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Arsene Wenger: proud of youngsters

May 4th, 2009 | By: Jan | 17 Comments »

Wenger: And this is how you use your right foot!

London is a city of football (and football clubs) but also the show-bizz hot spots with lots of shows and musicals. Arsene Wenger never saw any of them. “Cinema? That’s not why I’m in London. Music? No time for music…” The football professor isn’t even embarrassed to admit it. “I can’t go to the movies and miss Lille-Paris St Germain at the same time. Or Villareal vs Sevilla.”

It’s Arsene’s world. His passion for football keeps him at Arsenal for thirteen years now. If he can’t beat Man United this week in the semis of the CL, experts say Wenger failed yet again. Again a season without prizes.

Wenger, lean and mean, has a different opinion. “I’m so proud of what we achieved with our youngsters.”

Arsenal’s team cost 36 million euros and reaches the semi finals of the CL. Manchester United needed 156 euros to do the same. Chelsea spent 160 million and Barca 120 million. Wenger will always be the odd one out. “I work with young talents. Players who could turn into great football players. “Do I fail when we don’t progress into the finals? Can you call that failing? It depends on your benchmark I suppose. I know that I have given it my all this season and so have my players. We finish in the top of the League, qualified for CL football next season, played the semis in the FA Cup and now this. Other clubs with much more money to spend can’t say that.”

“I’ve created this team. Maybe a spot in the semis is even a better result than reaching the finals for another team. It’s your task as a coach to get the best result possible. For one team, it’s winning the title, for another it’s not getting relegated. Some coaches at lower playing clubs have a tougher job than the ones at the big name clubs.”

So, you stick to young players?

“I am very keen to work with the youth. It’s so easy to criticize young players. It happens too often. Players need time to develop and sometimes a loss teaches them more than a win. I will never criticize my players, if they give it their 100%. I know how it is to be 18 years old and to have to perform every week. Youngsters need confidence. No confidence means no control and that means losing the game. One of my main jobs is to protect the players. I see how focused my lads are and I know their will to win is immense. How can I criticize 20 or 21 year olds when they reach the CL semis? Some people don’t see what we’re doing. They think buying big name players is the go. Other teams (Chelsea) have an arsenal of great names but need to switch coaches all the time to get them to play football and get results. Some teams have great names but don’t perform (Real Madrid?). I have my vision on developing players, playing good football and running a club. That’s what I do.”

Is that why Real Madrid wants you and offered you 8 million euros per season?

“My focus is on Arsenal. That’s my club and I will stay here for a long time. Contractually, I’m here till 2011 for sure.”

But if you don’t win prizes, the pressure will increase.

“I know. The pressure is big. Sometimes I forget to enjoy myself. But when I distance myself a bit and I see where we are, I highly enjoy myself. The stadium is filled up every week, we reached the semis in the CL and the FA Cup, I work with tremendous players….what more can I want? And we all work hard. Myself, I haven’t had a day off this whole season.”

You’ll be 60 years old soon, who can you manage?

“Because I love what I do. And sure, there will be a time when the body can’t do it anymore. A top coach needs to be single, really. It’s an anti-social job. Football is not a job, it’s a life’s mission. When I sleep, I don’t work. When I’m awake, I work. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a though. About football of course… Does it make me crazy sometimes? Yes, it does. And it certainly makes my wife crazy. It’s the price I play. And do you want to know why I don’t go to the cinema? In all honesty, I can’t find my way in London. I’d get lost and wouldn’t be able to find my home….”

Tags: Arsenal, Chelsea, Group C, Hiddink, Persie, Real Madrid, Wenger

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Comments

By finnster01 | May 5th, 2009 at 12:19 am

I’m no Arsenal fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Arsene Wenger has to be the top manager of young talent in the world.

I have a lot of respect for how he has done that. And if you look at the balance sheets of the clubs in the Prem (or the parts of them that we all can get access to), Arsenal is by far the most profitable and well run soccer club in the league. They also have arguably the best new stadium (Old Trafford is nice too, but the Emirates has much more class to it).

Arsene Wenger is a great manager.

By Jan | May 5th, 2009 at 1:03 am

Why does one call his son Arsene?? As in Arsenic? And Old Lace?

And than he ends up as manager with Arsene-al…

I’ll call my son Realma Drid

By finnster01 | May 5th, 2009 at 3:38 am

And then he signs Arshavin…hmmm…Maybe that explains why he likes young boys…

By Jan | May 5th, 2009 at 4:08 am

Ouch

By Alex | May 5th, 2009 at 10:10 am

arsene just doesn’t know were to stop. They lack some men in the field. People talking about chelsea buying out half of european players under 18 but Arsenal might be even worse

Posted from Netherlands

By sonneveld | May 5th, 2009 at 11:11 am

the problem is since they didn’t buy a powerful midfielder that if they play a 4-4-2 the midfield is week but if they play a 4-5-1 no one is really comfortable in their positions especially fabregas.

By Darren | May 5th, 2009 at 11:55 am

Actually, they have played the 4-5-1 with great success on a number of occasions. That is Arsenal’s prefered formation in the CL it seems. Fabregas just isnt suited to play the support striker role, he is better off playing deep, winning tackles and playing beautiful through balls.
Arsene is a great manager!

Posted from Canada

By Michel-Olivier | May 5th, 2009 at 12:46 pm

———-lehmann———
lauren–toure–campbell–cole
pires-gilberto-vieira-ljungberg
————-bergkamp———
——henry——————

this is the team that played free flowing one touch football

Posted from United States

By Laura | May 5th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

Arsenal is really a talented guy.

Posted from Canada

By finnster01 | May 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

And today he got his Arse handed to him in a big way. Completely outclassed.

By ferenc | May 5th, 2009 at 4:04 pm

wenger should go,it was the worst arsenal i have ever seen. his team is still “work in progress.”

Posted from Hungary

By Michel-Olivier | May 5th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

@ ferenc
his team is always a work in progress

Posted from United States

By finnster01 | May 5th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Am I completely retarded, but I am beginning to think that Fabregas is overrated? He actually is shit at the moment, pardon my French.

By Jan | May 5th, 2009 at 7:47 pm

Agree Finn… He’s certainly not overrated but he’s not as good as Xavi and Iniesta this season. Having said that: Fabregas needs movement and class around him to perform. I think the Arsenal midfield and attack is sorely absent. Nasri? Did he play?? Walcott? Ada? Even Van Persie?

By Carlos | May 5th, 2009 at 10:58 pm

I really didnt see vPersie do anything ? He hardly touched the ball and didnt go looking for it (like Sneijder does ALL the time)

Posted from Singapore

By Caleb | May 6th, 2009 at 10:51 am

You guys are right, that was a pretty poor performance by Arsenal. I was kind of depressed watching it, because Manure definitely outclassed them… and I hate Manure! The only good thing I saw all night was Van Persie’s penalty – seriously, that was one of the best penalties I’ve ever seen! Top corner with serious power – no goalie would ever be able to save that! But it was way too little, way too late.

Arsenal has a huge amount of potential and many players that I’m sure will be huge, but at the moment they look pretty weak. Arsene needs to spend this summer and buy some established players for the present! Look at how well Arshavin is doing with the team in the PL – and when he’s playing he helps bring up the rest of the teams level a few notches. Sign a couple more players like that to firm up and harden this team. In particular a defensive mid and another solid center back.

And stop selling your good established players!! Aresnal is almost like a Dutch club, raising talented youngsters and then selling them off. It may be good for business, but it’s not good for the team!

Posted from Canada

By ANOFIU BABS BABATUNDE | May 12th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: -03 FEB 1991

CONTACT ADDRESS: – 17, GBADAMOSI STREET, IJESHATEDO SURU LERE LAGOS NIGERIA 23401.
TELEPHONE NUMBER: – 234-8085-8055-84
THE CURRENT CLUB I PLAY FOR: – I PLAYED IN A LOCAL LEAGUE.

HEIGHT ——–5FEET 4

WEIGHT———60KG

POSITION——-7, 8,9,10, & 11

NATURAL FOOT —–BOTH LEGS, BUT FAVORITE FOOT IS RIGHT

ABILITY IN TERMS OF PLAY.

VERY FAST AND VERY GOOD IN PASSING
VERY GOOD SHOOTER AND ALSO GOOD IN BALL CONTROL.

DEAR SIR

I AM SOCCER PLAYER WHO HAS WON MANY AWARDS IN NIGERIA SORCEER AND I AM
PLAYING FOR A PREMIER SIDE CLUB IN NIGERIAN. I WILL LIKE YOU TO HELP ME
SO THAT I CAN SHOW MY SKILL AND ABILITIES .

NAME: – ANOFIU BABS BABATUNDE
DATE OF BIRTH: – 3RD FEB 1991
NATIONALITY: – NIGERIAN
EDUCATIONAL BKGROUND
GOALS SCORDS AVERAGE OF ONE GOAL PER TWO MATCH.

NATURAL FOOT —–BOTH LEGS, BUT FAVORIT FOOT IS RIGTH

ABILITY IN TERMS OF PLAY.

1) VERY GOOD IN DRIBBLING

2) VERY FAST AND VERY GOOD IN PASSING

3) VERY GOOD SHOOTER AND ALSO GOOD IN BALL CONTROL.

E-MAIL ADDRESS tunde.babs@yahoo.com

Posted from United States

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