Wenger disappointed with draw

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
15 Mar	5:15 PM	P	Middlesbrough (H)	1	1	Draw

Manager Arsène Wenger admits that he's disappointed with the draw against Middlesbrough, his team's fourth successive.

It has left his team now behind in the title race, having led with 5 points at one stage.

The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough at the Emirates Stadium and needed a late Kolo Touré header to secure a share of the spoils.

Wenger said afterwards: "We have dropped eight points in the last four games.

"When you are in a race with the opponents we have, that is a big disappointment, but we have to keep our spirit and focus.

"Now we play Chelsea next, so it's very interesting. We will see at the end of the season what effect this has. I don't know why we weren't creative enough.

"They defended very well and very deep and had just one shot on target which they scored with, so that is frustrating.

"I knew the second half would be our half, so it was important for us not to concede early, but we did.

"I feel the spirit is there and the players are giving everything, but at the moment it's not working for us."

User Comments

topgunner101

Posted on 19 Mar, 2008 at 12:26 AM - Reply

femi seems tohave a love of chelsea and man u for some reason.then describes as whiners and bad losers etc.excuse me.but id like to point out that fergie and jose are two of the biggest whining bad losers ever in the epl.fergie wont even appear after a loss!!!! fact.and jose has been known to hurl laptops etc!! so.pots calling kettles.please dont use these two as shining examples of sportsmanship and dignity.

zyx

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 11:41 PM - Reply

arsenal will finish in 4th. next season will be very hard for you [wenger] stop spend money and find quality player for next season.

Femi

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 11:37 AM - Reply

Mr. Hericoni. You contradict urself. Make urself clear sir. Let me state this. Other teams in the Premiership have faithful fans, not because they are likely to win silverware but 'cos of their love for team. Not so with some e.g. Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, Everton etc AND MOST ESPECIALLY ARSENAL. Suppport for this team is amongst many other reasons, the desire to be champions and win silverware. Wenger has done well for the team but at the same time has built the wrong mentality into his players except for Gallas and Toure. HE PAMPERS THEM TOO MUCH!!! IF THIS PRESENT SQUAD WAS TOUGHENED UP MENTALLY, AS CHELSEA AND MAN U ARE, THE PREMIERSHIP WOULD HAVE BEEN WRAPPED UP BY NOW 'COS AT A POINT ARSENAL WOULD HAVE HAD AN 8-POINT LEAD AND LATER A 5-POINT LEAD. BUT AS USUAL, THEY LAID BACK AND MESSED UP! ANYWAY WENGER CAN DO WHAT HE LIKES. BUT SENTIMENTS ASIDE , AGREE WITH JOSE ON HIS COMMENT THAT WENGER IS THE ONLY COACH OF TOP FOUR TEAM THAT HAS GONE TROPHYLESS FOR A WHILE AND IS STILL TREATED WITH HIGH REGARD. HE'S GOOD BUT NOT GREAT! HE HAS NEVER CONQUERED EUROPE AND GIVES AWAY LEADS TOO OFTEN. THAT'S WHY ARSENAL WILL ALWAYS WARM TO THE SENTIMENTAL BUT DISSAPOINT THE OBJECTIVE FAN-WHO WANTS TO WIN!!!
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO ENTERTAIN AND WIN SILVERWARE!!!

Femi

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 11:22 AM - Reply

How can it work for you when your players always want a match played to your taste. Cahmpions create wins they don't whine like babies when things don't work out. How can you say things are not working out when you cannot score goals, you players cannot take shots. I don't think you want to win titles anymore. You just want to prove that you can remain top four team with cheaper players!

Hericoni (Nigeria)

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 10:35 AM - Reply

I am very disappointed in some fans. Which fans are u? Wenger might have broken our hearts by not buying expensive players but seriously, he tried. Do you think Wenger is stupid? He knows what he is doing because he didn't want to run the club down to serious debt because if he does, we will have to sell Arsenal FC like Man U, Liverpool Chelsea etc...

This of course will make him lose his freedom or might make him leave the club soon & he loves Arsenal soo much that he (Wenger) runs it like his own. If we fail to win anything this season, the management will still be satisfied with our progress because at the beginning of the season, we've been written off to even struggle for the fourth place but look at us now... we are contending for two trophies. The board once announced at the start of the season that they are fully prepared to carry Arsenal even if they are relegated! What does that tell you?

Now, let me tell you something, its not over until its over. I don't see us losing to Chelsea, in fact I see us ending Stanford bridge unbeaten record just take it from me. We should all accept that we are going through some bad luck lately which started from Eduardo & now Gaol Clichy! Or can any one explain why on earth was Adebayors goal disallowed while Boro's goal was counted. Or why didn't the referee allowed us to at least play our corner kick before he ends the match. I think the referee also plays part in our downfall but I won't use that as an excuse because we lack that winning mentality lately.

Instead of crying over lack of major signings, i would rather advise Wenger to put a steel on our squad's mind by stop saying they are still growing or learning sh*t! If they are old enough to play against Milan & won, played CL final etc, then they are men enough to accept their responsibility that on their shoulders rest millions of fans happiness. All this talk about calling them kids should please stop! Checking their age group shows that Ade, Clichy, Flamini has the same age as Torres & Tevez. Fabrigas & Messy are same. Hleb, Toure, Almunia, Rosicky & Gallas are old. Sagna, Eboue are 24yrs old so except for Walcott & Bendtner, who else is a kid in our 1st squad?

I feel this is where we should blame Wenger not on his signings because our current squad are world class take it or leave it. They are not contenders presently by fluke but by class. All Wenger needs to do is to be a little direct by letting them know that they are as good as ManU or Chelsea players. After all, Maoroon use to do it for Chelsea by comparing his squad with Barca back then & Fag encouraged his squad by claiming they are the best he has gotten ever since he came to ManU. Do you know what those words would do to someones ego? That encouragement is what Wenger is lacking.

GuNnErS-4-LiFe!!!!

Femi

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 07:47 AM - Reply

How can it work for you when your players always want a match played to your taste. Cahmpions create wins they don't whine like babies when things don't work out. How can you say things are not working out when you cannot score goals, you players cannot take shots. I don't think you want to win titles anymore. You just want to prove that you can remain top four team with cheaper players!

Kiwanuka Vincent

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 06:56 AM - Reply

Would like to ask if there is any purnishment to the refree for mis hundling the game that befits the loss and pain infricted on the players,supporters and the entire team. Refrees making those mistakes and just left to enjoy is absurd. We have to remember they are also supporters of the same teams. Please let the concerned authority do something.-Disappointed at them???!!!

Emmanuel Chomba Ndalama

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 06:47 AM - Reply

I can not work for us Arsene, because we don not have quality players! And you Arsene have said that you will not spend in the summer. I think you are not serious! How do you expect to win the title with the crap of players you have?! Buy quality players in the summer, and forget about the title this season because you cant and wont win it!

Titus

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 06:31 AM - Reply

Arsenal will finish in the third position since they have to lose more points.

Megwill, Singapore

Posted on 17 Mar, 2008 at 12:50 AM - Reply

Oh! Finally Wenger has realised they have DROPPED 8 points. That's almost 3 games LOST!

Since 23rd Feb, Arsenal has GAINED 4 points out of 4 games. Liverpool has 15 points out of 5 games. Chelsea has 12 points out of 4 games. Man U has 9 points out of 3 games.....and I am sure it will 12 points out of 4 games soon as they will surely beat Bolton.

¤ý

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 06:44 PM - Reply

I was so pissed off by the way EPL referees are handling the games. I think most of the refs hate Arsenal for not speaking fluent English during a game. And last night the decisions were all against Arsenal. The first half disallowed goal, and an off-side goal (although Tugay was on side, Aliedere was off-side, which benefited him to arriving in time to score the opener.) and most debatably was the last second corner, which in other games, whistle would always blow after a wave of attack.

nigel

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 03:41 PM - Reply

boro suck. enjoy the conference losers.

topgunner101

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 02:50 PM - Reply

once they got that goal they didnt want to play anymore.ten in front of the net and didnt budge.not to mentionyet another lethal challenge against us by the way.arsenal showed the true spirit.right to the end.they got lucky and held on.see southgates look of sheer relief at the final whistle!says it all.and lets not forget theyre fighting relegation.desparation does make opposition dangerous.all the big teams know that to theyre cost at some point.dont think we actually play that bad,two more minutes and we would have taken them.and southgate knew it.

jimmy from indonesia

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 02:31 PM - Reply

the problem of arsenal is that Wenger after the exit of henry failed to buy another top finisher in class of Ronaldo or Drogbe.Adebayor is not a good finisher

saw keh

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 02:10 PM - Reply

It was very irritating to see the ball going backwards while we were a goal bahind. We have to admit that we were not good enough to get three points.

UPYOURARSEnal

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 02:00 PM - Reply

I agree with clayed, I'm happy to be a gooner. A win at Chelsea which everyone in Europe knows is very possible and were back in it. My tip is £10 or more depends on budget for an Arsenal double, the odds wont get better than this until its to late.

clayed

Posted on 16 Mar, 2008 at 01:26 PM - Reply

It was certainly a quad times of draws, however, a team is judged by the way they respond to pressure, and I still think they responded very well for the past 4 games. Arsenal's team is a very young team, being an Arsenal supporter, I'm very very pround towards their achievement. We weren't even the favorites at the beginning of the season, and look, we are still the title challenger. All these young lads needed are experience. This is the best way to gain them, by handling pressure of chasing the title. Come on Gunners! RE-LOAD!

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