Laurent Koscielny says that Arsenal are up for the challenge of winning the Premier League despite the ‘unbelievable’ spending from other clubs this summer.
The French international, who skippered the side yesterday and put in a captain-like performance in the 0-0 draw with Leicester, stressed that it’s not individuals that win titles, but teams.
He’s backed his teammates to recover from a stuttering start to the season to fight all the way for the league this season.
“We are Arsenal – we fight for the title,” he said. “Every game we play we want to win the game.
“This season will be very difficult because of the top clubs spending a lot of money on transfers, it’s unbelievable. But sometimes the collective can be better than individual players.
“So we want to keep our philosophy and play football.”
To be fair there’s not a lot else he can say publicly, and the 30 year old is hopeful that when players return to full fitness after their summer exertions, things will improve.
“When we have a summer tournament it’s the same for every other team, not just for Arsenal. I’m sure every other team is the same. The players come back later and need more time to be fit, to be ready for the game.
“Last week we didn’t play because we weren’t fit and it was important to have one more week for training to be fit this week, and you can see, no one got injured.”
Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud came off the bench to play their first minutes of the season against Leicester, and the duo should be in contention to start next weekend against Watford.
Probably the person who is up for the title challenge at the moment and to his credit he played like it yesterday.
What a Player! Absolute Boss.
I agree, and for that reason, I also feel for the guy. Wenger has made a habit of refusing to surround the few world class players in the team with near or equal players. Cesc Fabregas? Wenger: “Hey! You get to play next to Denilson!” Mesut Ozil? “Hey! Your eye for a killer pass will be met with not one consistent striker in the entire squad!” And so on and so on.
Title challenge my ass. I’ll eat my meat pie hat if we come anywhere near a challenge this year. By the way, ten points is not a challenge.
Just love this guy
Pitty arsene doesn’t feel the same…
Why do you say that?
Oh sorry thought you meant Arsene doesn’t love him…
Kos, you might be up for title challenge but not sure that your manager is. He seems to be more concerned about the 600 employees getting paid at the end of each month.
Anyway, don’t listen to me, I don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s due to the influence of the media.
You know, it just occurred to me that Wenger might be the only manager in the world whose primary objective is not to win trophies. Which other manager in the world is concerned about paying staff?
Not sure if a serious comment or not..
If arse was was so concerned about the employees wages getting paid maybe he should take a 50% pay cut to a measly 4 million a year leaving another 4 million for everyone else
I think he was talking about not bankrupting the club with reckless spending. This whole 600 employees think has been manipulated by the media and has gotten a bit out of hand.
There’s no lack of trying. Vardy offer was common knowledge. Lyon were public about our offer for Lacazette. Not to mention we’ll have a defender by the end of the week. Let’s judge Arsene at the end of the window.
I agree!
Arseblog are the media too, and those of us that comment are part of it as well. We all get over excited from time to time and wind each other up. See, I’m talking bull right now and you’re reading it.
Loook errrrr, he said the “600 employees” thing and that is a mad thing to say.
In Arsene I am slightly concerned these days….
…and he said it in two different interviews! I am worried about the old chap to be honest. 🙁
That’s right you don’t no what your talking about! Give it a ducking rest
Oi you little duck. I’ve got a monopoly on ducks you ducking ducker, so if I see you ducking again I’ll duck you up.
🙂
Quack quack…:-)
Sad to see that a player of his quality hasn’t won much. It is for him that I wished that France won the Euros this year. We are lucky to have him.
Arsene must stop the Sanchez experiment and play Apkom or Giroud up front
I don’t know imagine a fit Ozil supplying a fronts three Ox/Sanchez/Walcott. If he was fit that would have been a completely different game.
Have to feel for Kos and our players that care. It must be very demoralising watching everyone else getting stronger and knowing that you’re going to be played into the ground carrying Arsenes favourites to another fourth place. They deserve better.
I am wondering if Wengers insistence that he ‘always respects his contracts’ is actually fuelling the negativity this season. I know this has zero to do with Kos, although I like the fact he mentioned ‘the top clubs have spent ridiculous amounts’ I note he doesn’t say ‘the OTHER top clubs’! Sure it means nothing. But is this actually a wasted season? A season where Wenger will refuse to spend big to hand us over to the new boss whoever that will be in the best state possible? That may coincide with the fact that all other clubs are spending… Read more »
Like you cunts were up for it last year until you bottled the worse league in Premiership history?
Do your talking on the pitch.
Yes I agree. Every season for 10 years now, I can pull out at least one article where an Arsenal player had said we “CAN” win the title or something along these lines.
Well, I am up for being the Queen of England, doesn’t mean I am qualified.
Cunt? really?
Keyboard warriors, these days… smh!
Us and another 18 other teams “bottled” it. The only team I saw bottling it was Tottenham.
We were the only team to beat Leicester twice. Bearing in mind they only lost three games all campaign.
Southampton 4 Arsenal 0.
Oh, so that’s not bottling. Swansea. Watford. ManU away … 90% sure Wenger is bottling the transfers … or is he? can he pull it off? Or will he crap all over his legacy becose Stan won’t let him spend on striker and Mustafi/Winston Reid/Virgil van D. He needs something. Otherwise, it’s time to go.
Oh, so that’s not bottling. 90% sure Wenger is bottling the transfers … or is he? can he pull it off? Or will he crap all over his legacy becose Stan won’t let him spend on striker and Mustafi/Winston Reid/Virgil van D. He needs something. Otherwise, it’s time to go.
Tell your boss to buy you a reliable partner. Also tell him to buy a striker too.
Sigh. I feel like we deserve to be excited about the new season. Filled with hope….
Next season I want Thomas Tuchel in the door by June 1st (and he can bring Aubameyang).
Brainwashed.
“Unbelievable” spending?!? Believe it, mate….believe it.
We are being left behind.
#prayforthe600
“Pray for the 600”. Spit my coffee out.
Unless one of ManU, City or Chelsea go undefeated we will be in it at the end. Everyone will loose points and 4 behind is nothing right now. It all starts next week when Ozil and The HFB start and Alixis is out wide where he should be.
Mate I admire your optimism. We’re not even due the annual February to March implosion yet. And the team already looks so bloody disjointed, our lack of strikers is so evident we can’t even build plays through Sanchez, and of course we’re 4 points off the pace of what looked to be really good Chelsea, City and United sides.
Err we are 5 points off the pace actually, could easily have been 6 if Clattenburg hadn’t done us a favour.
Clearly my math is a bit Eboué.
We have serious issues that is for sure. I do think the total points to win the league will be as low as last year.
That was not a penalty. If anything, a foul on Bellerin.
Arsene has indoctrinated his players so much they sound like him.
The mediocrity machine is in full flow. It’s going to be a tedious season. Followed by a two year contract extension of Lord Wenger. Good luck everyone!
Why is every single story about Arsenal, positive or negative, followed by such awful comments from people? It seems the default comment is either cynical, sarcastic or abusive. It’s frankly embarrassing.
We could announce the signings if Bale, Ronaldo and Messi and people would still find something to moan about.
So you’re complaining about us complaining?
Are you complaining about him complaining about you complaining?
People wouldn’t unleash such vitriol at the club if this was new behaviour but it’s been happening for years now.
I also don’t see how being critical of the club and manager and supporting the team have to be mutually exclusive. I give my full heart to arsenal when they play but does that mean I can’t ask questions about how the team is run?
Realistically if we signed Ronaldo or messi my first reaction would be incredulity followed by delirious joy.
It’s the results for the past 12 years … and ofcourse the media
Couldn’t agree more,
Bit late mate.
I find it ironic that after we drew yesterday and our contingent of away supporters loudly voiced their wish for a) signings and b) Wenger to leave that perhaps the most respected player on our team comes out with this statement. To me this is clever damage control and media spin from the club.
Well, what else is the quasi-captain going to say? And he’s indeed good enough to start for a title winning side, but…
When was the last time Arsenal finished within 9 points of the title? That’s not close, nor have they been, really, in ages.
Has the boss noticed the season has started? The five dropped points in August have the same value as points later in the season. This club shows no interest in competing for the title. Insert Stan quote here.
“We need Stan Bowles not Silent Fucking Stan Cunt”
It’s sad that after such good service for us over the years, he’ll probably leave us without winning the league. Was gutted for him when Portugal won the final.
I fucking love Koscielny, what a boss!
I’m sure he is…not sure about the rest of them
“But sometimes the collective can be better than individual players.” Oh please. One Özil made our attack more fluid. One Koscielny (that’s you, boss) made our defense much more solid. It’s almost like having world class individuals helps the collective.
I would suggest the collective at Leicester last season was proof his comment has merit.
I sure hope we don’t take a fluke that happens every 10 years or so as an example.
Koscielny is awesome.
But we’ve dropped five points already against sides we should beat. Both fixtures last year we did better. Usually optimistic but not this season. I’ve had enough.
Koscielny has been a loyal disciple. But how on earth do Alexis, Ozil and soon probably Bellerin keep believing in this. We just need a new manager who is more concerned about the players on the pitch than anything else. Arsene your time is up. His condescending attitude to the fans is bordering on the behaviour of a narcissist.
I can’t help but worry about our ability to challenge for the title. I’m also worried about our ability to make the top four. The two Manchester clubs and Chelsea have new managers with proven track records, they’ve also spent money to improve their squads. I think the title will be between the three of them and we will be in a dogfight for fourth with the likes of Liverpool and Sp*rs. Unless we add the striker and centre back we so desperately need we will struggle. The problem is that Wenger believes that the money being spent is crazy… Read more »
Sounding like a club puppet there, Boss.
This forum is also taking a negative down turn…I didn’t came here for this…now not even the good gets credit…yes we all want to win and realistically for the last 12 yrs 4 to 6 other good clubs. We should not give up our values…love you Boss……
We need to get up to speed fast. The start has been largely insipid. The transfer issue has some impact but honestly, we should have enough to get by both Liverpool and Leicester. I didn’t think Leicester were at ‘their best’ and as we saw with the way Liverpool were dispatched by Burnley, our misfortunes on the first day were largely self inflicted. As much as we may lack some ‘options’, I don’t think Wenger is getting the right balance between risk and reward. Partially one cannot blame him for being a bit over cautious holding back some players from… Read more »
Most people get too negative because they are prey to the press. Much of the crisis hysteria is self generated on stoked by the pundits none of whom have had experience managing big clubs or operating in transfer market. They simplify things and create the “Arsenal fail to sign” myth for an all too eager consumption. OTOH our slow start to season is not press manufactured. We have consistently been unable to get off on the right foot over last 6-7 seasons and this is a concern. The margins can/will be tight given the level of opposition we face. There… Read more »
I like your posts, you say a lot of words but don’t make much sense. I don’t think the hysteria is press related at all, and it’s not hysteria. The pundits that you simply are spouting nonsense always seem to be right about. Not 10% of the time but more like 90% of the time. 3 players short of being title winners blah blah blah, mentally not strong enough blah blah. They trot out the same shit year on year and are always right. What does that tell you? The fans can see it too. We go into each season… Read more »
The annoying thing about this season is that we didnt even need to spend that much. Sell Walcott and buy a striker and Holding would have just abt suffice. Then you have Giroud, Akpom and new guy as 3 strikers, Ox,Sanchez, Iwobi and Joel as wingers, Ramsey and Ozil as the 10s. Elneny, Santi,Coq and Wilshere in CM. I dare say we didn’t even need the Granit signing.
Dare say it! Why did we buy Elneny if we also were after Xhaka? First signing should have been a striker, not a 35m cm when we have plenty of options. If we needed a backup, then buy youth or promote. If we needed a starter, then why buy Elneny? Nothing Wenger does makes much sense, that said I don’t think new players will fix the fundamental problems in this team that Wenger built. Most of you guys are nuts to think we would get off to a flying start considering how we limped through the second half of last… Read more »
I long for the the day the money drops out of football and is returned to the man in the street and then and only then you middle class wankers will fuck off and watch cricket! Thumb me down all you like but 99% of comments left here are left by proper cunts!!! And you call your self fans!! Fucking disgrace the lot of ya..
I don’t know what being middle class has to do with supporting Arsenal Football Club. Whether there is money in football or not i’ll be watching and supporting my team. I will also be hoping my team does everything they can to be the best team they can be and will try to win games. If they aren’t, I don’t feel that it is unfair of me to ask questions and share my opinion.
I feel like as a club, the only thing we plan for is who we’ll trot out to save the blushes of a floundering management in case of a poor performance. Time was when I believed we would beat any team outside the big 4. Now I find myself hoping the other team is depleted just so we can scrape through the match. What a sad state of affairs
I remember when the majority of supporters wanted to get rid of this guy. And now look, another stick with which to beat Wenger.
So it goes.
Would have preferred abit easier start to the season when half the team is missing. Liverpool and Leicester was as bad as it could get. Two top teams, one the reigning champion but with no players going very far in the tourney except Joe Allen for Liverpool with Wales as far as I can remember, while we had several key players in semi and final. Would have been nice to get Bournemouth and Middlesbrough or something the first couple of games so we could recover before facing off against the big boys. But I’m not making excuses just pointing out… Read more »
That’s the point of the argument – if the window would close before the season begins, the deals that go through on deadline day would still be done before the season begins.
Think positive thoughts – think positive thoughts – think positive thoughts
Leicester City won the league and they lost 3 games all season. If we take into consideration the fact that Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have improved greatly on last season, and we consider ourselves serious title contenders, we should start winning games. We already have one loss under our belt and find ourselves 5 points off the top. For us to have a title challenge, we cannot lose more than another 2 or 3 games. We’ll see what happens but I’m not keeping my hopes up. If we want to finish at the top, that must mean we… Read more »
I have looked into my crystal football and I have seen the future:
We will lose against Watford and then go on a 35 game unbeaten run and finish second behind Hull!
🙂