Arsene Wenger says he’s immune from the prevailing culture of constant and excessive criticism and stressed he has the necessary experience to maintain perspective when it comes to helping Arsenal achieve their long time goals.
Rallying against the X-Factorisation of modern life – where people are coaxed into making instantaneous black or white decisions on pretty much everything under the sun – the boss played down the importance of disproportionate reactions.
“We have gone the way that if you have five candidates to be elected Prime Minister you organise the vote one Sunday and people will elect one,” Wenger told press ahead of the Boxing Day visit of West Brom.
“You organise a vote for the next Sunday and you might elect somebody else. That’s where we are today and we have to live with that and the excessive reactions.
“What you want in life is to focus on what you want to achieve and give the maximum to achieve it and question yourself always. That’s part of our job.
“Fortunately we live in a country where everybody has a freedom to have an opinion. And we have to respect that. But we have to live with what we want to achieve and how we want to do it.
“I feel immune to that. I’m not immune to critics. But immune to excessive reactions, yes.
“I’ve been long enough in the job to put that into perspective as part of people who love the club that are really disappointed on Monday morning and get their frustration out. We have to live with that.
“It doesn’t mean they are not ready to change their mind if we don’t win the next game.”
I think we can all agree that he’s basically pinning the blame for our crumbling society on Simon Cowell. And why not?
Wenger also touched on how his players now have to cope with the stress of unwarranted criticism as it flows from social media onto the terraces and beyond.
“I’ve seen many players fail because they did not have resistance to stress,” the Frenchman said.
“It’s not easy to walk out sometimes in a hostile atmosphere and perform at your best. We are usually educated to it slowly.
“Everybody responds individually to that (the mood of a crowd). Some are more affected than others.”
My life seems to follow Arsenals form. Not cause. Just coincidence. Today I will get a new start and live the live I should.
Hahhaaha I know what u mean. The days when Arsenal win their games, I’m so nice and happy with my family, cracking jokes, in a good mood etc
….. and when arsenal lose?!?! you mean, unhappy and your jokes come from Christmas Crackers?
😛
Overtime you become accustomed to the pain 😛
Talking mood of the crowd, i hope that the Arsenal fans at the Emirates will boo Özil so that he understands he is no more wished on the Holy Pitch! Let’s be in agreement with what i’ve read for days now.
I hope for the rest of your life, everyone who you believe ought to support you, booes you whenever you dissappoint them or fall short of perfection. At least until you realize how fucking stupid a suggestion that is.
Shame on you.
I hope you boo and someone throws a soggy sandwich into your face.
Soggy sarnies are for low to mid level stupidity. This demands a wet fish.
or a brick ?
I bet if Ozil rips the ‘uh-hum mighty’ West Brom apart this weekend, Alex will not be heard from till he has a tough game again.
If booing your teams best players when they have a bad game or two is a culture you wish for, there are plenty of clubs where supporters of that low life crap do it as standard. Real Madrid springs to mind.
But the culture and history at Arsenal are of a higher standard, a higher class. And our support is how we show that class.
The holy pitch?! We’re talking about a game of footy here, not a prospective business venture. Stop being so overly dramatic and get behind the team, and players.
Alex, you’re an idiot.
Of course he’s immune, the board too.
That’s the f*cking problem…
There is no grey area. It IS black and white – its win or lose!
Could he possibly be any more patronising?
No.
No, but is it a surprise?
If only he took on board the opinion of every armchair manager out there we wouldn’t have lost those last two games.
Who said anything about “armchair fans” opinions? How many games have you been to this season?
Thought so…
He’s being very generic and what he’s saying is pretty fair IMO, which is normally the case with generic statements. Now when you go down to the details of these “criticism”, for example one that’s being mentioned numerous times; his ineffectiveness in rotating and getting the best out of his squad, and if he’s still being patronizing about that then I might have a problem. Having said that the fact that he rarely sees lack of rotation as a problem is also a cause for concern.
Alex do you really think boo-ing Ozil is helpful. Get behind the team through thick and thin, criticism doesn’t help anyone. Support does. COYG
The long term objective being what, precisely ?
You need to remind be once again because I’ve forgotten.
At this point, Arsene has lost the plot for me. Concern about yet another season fighting for a fourth place trophy is not an “excessive reaction.” It’s a logical response to repeated mediocrity.
I understand where you’re coming from. But what makes you think those are the “excessive critics” he was referring to? To be fair I’ve seen Arsenal fans on Twitter baying for Ozil to be sold after last weekend, tbh THAT is excessive.
If only that linesman did his job and called offside on both city’s goals
I’ll give u one but not the other. Move on mate.
Arsene should not bother wasting his breath or class on imbeciles and goons! For Gooners no explanation is necessary, for goons no explanation is possible!
Arsene Wenger has become the Spock of football management, all logic no passion, with the exception that his logic is both flawed and ideological.
Spock ! I like it.
Simon Cowell is a truly evil man
How patronising is our manager, seriously it’s like he lives in a bubble. It so frustrating because we actually have the team but we all know the manager is the constant problem.
“Instantaneous black or white decisions”?! We haven’t had a convincing title challenge 12 years. I think we’re entitled to be a little impatient.
“Entitled” – yea there’s the problem. I suppose you believe you are entitled to free food, and for someone else to pay your bills. Heck, I’m entitled to a winning lottery ticket but you don’t see me whinging about it to perfect strangers. Grow up child.
Considering we the fans enable Wenger and all the players to live the insanely privileged lifes they live I dont think we should be expected to just keep our mouth shut and be fine with everything the club decide whether it be ticket prizes, singing stands, performances or players just walking off without thanking travelling fans.
Every cent the club makes whether it be ticket earnings or sponsorship deals are only possible because of the fans around the world. Without fans they would just be another Sunday league team playing infront of friends and family.
“I feel immune to that. I’m not immune to critics. But immune to EXCESSIVE REACTIONS, yes. “I’ve been long enough in the job to put that into perspective as part of people who love the club that are really disappointed on Monday morning and get their frustration out. We have to live with that. “It doesn’t mean they are not ready to change their mind if we don’t win the next game.” How diplomatic of you Mr Wenger, I just see those with ‘excessive reactions’ as bottom feeders who pipe down when you win, and call for your P45 the… Read more »
Our fan base is the biggest joke in football. Name me a fan base worse than ours right now!? 12 years without a title? People may give me a valid argument as to why not, but the last 12 years has propelled the club to a place where we expect to win against the best teams.
Bored and tired of these nobodies getting airtime and being commentated on, who gives a shit. Give it time they will turn on each other.