Deeney is so wrong about us, says Jack
IF ArSENAL had guarded their goal on Saturday with as much fire as Arsene Wenger and Jack Wilshere defended their character last night, maybe Troy Deeney would have kept quiet.
Watford striker Deeney stung the Arsenal contingent, from staff to squad, with his cutting accusation that they lacked cojones in their 2-1 defeat at Vicarage road.
A case of the truth hurting, perhaps, considering Arsenal have repeatedly been accused of a lack of true grit in the 12 years since Patrick Vieira left. But at least there was a semblance of fighting spirit on the eve of tonight’snight s Europa League clash with red Star Belgrade.
Deeney’s commentss were put to both Wenger and Wilshere, with the latter in particular taking exception.
‘As a player, if your attitude is questioned, , it’s horrible,’ Wilsherere said. ‘I look around this team and you can’t question uestion our character. People try to put us down — they always have.
‘I don’t think the comments were justified.
‘Look back at the Watford game (in which Arsenal gave up a 1-0 lead) and what we did wrong. I don’t think we can look back and question our character.
‘I am sure individually players are disappointed (with Deeney’s remarks). All we can do is bounce back with a good performance.’
Asked if the comments hurt, manager Wenger said: ‘Yes, but I know who my players really are. In the seven games before Watford we had six wins and one draw.
‘After that, the comments — that’s part of the modern game. You have to realise that. I love my players and I trust their strength of character to respond quickly.’
Fortitude will be necessary in Belgrade’s rajko Mitic Stadium. It is where Arsenal were knocked out in the 1978 UEFA Cup third round. By a quirk of fate, the current red Star squad includes Vujadin Savic, whose father Dusan scored in the first leg of that tie at Highbury.
Arsenal will be under- strength tonight, as in the previous Group H fixture against BATE Borisov,sov, when Wenger’s men mamaintained their 100 per ccent record in this sseason’s competition.
Wilshere is again eexpected to start, having so far failed to get a minute in the PPremier League while exexcelling in the lesser comcompetitions. TheTheo Walcott, who scored ttwicei iin tthe 4-2 win over BATE, is also likely to start after a disrupted campaign. His contract is up at the end of next season and Wenger said: ‘He had a very good game at BATE Borisov.
‘He looks back to a very good shape. I felt it took him some time to come back to his real level. He had a difficult start but looks focused. I am impressed.’
Wenger dismissed suggestions of a rift with Alexis Sanchez after footage circulated showing him avoiding shaking the forward’s hand in training. ‘I shook his hand inside,’ said Wenger.
ARSENAL (probable 3-4-2-1): Cech; Debuchy, Elneny, Holding; Nelson, Coquelin, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Walcott, Wilshere; Giroud.