Aug 2 2010, 12:54 PM
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On the pre-season workout...
"I believe it was similar for 70 minutes, we played very well. In the last 20 we collapsed a bit physically and you could see that not everybody had the 90 minutes in their legs. But I'm pleased with the two days because we had good opponents - teams who did not give up. I have seen what I wanted to see; the two new players can fit in well and I am pleased with the fact that the young players who played in the two games have done really well. You will be pleased with the fact that they are English, so we are all happy!"
On Jack Wilshere's performances over the weekend...
"He has done really well and I believe Frimpong has done really well as well. He is a bit less of a dribbler but he is a fighter and he is a winner. Here you have a boy who can choose between England and Ghana, so if I was in your place I would have no hesitation and invite him very quickly to play for England. I think he will have a big future. Both of them [Wilshere and Frimpong] will have a big future. At what level is very difficult to predict but both are fighters, winners and are ready to fight for the team and have quality. They have normally a good future, but let's be cautious and not make of them stars before they are stars."
On if this will be big season for Wilshere...
"At 18 years of age you need a bit of patience. I believe he is stronger than last year, physically. The few months he played at Bolton has given him something. He will be used at the Club, of course."
On Wilshere starring at last year's Emirates Cup...
"The problem at that age is [that you need] to be patient; you don't have patience. You have other good players at the Club. If you look at the number of players we have in midfield nobody can guarantee a position to anybody."
On Wilshere's England chances...
"In 2012 he will be 20, so why not. You cannot rule it out, but it is down to performances."
On if he would be worried if Wilshere was called into the England squad soon...
"No. At the end of the day when you are a good football player you have to deal with that. Theo Walcott was at the World Cup at 17 years of age. He had not played one game in the Premier League and it didn't kill him. To play at the top level you have to deal with these kind of situations."
On if he has seen a determination in Walcott to bounce back from missing out on the World Cup...
"He is determined, highly determined. He works very hard. The season will start in two weeks, I cannot say now who will have a great season or not, I just say that we added two players in pre-season and it will be down to them to win their place in the team. I cannot say more than that. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was not very sharp today because he was sick yesterday, but he has some great qualities as well. Theo is sharp physically, he has worked very hard and he is ready to start the season."
On Manuel Almunia's performance...
"He did well. We have two more weeks to decide what I will do. Overall we will play the player who I think deserves to play. It is competition in pre-season and you have to live with that."
On which goalkeeper impressed him most over the weekend...
"Both."
On the two teams Arsenal played this weekend...
"I believe that both teams gave us a different problem. Celtic played at a British pace and that was the game of the highest pace. Milan slowed the pace down and tried to control the game more and slow us down. It is completely different. But Celtic kept going until the end like Milan. But Celtic really need a result at the minute. I believe that they are a good side who needs a result at the moment. They didn't win today, they didn't win in midweek. They know that they play a massive game on Wednesday night and they needed some goals for their confidence and we gave them the chances."
On whether the players who played in midfield have changed his thinking ahead of the new season...
"A little bit because at the start of the season I was not convinced that Wilshere and Frimpong could be central midfielders, defensively. There is a little bit more competition than we expected there to be. We were considering even maybe going on the market for a midfielder. We will not do that now."
On if he is still in the market for a centre back...
"We still need a centre half of course. We are still short number wise. Just number wise. [We need] at least one."
On how soon he needs his squad settled...
"We have a squad who is used to playing together and you can see that when you play football; everybody is on the same wavelengths and wants to play the same game. We share the vision of the game we want to play, so I believe for us it is more a problem of belief, confidence and being ready physically than to find a style of play. For me we are 90 per cent there."
On transfers...
"Out we had enough players out - we lost a few players. In, ideally we still want one or two players."
On if he wants to sign them before the Liverpool game...
"I cannot promise you that because we are not close to signing anybody."
On Per Mertesacker...
"I would not like to come out on names because it raises the price straight away by 50 per cent."
On Manchester City's spending...
"I believe that with the amount of money they spent they will be a competitor for the title. If you look at the quality of players they have bought they have top quality, so you expect them to be there."
"I believe it was similar for 70 minutes, we played very well. In the last 20 we collapsed a bit physically and you could see that not everybody had the 90 minutes in their legs. But I'm pleased with the two days because we had good opponents - teams who did not give up. I have seen what I wanted to see; the two new players can fit in well and I am pleased with the fact that the young players who played in the two games have done really well. You will be pleased with the fact that they are English, so we are all happy!"
On Jack Wilshere's performances over the weekend...
"He has done really well and I believe Frimpong has done really well as well. He is a bit less of a dribbler but he is a fighter and he is a winner. Here you have a boy who can choose between England and Ghana, so if I was in your place I would have no hesitation and invite him very quickly to play for England. I think he will have a big future. Both of them [Wilshere and Frimpong] will have a big future. At what level is very difficult to predict but both are fighters, winners and are ready to fight for the team and have quality. They have normally a good future, but let's be cautious and not make of them stars before they are stars."
On if this will be big season for Wilshere...
"At 18 years of age you need a bit of patience. I believe he is stronger than last year, physically. The few months he played at Bolton has given him something. He will be used at the Club, of course."
On Wilshere starring at last year's Emirates Cup...
"The problem at that age is [that you need] to be patient; you don't have patience. You have other good players at the Club. If you look at the number of players we have in midfield nobody can guarantee a position to anybody."
On Wilshere's England chances...
"In 2012 he will be 20, so why not. You cannot rule it out, but it is down to performances."
On if he would be worried if Wilshere was called into the England squad soon...
"No. At the end of the day when you are a good football player you have to deal with that. Theo Walcott was at the World Cup at 17 years of age. He had not played one game in the Premier League and it didn't kill him. To play at the top level you have to deal with these kind of situations."
On if he has seen a determination in Walcott to bounce back from missing out on the World Cup...
"He is determined, highly determined. He works very hard. The season will start in two weeks, I cannot say now who will have a great season or not, I just say that we added two players in pre-season and it will be down to them to win their place in the team. I cannot say more than that. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was not very sharp today because he was sick yesterday, but he has some great qualities as well. Theo is sharp physically, he has worked very hard and he is ready to start the season."
On Manuel Almunia's performance...
"He did well. We have two more weeks to decide what I will do. Overall we will play the player who I think deserves to play. It is competition in pre-season and you have to live with that."
On which goalkeeper impressed him most over the weekend...
"Both."
On the two teams Arsenal played this weekend...
"I believe that both teams gave us a different problem. Celtic played at a British pace and that was the game of the highest pace. Milan slowed the pace down and tried to control the game more and slow us down. It is completely different. But Celtic kept going until the end like Milan. But Celtic really need a result at the minute. I believe that they are a good side who needs a result at the moment. They didn't win today, they didn't win in midweek. They know that they play a massive game on Wednesday night and they needed some goals for their confidence and we gave them the chances."
On whether the players who played in midfield have changed his thinking ahead of the new season...
"A little bit because at the start of the season I was not convinced that Wilshere and Frimpong could be central midfielders, defensively. There is a little bit more competition than we expected there to be. We were considering even maybe going on the market for a midfielder. We will not do that now."
On if he is still in the market for a centre back...
"We still need a centre half of course. We are still short number wise. Just number wise. [We need] at least one."
On how soon he needs his squad settled...
"We have a squad who is used to playing together and you can see that when you play football; everybody is on the same wavelengths and wants to play the same game. We share the vision of the game we want to play, so I believe for us it is more a problem of belief, confidence and being ready physically than to find a style of play. For me we are 90 per cent there."
On transfers...
"Out we had enough players out - we lost a few players. In, ideally we still want one or two players."
On if he wants to sign them before the Liverpool game...
"I cannot promise you that because we are not close to signing anybody."
On Per Mertesacker...
"I would not like to come out on names because it raises the price straight away by 50 per cent."
On Manchester City's spending...
"I believe that with the amount of money they spent they will be a competitor for the title. If you look at the quality of players they have bought they have top quality, so you expect them to be there."
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