Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal will forever be haunted by their humiliating rout by AC Milan, but will not tolerate any feelings of self-pity.
The Gunners slumped to their biggest European defeat on Wednesday night when they were crushed 4-0 at the San Siro, effectively ending their chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. The result has prompted calls for an overhaul of a squad that has failed to justify the faith of a manager whose own position is under renewed scrutiny.
But Wenger dismissed one of the worst moments of his 16-year reign at Arsenal as an "off day" and demanded an immediate response in today's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sunderland. Wenger said: "It never gets out of your system because you take it with you until the last day of your life."
"You can find 100 explanations why we had a poor performance and an off day.
"We lost against a good Milan team, not an exceptional one. Unfortunately we were punished severely.
"It is important not to dwell on that too much, instead focus on the next performance, respond in a positive way and ensure we have the mental qualities to be at this club.
"We have put together a good series of results and we can consider that night was just an off day. We are focused on what we have done well recently because we go into a battle now where we need confidence, belief and great commitment.
"We are in fourth position in the Premier League and we have an opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
"It is important that we are up for that and do not feel sorry for ourselves. Not only is the FA Cup at stake, but so is the response and the mental attitude of our team as well.
"I'm convinced that we will produce the response we need."
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Former Goalkeepers:
David Seaman, Jens Lehmann
Former Defenders:
Keown, Winterburn, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure, Clichy, Tony Adams, Eboue, Gallas
Former Midfielders:
Fabregas, Nasri, Pires, Vieira, Freddie Ljungberg, Ray Parlour. Gio Van Bronckhorst
Former Attackers:
Henry, Bergkamp. Anelka, Adebayor, Baptista, Nwanko Kanu , Wiltord
And after the departure of all of those, who replaces them? RVP + 10 players who wouldn't make the bench 13 years ago.
Just resign.
Just seen Bendtner on TV in a pork pie hat chewing gum like a turbo jawed cow.... proof that however bad things are, there is always a bigger horror out there waiting to return. I was suddenly filled with a great warmth and affection for Chamakh.
well buy some players then ffs, its not that no one has mentioned that for the past 18 months
what about the hiding from manchester united , wow that must have hurt like hell
Preciousjojok4 Take your point, but the 8-2 drubbing could have been double that and we had key players out too, but surely your pain is compounded by Wenger, who really does reflect a coach "who doesn't know what he's doing" trying to balance the books at what cost, no trophies for nearly 7 years, star players leaving and replaced by poor quality unknowns, AC Milan played a shell of a team, de-motivated, and with no passion and that must be the result of Wenger, again he brings his best player apart from RVP, on too late, tactically Wenger is lost, and has been saved by the likes of Fabregas and RVP, Arsenal are a team in limbo in need of a fresh approach, Arsenal were once a truelly great team with ambition, now they look a shadow of the Arsenal of the past, whether it was Man Utd or A.C. Milan it's a sign of how deep the rot has set in, and what has Wenger done, or is planning to do to solve it? appologise to fans AGAIN !!
Not good enough Arsenal you deserve better than this confused, excuse monger, no other team would have tolerated this man's poor returns, how does he keep his job??
And the PR talk has just started to isolate yet another bad performance and another failure and to lure the Arsenal fans into believing that this result is an accident and that things are getting better yada yada widi widi.. I already said it that all he needs is a couple of wins in the EPL and he will wrap this match and won't change a thing. The guy is so stubborn that I am sure they would find concrete in his brain..
your sucesses are now a distant ghost just leave you stubbon self centred ignorant blind idiot
Re-comment 6, hi Richard, d 8-2 is n'th compared with d 4-0 trashing by AC Milan. 1st of all as u said by a "magnificent Man. Utd., playing a depleted 10-man Arsenal without any of its regular defenders, beside we responded twice. But d defeat at Milan was 1st n famous a very high profile match watched by millions around the globe as a "good' according 2 Prof. Wenger, but I'll average AC Milan side humiliate a complete Arsenal squad that refused to play. Each of d goals was like a sharp bullet to my chest with the 3rd being the sharpest n most painful non of the goals was a result of great skills they were all preventable but what happened..... I can't tell. The only time I have ever thought of just forgetting about football in general n Arsenal in particular b/4 I die with shock ......A friend of mine once describe Arsenal FC as a man who teases a child with lilipoop n when d child tasted it n wanted more coz it was sweet he takes it away from the poor child who is then left crying. It wd have been better if d child didn't taste it in the 1st place, it wd have been better if Arsenal didn't qualify to d knockout stage of d competition than to do so only to be demolished in that shameful manner. I know d press is always too harsh on Arsenal than any other team, but come on Arsenal wake up u have been sleeping for far too long after having set such a high benchmark for ur self and fans... that's the reason why...
Prick, are we supposed to pity you, arsene clown. You get paid god knows how much, you so tight, you are afraid you players will earn more than you, this sukkaz is the highest paid in the team bar RVP. That is how bad the situation is, Ramsay, Rosciky, Chamack, Theo, Oxtail-Chamalemko, and a few others are on peanuts. Arsene earns a lot he deserve all the disgrace he can get.
Soon Arsenal will have more players than fans but Wenger will stay he thinks everthing is going to his plan perfectly !!
What about 8 -2 by the magnificent Man Utd, does that keep Wenger up　in his Cot too?
Haunt is a good word, because Arsenal haven't a ghost of a chance of winning anything, EPL CL, success a true apparition !!
wenger has to go enough is enough,he is too stubborn,cant see the wood for the trees
just pack your bags and p .off wenger ,dont want 8th year with nowt.more so if the mackems beat yous today.
Haunted clown.
Clown.
never mind eh..im sure crystal palace will haunt fergie too..and basel..
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