adminLONDON. — Arsene Wenger insists his “huge desire to win every single game” has not diminished over 17 years in charge at English Premiership soccer side Arsenal. The Gunners boss has taken his side to the top of the English Premier League, but their lead was cut down to two points following the disappointment of a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.
Wenger (64) has yet to agree terms on a contract extension, with his current deal set to expire in the summer.
The Frenchman, though, insists the hunger for more success burns just as fierce as when he first took charge at Highbury in October 1996. Speaking in a Q&A on the club’s official Twitter feed, the Arsenal manager said: “Certainly, I have a few more wrinkles (now) (but) what has stayed the same is the huge desire to win every single game.”
Despite being in the game for so long, the former Monaco and Nagoya Grampus Eight coach – who has been linked with a move to big-spending Paris St Germain – insists he is learning all the time.
Asked what one decision in his career he would change, Wenger replied: “Every season you make wrong decisions. You have to go with your gut feeling sometimes, but you learn and analyse.”
Wenger was asked about a wide variety of topics by Gunners fans, ranging from whom he felt was currently the best player, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, to when he would be getting a “top, top quality coat”, what was his favourite hobby and whether he would ever consider managing Southend.
The Gunners boss was also quizzed on where Jack Wilshere fitted into his current squad, the England international having been somewhat overshadowed by the performances of Aaron Ramsey this season.
Wenger said: “His best position is as a deep-lying midfielder, where he can be a distributor. He has a good burst and vision.”
Wenger also felt his team paid a heavy price for their “nervous” opening at Old Trafford, where a goal from former striker Robin van Persie proved enough to settle matters just before half-time.
Meanwhile, Laurent Koscielny admits Olivier Giroud is tiring under the pressure of being Arsenal’s solitary striking option.
With the Gunners having failed to bolster their attacking ranks over the summer, Wenger finds himself short on goalscorers.
Giroud has helped to shoulder the burden, with a bright start to the season seeing him net eight times.
He has, however, shown signs of fatigue of late – with out-of-favour Nicklas Bendtner his only back-up – and Koscielny acknowledges that the demands of leading the line in every game are starting to take their toll. The French defender told The Sun: “It’s true that he’s not scoring but he is setting them up, like he did against Dortmund.
“But he’s also playing game after game and hasn’t had a rest, so maybe he’s feeling a bit of fatigue. “He’s very important for us – strong and always answers the call on the pitch.
“If you look at the games, he weighs enormously on the opposition’s defence. All the balls he wins are in the air with his back to goal. He works very hard up front.” Giroud and Arsenal drew a blank in their last outing against Manchester United, but Koscielny is backing Wenger’s men to offer a positive response to a 1-0 defeat against fellow Premier League title hopefuls. —Sky Sports.
Online Reporter