Petr Cech says that the Arsenal players are having a hard time translating their training ground work into match-day performances, and that they need to turn things around quickly to secure Champions League qualification.
With just one win in the last five Premier League games, Arsenal have slipped out of the top four, and the prospect of finishing outside those positions for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s time as manager is increasing.
The 34 year was in his home country to pick up the Czech Player of the Year award, and spoke to local press about the situation at Arsenal, insisting that the problems they have in matches are not evident in the build-up.
“We have none during preparations or in training,” he said. “The issue is taking it all to matches. That’s the worst part. When things don’t go well in training, you can work on that, make it right, but this is not the case.
“Our levels of performance in matches are not near what this team can do, what it should be doing.
“We’ve lost too many points and our rivals took advantage of that. We need to start winning to qualify for the Champions League. If we aren’t be in it, it wouldn’t be appropriate,” he continued.
“As players, we need to focus on ourselves, on our performances. If we win five matches, the situation will change.
“It’s not just the coach who is responsible, but the players as well. We still have time to recover, but it’s running out quick.
“We need to win straight away, the team has the experience to turn this situation around.”
He was also asked about fan protests and unrest surrounding Arsene Wenger, and said results between now and May will play a part.
“I think the main thing is how the season pans out,” he said, “that will have a big influence.
“After more than 21 years, he has the right to decide that.”
Having come off against West Brom last weekend, Cech believes his injury will only be a ‘matter of weeks’ and he should be fit again not long after the Interlull.
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Thanks to Ondrej for the translation ?
Johan Cechrou
Can we send him back to Chelsea?
They need to stop feeling sorry for themselves! It’s easy to blame the manager, other players, the board and even the small Wengerout corner of fans and media circus. Each and every player has to ask themselves what do they want to achieve playing as a squad in this club! You can’t teach ambition! Do they all just want to be known as special players with great potential, under a legendary manager! Or do they want to make there own mark in history! They should stop feeling sorry for themselves and get on with it, they are paid well! Now… Read more »
Their their their dammit!
Uncle D – what do you mean by ‘small Wengerout corner of fans’?
You do realise that the majority of Arsenal fans want a new manager for next season, don’t you?
Or does the D stand for Denial?
Should I stoop so low to your level and start trading insults! I think I will pass…
How about just answering the simple question? Too much to ask?
Majority? i think you are really really wrong
if u do really live in London, you should know that its a small group of people who want Wenger out
and i say a small group, because Arsenal has a lot of fans, so i guess we can say that about 5% of the fans are WengerOut
@Giovani Rampeloti
Where do you sit exactly in Emirates? I really want to know from where you see 95 percent cheering for wenger? If that was so tge stadium would blow with “in Wenger we trust” with each Wenger out whisper. Its the other way around boy. And if you go out in the city its only Chelsea Spurs or WH fans whom wish for Wengers stay (of course for the bad of Arsenal and their own laugh).
Why my comments take hours on moderation in this blog man? What kind of blog is this?
Took minutes 🙂
Sometimes I’m asleep though, apologies.
I mean why the moderation at all? Its a football blog after all.
Don’t know, sometimes words or IP addresses are caught. Will look into it.
Totally depressed after reading your piece on the summer war chest stories. Urgh. First trump. Then Alexis and ozil leave for short money and we’re left with ya ya sanogo as out “top top quality ” striker.
I need a beer. And I’m gluten free!
Giovani, yes I live in London. North London in fact.
I can assure you, the majority of fans do not want Arsene to sign a new contract.
Just because they are not holding up banners, that doesn’t mean they want Wenger to stay.
“the small Wengerout corner of fans and media circus.”
Get out of your cave man.
THE END IS NIGH
Sorry, I’ve only just recently got on the doom and gloom bandwagon.
And NOW finally it seems they are worried about not recieving CL qualifying bonuses. Expect more effort but maybe too little too late.
I know Cech hasn’t been amazing this season but why does it seem like it’s only me who thinks that Ospina is an absolutely awful keeper? I just don’t get how people rate him.
He makes great acrobatic stops now and again but even they are usually as a result of him not dealing with a cross properly or cleared the ball well enough.
Having him in goal for the next couple of weeks gives me the shivers.
Awful might be a touch strong but he’s certainly not very good. People banging on about how great it is to have two world class keepers in our squad is laughable.
they are both bad
People only love Ospina so they can all shout “oooooooospina” when he takes a goal kick, it’s about the only time you hear any noise at The Emirates these days 🙁
Yes I do love going Oooooooooooospina
Lol your avatar looks like it enjoy some ospinnnnna…
one guy who must be having a laugh will be our own szenzny . as of right now he is comfortably better than cech and ospina. roma got a canny player who has all his best years ahead of him while we got a player who is past his prime and a disgruntled second option
Ospina is a great keeper in europe but the epl doesn’t suit him one bit. I knew we were screwed when he came on especially against a team like west brom. He struggles with aerial threats. He’s s better shot stopper than Cech though.
Szcz is the best Arsenal goalkeeper right now. He’ll be starting next year and Cech will be his backup.
Ospina is a good shot stopper, but has a bit of the ole Fabianski/Almunia with regards to his decision making.
Szcz / Cech is what I would like to see us try. I hope we do. Szcz has got to think he can take that starting spot from Cech any time now, and it would be ideal if he got some time training with him.
At this moment in time, both Ospina and Cech are pretty terrible. Both have moments of excellence during matches, but neither are really commanding their back four. Think about David Seaman, or Crazy Jens, both very vocal, both always demanding of their defence. Even Szczesny has that big vocal presence, I just am not seeing it from either keeper at the moment. No leadership at the back, and it’s translating through the spine of the team. Consider last season, Cech to Mertesacker to Coquelin to Alexis all very vocal all urging one another on. Where has that gone? Is that… Read more »
Who else? The tea lady?
The players?
You don’t think they should shoulder how they conduct themselves on the pitch? Including shying away?
Wenger will always protect his players. It’s their job to stand up and be counted.
Every time the same … !
To have a player come out and pretty much say “Yeah, were shit with it matters” is either a dastardly clever plan to kick life into his team mates
Or, as I fear maybe the case, a damning indictment of the state the club is in.
Is Cechs decline a result of age,the players in front of him or the general culture at arsenal? Would be interested in others opinions
I think decline is grossly exaggerated. He is still one of the best keepers in the Premier League and has saved us on numerous occasions. I have never rated Ospina and hope that Szczesny is brought back next season.
Cech is awesome at point blank reflex saves but in terms of stopping a penalty or most shots i think he’s definitely declining
I fully agree. And don’t get me started on that ridiculous policy of not starting him in the Champions League games in order to pacify Ospina.
I think it’s down to our dodgy defending, which happens especially when Koscielny ain’t around.
Never before has Cech been so exposed by teammates as now with Arsenal. Same for Ospina who, although not world class in my book, clearly performs well for Colombia.
I know exactly what he means, when i’m training with my punch bag i’m deadly and can knock anyone out but when it comes to the crunch and you put someone in front of me my knees go weak, i bottle it and go running home to my mummy. It’s called a lack of testicular fortitude.
“We have none during preparations or in training,” – that’s because the opposition is bobbins in training.
You have made my day?, perfect analogy with a great touch of humour, Let’s brace ourselves for the worst, The damage has already been done, and i don’t think this team has what it takes to recover from it, smh..
Us fans deserve better…AW gets paid to a job…which he hasn’t been been doing well enough for a while now.
We are bottlers and AW is the cap!
These players are probably causing our new psychologist to have a mental breakdown.
Certainly they are having the same effect on us. I’d say sell the whole lot. Not one has any personality to help tide things in this moment. The British Core first out of the door please.
Please. They should be a media blackout for this shameful performances you guys have been giving over the last 2 months. I genuinely feel 4th place is gone. Wenger has turned this team to a midtable side.
Bring back Szeszney! Atleast that prick smokes in the dressing room after a shocking performamce. Which to me means he stressed out after losing and therefor gives a fuck!
The players wont apply their training in matches if they do not want to or are not playing for the manager anymore. It feels like a Leicester type mutiny is going on where the team are trying to get the manager the boot. Sad times at Arsenal, but the result of the lack of ambition and indecisiveness from the board.
It’s like Wenger has turned from being the headmaster that everyone behaves in front of to the substitute teacher that everyone rips the piss out of and makes cry
Hang on a second, Czech Player of the Bloody Year????? Pfft, Nedved must be rolling in his sun lounger!
its all just too nicely nicely at Arsenal Wengers laid back attitude seeps poison through the team he is the cannon fodder but he loads the bullets, he is still stubborn on his offensive tactics putting more on this than defending, tactically against WBA knowing they are the best in the league on corners and set pieces he leaves the tallest players on the bench, the BFG, Elneny and Giroud which would of given us the defensive qualities we missed
What I find ridiculous is how many times I hear it’s not just the managers responsibility, it’s the players too. It only comes down to one man – AW. Whether it’s Chamakh upfront or Sanchez the season pans out the same. Year after year we look like we don’t belong in the champions league with the big boys and our season crumbles from Feb/march. We haven’t won the league for 13 years – countless players come and go. Only one common denominator. He will not go unless pushed out. Walk with your feet. Change will not happen at this club… Read more »
Makes all the more interesting the fact that we’ve qualified for the Champions League so often with Marouane Chamakh leading the line….
Don’t know whether I’m over simplifying this but if they are playing better in training maybe it’s because there’s not another team there tackling them and kicking the ball in the net? I’d imagine training at Arsenal must be a fairly relaxed affair, Steve Bould putting a few cones out while Wenger shouts “right then, which one of you precious cherubs wants a pay rise??!!”
It’s also a lot easier to practice zonal marking from corners when everyones under 5ft 10 as well (except HFB)
Get out while you still can, Petr!
OT, but Löw has just announced Özil is out for tomorrow. Maybe he has decided to fake also for Germany…… or maybe it’s time for fans to take him seriously and to respect him…
I wouldn’t be surprised if he traveled with the team just to get the fuck out of Dodge. And maybe plant a few ideas in players’ minds about their futures (in my delusional dreams).
There’s only ONE Arsene Wenger ?
I am the eternal optimist.. And a romantic .. He’s gonna turn it around. Keep the faith
Optimistic about what? Winning the league or champions league next year. AW has been in charge for 21 years and NEVER won the CL despite having glorious players like Henry bergkamp pires cole vieira Campbell all in the same team ? Get real. I used to put a bet on us winning the league every summer – stopped that habit over 10 years ago.
Breaking news: People paid tens of thousands can’t do their one job correctly.
Thats a common trait in all forms of management in every company in England unfortunately
It’s also a documented fact that over an average citizen’s wage there is an inverse relationship between the size of the pay packet and how many fucks said payee has to give.
Bring back Sczezeny and Wilshere.
LOUD NOISES!
No shit sherlock. Here we go again. Why not just all shut the fuck up and do your talking on the pitch because untill that happens no one gives afuck what you or wenger has to say its just all bullshit blah blah excuses. Shut up, work harder, give 100% for 90+ mins or fuck off.
So even Arsenal are being made to look good when they play against Arsenal on our turf? Sad.
Some great and funny comments that lifted my lunch brake as I can’t sit with the big boys they have all riped me to shreds over this feels like it’s never ending. Nice to turn to the blogs and find less hate than recently. Maybe this brake is just what we needed at the mo. Coyg
I’m “Wenger in”, that is into a board or head office job. Keep his intelligence and incredible knowledge in house while he vacates the head coach position. Wenger in!
We need a captain that feared by all the players and repected by the manager so he can talk shit to this disorganised and unmotivated players on the pitch. If only Sanchez were respected and feared by all his teammate he can be that captain, he has this sore loser attitude and want to give command to his teammate. Kos is a good player but not a leader, our captain armband is just a formality, remember when Gibbs was given the armband, Lol. Cech can be a captain, but he is a nice guy, will be like Kos at best.… Read more »