Europa now priority with top four ‘nearly impossible’

When you struggle for confidence, it’s difficult when you have just the trousers on. It’s easy to take the trousers off as well but, when you are naked completely, you have to find a shirt and try to put it on again, [to] get dressed normally again. Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has conceded that a top four Premier League finish is “nearly impossible” and is now prioritising the Europa League, but is adamant he will lead Arsenal out his 21-year tenure’s worst crisis.

A 2-1 defeat at Brighton was a fourth consecutive loss under Wenger for the first time since 2002 and means Arsenal are now 13 points adrift of Tottenham in fourth and almost certain to again finish outside the automatic Champions League places. Asked if the absence against Brighton of Aaron Ramsey was a sign that Thursday’s Europa league tie against AC Milan was now his priority, Wenger said: “Yes, we have to be realistic. We need two teams to collapse to qualify for the Champions League. I don’t see that happening. It is nearly impossible now. We are too far behind.”

He acknowledged that recent results were the worst of his career but, asked if he was the man still to turn the club around, he said: “Yes, because I’ve done it before. It’s the first time I’ve lost so many games on the trot in my life. A quality of a manager is to shorten a crisis. I believe I can do that.

“My worry is to get Arsenal winning football games, but we need to recover physically first. The programme we have at the moment is too demanding.”

The managerial position will be reviewed at the end of the season, and the Arsenal board have already begun succession planning ahead of a possible change this summer.

However, Wenger does not believe the uncertainty is harming his team. He attributed another weak performance to a combination of fatigue and a lack of confidence and refused to further burden his players with excessive public criticism.

“It’s difficult to get into any negative assessment,” he said. “The team needs more support and a tough, objective judgement as well.

“When you struggle for confidence, it’s difficult when you have just the trousers on. It’s easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely, you have to find a shirt and try to put it on again.

“We were passive, struggling for confidence and heavy-legged. It looks like we lack leaders. I don’t believe that.”

Petr Cech was at fault for both goals and took responsibility. “If you want to win a game away from home in the best league in the world, your goalkeeper can’t concede two goals like I did,” he said.

Laurent Koscielny put some blame on Wenger. “The players have responsibility on the pitch, and the boss has responsibility too,” he said. “When you play for a big club you need to be in the top four...we are not in control of our confidence.”