Press conference

Toughness? No, it’s efficiency that counts most

Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp… we have been seen some of the toughest players ever to wear the Arsenal shirt during the Arsene Wenger era.

But just how important is this aspect of the game? The boss had this to say in his pre-match press conference on Thursday:

on quotes questioning the squad’s toughness...

Well, that’s the kind of remarks you’ve had for 20 years. I remember many people asked me if Pires would be tough enough to play in the derby. This is a guy who scored more goals than anybody in the derby. At the end of the day, it’s down to the quality of the game.

on if this team are as tough as those of the past…

Yes, it depends. We have to agree on what is tough and what is not tough. I believe that a football player has to be efficient and that counts the most. Efficiency if you’re a defender is not to make any mistakes and to win the ball. If you’re a striker, it’s to put the ball into the back of the net. Is that tough? It doesn’t matter too much - it’s how efficient you are in your game.