Wenger: We Must Show Our Quality

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says anything less than a challenge for the Premierhsip next season will be deemed a failure.

Arsenal have finished well adrift of the league winners in the last 2 seasons, as injuries hampered their attempts to regain the Premiership crown.

There’s not much more I can say, so I’ll let the great man speak: ‘An acceptable season, first of all, for Arsenal Football Club is to fight for the championship.

‘Last year, at the end of October and beginning of November when we were 16 points off the leaders, that wasn’t an acceptable season. For us to be fighting in March, April and May is an acceptable season. If you win it or lose it by a point well OK that is something you can handle.

‘Last year we showed in spells – like in the Carling Cup – what we could do. But the Carling Cup is not a major trophy, it is an interesting way to study the potential of your side. The major trophies are the championship and the Champions League.

‘I work very hard to develop this team. We knew we were facing major competition in England with clubs who invest a lot of money.

‘We knew we wanted to go a different way and be a little bit patient. But, while we have a young team, it is not a team without experience. For example Fabregas who is 20 but has 100 games in the Premiership.

‘We have a great hunger for success. I believe we have the quality and we must show it.

‘That is the target, it is as simple as that. Yes people don’t consider we moved to a new stadium and you drop points when you do that but we were too early out of the championship last year.’