Arsene Wenger's concern at Dutch striker Robin van Persie’s call up to the Holland squad has led him to insist that the focus should be on getting the front-man back to action at Arsenal.
Gunners boss Wenger revealed on Thursday his surprise at Dutch boss Bert van Marwijk’s decision to request the services of the Arsenal striker.
The 27-year-old is only just returning to training after being sidelined since the end of August due to an ankle injury, and Wenger thinks a common sense approach would dictate the Dutchman staying in London
"At the moment, Robin van Persie is coming back from injury, we are concerned to use him at our club and you can understand we are bit less concerned that he automatically plays in a friendly,” Wenger said according to The Sun.
The Frenchman also had to endure a large part of last season without the Dutch striker after he damaged an ankle ligament during international duty, and the Arsenal boss believes the best option would be for Van Persie to refrain from jumping head first into action.
"Every one of you has common sense and can completely agree with that. It does not look to me surreal that we wish him to play for us,” he added.
The 61-year-old also conceded that he had no choice in the matter and the subject of international commitments was out of his control.
"Holland is not my problem at the moment, my problem is to play the game against Newcastle on Sunday. All the rest is down to the rules that are in place in the international game.
"What can I do about that? Not a lot.
"I am not a big influence on that and I believe the most important thing is that we prepare well for our game on Sunday, try to win the game and let everybody else talk."
Arsène Wenger is “hopeful” that Arsenal can agree new deals for Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy.
The French duo are key members of the first-team squad at Emirates Stadium: Clichy is the Club’s longest-serving outfield player while Nasri has been a revelation in his third season in north London.
Both players have entered the final two years of their current contracts but Wenger is confident they will agree extensions.
"We are working on it at the moment,” said the manager.
“I'm hopeful [of agreeing deals], yes, because the players want to stay."
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is targeting a role as a striker in the future after recently making his return from an ankle injury.
The pacey forward scored an outstanding individual breakaway goal in the 2-1 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday night and he aims to stay on the on the goal trail and help make sure Arsenal's promising season continues.
The England star damaged his ankle while on international duty in September but has already had an impact since his return, scoring twice in the League Cup win against Newcastle United.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has tipped Walcott to eventually finish up in a central role like former Gunners favourite Thierry Henry.
And Walcott said: "I will play anywhere for the Arsenal, but it is nice to know the manager has got different hopes for me playing up front because for me personally I am a striker.
"It is nice to get within the goals because I have tended to miss out at times - I am trying to catch up a bit of time.
"But hopefully in the next couple of years you will see me be up front and I am looking forward to that.
"I have been practising in training and that seems to be paying off, so hopefully I can continue doing that."
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| Wenger.. frustated |
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that his side were "punished" for their poor concentration as they were beaten in the Champions League 2-1 by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Theo Walcott had given the Gunners the lead, but an own goal from Craig Eastmond and a strike from former frontman Eduardo saw them miss the chance to qualify from the group stages, and Wenger admitted that his side lost concentration after they took the lead.
“We had a good start and after we became too easy, and then we were punished, against a good team you are punished,” Wenger told Sky Sports.
“It’s a good lesson for us tonight because we thought we’d get through without putting 100 per cent focus on every defensive situation and then in the second half we gave a lot to come back into the game but we were a bit unlucky in the finishing and they were intelligent as well and that explains after that it was difficult to come back.
“We had the chances but we couldn’t take them. Overall, I believe we have learned that even if you give a lot, if you are not focussed for 90 minutes you don’t win at that level.
“We were 1-0 up and comfortable and slowly we dropped our urgency and we were punished because they have good players, and you see that especially on the crosses, nobody attacks the ball and they created chances from that.”
Wenger was questioned about whether Gael Clichy was to blame for Shakhtar’s second goal, but the Frenchman didn’t give much away.
“I don’t know if it was a lack of focus but he was first on the ball, it’s difficult to explain. I haven’t talked to him about it yet.”
The Gunners boss also said that he thought his side were unlucky in the run up to Shakhtar’s first goal, but still criticised his team for failing to deal with the free-kick.
“Yes, but that’s a decision for the referee. We still have to deal better with the free-kick.”
Theo Walcott’s first half goal was one of the few positives for the Gunners, but Wenger seemed unimpressed by the move, instead insisting that none of his players played well tonight.
“Well I don’t want to speak about any individual performance because nobody was individually outstanding tonight.”
Even when he was pushed about the quality of the goal, the Frenchman remained downbeat.
“It was a good goal, but we play to win the games, you know.”
Wenger also emphasised that the loss represented a missed chance to qualify for the next stage and criticised his side’s lack of maturity for surrendering their first half lead.
“It is a missed opportunity of course. Especially if we get away with a draw we are there nearly. So the most difficult thing in a game is to score the first goal, what we did, and then I believe it’s a lack of maturity not to focus 100% to make sure. We are caught just before half-time and then you give a lot, but it’s just the story of the game. It’s just, it’s football.”
When questioned as to whether previous poor results in the Ukraine had led to his side going into the clash with a mental disadvantage, the Frenchman dismissed the idea, instead insisting that it was a lack of concentration that saw them come up short.
“No you don’t play with memory, you play with the performance of the day and we had 20 minutes today where we were not completely sharp and we were punished.”
Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale believes Arsenalwide man Theo Walcott is faster than him.
The Welshman has had the spotlight shine on him after two mesmerising performances against current European champions Inter, as he scored a hat-trick at the San Siro and followed it up with two important assists at White Hart Lane.
And in both games the 21-year-old used his pace and skill to make a mockery of Brazilian full-back Maicon.
However, Bale has his feet firmly on the ground — as he insists that his former Southampton team-mate Walcott would have the beating of him in a race.
"I've never worked with a sprint coach, I just put my foot down and run as hard as I can," Bale told The Sun.
"I've never worked with a skills coach either, I've always liked dribbling with a ball and now I'm showing it in games.
"Maybe I owe some thanks to my PE teacher at school, who at one time banned me from using my left foot in practice games. He'd only let me use my right - and that definitely helped improve it.
"As for how quickly I can cover ground, as I have grown older I have become more powerful and that is all I can honestly put the speed down to. Of course I work hard on the training ground, but I don't do anything special.
"Back when I was a schoolkid I'd do distance running and the sprints as well. I could run 100 metres in a little over 11 seconds but I have never been timed by anyone at Tottenham.
"Is there anyone faster than me in football? Well, Theo Walcott at Arsenal for one. I used to room with him when we were both teenagers at Southampton and he is definitely quicker than me.
"We're good mates and I keep in contact with Theo regularly. But yes, he'd beat me in a race."
Now Bale hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Welshman and Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs.
"He's shown, ever since he made his debut, what a good player and what a good person he is for football," he said, according to the Press Association.
"He's an amazing person to follow and hopefully I can come a little bit near him."
And with comparisons with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi cropping up, he added: "It's obviously nice to get people talking about you, saying nice things.
"But I know I have to keep working hard and keep improving and that's all I want to do."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that skipper Cesc Fabregas is sidelined for the trip to playShakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
The Gunners travel to play the Ukrainian side on Wednesday night, but the manager is unwilling to risk the 23-year-old in the fixture.
The Spaniard had to be taken off during the recent game against West Ham United after feeling his hamstring, but the Frenchman insists that it is not a strain.
"He has a good chance to play on Sunday but Wednesday night is too risky," Wenger said in a press conference.
"He has no real strain, just a bit of pain. I don't know what it's down to but we cannot take a gamble as he has had injuries before. There's still a bit of reluctance to push it 100 per cent."
In the meantime, the manager also revealed that he has fitness concerns regarding Andrey Arshavin, Denilson and Alex Song.
