UK Edition
Arsenal's previous long-haul tours have affected start of season, admits Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger admitted that long-haul pre-season tours have had a detrimental effect on the way in which Arsenal have started domestic seasons, but said that it was the same for all leading clubs touring Asia and North America.
Arsenal famously lost the first league fixture of last season to Liverpool in a game which, had they won, would have been enough to deliver them fourth place.
This summer they went to Australia and China, with commercial pre-season tours a point that Wenger has had to concede in recent years as pressure from the club and its sponsors has grown.
Asked whether they would be ready to hit the ground running against Leicester City a week on Friday, Wenger said: “I’m sure we will have done the needed work. Last year we went into the season with some players having a deficit in minutes played. We had only two or three players who had the number of [preparatory] games after the European Championships. [This time] we have more players ready to go into the competition. We have had tougher games as well so we should be ready.
“We had a very good record [at the start of the season] as long as we didn’t travel. We always won our first games. Since we travelled we struggled a bit more. We are in the same line as every other team. Everybody travels. Look at the international games in Asia or in the States, it’s the big teams that play against each other. Only the smaller clubs have the luxury to prepare at home.”
Asked whether he could change pre-season tours, Wenger said: “That’s part of the modern game and we adapt physically to it. I have to say we travel in good conditions … I’m sensible. I respect we sign big contracts with our sponsors and we adapt. They shouldn’t be used as an excuse for any bad result. We travel like everyone and we have no disadvantage because Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United - everyone does it. We are on even ground with everybody.”