Read extra quotes from Arsene Wenger's press conference ahead of Tuesday night's game against Southampton:
on his squad depth…
I have 22 players who are fit and ready for selection so I have a good choice to make and I have to make the right selection in every single game.
on Elneny’s debut…
His first performance was very good in many aspects. He had plenty of passes, he made 84 passes and 98 per cent were completed. His movement was good, he had a high work-rate. He has to adapt to the toughness of the challenges and certainly gain a little bit in confidence to be more incisive in his passing, but overall for a first performance it was encouraging.
on John Terry…
The problem of our job and for the players is that [careers in football] stop very early in your life. You lose that passion very early in your life and to refocus on something and be as good as anything is nearly impossible. That is not easy to deal with. I’m confronted with many generations of players who after their career have that problem.
on any interest in signing John Terry…
No, because he is at the end of his career and he has spent his career at Chelsea. If he wants to play longer, I am sure he will play for Chelsea.
on John Terry…
He was not only a great player, he certainly still is, but he was also a great coach on the pitch. I saw him here once at London Colney playing with the under-21s and the way he coached the team as a player was absolutely marvellous. He was a real leader and he had a great career as well, let’s not forget that. That’s never a coincidence. The guys who last such a long time have something special. He was the symbol of cohesion inside Chelsea’s club because him, Lampard, Drogba and Cech were the players who carried the club’s values for long periods. When you lose players like that you’re always in danger.
on whether he could become a coach…
I see a coaching career in his future, certainly. He will remain in football, I’m sure.
on club loyalty…
The loyalty works two ways. I always consider that I’m paid for my commitment to the club and I’m well paid, so once it is over the club owes me nothing and I have to get on with my life and find another way. I do not expect an reward because it is part of my contract.
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