Arsenal’s recent home record against Swansea is poor. It’s 2011 since we beat them at the Emirates, and of the last four games we’ve lost three and drawn one.
It would be safe to say they’re a bit of a bogey side for us, and Arsene Wenger is hopeful his team can avoid another difficult day – pointing to last season’s defeat as one of the the low points of the campaign.
Speaking about last season, he said, “We had two low points. The first was to lose at Man United and that was straight before Swansea.
“We damaged our chances. Last year we had a very negative experience with Swansea who killed our opportunity to win the Premier League.
“We were really criticised a lot after the Tottenham game but we did extremely well.
“With 10 men we came back to 2-2 and played extremely well. But after that we had the negative environment after Swansea.”
But after two impressive home wins against Chelsea (Costa haha) and FC Basel, the manager believes fans are more positive about the team.
“I believe our fans are behind us,” he said. “I must say that the negativity comes very quickly. It is a virus that travels very quickly and goes away very slowly.
“I believe at the moment the vibes are positive. We have reduced distance with the top teams. We have to continue to get to the next level.
“We can only think we have to create a positive environment and to do that we have to perform. We want to perform. The rest we have to ignore. Let’s focus on the way we perform and the way we play.
“You focus on what is important for you and what can help you. The way the team plays and what is important and accept the assessment of people around you.
“Fans are part of our game and they have the right to be happy, not to be happy. My job is to focus on my job and trying to make them happy.”
I don’t know why, I think Wenger seems to be enjoying managing this team, a bit more than he used to in the previous years. He talks lot more positively, no?
It definitely feels that way, Santi. I don’t think he harbours any doubts about this squad, which possibly can’t be said about years gone by.
It also seems that first cup win after the barren spell lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. He’s not seemed as tense since that day, which makes sense in light of his recent interviews. He truly takes each defeat like a wound, so those winless years must have hurt a lot.
In previous years I think the fans have become negative very quickly because it was obvious we hadn’t done enough to strengthen the team. This year, we’ve spent a lot and have a really deep squad full of men.
Really hope the fans can stay positive even after a defeat or two, because it really does become quite oppressive.
And herein lies the problem, going into last season without purchasing any new outfield players and giving new contracts to an ageing and declining Arteta and Flamini didn’t really look like we were trying. This season we have new players and the fan have more hope and are rightly more confident on the basis if anything that they don’t know what they’re going to get and are prepared to give the team the benefit of the doubt. But when you tell the paying fans that Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky were going to provide the depth required to win the league,… Read more »
As a manager,Wenger has always been positive and optimistic about his team. His analytical skills are at times controversial with fans. He supports his players,he knows them far more than we the fans could ever know them. As such,we should back our team in all circumstances. After what was seen as a wobbly start,the engine has roared and let’s hope it fires in a win against a previous troublesome side –Swansea.
Good luck Gunners!
Making my first ever trip to the UK and will be in attendance tomorrow. Here’s hoping they turn that recent history against Swansea around!
For me the negativity will continue until Arsene is out the door. The season always starts positively, but then we end up flat on our face by the end. And people fall for Arsene’s tricks time and time again.
I’m in the US and hope Bradley does well, so 3 or 4-0 to the Arsenal would do it for me
“If you can’t win the game then at least don’t lose it…”
I’m just glad that we don’t have to see that puma celebration!
I think we’re going to give Swansea a hiding.
I’ll be happy with 2-0 and Fabianski will be their MOTM
Lets hope that by MOTM you mean Muppet of the moment!!!
“I believe our fans are behind us,” he said. “I must say that the negativity comes very quickly. It is a virus that travels very quickly and goes away very slowly.
We criticise the team, how about the fans play their part too, I know they pay a lot of money and make sacrifices to attend games but please don’t go to all that trouble to have a shit time.
The away team are the ones who are supposed to have a shit time.
Please make Ashburton Grove into a place where away teams feel intimidated, not welcome
I go to maybe two or three league matches a season. I’ve managed to see us lose three times to Swansea. Hate them. Bloody Michu.
Please don’t attend today! 🙂
3-1 to us. Anyone wanabet?
Me too, Arsene, me too.
Three points today please.
COYG
Although we’ve had some poor games against them where we just didn’t turn up at all, we’ve also been on the wrong end of some really poor refereeing against them as well.
Hopefully Mr Moss will be a bit more ‘even handed’ than previously.
Mission accomplished, but boy howdy that’s not a game Xhaka will want to remember. If Coquelin starts instead of him we probably absolutely tonk Swansea, instead of hanging on for 3-2 with 10 men. Also, 2 goals for Walcott in the first half followed by two misses in the second where it was almost easier to score… dear me. Still have to rate his game as good, but missing those finishes…. urk. Their second goal demonstrated there’s still room for improvement in communication between Mustafi and Kos, too. On the plus side, pretty much everyone who wasn’t Xhaka or Walcott’s… Read more »