Arsene Wenger faced the BT Sport cameras after the 3-1 defeat at Anfield.
Here’s what he had to say about losing cheap goals, his decision to drop Alexis and more depressing stuff that sounds similar to other depressing stuff he’s said in the past.
On the performance…
We had problems to get into the rhythm of the first half. We haven’t played for a while and you could see it took us a while to get into the game. Overall, even though we were not completely at the races in the first half we conceded cheap goals, some direct balls from their goalkeeper…you don’t expect that in a game like that.
In the second half, we came well back and I think we had opportunities to come back, we responded well. The first half it’s true, we didn’t perform at our level.
On dropping Sanchez…
Yes [he had an impact when he came on], but I felt as well that in the first half the strikers suffered from the fact we didn’t dominate the midfield. The second half was much easier, you could see that Welbeck and Giroud were much better in the second half than in the first. It’s always debatable that.
On Giroud being injured…
Yeah, he had some painkillers because he had a kick on his thigh in training and he got kicked again today.
On potentially missing out on Champions League qualification…
There’s a possibility to be in as well, so let’s focus on that.
What is the point of playing Coquelin?
new contract?
Speaking of contracts … y have so many mediocre players, who even on their best day won’t qualify as world class. Brutal Assessment of squad Cech – avg now. Was great at one point but now nothing special. Ospina – Nothing inspirational again. Kos – I think he is good. But he has been in the defense in all these moronic defeats. Can’t be that great then. Top it off he is the so called leader of the defense!! On his day he is EPL level, if you stretch the point. Mustafi – Had a great start, but 1st season… Read more »
Not saying sell ALL of them, but a lot of overrated/underforming ones need to be shown the door –
Ramsay
Coq
Ox
Walcott
Debuchy
Gibbs
Ozil (yeah cash in on him. Not worth it on present wages. Forget the enormous wage rise he wants).
completely agree. with the ambitions arsenal have we cannot keep playing some players. players like jenkinson, debuchy , walcot and especially coqueline are all midtable players at best . hell i can name many players from midtable clubs better than them . and we have to use ozil appropratively . either improve his defensive output or dont play him against big opposition. we just have to look at how mourinho and conte uses his players to see how badly we are managing ozil. cesc hasnt managed to get a start at all becuase he is bad defensively , not that… Read more »
Agreed!
You have said it all .. I think wenger should take time read this post and place it on the arsenAl notice board where all the players can vividly see and accept the critics and change.. let the players deliver wht they are supposed to do then we turn to the manager ..
All Coq is allegedly good for is breaking up play and tackling.. doesn’t even do that these days. Half the player he was last season.
True, Wenger wrongly thinks he is the answer, from Charlton a few seasons ago?
If Wenger is serious he will get the likes of Nzonzi or Kouyate at WH., or even both, both can tackle, are rugged and are tall to defend and help at set pieces, the likes of Wallcott/Debauchy/ramsey/Ozil/BFG needs to go! Gabriel is no CB, better at right back!
He needs to buy some effing tall CBs!! ….Gabriel/Mustafi are too effing short!
No point at all, for me he’s a championshio player. For sure no top manager will play him in a big club like Arsenal. The man in charge is clearly unable to take the club to the next level which is to win trophies, this has to be his last season with Arsenal we need fresh ideas. This regime has to end!
He’s been exposed somewhat, because he presses from poor positions far away from the play, he’s easily circumvented by a team that’s halfway decent in possession. And when he does have the ball he rarely has the quality to do anything meaningful with it. And it’s not like he’s a great reader of the play when it comes to tracking runners into the box or stopping crosses, or even filling in for fullbacks. I don’t want to be too harsh on him, it’s a team game and our dropping off tactics are just rubbish, but he’s an obvious player we… Read more »
Agree. He hasn’t been at his best since months but, there’s no better replacement, so there you go.
But I see Xhaka as a bigger issue. As a mid fielder if you can’t defend, have no pace, can’t tackle, can’t head the ball, can’t run with the ball, can’t dribble, then all opposition has to do is to not give you 3,4 seconds on the ball.
What cost us was the whole team. 11 really really well paid players on the pitch who weren’t up for it as much as Klopps Kopps. Anyone here see the effort from Arenal players? Not me. Sure, blame AW for an insane selection leaving Sanchez on the bench but don’t forget that he’s been drastically let down by the slackers on the pitch.
Know what’s best, he does. Leave, he certainly will.
hopefuly
Clouded this ones future is
Agree with him on one thing : midfield was awful today and there’s nothing Sanchez or Giroud can do about that. Problem is you bought those midfielders, Arsene.
Midfielder depend so much on team instructions more than any other players. Just look what Klopp have done to this Liverpool, Can Lallana Lucas… Simple players but always with A)plan B)hunger. Our midfielders look like headless chikens but with a sad losers face.
Yes, though I think Lallana is more than just a “simple” player, and Lucas isn’t a regular in this side. I don’t think Coquelin is as bad as he’s looked recently, and I think a different manager, playing a high press style and giving him clear instructions, would help get the best out of him. Nevertheless, his ability in possession is criminally below the standard required of a team who wants to boss possession, and for that (and the fact that we STILL don’t really have a replacement for him in the squad as Xhaka is too slow to play… Read more »
Yep!…headless chickens!,,,best way to describe how collectively they were chasing shadows most of the game and second best in most 1 on 1 tussles. Its getting worse chaps and I feel very disillusioned and embittered. I remember, at least in the first leg at the emirates, we outplayed them in the first 30 minutes?…and came back strong the second half and they were holding on for dear life at the end of the game. Now?…Reality is we’ve lost the ‘Arsenal wow factor’ which fans love watching and opponents fear. We were completely outplayed most of the game.The norm now am… Read more »
This.
Gash
So people on this particular blog have told me to “support Chelshit” “follow other glory hunters” “you are not a real fan” and a couple more when I simply said this team with this particular manager wont win a real competition neither this season nor any coming seasons and as I want that to happen I believe a change is an obvious necessarity. So now that another season is taking shape read that again and hopefully this time without the usual ignorance.
Generally when people say that it’ll be due to have you’ve said it and not just that you’ve said it.
If you say “Arsene has done really well and stood by us to get us brought difficult times” then you don’t get told anything.
If you “Wenger is fucking shit and we’ll never win anything again because he’s such a joke” than people will tell you to jog on.
As a french literature teacher I assure you I have never talked like that. Ever. In the last post I got a response like that I said if Wenger had retired few years back we could easily say he has been statically one of the greatest of all time. And of course it saddens me to say our best ever manager had not won a major trophy in his last 13+ years at our club.
Let’s not go full Piers Morgan, the FA Cup is a major trophy. The smallest of the three, but major non the less.
I think he should go too by the way.
By the way while people who say “Wenger is Arsenal” are most definitly the young fans who havent seen another manager here; I, as a fan whos been around since Graham days I was once amoung the crowd asking for a change which lead to the manager you believe in so much. Then too there was people like you who thought the bunch of trophies Graham won for us meant he is irreplacable.
George Graham’s sacking was sudden and not due to footballing reasons. I don’t remember any clamour from the fans to give him his marching orders. It was more shock and sadness when he did go.
It was a shock as they did it in an inappropriate time (before cup final I think) and with no rumors on the papers. But we were boring boring Arsenal and times when we wanted a change of course existed.
Played very well in the second half. Unlucky to not get a draw. Proud of our boys. Come on you gunners
Proud? You talk like we are a mid-table team
proud of losing against an average side?
You know, we don’t get impressed by you trying to make yourself look like some real fan for being delusional?
Clearly you were watching a different game to the rest of us
Thanks for the chuckle.
If only that pigeon let you watch the match…
Plastic fan in disguise 🙂
we have not played for a while , fatigue, played 3 games in a week …..! Maybe got a manager who lost it ???
Can i borrow some of Giroud’s painkillers?
I’d say wrong selection cost Arsenal today and they definitely were inferior … Alexis ommision was a mistake i guess ( would coming Bayern game be a reason for it – we will never know ) … right now it is a real masochism to watch them play !
There is a massive unanswered question from today. Sanchez was not left out for tactical reasons. He was not dropped. What happened behind the scenes? Was he dropped for daring to against Arsene or was he dropped for being arrogant and thinking he’s above everyone else?
I also have a feeling that AW dropping Alexis was because something happened behind the scenes, he has challenged Arsene or something like that.
Well either it was because Sanchez said he wanted to leave (unconfirmed) and Wenger wanted committed people on the pitch.
Or it was because he thought it would be a great gamble that could restore some belief in him. If he’d won the game convincingly maybe he thought it would make a point.
What I can’t understand is how Iwobi deserves to play before Perez, given the output of the respective players.
Specialists in cheap goals. Roll on Tuesday. *sighes*
I think it’s clear for all to see now that Wenger doesn’t do modern-levels of micro-managing tactics. If Wenger played fifa, he’s the type to make tactical changes based on quick hits on the d-pad. WHereas modern coaches go deep into the settings to change things. I mean, what’s the point of putting on Giroud to go direct, yet you don’t actually instruct the team to go direct? How many long passes did Xhaka make to Giroud? How many crosses did we make to Giroud? Who other than Bellerin, made many crosses to him? What was the point of the… Read more »
He should borrow Andy Kaufman’s gag and just start reading The Great Gatsby at press conferences. Nothing else. Just come out, sit down, “Good afternoon” then start reading. A chapter per press conference. It would be more credible and far more insightful than what is going on now.
Looking players like Coq and Alex overrated Chamberlain run around aimlessly and for the latter, run it out of play repeatedly and you just wonder if this is the same manager that assembled some of the best talent the league has ever seen.
Bring back project youth! At least we played some of the best football on our way to fourth that this bunch of overpaid losers.
but only with another manager
I don’t believe the players are overrated, I just think the way they are coached and used is abysmal. Do we really think Ox is worse than Danny Drinkwater, Mustafi worse than Wes Morgan, Coq worse than Albrighton? Yet those players impressed against Liverpool because they worked within a system, covered, fought and showed desire.
In fairness to Ox he played a lot better in the middle, strange that he’s become a better tackler than Coq and Xhaka but that’s where we are atm! Iwobi improved a lot alongside Ox as well and he’s definitely Project Youth
You don’t expect us to concede cheap goals? I bloody do.
Who would believe that conceding cheap goals can be costly? Thanks for the enlightenment wenger out kroenke out
Nothing new here we’ve seen it many times before.
Until the midfield balance is sorted the defence will continue to be exposed and the forwards will continue to be starved of chances.
It’s horrible watching good players looking so very average.
Clutching at straws i guess but the second half was an improvement on how we’ve finished matches recently.
What will it actually take for Arsene to call it quit? The blood of Jesus?
pray for france to call him
The sooner Wenger leavers the quicker we can get to blame the club leaders. They are the ones with the least sporting ambition of all. I honesty wonder what had to happen before they would take real actions changing the club.
We spent a lot of money last summer.
or Barca
Barca !? ?? Don’t be ridiculous
What can you expect from a game when the 4th and 5th most expensive paid players in history of the club are warming the bench and the most expensive player ever is at home playing pocket billiards? The 2nd and 3rd were on the pitch but I’d rather have them somewhere else…. Crumbling Arsenal, so sad to watch……..
Both first half goals were due to midfielders not tracking opposition runs into our box. That stuff is worked on through drills on training, If it’s not done in training it won’t be done during a match. Wenger does not put enough emphasis on defense, therefore we can’t defend as a team, therefore we won’t win league’s under Wenger.
That simple.
But people don’t want to hear it.
Happened on the final counter-attack as well! After Lallana’s pass on the halfway line both Mustafi and Xhaka turned their backs on Wijnaldum (to appeal for offside) as he ran through unmarked. Xhaka didn’t even make a recovery run, and he’s the one who got beaten by Lallana in the first place.
Absolutely criminal that Wenger sent out a team that didn’t execute the most fundamental rule of playing in big away games up North – you must run harder than your opponent.
I think Granit Xhaka is the softest most spineless central midfielder currently playing football. Andrea Pirlo had more bite in his late 30’s than this one. To think he was brought in to be our steel. Laughable, really. And this guy never gets as slated as much as Coquelin. Coquelin’s faults only shine because he tries to be available and actually impact the game, unlike the likes of Xhaka who turn around when the opposition have the ball. See how easily Firminho left him to set up Mane? That’s who we paid 35 million pounds for. I think Arsenal is… Read more »
Agree that Xhaka isn’t good enough at DM but Coq our best player? I thought he was our worst! If he gives so much of a shit, why he can’t he track a run into our box or win a challenge? Monreal ran him close tbf
Francis???
“Coquelin was our best player today.” Thanks for the laugh mate. God help us if he was our best player. We must be in more deep shit than I thought.
A season without champions league football might just be what we need. Almost worked for the scousers under Brenda and seems to be doing Chelsea the world of good. Would anyone care we never played champions league football if we won another double that season?
It doesn’t matter if we’re in or out of the Champions League, the bizarre team selections, continuous playing of favourites, lack of gameplans and poor substitutions would ensure we would never win another double with Arsene. Our players look like they don’t know what the hell they’re supposed to be doing, and I’m not surprised, there’s no leadership from the manager and we’re stuck in a timewarp while the teams around us have improved. Time for someone at the club to grow a pair and say enough is enough, but who?
i don’t think using Chelsea as an example of missing CL and then possibly winning PL isn’t right. This is basically the same team that won it 2 seasons ago.
Genius! Wenger’s got perfect answers to every defeat suffered.
I’m feeling worst about alexis dropped to the bench instead of the lost today, as i’m 100% sure that this will made up his mind to leaves us. I would have understated as he is our best player and he played 4-5 games really bad and was worst player and out of form to be dropped, but to drop in this dire times at the club which he is the only players who gives 100% and he is even best player in those humiliating defeats . Man we lost alexis he is gone, you could see it on his face.… Read more »
I said it on here earlier in the season that xhaka wasn’t good enough he is so average it’s not even funny. For the life of me I can’t see what was the point of signing him he is not even close to an upgrade on what we already had.
Yeah, well, stop fucking conceding them, then. Useless shites.
Also, don’t want to hear a goddamned thing about the lay-off. Hopeless, the lot of them.
I think the team misses Özil play today. Would have made much difference especially at corners and freekicks that we got yesterday.
He’s world class, simple as that. I love watching him play, no matter the odds. He’s a footballing genius and I feel privileged to have seen him in Arsenal colours. The amount of stick he’s had since he touched down in the UK is sickening, especially from my fellow fans. I’d be tempted to sod off too if I were him. It’s funny when you look at him and Sanchez, one, the ultimate team player, is lambasted for not giving a fuck, while the other, the epitome of selfishness, is praised to high heaven for giving his all. Now, I… Read more »
The worse thing is that the team are not helping each other. One example was Bellerin was taking a throw in in our half. There was no movement. No one came for the ball or dragged their markers around. In the end he threw it long Welbeck who was surrounded by 3 Liverpool players. This happened almost every time an Arsenal ayer had a ball in our half. To play against the press, the team must work harder and always try and provide the player in possession at least two passing options. In direct contrast, Liverpool always had players on… Read more »
Arsene, if Sanchez was playing he would have dropped in to help the midfield. Problem solved. One of the reasons they dominated the midfield was because we had a big lump called Giroud who cannot, to save his life, play with his back to goal or help in the buildup.
Cheap talk cost us.
Need to remedy slow start. Not done.
Need to not let the gaffer down. They keep doing it.
Need to stop making mistakes. They’ve perfected making them.
The gaffer resembles a man who is really clever buying the best tools but alas doesn’t know how to use them. Instead of fixing the situation on hand, he has a go at the 4th official. Pointless. The defense was so narrow and you could see an average Liverpool team exploit it overloading our wingers for both goals. Wenger and Bould could have easily issued clear instructions for Welbeck and Ox to sit closer and wide of their fullbacks, nothing done. Instead the team were left to amble on into half time by which time the deficit was 2 goals.… Read more »
Alexis…coming on was like night and day. But as soon as we regained advantage and momentum, Wenger does the inexplicable and hauls off Giroud and Welbeck. You want the player making an impact and one of your most experienced physical players to stay on. I don’t know…Alexis looks like he has moved on from his expressions on the bench. Not sure what is going on but clearly something is stewing in the dressing room. At very least he should have kept Giplrpud for crosses, stuck Lucas and Welbeck on either flank cutting in and maybe Alexis in the hole with… Read more »
If Wenger doesn’t go soon and Alexis doesn’t sign a new contract, we’re in for a worse shit storm of a time than manure when big red nose retired.
Cheap goals and refs cost us. This has a familiar ring.A workman never blames himself. When Mane scored it was the sort of goal that the gunners always concede when pressing the enemy. That’s how Rooney/Ronaldo scored in the cl and epl. Before the game,I read one analyst saying the gunners were the perfect opponents meaning the the gunners would give the Pool forwards the room they were denied in the foxes game. Im’ afraid the longer the fm stays the gunners will go into free fall. No manager including the fm shd decide when he wants to leave.The board… Read more »
Midfield has been a problem because we did not buy enough cover with Jack going out. With Santi past 30, there was every chance his recovery could sign an extension. Elneny is an average player at best. Coquelin/Granit have not found equal balance. There are no alternatives. The Ox is the next best thing next to Granit but it is a makeshift at best. Ramsey (to be fair to Wenger) has failed himself and the gaffer this season. Insipid performances. We could have done with one more decent player. I like this young player Billings at Huddersfield, would not have… Read more »
Wenger out!!
Wenger out!!
Tired of the excuses.
From also rans to also rans. Wenger has taken us full circle.
I hope we dont see his ugly, obstinate side where he decides this ending needs a rewrite.
Pls Save yourself and us Padre by saying farewell.