The first time I lost I threw up and I hate losing even more now
ARSENE WENGER insists the pain of defeat stings more forcefully now than ever before and that he remains determined to fight back.
The 67-year-old, whose future at Arsenal is in doubt with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, takes his side to Sutton United this evening in the FA Cup fifth round.
After a 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and having fallen 10 points behind Chelsea in the Premier League, defeat against non-League Sutton is unthinkable.
‘ I am a fighter, somewhere inside,’ said Wenger. ‘You don’t stay long in this job otherwise. I do not expect too much from outside, I expect more from me inside. When you hate defeat like I hate defeat, it’s always tough. I’m determined to always fight back.’
‘Every defeat is harder. I can never transmit to you my feelings about defeats. When I managed for the first time at 33 or 34 (at French side Nancy) after our first defeat I threw up. Whether you are young or old, every defeat hurts.
‘I’m a competitor. If I was talking with my neighbour at age six or seven, I was already competing for everything. I was born like that.’
His side will play on a 3g plastic playing surface at Sutton’s gander green Lane ground. Arsenal have prepared by training indoors on a similar playing surface at their training base over the past few days, and have been told not to wear metal studs.
Wenger insists his side will not fall victim to the mother of all FA Cup shocks against Sutton, who are 17th in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Sutton are three points above the relegation zone and have lost their last two league games — against guiseley and Solihull Moors.
Wenger said: ‘The dangers are first of all the pitch, secondly their enthusiasm and thirdly that we are not ready for a big fight and subconsciously think that they are a non-League team and it is no matter. That will not happen.
‘Sutton, I have heard, have a wet pitch which they water before the game and is quicker. The weight on the joints is different and you cannot slide to block every time so it makes football a bit different. The ball comes to you suddenly and accelerates and does not slow down like in a normal game.’
Sutton manager Paul Doswell admits his only hope of an upset lies in Wenger fielding a severely weakened team.
‘If he plays the team who beat Southampton 5- 0 in the last round, then that would hammer us,’ said Doswell. ‘Our only chance is if he puts out an Under 23 reserve side out because National League sides can compete against academy players. Then we would have a real chance.’
Doswell, who will present Wenger with a £300 bottle of red wine tonight, believes a draw against Arsenal will rank among the greatest FA Cup shocks.
‘The best result for the players would be a 0-0,’ added Doswell. ‘If we were to get a draw and we could get back to the Emirates Stadium it would be one of the biggest results in the cup’s history and for the players.
‘I think half of my team support Arsenal, so the chance for them to go to the Emirates and just have a great day out would be their preferred result.’
Four Arsenal academy graduates play for Sutton after failing to make the grade at the Premier League club.
Craig Eastmond will return from a three-match ban to face his old team and Roarie Deacon is also set to start. Jack Jebb, however, is cup tied and Jeffrey Monakana is injured.
‘There is a responsibility on clubs like us in this community to get lads in who are 16, 17, 18 and 19 and not feeling like they are worthless,’ added Doswell. ‘It is a very difficult path mentally for a lot of the kids who are coming out of academies to get their head around what has happened.
‘It does lead to some bad situations and we are a little beacon of light at the moment. But life is all about the money and the only way we can make this happen is if we get as much out of the FA Cup run as we possibly can. We won’t waste a penny.’