Jack Wilshere spoke to the media after Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Sunderland on Wednesday night. This is what he had to say:
on being disappointed not to win it…
I think so. With the possession we had and the players we have got on the pitch, we created some chances but we have just got to put them in next time. Fair play to Sunderland, they came here to do a job and they needed a point and they did it. They are a big club and they deserve to be in the Premier League and I am happy for them.
on breaking Sunderland down…
It was tough, it always is when teams come and do that. You need a little bit of magic, someone who can take on a player and open up a bit of space. We did that in the first half and created some opportunities, but as the game goes on it gradually the fans and we get frustrated and we try to force the matter. Even going into the final 10 minutes we still felt we could get a goal but they defended well.
on it being something to work on…
"It was tough, it always is when teams come and do that. You need a little bit of magic, someone who can take on a player and open up a bit of space"
I think we need to be a bit more patient. When we get the ball five yards outside their box, if we just keep it a bit longer and go from side to side we can maybe open up a few more spaces. I thought we did that well in the first half but unfortunately didn’t put the ball in the net. We are always trying to work on our weaknesses and we will improve that next year.
on his first start in six months…
I enjoyed it. I have come on in three games so I was getting a little bit frustrated as I wanted to play but I am thankful for the boss playing me. I was getting tired towards the 70th minute and the boss brought me off. But it felt good.
on waiting for his chance…
I am a footballer at the end of the day, I want to get on the pitch and show what I can do. But I understand that the team were playing well so I had to be patient. I came off the bench and thought I did well. I was lucky enough to start here.
on playing on the right flank…
It’s different. I have been playing in a defensive role for England, and in a kore attacking central role for Arsenal. It is always good when you can play a number of positions, it gives the manager options and if someone is playing well in one position he knows you can fill in somewhere else. So I am happy.
on his targets for the rest of the season…
The big thing for us as a team is to go into the FA Cup final with some confidence. We have had three I would say disappointing results for us at home because we are an attacking team and haven’t scored in three games. But we felt we put in some positive performances and created chances, but you have to put them away. We want to make sure we put that right before the cup final.
on being close to securing third place…
It will be different [to qualify automatically for the Champions League] because over the last few seasons we have had that, that season-defining moment right at the start that we have managed to get through. It is always a big thing and it takes a lot mentally and sometimes we start the season thinking about that and drop points in the Premier League. It is not done for next season, it’s about 90 per cent done, and hopefully we will start the Premier League a bit sharper and when it comes to this time next year we will be in a better position.
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