NOISY v NEIGHBOURS

Wenger goes into his 51st North London derby & says his team still have the passion & desire to succeed

ARSENE WENGER insists threats of being “executed” would not get Arsenal’s current generation any more fired up for the North London derby.

Wenger was half-joking, of course, but was keen to reply to the accusation that his players do not have as much desire as teams of the past.

Arsenal legend Lee Dixon recalled, in yesterday’s Mirror, that before his first game with Tottenham his team-mates pinned him up against a wall in the dressing room and told him they dare not lose.

Wenger has taken charge of 50 North London derbies – winning 22, drawing 20 and losing just eight – and maintains his players share his passion, but adds that quality is just as important. “Lee Dixon is a passionate guy, so, in his response, he is passionate as well,” said Wenger.

“If that was the only way to feel football games, you would say to people, ‘If you don’t win the game, you are killed after it. You are executed.’

“That shows you that putting people up against the wall is not the only way. That’s why it’s so difficult to win a game.

“It’s a mixture between urgency and confidence, relaxed and tense, and that is different for every individual. Different for every team as well. You have to adapt your speech to the mental state of the team and the individual.

“They are the kind of remarks I’ve had for 20 years.

“I remember many people questioned me in 2002 and 2003 if (Robert) Pires will be

tough enough to play in the derby. This guy has scored more goals than anybody in the derby. At the end of the day, it’s down to the quality of the game.”

Wenger’s hold over North London in his 21-year reign at Arsenal has been huge because, even when they have not won trophies, they have always finished above Spurs.

When Arsenal pipped them on the final day of the 2015/16 season, the Emirates celebrated wildly, showing passionately what it means.

The TV and radio pundits, who mocked Arsenal fans, clearly do not understand the mentality of a dyed-in-thewool fan.

Equally, when Tottenham finally broke Wenger’s grip last season, finishing above them, their fans enjoyed it as a hugely significant moment and a signal of a power shift in North London.

The passion remains strong and a Spurs win will only turn up the pressure on Wenger.

Despite their rivals finishing above the Gunners last season, Wenger won the FA Cup, even if they did drop out of the top four for the first time during t h e Frenchman’s reign. “We won the FA Cup, we got 75 points, so overall I think our achievement was quite positive even if it was a disappointment for us not to finish in the Champions League places for the first time in 21 years,” he said. “It always seems the judgment is definite, permanent and for ever. “But life is movement and it’s down to us to change the opinions of people with our performances.

“If they have a perception like that, how can you respond? Not by me talking here. We need to show on Saturday that it’s not true.

“It’s always a fierce derby. You need to keep your nerves, focus on the game and have full commitment, while being lucid and calm.

“It’s one of the fixtures that is very important for us and that we want to win. Basically as well because, in the table, we have to make some ground up on the top teams.

“At home, we have been very strong and that will certainly be vital in deciding where we finish at the end of the season.”