Wenger - We want to punish the teams who refuse to play
Arsenal v CSKA Moscow
Champions League Group Stage
Arsenal Stadium
Wed, Nov 1, 2006, 7.45pm
By Richard Clarke
Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal are the entertainers of European football. During his decade in charge the Frenchman has always put the aesthetic over the athletic, the offensive over the defensive, the short pass over the long ball.
However this season many sides have come to Emirates Stadium with a cagey game-plan. Defend deep, soak up pressure, get what you can on the break but, whatever you do, don’t concede an early goal.
It is frustrating but, at the same time, it is working. Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and, on Saturday, Everton all took a point away from Emirates Stadium when the statistics suggest they were dominated.
Far from changing his entertaining principles, Wenger is now looking to steel his side against the teams who stifle and sit back. That will start this evening against CSKA Moscow.
"I feel it is always difficult to get people through the gates and it is easy to get them out,” he said. “I respect the fact that 60,000 people turn up. It is a mass and you have to give them a reason to come to the game.
“I do not have any reproach to make to Everton for the way they played and their tactics. In fact it should give us more comfort. But, at the same time, we have to be strong enough to deal with that problem.
“When you love football, [this situation] has to double our resolute attitude to punish teams who refuse to play. On Saturday we got a bit frustrated that the goal did not come as quickly as we wanted. We have to find a way to strengthen our determination, then to find resources to punish these teams.
“We need to try to make our offensive game more efficient and, at the same time, stop other teams scoring. We did the same the thing against Aston Villa, conceding from an early corner, so we have to look at what we can improve. There is always enough space on a football pitch to be dangerous and creative if you move well.
“It is down to teams to be forced to attack and, if you score first, they will come out.”
