Here are some of Arsene Wenger’s comments after today’s disappointing 1-1 draw at Southampton:
on the result…
Considering our performance I don’t think we deserved more today. It is two points dropped if you look at the target we set ourselves over Christmas. It is frustrating and disappointing because we did not create a lot and if you considered we scored five at Reading and seven against Newcastle. When you sum up the goal chances there is not a lot. We lacked purpose, penetration and speed. All qualities we have usually but lacked tonight.
on the reasons for the performance…
It is frustrating. It is nothing to with the physical. Maybe we thought we scored seven against Newcastle and we’d score seven today. It was a game of magnitude today against a highly motivated Southampton side but I thought [our problem] was more mental than physical.
We prepared normally and prepared well. Maybe Southampton deserve some credit as well. They fought for every ball, they were on their toes but they just did not have quite enough quality to take advantage of it
It is difficult to identify any specific thing. We have to sit down and analyse that together. We have big games coming up and we want to get back to our normal performance. FA Cup is out next game so we want to win it. We will lose Gervinho now so the squad is getting shorter.
on signing Thierry Henry…
At the moment we are not on that case. But I will be active [in the January window] yes. We are looking everywhere. We are open-minded. We want to strengthen the squad everywhere.
on Theo Walcott…
It is hard to single out anyone. Nobody was put in good conditions to express anything decent offensively.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Lets be honest here, the team is not strong. And when I seen crome dome and ramsey waiting to come on I felt nothing but dread. Arsene took off santi and chambo for those 2 awful players. Arsenal need to get rid of at least 6 players and sign at least 4 quality players. if quality isnt added to the squad during this transfer window then I feel the spuds will most defo finish above us this season.
Wee were shit and wont get to the top 4,then maybe we will get the change we want.
AW said we lacked creativity. The fact is, we were outplayed and outworked in midfield again. We can now add Saints to a long line of poor to middlin’ sides who expose the effort / lack of movement and closing down of these midfield 3. Caz and Art are not and never will be central midfielders. They are killing Jack like they killed Arrow Ramsey. They can’t move like skittles can’t move! If they stay there, a top four finish is out of the question and we will be out of the CL after the first leg against Bayern. Get 3 alternatives in who can compete!!
We are really missing a commanding defensive midfield player at the moment, Arteta is trying, but that is not a position that suits him
Not a good night,all the way down the line.Wasnt this a perfect time for Rosicky to of had a go.
It is ridiculous and intimidating from Wenger to say that he does not now the reason for arsenal’s poor performance , so if he does not , who should know? , and why does not he listen to the critics and experts to solve Arsenal’s problems . Simply the reason is that he does not have a leader in the team nor players who can make the difference from a glimpse . So Mr. Wenger please either listen or step down , because this season you even reach your traditional target of reaching fourth.
May be making several radical changes would give some hope of achieving the minimum of ambitions for this season .
Signing four or five well established players and preferably from within the premiership would boost Arsenal chances , so the ins and outs should be :
Ins : Another and more reliable ; Goal Keeper , Central Defender, Creative or holding Midfielder, Instinctive goal scorer .
Outs ; Mannone, Fabiansky, Djourou, Santos, Schillaci, Areteta, Schamack, Denilson, Bendtner, Arshavin, Park)
Also change the system of play to ( according to the opponents) : 5-3-2 , 4-4-2, 5-4-1, so there is no need for Arteta as he is not good enough as a holding midfielder , nor he is as creative midfielder, that is to to say he is no way near the form of ( Viera, Fabrigas, Parlour, even Gilberto Silva or Y. Toure, Lampard, R. Kean, Gerard, Felleini) who play in his role and this is why Arsenal are so moderate this season as they do not have a Pivotal figure who could galvanize the team and lead by his skills and personality.
It is ridiculous and intimidating from Wenger to say that he does not now the reason for arsenal’s poor performance , so if he does not , who should know? , and why does not he listen to the critics and experts to solve Arsenal’s problems . Simply the reason is that he does not have a leader in the team nor players who can make the difference from a glimpse . So Mr. Wenger please either listen or step down , because this season you will not even reach your traditional target of reaching fourth.
May be making several radical changes would give some hope of achieving the minimum of ambitions for this season .
Signing four or five well established players and preferably from within the premiership would boost Arsenal chances , so the ins and outs should be :
Ins : Another and more reliable ; Goal Keeper , Central Defender, Creative or holding Midfielder, Instinctive goal scorer .
Outs ; Mannone, Fabiansky, Djourou, Santos, Schillaci, Areteta, Schamack, Denilson, Bendtner, Arshavin, Park)
Also change the system of play to ( according to the opponents) : 5-3-2 , 4-4-2, 5-4-1, so there is no need for Arteta as he is not good enough as a holding midfielder , nor he is as creative midfielder, that is to to say he is no way near the form of ( Viera, Fabrigas, Parlour, even Gilberto Silva or Y. Toure, Lampard, R. Kean, Gerard, Felleini) who play in his role and this is why Arsenal are so moderate this season as they do not have a Pivotal figure who could galvanize the team and lead by his skills and personality.