In the modern world of non-stop attention and relentness challenges Arsène Wenger walked away from the San Siro sidelines, allowed a moment to catch some respite from the tensions of the last few weeks, and straight into a question about his team’s “cojones” ahead of Sunday’s visit of Watford. The query related to Troy Deeney’s infamous statement about Arsenal’s weaknesses exposed with relish by Watford the last time they met.
Wenger smiled wryly. One second his mind was on a much-needed and well-executed 2-0 away win in the Europa League. Suddenly the focus lurched back to the negative. “You think we have not had enough controversy in the last week?” he asked. “You want me to add some more? What we can do is always respond on the field with the quality of our performance and that’s what we want to focus on, not what people say. If I respond to every single statement in the country I would already be mad. I may be anyway, but I would be even more mad.”
The madness of King Arsène has been analysed incessantly in recent weeks, as Arsenal’s present and future under their manager of 21 years lurched into crisis mode. Somehow, the man himself endeavours to distance himself from it all. He does his utmost to ignore social media, to close his ears to the increasingly raucous criticism.
Whether or not the end is nigh, this summer or next, he insists upon coping the only way he knows how, by focusing on the next game only. That is Watford, who defeated Arsenal 2-1 at Vicarage Road earlier in the season thanks in part to Deeney coming on, smelling blood, and relishing the opportunity to rough up opponents he felt would wilt easily.
Having found a spurt of strength in adversity to beat Milan, Wenger is urging his team to stay on solid ground. One Europa League first leg win doth not a rescued season make. “What is important is to add a win to another win to build up the belief again,” Wenger says. “That is for us absolutely the most important.”
He hopes his team can get enough rest and recovery to be in shape to beat Watford and then finish the job against Milan next Thursday in the Europa League second leg with another victory. Until then he knows Arsenal’s position remains highly precarious.
“Judgment is judgment. We have to focus on the quality of our game. Our games were not as bad as everybody said. We have to live with that. I am responsible for winning football games so when I don’t do it I accept the criticism. I have to make sure we win the game next week.”
