Arsene Wenger Accuses Arsenal Players Of “Lacking Focus & Urgency” After Ostersunds Scare

By The Editor
on 23rd February 2018

Arsene Wenger didn’t hold back when asked about our attitude at the start…

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Arsene Wenger accepted that we lacked “urgency” and were “complacent” in the first-half of our second-leg tie against Ostersunds as the Swedish minnows raced into a two-goal lead.

Wenger had previously claimed that it was “job done” last week following our comfortable 3-0 win at their ground, with the belief that it would take a mini-miracle for this result to swing the other way.

However, after ensuring reporters that the players would be entering the match fully-focused, we were 2-0 down before we knew it and had a tie on our hands.

The boss’ despair at our utter incompetence during that opening 45 minutes was there for all to see as he paced up and down the touchline.

“You can call it complacency, a lack of focus and a lack of urgency in every single aspect,” Wenger told BT Sport.

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“We prepared the game very well because I have enough experience to know in these kinds of games you have to do the job and score the first goal.

“They are a good side as well and overall we responded well in the second-half.”

Wenger clearly gave them a rollicking at half-time because we pulled a goal back less than two minutes after the break through Sead Kolasinac.

Having said that, it wasn’t enough to prevent an embarrassing defeat on the night, and one that will have us thinking long and hard about what kind of team we field in the latter stages of this competition.