with Bould
Based on the performance this was a point gained. I’ll love it if we won the league by a point and all those moaning muppets eat their words.
After seeing the game a draw was a good result, we went behind and it could of being more in the first half, and they could of won it late when we were down to ten men, city only got a draw there aswell so hopefully results go our way tonight and we get back to winning ways against palace
Not good enough, plain and simple.
If inside the club they are indeed feeling the same as us mighty Gooners, that we’re very close to winning something this year, then don’t fuck it up by not covering ourselves in the positions we’re short in.
Sign a striker.
“Wer all doooooomed”
Some of the reaction is laughable. It was a point gained in my humble opinon.
Oh and, Santori, are you Pato’s agent? Every post of yours recently mentions him.
Why play it safe for a point when we could have gone all out and look for all 3.the two points we have missed today could be so impt esp when we have to go through feb and march against bigger and stronger sides.yes southampton could have easily nicked our 1 point.but tbh i rather risk a single point for all 3 points.we can play defensively if we are losing.esp when southampton is putting so much men forward,we could have just hit them on the break easily.disregard the red card,i dont think we showed any courage at all going forward… Read more »
I believe that wenger is trying to keep Poldi fresh for the big games in February.
Remember Dortmund?
“If you can’t win don’t lose.”
Seems like a fair point to me in the circumstances.
No doubt one or both the chasing two will over take us by end of today.
We have a possibility to regain the lead coming up with Chelsea and City to face each other.
the pity is we did not use this Soton game to bank points and extend a slight lead.