'The next generation are filtering through'

On the 2-1 win...
"I think both sides tried to play and both had chances. We took ours and we have come out victors. I was delighted with the way Jay Emmanuel-Thomas picked out Luke Freeman [for the first goal]. This team is always working as a team. If they see players in a better position they try and pick them out. We see a lot of goals like that with the first team."

On the number of chances in the match...
"To be fair Chelsea had a few chances too and it could have been 2-2 but football is about putting the ball into the net and we did."

On the pitch at Griffin Park...
"It's not the best but that's no disrespect to Brentford, they make the best of it with what they can do. It's an indictment of the Reserve League. We would have happily gone to Chelsea's training ground. We've got two good footballing sides with top young players and the pitch sometimes dictates how they play. You could see sometimes that their touch wasn't clean and I don't think that is the way forward. We have good players and they want to play on good pitches."

On Chelsea's performance...
"They came at us and wanted to give us a go. It opened up the game. They weren't going to sit back, they were going to come and play and try and make chances. I think we created a few openings."

On the title race...
"It's on and we'll be going for it but we're keeping an eye on developing young players and that is our major aim for this team. We've got some players out on loan and they're doing well. It opens it up for some younger players to come. Nico Yennaris was one tonight, he's 16 and Ignasi Miquel is 17, so we're starting to see the next generation filter through."

On a new phase of players coming through...
"They have done well for Steve Bould in the Under-18s and he said they warrant a chance. There have been a few opening because we put a few players out on loan because they need it for their development, and it opens it up for the next stage of young players at Arsenal."

On playing Wolves in the next match...
"We went to Wolves and it was a tough game, so we're expecting another tight game. We will go there and try and play good football and hopefully come away with a win."

[Tuesday, February 16, 2010]

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