Arsene Wenger faced the BT Sport cameras after Arsenal secured safe passage to the FA Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 5-0 win against non-League side Lincoln City.
In a sign of the times, the only question posed to him about the match regarded Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury, otherwise, it was all about his future and the general mood around the club at the moment.
On issuing a rallying call to his experienced players in his programme notes…
We had recently big disappointments in the Champions League and a very difficult environment. After that in our job we have to respond in the next game and therefore you need players who are solid mentally and united. Of course, it’s easier when you’ve been through difficult periods before than when you’ve not known it.
On injuries…
It’s a hamstring problem [for Oxlade-Chamberlain] and we have to assess that on Monday.
On how he’s sleeping these days…
Well, let’s not talk about me too much. That has been done a lot recently. I’ve shown in my life that I’ve tried to serve this club with complete commitment. I will do that as long as I’m here. How long? I don’t know at the moment. I think I have shown a lot of loyalty and my preference is here. I’ve repeated that many times.
On whether that sounds more conditional than previous statements he’s made…
No, it’s not conditional. It’s just how I feel about the situation. I focus on my job and I always did that. I let other people judge my performances, I always did that. I’m not too much worried about all the rest. I just focus on trying to win the next game and getting players to perform.
He knows that if he wins the next game masses of support will come out for the club and also for him.
If he loses then a mass of ‘Arsenal must go’ posts will be made.
The fluctuations are incredible.
I hope we keep winning.
Though note that ‘he wins’ and ‘he loses’ are not strictly accurate. He can set the team up as well as he can but luck, the opposition, referees and particularly the players have a bigger say in any win or loss on the day.
Interesting to see people not wanting us to keep winning.
I’m sorry, but this is a load of crap – Most fans who want him out would still be interested in him leaving, even if he will manage to create a winning streak in garbage time (and that’s what the period ’til the end of season need to be referred as, since we are definitely not in the title race), just in time to secure a top four spot.
That’s why the fluctuations are incredible. With Kos on the pitch we were 2-1 up over the two ties against Bayern, so we can’t have played that badly for about half the tie. Yet people are saying we were terrible due to the final score. Against Lincoln we were playing against a team we should beat 99 out of a 100 times (even with a reserve side) but now lots are far more upbeat.
The last result is the one that people fluctuate around so Arsene is right on the reaction and what he should focus on.
Comme on, we lost 10-2 and you’re talking 2-1 up with Koscielny blah blah blah. The manager is even seeing an outstanding game in a 10-2 defeat. Are we still a serious club?
And pedant, don’t that tell ya something, he goes off in both games and we fall apart,,where was the equal quality defender to come on,oh yer we don’t have one, and why don’t we have one, cos wenger gets these players, subs spose to make a difference, not only is our first team up to standard but our subs even poor
There are few CBs in the world of equal quality to Koscielny, yet you expect Arsene to have one who is happy to sit on our bench and wait for him to get injured to play? Criticism is fine, but let’s base it in reality please.
OK you tell me which club in the top six of the premier league falls apart like we did when one player goes off bear in mind we still had 11 players in the first leg
Remember Spurs in the last game of last season?
Also will recall Man City not being all that great when Kompany has been out with injury/suspension etc.
Many would consider Kompany in the same bracket as Koscielny.
But it’s ok, see what you want.
Don t worry Arsene, you re at a point of no return already; you can very well win the “next game”, a lot of us will “focus” on reminding you to LEAVE in the summer. This time it s enough
Not as many as you think Matt, the cunts over at Le Grove of course but as you saw again yesterday very very few turned up for the protest. My head count made it 200 John Terry’s and 23 Michael Owens
this is insane.. I was part of the Wenger In brigade for the last so many years.. didn’t turn on him at every opportunity.. his staunchest believer… love the man still.. Arsene = Arsenal for me always.. but if people are still convinced that he should stay.. after all of the proof that he is a dinosaur… than I guess Arsene is bigger than Arsenal. I just want to remind people of Arsene’s record against Mourinho.. Our record against the big 4.. It’s shameful.. i’m ashamed for it.. Spurs are going to overtake us.. then the only saving grace of… Read more »
Why is it insane? I didn’t say I want Wenger to stay just highlighted that thousands who go over the Arsenal have more class that the few cunts who stage disrespectful demos to a man who deserves more.
Calm the fuck down people. We are way closer to spurs than we were towards the end of last season and we know how that turned out. It makes me mad as hell seeing how people give so much attention on wengers future. Yeah he may be past it, yeah arsenal may need a new manager blah blah blah. But to me there is much bigger things to focus energy on in football. The game itself is turning slowly into wwf wrestling pantomime. Proper officiating is non existent. If people are calling arsene wenger a dinosaur then why cant they… Read more »
Jeez can’t you give the vitriol a miss on a Sunday morning, after your team wins 5-0?
Although not everyone but some just love it when things are shit. I’m convinced some of those twats out there with their banners and placards are actually ecstatic about the current shit state we’re in since it legitimises them having a grand mal of moans.
What a short sighted and ridiculous thing to say.
These people turn up and pay to watch the games so it gives them the right to vent their frustrations.
Turn up and pay – do you do that ?
Oh no, you don’t you just come on here and troll them for having an opinion that differs to your own.
I will use a word that you used to describe you.
TWAT
Sure they have a right to vent their frustrations. As do I with the likes of those panting monkeys.
Pay for what? Stupid banners?
Differing opinions is not a problem but there are was of expressing them and those idiots and their banners are just embarrassing!
What’s a more civilised way to do this according to your heighness without being like these so called “idiots”?
Not shouting your head off like a fucking monkey outside or inside games with banners. Not disrespecting the man who has done so much for this club. Act like grown ups. Act like fucking men! That’s a start. Show a bit of class. From there improvise adapt and overcome.
The interview with Gary Neville on AFTV offers an interesting perspective on this whole circus that’s broken out over Wenger’s tenure at the club.
Ok. AFTV are often out of line. I don’t see what’s wrong with taking banners to a game though as long as they are not offensive. You clearly disagree with banners and have listed what you don’t think is an acceptable way to express an opinion. I ask again what IS an acceptable way?
What was interesting about the interview was Neville, not any of the aftv people. Except maybe for the lad with the shit tattoos they were thickos out of their depth against him. You ask me, a person who sees no reason to protest against Wenger, how to protest against him? The honest and straight answer is I don’t know. What I do know is that to me the banners represent the knuckle dragging side of football which I hate regardless of where it happens. I especially loathe seeing it at my club and even more so against a man who… Read more »
I’m not a Wenger hater and I great no sense of solace from people turning again. My worry is that you and others who have similar views to him might not think its best for him to go. The problem though is that you or I get no say. The board want him to stay and if the fans are happy he would also want to stay. The only people who stand any chance of him going is fans showing unhappyness with him staying (and even that might not might a jot of difference). I don’t like these protests anymore… Read more »
no actually its other twats who are okay with mediocrity and staleness that are the real issue
I don’t see why we need a complete shake up That is retarded in all aspects The gaffer has assembled a team with potential. Whether he can maximise them to the best of his abilities is the issue. As far as the board is concern, their business is to make surectge club makes money and is in a position to compete. Because we do not have an ordinary gaffer, he gets a slightly different deal from the board in that he has to meet his minimum which is a high standard to keep up over 2 decades plus. This should… Read more »
I feel uneasy about the whole situation.
On the one hand you have the angry mob, growing, that will want to be heard.
On the other hand the tone here at arseblog is more one of respect, and I feel offended by the protest myself if I can say so.
We as a community look down on those protests, but every of clearing heads make us sound petty and superior.
How do you reason those guys in the streets without yourself looking patronizing? Do you even try and do that?
No you don’t I’d say. I’d say holding a banner, whether in support or in protest is a fair way of demonstrating your opinion. Which everyone is entitled to do. We all love the club, people in the ground pay their money, so as long as it’s not obscene, which they aren’t…fairgame. it’s down to the players and manager to play better, more consistently, and to turn it around. In many cases the demos are before the game, as soon as whistle blows, of course we all want them to win. I’d agree it’s a crap situation, and i hope… Read more »
Its nice to win and I am glad that we managed it. But lets get some perspective on yesterday’s result before we get carried away. It was Lincoln. Not Chelsea or Munich. Talk of confidence returning from the manager could seriously bite us on the ass when we go up against a quality team. Any one of the Premiership teams could easily beat this fragile Arsenal team at the moment. I was also baffled by his comments that criticisms leveled at the team after Tuesdays debacle against Munich were “unjustified” – his own words. Arsenal were absolutely awful and were… Read more »
Agree. I think it’s important to note that when you score 5 more goal than your opponent in a game, it shows a clear difference in the quality of the respective clubs. Same can be said when a different opponent puts 5 past you…twice.
Lincoln & Arsenal are clearly on different levels. But the same can also now be said about Arsenal & Bayern. That’s what many fans are upset about, & the fact that this doesn’t seem to matter to either the owner or the board.
A vital win that hopefully brings confidence back to the players as there is still a sniff of a trophy and the job of finishing above the spud to play for,
No matter what happens with Wenger ‘in out shake it all about’ and the horrible media flogging were getting, it would be great if we could ram all this nasty verbal diarrhoea and negativity back up stream. coyg
Moderation is the name of the game and I wanna moderate with you!
Thanks.
John terry = cunt
Just testing the limits of moderation.
Maybe I don’t include enough insults and bad language?
Mourinho – Super Cunt
Look I think we all realise the fact we all love and respect Wenger doesn’t mask the fact that if he was at any of the top 6 clubs in our League he’d have got the chop already. (And yes, even Spuds got rid of Harry after finishing top 4). He’s made horrific errors of judgement with players contracts, selling players to direct rivals instead of abroad, showing mindboggling loyalty to numerous players who are nowhere near Arsenal level. But what hurts me more than anything is that he’s becoming the object of ridicule, not just in this country but… Read more »
All this Wenger in/out crap is so bloody boring.. We just beat the mighty Lincoln 5 nil, can’t people just be happy about that?
The problem is in my opinion Wenger has no intention of leaving, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already signed a contract and is just waiting for a few good results to announce it. I mean, not only does he not see any embarrassment from being beaten 10-2 by Bayern he in fact comes out telling us how brilliant we played and only for the ref things would of been different. Never his fault, can’t see the problems the are right there in front of him, a board who don’t give a bollox, he ain’t going to… Read more »
Ah I remember the days of cloughie and forest, great team and such a shame to see them no longer in the premier league… personally I blame sky tv for ruining football!!
I do find it funny when those state how another feels, or what may or may not be bothering them. How could you possibly know what goes on in his mind? Just because he isn’t a piss pot and having a right fucking moan about his players, which has always been his modus operandi, what suggests that he isn’t bothered by a 10-2 hiding? What’s smarter, deflection – or coming out saying Monreal is shit .. or Alexis is a cunt for smiling when Bayern scored or when Liverpoo scored … the behaviour you’d expect from a petulant child instead… Read more »
In my opinion Wenger is incredibly loyal to his players and the board both of which should take responsibility and for there failures. For me Wenger is not the problem I hope and pray that he stays
Lol you don’t think wengers the problem, with his wrong tactits play one way all the time with no plan B ,never studies the other team, oh we play our way we can beat anyone,, maybe ten years ago not now, apart for ozil Sanchez kol welbeck the rest of the team is shit and thats wengers choice in players
ARSENAL football club is bigger than any manager any player, WE hadn’t got any better in the last ten years, nothings gonna change if WENGER stays those who think it will need to go to Specsavers,I think he need to go and few players, and personally as a true arsenal fan happy to spend few seasons in top ten while we REBUILD THE TEAM because that is whats NEEDED
I think the current attitude towards Wenger is disrespectful. Especially since its quite clear that its the players who have let him down over the last few years and as much as we are made out to be cash rich, its clear that hasnt always been the case and the board havent been willing to pay for the players we need. Im not just talking about the world class players. Im talking about the back up and hot prospects. We never have. Its an old problem this club have had for decades. So really as far as i and many… Read more »