Gunners boss reveals communication struggles.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made a shocking admission about his side’s defensive performances and a lack of communication at the back, according to the Daily Telegraph.
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The Gunners boss is not known for being able to drill a solid back four, with the Frenchman himself admitting his side’s performances in that area have dropped since his earlier days with the club.
Wenger had the likes of Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon in his defence when he arrived, and managed to replace them with the likes of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure later on, though he feels the game has changed now, making it harder for players to gain the same telepathic understanding at the back.
Wenger feels the nature of the game – with players of so many different nationalities moving so frequently between clubs – means defending is different now, and he admits he may never replicate what he had in his first few seasons in north London.
“If you look at the evolution of English football, when I arrived here, I had the back four, all was English, but they were not only English, they communicated because they had the same culture, the same way to see the game, they were educated together and communication is an important part,” he said.
“With people coming in from different countries, communication has gone from the back four, much more than before, and you see less people who talk. It doesn’t mean there are no leaders but they do not speak always the same language, they are not the same way to respond to situations. That has a little bit gone in our game.
“Certainly, you had more [leaders] before, yes. John Terry is a coach on the pitch. He’s a Tony Adams, basically, organises the team, because he has huge experience now and because he reads the game well. Maybe [Gary] Cahill in five, six, seven years will be like that as well. He is the right age, and you do not find many any more. You had more before than you do today.”