Arsene Wenger admits that Arsenal’s away form is ‘very poor’ after his side suffered their seventh away defeat of the Premier League season against Sp*rs.
Harry Kane’s second half header was enough to see off the Gunners 1-0 at Wembley.
After the game, the boss was full of regrets.
“It’s very poor,” said Wenger when asked about his side’s awful run away from the Emirates.
“Once they had scored the goal, that maybe played a part in it.
“Football is about scoring goals. You can say, ‘We are not strong enough when defending our goal’, but when you look at the numbers and compare them to the top six, we do not score enough goals away from home.
“These two weaknesses, one added to the other, explain it.”
This season, Arsenal have won just three times from 14 league games, and have just 13 points on the road. Expanding that further, we’ve accrued just 26 out of a possible 78 points in their last 26 away games in the Premier League. During that run we’ve won only seven games and conceded 45 goals while scoring only 35 (stats courtesy of @Orbinho).
Having slipped seven points behind third place Sp*rs, the Gunners chances of finishing in the Champions League positions look slim.
“It’s a game we couldn’t afford to lose,” said Wenger.
“That makes it much more difficult now but we have to fight for as long as we have a mathematical chance.
“There was more at stake than just the derby, I said that before the game. That’s why it’s so disappointing to lose the game in the way we lost it.”
Arsenal now turn their attention to a Europa League double-header with Swedish side Östersunds. While the competition represents a back door route into the Champions League, the boss maintains that his side must still focus on the domestic front.
“It’s too early [to focus on the Europa League], yes,” he said.
“Football is not about switching off for three games and then switching it on for one game.
“Manchester United decided that once they were in the semi-final. We are far from the semi-final and we have to fight to have a chance to come back.
“For me, it’s a very disappointing result because the priority has to be to get into the Champions League from the Premier League [top-four finish].
“I’m not a great fan of qualifying through the Europa League because I don’t think it’s right. If it’s an opportunity, we’ll have to try to take it as well. The priority is still to be in the Premier League.”
love you wenger
Irony or stockholm syndrome?
Östersund Syndrome.
“Once they had scored the goal, that maybe played a part in it.”
Hmmm he might be on to something there
“The priority is still to be in the Premier League.”
Last line in this article. The fk is he talking about. Sack him ASAP.
By next season, if he is still in charge, that could be a serious quote
Does no one see that this is a classic Director of Football vs Manager incompatibility situation?
Having a chief executive doing the Director of Football role was never going to work, especially if he has his own agenda on the line.
Dont even know what this means FFS !
It doesn’t really mean anything Always Arsenal. It’s just another desperate, convoluted attempt to try to say ‘It’s not Arsene’s fault’ cos for some people, it never ever is. When that’s the sole aim of your comments, making sense isn’t one of your priorities.
Something had to give. You can’t have one man playing dictator at the club. It’s the end game for Wenger. These results are unacceptable.
Nice. So who’s to blame for the previous 20 transfer windows over the decade?
Ozil looked worth every penny of his new contract yesterday
It used to spoil my whole weekend when we lost, if not the whole week. Now I just feel a little disappointed and move on. I guess it’s all about expectations. Despite the 5-1 last week, I didn’t expect to win this game. I hoped, of course. But I didn’t expect. That’s why I’m not absolutely gutted like I would once have been. Football is less important to me now. It has to be, otherwise it takes over. If you seriously cannot win the big trophies, then it’s best not to put everything you have into it. I now know… Read more »
Totally agree. Can’t work out if it’s a good thing or not but I can usually shrug off a loss in an hour or two now. It would’ve ruined my whole weekend a few years back. Expectations have certainly been managed in the last couple of seasons.
Exactly how I feel. I’m ready to throw myself back in emotionally, but not until we have new manager. I still love the club passionately and celebrate our wins, but can’t allow myself to get too worked up while Wenger runs the show. COYG.
I don’t know if it is a shame. I used to be like you. When Arsenal lost my wife would prepare for an interesting weekend. I am past that now and I feel so much better for it. I feel like I have allowed myself to emotionally grow and take control of myself instead of letting ridiculous outside forces dictate to me what and how I should feel. I used to watch sports and soccer all the time but now I just watch Arsenal and even that could dwindle quite shortly. There are so many better things I can do… Read more »
This is the saddest thing about it. Before a win used to be 3 points closer to a possible trophy, now the points are irrelevant. A win feels good but its not building towards any greater accomplishment. All the hope has gone.
It’s got too and beyond the point now, that if this were another “top 6” side, the manager would have been sacked/left on mutual terms. We need a manager who can shake up this team and sort out this defence!! Same old mistakes season after season. Ive always been pro Wenger but this Is sadly a season too far. Someone at this club has got to take responsibility. This game was a must win! I said last week, beat spurs get top 4, loose then it’s finish 6th. Another year behind the spuds and being mocked by all on social… Read more »
We used to laugh about Harry Redknapp’s game plan: “Go out there and run around a bit”. Now the laugh’s on us. No plan. No organization. No leadership.
Spot on. Don’t understand the downvotes.
There are some of us who think the players are letting the manager down. We know how much it hurts him to lose, he’s told us that plenty of times.
Honestly, I think Le Prof’s never been the same since Pat Rice retired. I suppose Steve Bould supports the manager, but he never stands up and shouts at the team like Pat did. I’m not sure what Bould does do, actually.
He looked like a puppet being operated by a bad ventriloquist today…he probably goes home and cries himself to sleep like the rest of us.
So what if Arsenal get in the top four. Wenger’s record in the CL is dismal so it’s completely meaningless. It’s not as if with a bit of luck Arsenal might win it. Gazidis can buy who he likes, he’s flogging a dead horse with Wenger at the helm.
The manager deserves so much blame for these poor performances. But I am going to commit blasphemy here: the assistant manager is culpable as well. When Pat Rice retired, we were elated that one of the great defenders of the Graham era was coming in. “Bould will fix this defense!” we all said. But it’s clear the defending is soft. Clean house.
If he’s not allowed to coach , how much blame can attach to him? He’s there as a lightning rod for Wenger. Bould has rumbled it which is why he no longer does the shouting from the side. Guess he figures that if he’s not allowed to help, why should he have a high profile during games.
If he’s gutless enough to sit back and take the money then he’s a disgrace. If he’s not allowed to coach then he should have the self respect to leave. Either that or he’s a rubbish coach.
Or maybe he thinks it would get even worse if he left & even though he’s desperately frustrated at how much input he has, he stays put cos he loves the club. The truth is none of us really have any idea what or how much Bouldy does so seems pointless either blaming or defending him. We need a new manager & let him decide on the usefulness (Or otherwise) of the existing staff.
Wenger has a say in every minute aspect of club operation, so how can his own assistant, whose job description – consistent across all clubs – puts him under direct supervision of the manager, not be completely his responsibility? I feel for Bould. As much as you can respect Wenger the person, I wager he is by all means a frustrating boss.
OK I hadn’t read your comment when I made mine above. And while I agree the manager deserves some blame, I do wonder how he’d fare with a different assistant manager. From the outside, it looks as if Bould has brought nothing to the team. Certainly not defensive coaching.
So defence and attack is not strong enough. So nothing works.
You can argue that midfield is also pretty fucking shambolic.
So who is to blame for that dreadful away form of our’s?
You might not like it to qualify to the Champions League through the Europa League but that is the way it is Arsene. Simple as that. It would be miracle if we get into the top four this season. This is no point anymore. Let us stop acting like we care about our long lost pride. We fans don’t want to be watching Europa League for another season and for that I believe winning the Europa League this season has got to be only way to do it.
I hate to break it to Wenger, but there’s no way this shower of shit is winning the Europa League.
Our boardroom grew fat and complacent on Champions League cash. We always qualified for the knock-out round, Wenger would tell us how happy he was with his squad in January and two humiliating games later we’d be knocked out. It’s only now we’re playing in the second competition that they realise what the January window is for.
Our boardroom does not deserve one iota of European success. Fuck each and every one of them.
To be fair to them.. the board have put in some effort and have brought in some decent players. They are ready to spend some money. I guess the only one who deserves the blame right now is Arsene. He is been here for a long time and without a doubt done lot of great things for us but it is time for him to step down.
We’re in this situation because they had no vision for the club beyond monetising a new stadium. They let Leicester beat us to a title and did nothing about it while every other team that collapsed that year has rebuilt.
All they’ve done is enable this mediocre version of Arsene Wenger instead of holding him to his title-winning standards. Fuck all of them.
Well, not to quibble with your narrative, but there were a couple glorious wins against Barca (the diving twats) at the Emirates; and a valiant win against Bayern at the Allianz – the only team to win there for like, ever – but ultimately we went out on away goals.
You have it right about the board, however; gutless the lot of them. The club is a cash machine to them, nothing more. So feck the lot of them.
Agreed.
They should all be buggered by Kroenke branded 18″ dildos coated in sandpaper.
Perhaps he has actually been told that he has to get CL to keep his job. Earlier someone pointed out to me how angry he was at Lacazette’s miss. Arsene is usually really quite composed for the most part. Last season when there were rumours of his job being on the line he looked pretty haggard then, and he definitely looked drained today.
“There, there Mayor McCheese. No one likes weepy meat!”
Sorry, couldn’t help myself!
Guys, have you noticed how Wenger doesnt like Lacazette. No supporting comments, substituted every day and the body language. Been seeing it
Wenger is stubborn, outdated, past it old man. I’m never surprised by any stupidity he displays. Seen it too consistently for 12 yrs now.
Yes Wenger is stubborn and outdated but his age has nothing to do with it. Just take a look at Fergie.
Not true.
http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/wenger-backs-lacazette-to-find-form-again/
http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/wenger-frustrated-lacazette-still-coming-to-terms-with-english-football/
Ctrl+Alt+Del
Esc
Meanwhile at the Emirates: F5, F5, F5…
I disagree with Wenger. Finishing 4th shouldn’t have a champions league spot. You finished 4TH! No doubt 20points behind the actual champions. If you get there via the Europa league at least you have won something and have beaten some pretty fine teams along the way.
Arsene. When you no longer have a grip on the top 4 trophy.
Yes.
That is all.
Very meta from Arsene.
Focusing on scoring when we’re clearly not good enough in midfield and defence is exactly what we did in the transfer window, it’s exactly why our away form is so bad, and it’s exactly why things won’t improve until our legendary coach steps down.
Now a legendary fraud, more than ten years in the making.
Said it last week and I’ll say it again. There is nothing to be excited about under AW. Horrendous defending, soft laggy performance, blunt up front. Same as it’s been for a long, long, long fucking time.
If it was a must win then there would be consequences for not winning. But there never is. Let me guess, our next league game will be another ‘must win’. Zero accountability at this club. ‘Not acceptable’ is another one
If any other team in the top 6 and maybe Everton went on that kind of run away from home something would have been done most likely the manager being replaced. Its not an agenda against the man because I’m still grateful for what he achieved but we have to look to the future and he shouldn’t be apart of it. Top 4 was already unlikely but its surely gone now. Europa I doubt we will win cos playing any half decent European side away we will lose. As always will support the team but the club don’t like making… Read more »
That team serves itself.
Win, lose or draw they know they will get paid.
None of them, except may be Wilshere and Ramsey have any idea about what the club means to its fans and therefore don’t give a shit.
And even I am surprised how quickly Aubameyang has become a disinterested spectator – obviously been speaking to Sanchez.
And in the middle of it is Wenger who is completely oblivious to everything…
If we fail to win the pointless cup and the Europa League and we finish in sixth then surely that spells the end of Wenger?
There is no way he can survive that surely?
But this is Arsenal after all…
He won’t walk or resign mate. Just like Conte and Maureen before him, they (greedy git’s) want the big payoff. Maybe Klopp walked at Dortmund but he’s one of the few who did the decent thing. So it’s down to Kronke whether he has the guts to pay the old Frenchman off.
Even if we manage to win them, i say it’s time for him to go gracefully or forcefully, either way.
Ill try give us all a positive……
We should have got walloped today.
We never.
It was only 1.
Thank fuck.
I cant stand them twatting us.
They should have.
Sorry, but the team looked as if they were totally phased by the high press from Tottenham. No shape, no tactics and everything reliant on an individual beating two or three opponents.
Even if Xhaka has the best pass completion rate, I cannot fathom what he adds to the team. There is no pattern to our play. I think, sadly, the manager must be held accountable.
Both managers new the battle would be decided in midfield and populated it denser than usual. Arsenal fought well, but after approximately 30 minutes were gradually losing more and more duels. It’s hard to say what Wenger could have done. Maybe three in the back (although the defense held pretty well). Maybe Iwobi should have started instead of Wilshere, whose wholeharted effort after all didn’t lead to much.
I’m going through a huge personal loss in my life right now. I would have loved a win today, but in the end, in times like these, you understand that this is just sports. I love Arsenal, but you know, it is just football, and to all that haven’t lossed a loved one yet or recently, be so thankful every day. I am nevertheless thankful for football and Arsenal, for giving me something else to think about every now and then.
Sorry for your loss mate
All the best
sending lots of sympathy
I lost both my parents last year in a little over four months. My dad died alone on a floor in a hospital ward. Staff had gone awol. Mother died with family all around her, but was oblivious due to her Alzheimer’s. Truth is, we lost her in big chunks over the past few years. Two traumatic losses with a huge emotional overflow- hospital enquiry, care home costs, probate problems. Two funerals, two very painful eulogies and three very confused young children who didn’t understand why the world changed so much, so quickly. So, you’re right, Arsenal is important but… Read more »
But this is Wembley. Second home.
The best thing to happen to Arsenal: Arsene Wenger.
The worst thing to happen to Arsenal: Arsene Wenger
LOL!
Arsenal needs true attacking forwards. Ozil and Mkhitaryan may be good players, but playing them on the flanks is pointless.
Yo Enrique, come here!
Fuck off wenger
The only thing Wenger has managed to acheive in the league this year is avoid the danger of relegation. Every team below arsenal are potential relegation contenders(the famous 40point mark). Bloody ridiculous.
£8.5 million for pure mediocrity.
What is going on at Arsenal?
For past few years (kroene years in fact) we have been buying players the manager doesn’t want.
Mustafi, tried to sell a year after arriving, perez, park and Gabriel too.
This didn’t happen before Kroenke arrived. I hope this isn’t what that 2m fee paid to Kroenke in consultancy fees was.
And now the chief executive is unbalancing the squad by spending 110m in strikers and -12m in defensive players.
#kroenkeout
What’s going on is we have yet to strike balance between the excess thriftiness of the managers buying habit and the expedient (ex-Dortmund) direction of the Mslintat new regime. There is little communication between them either or an eye for larger strategic implications. Where Wenger was stingy and tried to build the squad but plaster over some ends on the cheap, the new buying team have gone for what is convenient for them not what the squad actually needs for balance. Selling Giroud as I mention seems particularly puzzling never mind embarking on reconstructing the attack when there were better… Read more »
Wenger has become both very arrogant and very deluded
Has been forever!
With the side we have and the way we are playing, I don’t honestly see any point in trying to qualify for the CL any more. If by some miracle we did qualify, what, aside from the money, would we realistically get from it? Only more of the same pain we’ve endured for the past decade and a half. The mediocrity of all Kronke teams is looming large over the Emirates unfortunately.
Dear Board and Stan,
you are weak, you need to act.
At the end of the season I mean.
Need to resign / sell *
Fixed.
So we have don’t score enough goals and have a poor defence away from home and ‘that explains it’ . Outstanding analysis there arsene, we supporters would never have come up with that by ourselves.
I say it again, the blue print for the loss was evident last match against Everton. In a game of two halves, if you ignored the first, there was a cautionary tale in the second. We failed to sustain effort because of the players we have. BUT we are also so easily boxed into congestion and traffic in the middle by better teams because of the players we have And we conspired to fix an area where we had genuine alternative option in Giroud (much like Kane, he provides a route one ability) instead relegating him to plan B and… Read more »
Just fucking resign for fuck sake
Would you forfeit £8.5 million a year handed to you on a silver platter for performing like an arrogant, old cunt? The club is a shambles.
Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, there use to be a time when we all enjoyed watching Arsenal playing free flowing beautiful game, then we went from struggling in top four and now we are praying to get back to top four… this is to say we aren’t thinking or say imagining we can lift the EPL…. Oh poor Gunnners..
The football we play is a far cry from the Arsenal we know, even from 5 years ago, the football was exiting, now it’s just dull with the occasional flurry of brilliance.
Meanwhile we all lament that Wenger the fraud is still the manager.
The Kroenke cancer continues.
Home/Away. What a load of bollocks. Last seasons it was the opposite. I remember the same argument in reverse. So what is really going on? The PL results are not normal, and do not say that the teams have got better, yea, some teams have gotten better but not all teams. But, have the top teams gotten worse too? Results need some serious scrutiny. I see teams, not just Arsenal, play like fire one week, and the same players play like shit the next week. The difference between one week and the other is just not real, for any team… Read more »
Interesting thoughts. Reminds me of that article Blogs wrote about whether football’s meant to be fun anymore.