Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Tim Stillman 
Date:Monday July 30 2012
Time: 3:23PM
UK time is: 18:57:11
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Wenger: 'Defensively We Have A Lot of Work To Do.'
Arsene Wenger concluded that his side`s tour of Asia has been a success, but admits the Gunners have work to do defensively. "Defensively we have work to do because we were not stable in any of the games. That is where we have work to do. A lot of work."
The Gunners left Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker back in London, which meant they didn`t have the chance to work with the defence, with the likes of Ignasi Miquel, Kyle Bartley and Craig Eastmond being given chances. Bacary Sagna is also not available for the start of the season due to injury, along with Tomas Rosicky, "Sagna will be short for the start of the season and Rosicky will not be back until September, in my opinion.
'Rosicky did fantastically well for us at the end of the season so it is a big blow. The injury he has got comes from the European Championships. Theo Walcott and Gervinho are both ready, they are sharp physically."
The manager has experimented with playing Gervinho through the centre in training and in the Manchester City friendly, suggesting it`s an option Wenger is mulling over with van Persie, Bendtner and Park looking to move on and Podolski and Giroud lacking match practise for the first match against Sunderland.
In the meantime, German new boy Thomas Eisfeld, a £400,000 signing from Dortmund in January has earned his manager`s praise after two goals on the Asia tour, suggesting that he may be ready to step up to he first team, ""Eisfeld is composed, intelligent, mobile, he makes the game come alive.
'I think every time he came on you could see something straight away. He has an impact on the game.
'He makes himself available and his passing is intelligent and he is good in the box. You cannot teach a player that. He earns maximum points on this trip.'
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Your Comments
This is without doubt the cause of most consternation at present, it really is just carnage back there lol, you expect to concede a couple with the strike force the northern lotto oilers have assembled but even they were gifts really from an utterly disorganised back 4, 5 goals in 3 games 2 of which against very limited opposition is pretty damning, if we are to halt what is a five year slide on the goals conceded per season then Bouldy is gonna have to get busy on the miracles front. 07-08 = 31
08/09 = 37, 09/10 = 41, 10/11 = 43, 11/12 = 47. At this rate we'll be over the half feckin century come the end of next season. This is not a new problem is it Arsene old chap?
nikolaijns
I liked my good man Gingers for Limpar's thoughts on twitter with regards these comments. It's like alcoholism, the first step to solving it is admitting you've got a problem.
Little Dutch
pretty scary considering we may start our season with santos and jenkinson playing as our fullbacks. they are not the most disciplined and reliable fullbacks i must add
Joe_@**
Heh, well it is a start, but I'm pretty sure Arsene has woken up on a sunday morn many times before with an almighty raging hangover, his head pounding away like Barton and Bellamy in a 'two man enter one man leave' battlecage, his throat drier than a rattlesnakes' anus in a sandstorm saying 'never again' repeatedly to himself. Many addicts are in full acceptance of their condition but actioning something? well that's a whole different ballgame.
nikolaijns
Gibbs and coquelin are more likely Joe I'd have thought, Jenks has some way to go (ie an injury to coquelin before he should be considered and santos is just not a defender is he? If he is to play there then don't cross the half way line! Again it doesn't really help him being played all over the shop in pre season, just choose where you want to play him then keep him there.
nikolaijns
i fancy coquelin playing as dm challenging song. wenger played him in midfield during the tour and he was among the better performers. also song will be away for anc and both diaby and ramsey are not exactly dm. i wonder if i can claim compensation from the club if i ever get heart attack watching our defense
Joe_@**
"Defensively we have work to do" ... well, no ***** lol
gunnerkid107
I think Wenger realized this problem a couple of seasons back, when he recruited Vermaelen and Koscielny. But he;s not been able to sort it out, lets hope Bould can help with that.
prits
Well, now, we are making progress with this admission; now all we have to do is teach our defenders how to be disciplined and the rest of the team, how to defend as a group. I have my eyes on you, Bouldie.
Naijagunner
I feel two weeks of hard work on the training ground will knock the 1st team defenders into shape and with a couple of games under their belt, they could be a very solid unit. Who's to say Wenger won't draft Kos to RB, with Per and Verm in the heart of defense? We have tried that before and it wasn't a bad experiment. Only trouble is it tells youngsters like Coq and Jenks they don't have the manager's trust yet. I like Coquelin and think he is ready to step up.
Naijagunner
Who you foolin?? It's more than defense, it starts with getting "winning" players then getting them to play to win
@Mq
@Mq - it's spelt defence you f****** imbecile.
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