Arsene Wenger urged his wounded Arsenal players to regroup and show their strength of character in Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sunderland after a "shocking" 4-0 defeat to AC Milan shattered their Champions League ambitions.
The Gunners were never in the match as former Tottenham midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng fired the Italians ahead in the 15th minute with a sublime strike, before a brace by ex-Manchester City frontman Robinho and a penalty from the impressive Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed a miserable night for the Gunners, who suffered their worst European defeat.
"It is difficult to analyse, so it is better not to talk too much, to analyse with a cooler header and regroup for the next game," Wenger said.
"The season is not finished. We have a big game on Saturday and it is a good opportunity to show we have character and mental strength, that we can respond after such a shocking defeat.
"You could blame and blame, but we have to stick together and win the next game. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief.
"We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game, when we need to show something completely different."
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you just need a world-class midfielder, v.Persie's partner in crime and someone to cover Vermaelaen and Koscielny if they get hurt. Yesterday was an off-day for Verm, but he's still reliable. That's all.
Wenger please please please!!!. stop cheating Arsenal fans and where do you want to take the money you collect from the fans. please i beg you, try your best to buy three best defender and two best forward and we the old Arsenal to come back.
All you people know how to do is 'throw the baby away with the bath water'. Is it the coach that plays? He needs better playing personnel - which the board is not giving him money to buy! That is the fact. The board just wants to make money and not silverware - just end up in the top 4 - where the money is. The players he has now are geared towards just that. Give him the money and the free hand to buy, then am sure he can still put the '2004-2005 squad' together. I hear he was constrained to make a £15M profit every transfer year or is it window?! So, you now see why he could not buy more from the money he made last transfer season! If you must sack anyone, sack the board! Ibe - Naija.
dont sack the fool keep him there
Not with these bunch of players Mr Wenger! Most of us Arsenal fans have given up hope of winning any silverware this season again. We have gotten used to not winning anything, so why try to raise our hope as usual only to be slapped with the usual disappointment!!
It is hardly surprising we lost as our forwards saw very little of the ball as the rest of the team seemed intent on playing it back and forth across the pitch or back to the goal keeper. Many times we tackled past the opposition going towards our own goal. Why not turn round and go towards their goal? Also, apart from Rosicky and Chaimberlain who ran at the opposition, many of our players seemed content to stand still with the ball before passing (invariably backwards).
sack the fool
And here is the problem: the last time we lost a crucial match (remember Birmingham), we went on to loose other matches that completely destroyed our season. So, my fellow Arsenal fans braze yourself for a loss to Sunderland(out of FA), loss to Tottenham ( a threat to 4th place)
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