Wenger: We lacked maturity and were too cautious

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
29 Oct	8:00 PM	P	Tottenham Hotspur (H)	4	4	Draw

Manager Arsène Wenger says that his side lacked the maturity to see off Tottenham even after leading 4-2 with only two minutes to go.

The Frenchman also claims that his team were too cautious and that resulted in conceding two last minute goals.

But the Arsenal boss moved to calm supporters by saying that his young charges can only improve with age and will learn from their naivety.

Wenger said: "I believe that we produced an excellent game and the positive side is that we were really superior to Tottenham. We produced the game we wanted to and put a lot of energy into the performance.

"The negative side is that we didn't win and I believe that was down to a lack of maturity. I would like to keep the positives tonight because I believe we were really outstanding and I don't believe that the lack of maturity is linked to experience.

"The maturity will improve with intelligence. I think my players are intelligent and they will learn from their mistakes. In life you must make the maximum with what you have. In a game like tonight we did not get the result that was available, we must think 'how did that happen?' and ensure that it doesn't happen again.

"I believe we were too cautious, we wanted to keep the ball in a negative way instead of scoring goals number five and six. We were not going forward with enough purpose and that is why we were punished. I believe that defensively we made some mistakes.

"At 4-2 they had given up but then we let them back into the game. Then at 4-3 they have nothing to lose. We have lost the ball in the middle and we had two opportunities to score goal number five but we lost the ball."

User Comments

elninio

Posted on 31 Oct, 2008 at 05:43 PM - Reply

THE EMBARRASSMENT IS ALMOST UNBEARABLE!!!!!!!!!!!! We should have just lost the game 0-2 that would have been an easier pill to swallow. Bring on Eboue who gives the ball back to them in the 90th minute. GREAT!!!!!! FANTASTIC. SUPERB. AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. WE ARE A JOKE AND DON'T ANYONE TRY AND DENY IT.

LOST WENGER

Posted on 31 Oct, 2008 at 04:20 PM - Reply

weNGer is disillusion AND LOST IN THE COMMON SENSE DEPARTMENT

John K.

Posted on 31 Oct, 2008 at 03:58 AM - Reply

Wenger has to take the blame, it was all going in direction of a 5-2 score, but introducing both Song/Eboue destabilized the team as Eboue/Song are not giving enough support in attack nor in defence.

Wenger destabilized the team with 2 unnecessary subs, that are not arsenal quality (Song/Eboue) in what was in fact a closely disputed game even if Wenger thinks otherwise and the smallest mistake we got punished

stev

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 10:05 PM - Reply

way too positive Arsene.. Losing this match was just ridiculous, and as you say 'lack of maturity'..
You don't have to back your players all-allways.

Russ

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 05:35 PM - Reply

We shud hav 1 at 4-2 we were comfortable nd shud hav buried Tottenham but da gud fing is we played well nd lyke Wenger said we can only improve.

Mannix,kenya.

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 04:42 PM - Reply

Poor Wenger didn't knw we the youngsters luck experience when he refused to sign expirienced player last summer & don't expect wenger to boost the team in january. Stop crying crocodile tears Mr Wenger. Buy playerz.

sayo arow

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 02:55 PM - Reply

First of all this is all you say when we play bad and are winning but we lose, don't you think there's something wrong with the whole team, admit yes we are not mature, you are the manager bring in some experienced player even if you get them for 500 grand.
the fans are leaving and everybody is getting tired of your excuses, win today lose 2morrow we need a more stable team. respond to our cry a loyal fan since 1998

simon

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 02:14 PM - Reply

Fenerbanche could have scored 5 against us with a half decent striker, Hull got 2, Tottenhan 4, as has been our style for a number of years we can't close games out or play % footabll when we need to, could you ever see Chelsea letting two goals in like that at home, not in a million years...The balance of the team to too weighted to attack, and it isn't old enough. The best two defences in European football obver the last decade or so have neen ours (adams and co) and Milan's in the mid 90's both with an average age of 30+, ouite francly our defending is shocking and has been for a long time

Gunner 4 life

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 12:37 PM - Reply

I wanted to puke, after seeing the game for the second time this morning! Conceding 4 goals at home against a mediocre team like Tottenham is totaly unacceptable! Our defenders really need to pull up their socks, im very disapointed in the team! AW also made a mistake by taking V.Persie and Walcott off, Tottenham were constantly under pressure before the substitutions were made, but as soon as they were Tottenham had more room to attack us!

GunnerSG

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 11:27 AM - Reply

It was unreal when I watched the game, Spurs just equalised in a space of 5 minutes. No point trying to finger the culprit, just hope Arsenal have a decent game against Stoke to get themselves back on track.

GunJun

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 11:22 AM - Reply

Seriously i dun like our no1 keeper now

simmy

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 10:51 AM - Reply

there is alot of work that needs to be done in regard to defence. that was extremely evident in last nights game,

goh

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 10:31 AM - Reply

tottenham match is another last season birmingham's match.

i doubt those kids will fight back afterwards, arsenal is finished this season.

Brigham

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 09:39 AM - Reply

What you really mean is that you made some dodgy substitutions once again and handed the initative back to the Spuds. We got sloppy in the last five minutes or so and invited them onto us.

When is Arsene going to realize that the team need to close games out and its no good have 70/30% possession if you throw away a two goal lead like that.

Gooner Gal Belfast

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 09:32 AM - Reply

Although we played some good football at times, I get this sinking feeling that these young players don't have the passion of being a gunner like Henry had. They seem to switch off instead of killing off the opposition, and boy should we have won by 5 or 6. We must put away our chances and have more attempts on goal rather than over playing the ball. I hope we can recover from this, but I must say I am one hurt Gooner.

kalipo, gh

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 09:10 AM - Reply

We lacked maturity!!
oh so he realised at last.
Wow.great game doh.
I told myself not to expect much from the boys this trip but I still get heart broken any time we loose.
Oh my heart

Dun

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 09:05 AM - Reply

Mr. Wenger

Please bring us a world class defensive midfielder and you can alove the problem.

Uncleris

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 09:03 AM - Reply

Dear Mr. Wenger,

it is about time that we stop deluding ourselves about the strenghts of this time. The Premiership is not an academy. It's a tough competition. Points are only won in combative games, over 90mins. No extra points extra are awarded for fielding a young side and no additional time alloted for players to mature...It's the real thing all the time.

No matter how much we sermonize, fact is that our team has not shown that they have what it takes to grind out results on a consistent basis...which is the stuff that Champions are made of.

I think that your expectation and hopes for this young bunch, is higher than they have demonstrated. They may have talent..good, but they are not a finished product. It is ridiculous that we gave away a 2 goal lead with 2 minutes to go. It shows an underlying lack of purpose in the team.

The other title contenders are able to step up their game and adapt tactics to suit situations at will, but we never seem to do that. It appears that we now see good movement and passing of the ball as an end in itself, losing sight of the objective which is to win the match. The passing is just a way to open up the opponent, but that is all we seem to play for these days.

I do not see any grit, determination to kill off opponents. It is sad that with almost 60% possesion we draw 4-4 with Tottenham, who were only able to score 7 goals in 9 previous games. There is something fundamentally wrong with the team. It goes beyond have team spirit. It's about capacity and resolve.

Well Sir, you have a choice to either face up to the truth and strenghten the squad in personnel, orientation and competitiveness, or you can go on believing and thinking up explanations for each slip up...you are in Charge.

Jonny

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 08:31 AM - Reply

Too cautious? Wouldn't you say Arsenal weren't cautious enough!?!

Gooner, 24/7, 365

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 08:25 AM - Reply

Unbeleivable, ive never been so pissed off in my life! Seeing Rottenham's 4th goal made me sick to my stomach, i mean how could we allow them to come back? Why did Wenger substitute Walcott and V.Persie? We only have ourselves to blame for this, we thought we won the game and got the foot off the paddle, and we were punished for it! The Manchester Utd game is only 2 weeks away, we really need to get our act together!

Leon Chua

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 08:20 AM - Reply

Enough of your freaking excuses Arsene! This is absurd....

Wong

Posted on 30 Oct, 2008 at 08:18 AM - Reply

We hear this way too many times.

So when are they going to really mature? They may be young, but all those on the pitch were experienced campaigners.

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