| West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal | 15:00 19 March 2011 |

[Kraig]

Arsène Wenger believed battling back from a two-goal deficit against West Brom proves Arsenal have the mental toughness to win the Premier League.

Goals from Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie earned a 2-2 draw but the result meant the Gunners slipped further behind rivals Manchester United in the race for the title.

After question marks about his side's resilience in recent weeks, Wenger was pleased with the character shown to grab a point.

Now he has challenged his players to use the result as a platform for the rest of the season.

He said: "We had our backs to the wall and it was about our character and resilience.

"The pitch was very difficult so it was more down to our fight and character than pure football.

"I'm disappointed because it was a game where we dropped two points.

"But psychologically for the rest of the season it was important for us to show character and not lose a game.

"We have been hit very hard but we have the mental resolve and I think we have shown that today.

"I think that is a good basis to finish the season now.

"And overall I think the team, if not completely happy tonight, at least we know we are ready for a fight.

"To lose today would have been a massive blow and it was a better point because we were two goals down.

"Mathematically we dropped two but let's start again at home next time."

Wenger bemoaned the mix-up between goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defender Sebastien Squillaci which gifted a second goal to West Brom.

But he refused to say whether 41-year-old keeper Jens Lehmann would be given the opportunity to replace Almunia.

He said: "It was a big misunderstanding and I have to watch that closer to see what really happened there.

"We were 100 per cent guilty on that one.

"Competition exists in every position and when you make an error you are judged like every other player.

"It's the interests of the club which counts."

Wenger added his team could be boosted by the return of injured stars Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Alex Song after the international break.

He surely cant believe this total arse he comes out with? Mental strength!?! we went 2-0 down at west brom, a relegation candidate that has taken 4 points off us this season.

I love the guy for what hes done, but im really starting to drift towards the dark side...

He rightfully criticized players while didn't call his team out on what he knows was a dire performance. He'll say it behind closed doors but never in public. Unlike certain managers he has a tad bit of class abt him

Im not saying he shuold walk out and say "That Denilsons a bit ****e eh!", but his excuses at times are cringeworthy. We were lucky to draw against relegation fodder. That is fact. Just come out and say "The team were clearly not good enough today, and some of them are not showing they are capable of playing at this level on current form." Dont defend them to the hilt, making yourself and the club look stupid in the process.

Oh, and even bothering to mention the pitch... Really Arsène... Really!?

 

[Accomplished]

He was an incredible youngster and at times, yes, he looked to have more potential than Cesc.

He has had good spells with the club, and I'm sure he will contribute again next season, but at the moment his head is gone. It's the same with Diaby. The first half against Newcastle he was fantastic, but since the sending off he's been terrible and that's been enough for many to write him off completely....in the same way they did with Song...

Unbelievable statement. I think possibly only yourself and Denilson's blind, magic mushroom consuming mother spotted that potential.

Clearly you have a very short-term memory. Some of his performances in the carling cup were amazing and there was a huge amount of hype about him at the time, especially on A-M.

 

[Freagle]

A couple of things I would like to mention:

* Is it the 3rd time he takes off Denilson at half-time? If so, surely that can come as a sort of indication that the lad is utter ****e.

* How many times will Almunia kill our chances? Well mathematically he didn't but mentally he basically destroyed what we seem to call 'defence'. Even as a 3rd choice keeper I just can't understand how this lads cuts it in.

* We seriously have no other game plan than crossing like lunatics when only RVP was our main striker or wait for a moment of magic from anyone? I mean I can understand if we cross when RVP, Chamakh, Bendtner are on but if only RVP is there we just can't seem to break their defence or find that killer pass.

Maybe it's just me but the people who want Arsène out and the people who want him to stay can't wait for the opposite to change his stance, for me it just hurts to see Arsenal fans act this way. I mean, why should we go through all this? We have been through thick & thin together surely there can be some amount of respect. I just find it hard to see any fan change his stance towards Arsène because to be honest, we as fans suffer the most. I might be a little bit of an emotional person and that's a reason why I wouldn't even want to see a total stranger suffer let alone an Arsenal fan. We all share similar goals but have our own ideas or agendas that conflict throughout and that's where I think we as a community should improve.

 

[dyeruz]

Did we go 4-4-2 at any point in the game?

was it 4-4-2 or just hell for leather, all strikers on f*ck the holding midfielder..we must be the only team that has two holding midfielders and the defense is still as porous as a sieve

 

[brady_style]

He was an incredible youngster and at times, yes, he looked to have more potential than Cesc.

He has had good spells with the club, and I'm sure he will contribute again next season, but at the moment his head is gone. It's the same with Diaby. The first half against Newcastle he was fantastic, but since the sending off he's been terrible and that's been enough for many to write him off completely....in the same way they did with Song...

Unbelievable statement. I think possibly only yourself and Denilson's blind, magic mushroom consuming mother spotted that potential.

Clearly you have a very short-term memory. Some of his performances in the carling cup were amazing and there was a huge amount of hype about him at the time, especially on A-M.

If you look at my posts I've always thought he was never good enough for a top club. Rather than questioning my memory I'd question what exactly you were sprinkling on your morning flakes of corn every morning during this period when Denilson was apparently a better prospect than the young Cesc Fabregas at a similar age.

 

[Accomplished]

If you look at my posts I've always thought he was never good enough for a top club. Rather than questioning my memory I'd question what exactly you were sprinkling on your morning flakes of corn every morning during this period when Denilson was apparently a better prospect than the young Cesc Fabregas at a similar age.

Well if you read my post you'd see I said that at times, yes, his performances made him look like an incredible prospect. I was merely pointing out the fact that he did have a huge amount of potential, of course it hasn't materialized, but this idea that he's always looked crap is nonsense....

 

[Kroket]

He was an incredible youngster and at times, yes, he looked to have more potential than Cesc.

He has had good spells with the club, and I'm sure he will contribute again next season, but at the moment his head is gone. It's the same with Diaby. The first half against Newcastle he was fantastic, but since the sending off he's been terrible and that's been enough for many to write him off completely....in the same way they did with Song...

Unbelievable statement. I think possibly only yourself and Denilson's blind, magic mushroom consuming mother spotted that potential.

Clearly you have a very short-term memory. Some of his performances in the carling cup were amazing and there was a huge amount of hype about him at the time, especially on A-M.

Denilson looked like an amazing prospect in 2007, he had a fantastic game against PSV in the Champions League and to be fair he looked like he was the better player out of him and Song until late 08/09. Right now, he's just a player without confidence, and unfortunately there's no place for players like that at Arsenal FC. Or at least there shouldn't be :roll:

 

[fabo]

Denilson did look very good at times in those early days - Sp**s in the CC comes to mind.

But this is Cesc - remember him up against Keane in the Community Shield and then Carsley/Gravesen at Goodison on the opening day of the same season. Clearly a star.

 

[CandysRoom]

Did we go 4-4-2 at any point in the game?

was it 4-4-2 or just hell for leather, all strikers on f*ck the holding midfielder..we must be the only team that has two holding midfielders and the defense is still as porous as a sieve

Our possession related 4-2-3-1 doesn't seem to be delivering of late. I think we should sacrifice Denilson(literally) and play with two up top.

 

[Accomplished]

For reference RE: Denilson's potential..


https://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=33488&start=0

 

[cuban]

Did we go 4-4-2 at any point in the game?

was it 4-4-2 or just hell for leather, all strikers on f*ck the holding midfielder..we must be the only team that has two holding midfielders and the defense is still as porous as a sieve

it was something like 424 actually

 

[Kain]

Denilson was a great prospect, a young Brazilian midfielder that had some bite to him but no pace, remember him picking up a red in the CC against Newcastle one year.

He was never even close to Cesc at any point but was regarded highly, he was also one of the project players that we relied on growing from strength to strength as the seasons moved on after the Emirates cash strapped move. Song has done this he has the odd stinker every now and again but can play alongside the best of them, even Diaby plays some amazing football (even if he ****s it up more times than not these days) yet Denilson is just average incarnate. He has never pushed on, never improved or progressed.

He’s 23, has nearly 150 caps for the Arsenal, far better players have played far less than him before moving on, we can do better and Wenger can hit the market and bring in a player that’s on the same wavelength as the Wilsheres, Fabregas’s and Ramseys of this world.

 

[Accomplished]

Denilson did look very good at times in those early days - Sp**s in the CC comes to mind.

But this is Cesc - remember him up against Keane in the Community Shield and then Carsley/Gravesen at Goodison on the opening day of the same season. Clearly a star.

Agreed. Really I was commenting on some moments of brilliance that Denilson had produced....

 

[-vapour-]

I'm really starting to believe that 4-3-3 is becoming our undoing. With only one striker on the pitch, we only ever have one person in the box, and even then they don't always get in the box. It's simple stuff really, take a gamble and get into the box if the ball is on the wing (but even then, I'm not sure 4-4-2 would solve it either, we've always had a bit of a phobia of running into the box for some reason). Bendtner could be a very useful player if he was partnered regularly with another striker though, for that I'm sure.

I really must watch the game for myself though before making anymore assumptions.

I must say though that our squad on paper is one of the best (if not THE best) in the league. But we are relying on them too much. Injuries have been the issue once again. We shouldn't have to rely on Denilson, Rosicky, Almunia etc.

 

[ultradoc]

For reference RE: Denilson's potential..


https://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=33488&start=0

classic.

Those were the times when every little newcomer to the club would be called the next best thing in the world. Should be a classic reminder for A-M not to jump our guns and praise and predict 12-15 year careers of players when they just arrive as teens here.

Btw accomplished, does anyone there say denilson shows more potential than cesc ?

 

[-vapour-]

Denilson was a great prospect, a young Brazilian midfielder that had some bite to him but no pace, remember him picking up a red in the CC against Newcastle one year.

He was never even close to Cesc at any point but was regarded highly, he was also one of the project players that we relied on growing from strength to strength as the seasons moved on after the Emirates cash strapped move. Song has done this he has the odd stinker every now and again but can play alongside the best of them, even Diaby plays some amazing football (even if he ***** it up more times than not these days) yet Denilson is just average incarnate. He has never pushed on, never improved or progressed.

He’s 23, has nearly 150 caps for the Arsenal, far better players have played far less than him before moving on, we can do better and Wenger can hit the market and bring in a player that’s on the same wavelength as the Wilsheres, Fabregas’s and Ramseys of this world.

Can't remember who said this, but the thing is with these players that just aren't cutting it Arsenal, they are all worth money. So even though we refuse to spend money, if it was a matter of being skint, then surely we could sell these players to fund a couple of transfers. Selling Rosicky, Diaby, Denilson, Almunia, even Squillaci could raise us around 15-20mil. I would trade that lot for someone like Xabi Alonso (obviously not now, but he was going to cost under 20 mil when we were reportedly interested in him wasn't he?)

 

[fabo]

I still think there's a good player in there somewhere but he's got too many chances at this point. Even as recent as City away(you could argue they had 10 men which made his life easier) I thought he could be a reliable back-up but his displays just aren't up to scratch. Same for Diaby.

Both would probably fluorish in foreign leagues.

 

[NasrisShoelace]

The closest player in style to Denilson would probably have been Roy Keane; special players who have a bit of everything in their game.

If he can lift his game to that level of consistency and excellence within the next 4-5 years we'll have one of the best centre-mid partnerships in the world.

Right now, he is a much better player and prospect then Flamini or Diaby in my opinion.

Where did Captain go BTW? One of the most knowledgeable posters around IMO.

 

[truth_hurts]

About to watch this **** now on Football first...

 

[Gunner Ossie]

what are you all *****ing and Moaning about, this arsenal team have again proven to be a pile useless ****, and yet (unbelievably) most (60 odd percent) of you still voted in support for wenger the bafoon who stays loyal to the same useless squad and who stays in his job merely to serve us all up more of his loser orientated drivel. Who can tell me wenger is not an idiot, for thinking this team would do anything other than fall apart when the going got tough, when nearly everyone in the world of football and most arsenal fans expected or predicted this callapse would happen at the very start of the season.

All of you wenger supporters dont seriously believe in him. Your all merely living in hope, albeit forlorn.

TIME FOR CHANGE is NOW,