The fans may have felt frustrated during Arsenal’s last gasp victory over Southampton last night, but Arsene Wenger has revealed that his whole game plan was prepared with the thought that the Gunners would win the points in the closing stages of the match.
“It was a game where we needed to be patient and intelligent not to make a defensive mistake,” Le Prof said on Arsenal.com. “That is why we need to keep the core in the middle of the team.
“Southampton were well organised and in the last 20 minutes you could feel they started to suffer physically and we took advantage of that. I knew before the game that we could win it in the last 15 minutes and fortunately it happened. Honestly in the second half I don’t think they had many dangerous situations.
“It was difficult to keep our calm but we are professional football players. The crowd was a bit nervous but overall we kept a clean sheet and won the game. We know we can score at any moment.”
As Mertesacker said earlier, the players didn’t feel under pressure going into the closing stages, and perhaps it’s because Wenger had told hem to expect a last-minute victory. If so, that reveals a level of genius that perhaps Wenger doesn’t get enough credit for. Admittedly we were lucky that the Saints were reduced to ten men, but it’s nice that a game-plan cmes together for a change!
OF COURSE YOU KNEW, IS ONLY THEN WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES, YOU GOT LUCKY THIS TIME, THANKS SANCHEZ FOR THAT, HOW MANY GAMES WE HAVE LOST BECAUSE IT DID NOT GET THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL THAT YOU NEED TO CHANGE PLAYERS AND TACTICS TO WIN….
Perhaps wenger has got a crystal ball….. Quite sure he had seen the last 9yrs coming……and could likewise forsee the next three years……does he see us winning a the UCL and EPL?…… I’d Like to know!
I WONDER IF AW also knew before the games about losing to Chelsea n MU.
This article says it all. #Wengerout!!
I agree. At ca 80 minutes Wenger had done one change: Giroud for Oxlade. A good one indeed, but it should have been Welbeck, not Ox. Furthermore, Podolski should have come on at a much earlier point of the game.
In addition, if neither Cazorla nor Ramsey improve their game by a mile, i reckon Ox (for ramsey) or Sanchez (for Cazorla) should take their place on the team and put Poldi on the left winger (or even Campbell on the right) They dont even have to be bad, this could even be nothing more than a proposition on how to rotate the squad in the way of avoiding injuries on players, as well as giving frustrated benchwarmers some much appreciated time on the pitch.
#Wengerout!!
I said it yesterday, I say it again: only few players in the squad have the privilege to come on from the bench before the 80th minute. Golden boy Giroud is one of them.
The rest are not so lucky.
So many people having problem with Wenger personally on this site.
When we concede goals even due to player mistake, officer wrong calls, they are all Wenger’s fault
When we won and put in clean sheet, it is lucky and not good enough, it is due to ‘brilliant’ Sanchez that we win, no credit for the manager
Now even try to distort his interview to make him look bad
No sensible, construction comment, it is all about Wenger out.
I’m no AKB but it is really getting boring and annoying
If we are true Arsenal fan, we should have been happy with recent result, and urge the team to keep up the winning way. Attack the manager at this moment will just destroy the momentum we tried so hard to create.
I agree with most, but admit it you are an AKB and nothing wrong with it, it’s your right….but dammit 9 years trophy less (ok he won the FA cup, Chelskis still make fun about it), being beaten merciless by Top teams, and coming to every season with no hopes other than to make 4th place, is not what I expect as an ARSENAL Fan, we want more and WENGER is not delivering….if he proves me wrong I will be the first one to admit I was wrong about him, unfortunately don’t see that happening unless he completely change his ways.
I’m no AKB because although I support the manager, I’m not obsessed that he is always the best manager to bring us forward. We should always be open to improvement and if there’s such better manager available, why not?
What I want is a fair judgement for him, giving him credits when he did well, criticise when he did not. I’m getting annoyed that people fail to notice the positive he did recently (he started spending money, keep the team in tact, getting a new physio in, try to win game ugly when result is getting bad) while it is very fair points that he made very wrong judgement in not getting enough defensive cover, and his players are naive at time in term of tactics. Quoting ticket price, his 8M salary then demand titles every year, without acknowledging that at the end of the day we are 4th in the league in term of investment (behind Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd).
Thank u for such a comment. Some people on here are using their stupidity and hatred for our manager to destroy the club. He should get credit when it is earned and if they want him out that badly, who do they recommend to replace him? It is way beyond even noticing that we won a match because they are busy finding silly things to criticize the manager for. Personally, I just want to see the club progress and if we are winning games and taking it step by step, I have no problem with that.
But there is no one person inthe world who has stayed in one position all their lives esp. In times of defeat. So why this blind believe. It is time for change even at the very top.
Methinks Le professor is losing his marbles.
wengers not covered himself in glory here.
the reason we got that goal is because toby alderweild came off injured an they were down to ten men for like 15 mins
hes reachin here- not a good look
WENGER just get’s Luck, each time pressure is mounting, the Loss against MANU, Usmanov saying as it is, FANS reaching out for his departure, what happens next…. We face a depleted Borussia Dortmund, WBA enough said and SOTON playing with 10 men, he gets the Wins gloat about them and pressure goes down….I can see if we win a few more (hope we do) he will NOT buy players on January Transfer, mark my words, he will go for FREEBIES for positions we don’t need….for those AKB’s thumbing me down, I really hope I am wrong this time.
@mia gunner fan
Remember, we played BVB with a depleted squad as well. And yesterday Olivier was the game changer due to the fact that we could bypass Wanyama and Alderweireld. We didn’t get the handball call, but the goal instead.
You guys jump on any tid bit of bullsh*t and try to spin it as gospel.
preach
@ NY_Gunner the problem is that is not a tid bit of bullsh*t is a BIG pile mounting year after year….let’s use your same arguments…GIROUD is a great SUB and yes indeed a Game changer, for WENGER was his first and only choice striker…if Giroud did not injure back then,he would not have bought Welbeck and by the way he was not planning to buy anyone, someone on the board made the last minute decision for him, while he was receiving the blessing from the Pope and giving thanksl for the great job he has, were he is not being held accountable.
There are some things you really shouldn’t say out loud… This was one of them.
Arsene the prophet. Legend.
Sanchez > Hazard by a mile. Absolutely world class.
did u see that long range pass he made while looking the other way.
i swear i dropped my naan bread when they replayed it
I saw it! Classic “no look” and the pass was spot on!
He he he.
what an awful bit of transfer business he was by the boss. such a shame wenger doesn’t eye proper talent.
Not that hard to predict, a solid opponent and before the game we already scored 6 goals in the last 5 mins of a game. Wenger subbing in the 60th min was quite early for him aswell.
I mean, is he gonna say this every time we get a late winner? Did he think we were gonna win that Anderlecht match too? We got a big game against Stroke City this weekend. He should focus more on that.
stroke city? great name for a brothel
haha my bro’s friend use to call them that, but you’re so right @muffdiver. You thinking of some sort of business in the future?
if this portable spud masher doesnt take off,
stroke city coming to a family area near you 😉
Take into account the fact that we only scored when Soton was reduced to ten men. And that we scored almost about the 90th minute. No way he predicted that right.
You know nothing Wenger Snow.
lmao.
House: Arsenal
Animal: Gunnersaurus.
Motto: “4th place is coming.”
hahah
The bullrun has begun. Top four here we come
Stoke is our nemesis when playing at the Brittania. We only won 1 in eight games there. Wonder what Wenger will predict now.
I think we should carry on this momentum till january 1st hopefully and then in january window we must need to sign a decent centre back like virgil van dijk or schar for 8-10 million £ and also get a young but powerful defensive midfielder like carvalho or kondogbia for 20-25 million £ and then we are fine and balanced… This is wenger’s last chance to sign these players in january for these two key positions we are currently short at otherwise wenger must resign at the end of season.. Coyg!!
Everytime i see Aguero in the pitch i do also know that City will win. Your job Wenger is to get a predator of a striker very soon, and also Wanyama, beast performance from him.
Cavani would be awesome.
Imagine this line up after signing van dijk or schar and william carvalho or kondogbia in january transfer window.. Martinez debuchy van dijk/ schar koscienly gibbs carvalho/ kondogbia Ramsey walcott ozil sanchez Welbeck/giroud.. Now that’s a formidible line up if not spectacular.. But again it depens on Mr. wenger do it and we are in a good position to end season on high note..
a pathetic stament by a pathetic manager…. Arsene Wenger AKA Nostradamus…… hilarious
Lol! Nostradamus. Good one.
I wonder if Wenger really believes the cr*p he says? Or does he simply think we are all to thick to see through his B.S.?
What a sad end this is becoming for someone living on the coat-tails of his past.
@mystic
If you can believe in the bullsh*t you throw out there, why can’t he believe in his? What, you got a monopoly on it or somethin…?
im waiting for a kanye west type rant from wenger.
‘you aint got the answers steve’
“imma let you finish Steve, but I am the greatest manager of all time”
*drops clipboard, high fives gunnersaurus, an heads for the mini bar
*enters through the door and yells, “Kanye’s in the house, watch yo mouth”