Chelsea have spent £98million on one player, while you’ve spread your money more across the board. Is it fair to say Arsenal are competing for players in the market on a slightly lower level at the moment?
We are trying to bring the players that we can, that we can afford and that in this moment can help us to achieve what we want. Chelsea will have a different plan.
Thomas Tuchel took over a team that was closer to winning the Champions League. How far along the road do you feel you are to that?
Well, you can just see what they’ve done in the last 10 years. The amount of titles that they’ve won, the type of titles that they’ve won and how they’ve competed. So we are in a different stage and a different phase.
Is it a manner of winning this week or would a draw by acceptable given the situation?
What we have to do is perform, perform at our highest level. We know that to beat Chelsea we have to be perfect. Individually and collectively we have to have an extraordinary game. The focus is going to be that. Then we’re going to have the help of our fans which is going to be very, very, very important as well.
You’re going to have fans back and the mood could be apprehensive after last week.
I don’t think so. I think they will be right behind the team. They know what we’re trying to do. They can see it and if you don’t see it it’s because you want to see something different. But they really know what is coming, they really know what we’re trying to do and they will be. They know as well our young players they need more than ever their support. Arsenal fans when things are a little bit difficult they’re always behind the team and I know that because I’ve been there.
You seem to have a defiant mentality. Is that because you feel your young players can cope with the pressure if you’re without some senior ones?
They can cope with the pressure because the level of excitement, passion and enthusiasm they have goes behind them. If they cannot reach with other things we will try to reach with that that’s for sure.
At half time when losing games with you as manager Arsenal have failed to turn things around yet. What do you make of that stat?
We certainly can look at everything that is improvable. That stat for sure that you mentioned is improvable.
Do you feel like the club have done what needed to be done in the transfer market this summer?
Yeah we are trying everything that we discussed and everything that we are capable of doing. There are things we are not capable of doing, the market has been really complicated. But we are happy with what we have done. Most of it I’ve been really happy with the club, how it’s trying, the unity with which we make decisions and how focused we are on doing what we believe is the right thing to do for the club now and for the future.
You came in mid-season before and then had COVID after, is this the first time you and the club have been able to work together properly on your long term plan?
Well we had a much better context to work this summer with what we wanted to do because the other windows and everything that happened put a lot of difficulties in place. Now we are trying to execute what we believe is the right thing to do.
Now you have had this window and the squad balance is being addressed does this mean there are no more excuses?
You haven’t heard me once put an excuse. Completely the opposite. Adapt and do the best. The thing is what the expectation is and what the potential is. If that measure is level then you’re ok. If that measure is not level you’re never going to get anybody satisfied.
Now you’ve been backed do you get the sense that now it’s down to you to succeed?
It’s never been down to me. It’s down to us. We are a football club that tries to move forward and to make the right decisions. It’s never been down to me when we had success, titles or when we have difficulties. It’s down to us with me here and it will be like this in the future.
Would you still tell Arsenal fans to balance their expectations despite the fact that you’ve spent more money than Chelsea and Manchester City given where they both are?
What I’m saying is that what we want to do with this club is to bring it back to where it was and we are going to do that. The timing of it is a little bit more complicated than people thing. But the only aim is to do that. The only aim tomorrow and this season, and the following matches is to win every single time and nothing else. Can we achieve that as quick as possible is the only objective that we have.
