Arsene Wenger says his Arsenal squad have the quality and experience to cope with a tense finale to the season and believes criticism following the defeat to Sp*rs must dealt with on the pitch.
The Gunners sit sixth in the table heading into Tuesday’s game with Leicester but could climb to third with a healthy win over the Premier League’s bottom side on a night when their north London rivals face a tricky trip to Liverpool.
“Every year we have been under threat until the last game,” Wenger noted when quizzed on his side’s chances of maintaining their consistent run of Champions League qualification.
“Every year we’ve managed to do it. We have a good opportunity to show that we have the strength to deal with that pressure and that we have the quality – I’m completely convinced we have the quality.
“We have to deal with our performances. The criticism is always there when you lose a game now. I don’t take it personally. What I take personally is to lose a game.
“We are responsible for what we produce on the pitch and we have to continue to move forward and deal with all the rest. The rest is not to influence us. What is important is that our ambition and the way we want to play has to be the strongest influence.
“It’s a long way to go. It will be tight for everybody and that’s what it is about. It’s about the team with the most consistency and I feel we have shown that we can deal with that kind of pressure in the past. I’m confident we can do it again.”
As things stand just ten points separate Manchester City in second and seventh place Liverpool. It makes for one of the most open top four races in recent history. Even despite the weekend’s loss we remain in the top four most in-form sides over the last six games.
The rub? Liverpool, Spurs and Southampton make up the top three.
Have to say that with the squad we have and the remaining fixtures not to finish in the Top 4 would be a major failure which AW would have a problem explaining.
My prediction is Top 3
Exactly. I can see Utd screwing up. Too many draws this yea for them.
I say wee need to fight and give it all to finish 3rd, because there will be big advantage when next season starts, we will not need to play qualifiers and rush unfit players to play and play 4 games in 10 days and lose points in premier league. so for once finish 3rd and avoid playing qualifiers and fully prepare for the start of the season. also to note it will be easier to sign players when they know that we are from the start in the group stage.
Don’t we need to finish 3rd anyway? As if we finish 4th and the Scousers or the Spuds win the Europa League then we don’t get a Champions League place.
Ok i explain this yesterday on the other post, here is it again :
The new ruling will mean that England could have five Champions League places from 2015-16 if one of its clubs lifts the Europa League in 2015 and finishes outside the top four.
Thanks! I was very much mistaken.
this would only apply if they won the CL, not the Europa.
Now I am confused! 🙁
Question:
If Spuds or Poohl win said “Europa” competition – are we fucked if we only come fourth in the PL?
“Yes or “no” please!!
The only way a top four team can be kicked out of the Champions League is if English teams that finish outside the top four win BOTH the Europa League and Champions League.
Only if an English team wins the CL and finish outside the top four then the team will qualify for the next CL. The fourth placed club is doomed like Spuds when Chelsea won the CL.
The squad we have is definitely capable of top 3. We have the quality and the only thing lacking is consistency. I hate this complete tosh that ‘United are playing better under Van Gaal’. They can play better all they want, all that matters is the points, and if they aren’t gaining points, 3rd place opens up for us.
Maybe I’m being a touch optimistic but I still think 2nd is well within our grasp. COYG!
Can I just say that the use of “the rub” was perfect!
Nice one Bloggs!
If we don’t finish top four, where do we go from their? With what is arguably our best squad for years. Genuine question. Where do we have to strengthen to maybe actually challenge for the title ? As many people now seem to think that our defensive midfield problem maybe solved with the emergence of Coquelan.
Rather then actually strengthen any position (apart from maybe another cdm and CB) I think we need to focus on keeping players fit.
All I’ve observed year after year is that whoever keeps their players fit, is the team that wins the title. (Obviously I’m talking about the teams consistently in the top 4)
I’m of the same opinion – we’ve shown that our team has the potential to be title winners, and another summer of major overhaul would only be detrimental to our side. We have the players, now our team needs time to coalesce, like it did in 2013-14, from 2012-13.
To add depth to a position IS to focus on “keeping players fit.” When depth allows key players to take a game off once in a while, injuries go down. And when injuries happen (and they will, as they are clearly inevitable), they are less damaging.
We have the depth now though, that being the point, bear in mind I’m not double counting any numbers in each position here. So our potential 2015-16 squad is looking like this: 3 GK – Ospina, Szcz, Martinez 4 CB – Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gabriel, Chambers/(Hayden?) 2 LB – Gibbs, Monreal 2 RB – Debuchy, Bellerin (I think he’s firmly established himself as a firm #2 in the long run, if not a #1) 2 CDM – Coquelin, Bielik a million cam/hybridbox-to-boxers/oraretheyleftwingers and you all know who they are 5-6 Forwards/Wingers – Alexis, Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Sanogo, Akpom, Campbell, Gnabry I… Read more »
We need a world class keeper, we have two good at the moment but not good or mature enough. A dm. Coq is a squadplayer, a very good squadplayer but a squadplayer non the less. A striker who scores 25-30 goals a season in the league. A replacement for Mert. He will not get better and he’s been poor this season. Someone of those we bring in needs to be a captain. A proper leader that can rally the troops, intimidate the opposition and the ref and bitchslapp a lazy Ozil or a sloppy Ramsey back in line. I feel… Read more »
I am in the same opinion but I wouldn’t have said “their”.
You can say ‘their’ and no-one would notice.
It’s the spelling that is wrong (given you like pedantry but need to improve on it).
With the way €iteh has been playing for the last month i would say the champions league spots are wide open at the moment. We should be able to start back the nice run of form we had prior to the NLD starting tomorrow. Just focus on us, just keep winning, get the confidence back and who knows how high we can finish. Man U front 5 look like they hate playing with each other, can see them missing out on CL again, Liverpool’s defense is very shaky and Sperms are Sperms. Top 4: €hel$ki, The Arsenal, €iteh and South… Read more »
It will all come down to our taking maximum points from the matches against teams below us and not dropping too many from the matches with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U. Luckily we’ve got both matches done already with City, SH and Spurs while many of the teams we are competing with for top 4 still have a number of tough matches left. We have a great track record of getting 3 points from the matches against mid to lower tier teams over the run in to keep our streak of top 4 finishes alive and have the squad to… Read more »
How tasty is that penultimate fixture at Old Trafford looking now?
It would be brilliant if we took them out for third place in that game and Southampton who deserve it more take the fourth place. But City are slacking so maybe if we’re on fire we could go second! Nothing is impossible just yet
Mr Wenger it’s time we aimed higher than top 4
Can’t agree more, especially because Wenger has assembled a squad to be fighting at the top. What hurt most and the reason I crawled under a rock for two days is not because we lost to the spuds (as someone who came to the country in 97 and following the league and Arsenal since, the rivalry with Red-nose was bigger and it was title rivalry). It was a huge let down because we seemed to have turned a corner and made many of our injured players back. Its worrying the number of times we are mentally not ready for the… Read more »
Oops number of grammatical mistakes (note to self, review posts typed while on a conference call before posting)!
Well, here we are without a trace of irony, on February 9th detailing the merits of the end of season 4th place Champions League qualification.
Does Mr Wenger read the comments on Arseblog News?… If so, Mr Wenger, I’d really like it if we won more games and lost less… Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease
With the quality of this site, and the quality of the vast majority of people in it, and the fact that football and football information is Arsene’s day to day (and night) life. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did follow what we say on here!
Just putting that out there!
COYG!
No. I do not read the comments on the site. They have little bit the handbrake on. As well, the site is mentally strong, and like a new signing. I do not read the site though.
There’s one thing we’re very experienced at and that is scraping a top 4 spot. Can’t see it not happening but you do wonder if Özil, Sancez and Cazorla would stick around if there was no CL.
We have easier fixtures than our competitors, spuds, Liverpool, Saints and Muncs are still to play each other. It is not the end of the world to lose a derby, I just wish Arsenal supporters were less fickle! Up da Gunners, its gon be good!
no idea why you received a thumbs down, probably one of those fickle fucks. completely agree, it’s hilarity that critics and spuds supporters suddenly think their chances of top 4 increased. we likely will finish 3rd, and I fully believe we will retain the FA Cup. some common sense about our last match needs to prevail.
Yes its not the end of the world but its another season were we are stuck fighting for 4th place months before the end of the season. If that doesn’t frustrate you then you shouldn’t support Arsenal at all. If people who want us to challenge for title and beat our rivals while doing it are fickle fans then I don’t know who the real fans are.
**Sigh** Top four every year… why not aim higher for a change?
We have a squad that should be challenging for the title now – we’re buying the likes of Ozil and Sanchez instead of Gervinho and Santos, so there’s simply nowhere to hide when it comes to pretending that a squeaky-bum rush to claim a top 4 position represents anything other than a relative failure. Injuries have provided a veneer of respectability to our position at the moment, and the fact that we’ve put a good run toghether with players coming back suggests that challenging for the title with the current set up is entirely reasonable. As does last season’s strong… Read more »
I’m not fully convinced that AW intends to leave at the end of the season, whether or not Klopp leaves doesn’t seem like something on anyone’s radar within the organization. But then again, who really knows but the board and the boss. However, I do understand the frustration, I do think we have the talent to do big things. The biggest problem lies in the understand between the defensive players, along with the appropriate structure to play in. Debuchy has only had limited time on the field, I fully expect some to come in and be competition with Coquelin in… Read more »
Hopefully this would be the last season that we have to fight for a top four finish.
Comment:our arsenal team should learn how to deal with physical and count-attack based teams,they should also have the mentality to win early kick off matches
Weren’t we supposed to be challenging for the title this season?
I am confident of top 3 finish this year and title challenge next season.
never heard that one before, sadly, I won’t believe in a title challenge unless we are still in it in March
I’ll believe in a title challenge when we’ve won the LEAGUE and locked up the cup in the chest, locked up the emirates and we all sipping our whiskeys at midnight
What’s so easy about our fixture list compared to Liverpool, Tottenham, and Southampton? We have United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and a tricky fixture against West Ham all left to play. We not only need to get maximum points against the lower sides such as Leicester and West Brom, but we need to capitalize on getting a victory, or at least draws from those four games above. Our fixture list isn’t as easy compared to what other people are making it out to be. Top 4 is no cakewalk this year
We have a load of shit teams to play in the next five or six or seven (can’t remember) fixtures!!
Up the Gunners!
Spuds and Liverpoo have Thursday-night Europa League games to deal with, which over the last couple years has caused them to perform poorly in their following Sunday fixtures.
Manure is a shit team–extremely lucky that they are where they are based on performances.
I know it’s disappointing that we’re once again competing for a CL place as if it were a trophy, but there’s little we can do about it now bar building a time machine and making the proper sacrifices to the injury gods back in August 2014.
How about making those sacrifices in August 1886
An attacking line up (when fully fit) of Alexis, Giroud, Santi, Ozil, Theo and Rambo deserves CL football. And titles!!!
Witoldo I agree that manure are, well, manure… yet we still lost to the dross last and this season!!! DISGRACE
it’s so depressing to once again be talking about breaking into the top four at this point in the season. we are supposed to be challenging for the title. when you compare him against other managers wenger is definitely under achieving given the players and resources at his disposal. i don’t care about wenger in or out, but you do have to ask the question if wenger could manage a team like southampton to third in the table the way koeman has this year? could wenger beat mourinho 5-3 the way pochettino did this year? alternatively, could koeman, simeone, mourinho… Read more »
Fergie won the league with worse squads than ours. I think for Wenger to win the league, he will need to have the hands down strongest squad in the league at his disposal like he did the last time he won it, or like Pellegrini had last season. According to the telegraph this January, our Wage bill is pretty even with Chelsea at around 170mill, while both the Manchester clubs are at well over 200mil. Mourinho seem to do allright despite not having the most valuable squad. His squad ought to be about on par with our own based on… Read more »
I would agree with this if the entire 1st team and half the reserves hadn’t been concurrently crocked for months at a time.
Some of you people need to face facts that Ramsey aint good enough
He scored a pretty important goal last May. Short memory, my friend.
Think the unthinkable and Chelski or Man city win the CL then we need a top 3 finish.
I doubt our ability to finish top 4. Way too inconsistent.
4 th would still get a CL place if a Chelsea or Man City win it dude..
Of all the teams in the top 7 playing for CL places (I think it’s a given that Chelsea with qualify) I think we have the easiest run in. Games remaining against other top 7 teams:
H A
Arsenal 2 1
Liverpool 3 3
Man City 1 3
Man U 3 2
Southampton 2 2
Sp*urs 1 3
Win our remaining home games and the away games against the bottom half the league and we’re in.
So we’re confident of a top four finish, Groundhog Day…..
F*ck top 4, arsenal should be going for the title every season. Charging stupid money for season ticket and playing for top 4 season after season. This game about wining things not about financial stability .
yeah we should but we are progressing slowly (well quickly now but yeah) trust me united will slip up so will the Middlesex marsh dwellers but next year we will be in the mix 4 the title. and we can still win the fa cup and maybe just maybe the champo league…… yeah I suppose that may be a step too far. but you never know……
title? next year easy. this year were gunning for the champions league mate. I hope. that would be nice.
Hey, I agree that we should be playing for the League, but the fact of the matter is with our injuries and leaving ourselves short at the back personnel wise, it is where we are. However, we will go into next year with the best squad we have had in years so i’m looking at the remainder of the League season (not taking away from the potential we have in the CL and the FA Cup) to put us in position to win the League next year. As someone mentioned previously, finishing 2nd or 3rd would help in that quest… Read more »
We’re all sad to lose against the chickens, but let’s face it, if we win all our matches against the lower teams, we can make top 3. As for the “big” games, we have Liverpool at home, Chelsea at home, and United away. I believe that’s 1 win, 1 draw, 1 defeat.
we will take nine out of nine points there not 4. have we forgotten citeh already?
Good point, we only struggle against really sh*t teams, like at the weekend.
AW: “we have usually fucked up any chance of winning the league by March, and this year is no different. Somehow, again going by experience I expect us to scrape 4th and me to keep my job”
amazing, I see why you have optimist in your name.
I simple cant be confident of a top 4 finish… we been out of the top 4 all season!!
Hi guys, Vermaelen is definitely leaving in 3 months, should we, you know, start looking for replacements and stuff?
-Naah, we’ll be fine.
Underestimate no team. We do so at our own peril. There are no mugs in the PL. Anyone is capable of rattling anyone. Worth keeping in mind before we take 4th, 3rd, 2nd and even 1st place for granted.
Though I sincerely hope they make the top 4, and believe they can, I’m getting tired of cheering for the fourth spot. Call me spoiled, but that’s what reminiscing of past PL titles does to you as a fan.
Underestimate no team. I second that.
We got complacent again with Spurs.
We should have beaten them and got to within 4 points of City. Instead we are further adrift again and slipped to 6th.
Too much talk. Team needs to step up regardless of tactics.