Football
Kevin Palmer 9y

Arsenal's Wenger 'does not go out for days' after big losses

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed the agonies he goes through when his side suffer a setback and has claimed he "does not go out for days" following a big defeat.

In a fascinating interview with the Arsenal magazine, Wenger gave an insight into his mindset after a poor result, as he admitted his despair remains as intense as it has ever been even though he is in latter stages of his lengthy coaching career.

"If we have not got a game for a while and we have lost the last one there are times when I have not gone out at all for days," Wenger said, in quotes appearing in the Daily Mirror.

"Maybe people don't realise how much it hurts, but I think it hurts the fans as well. If it doesn't hurt you will never survive in this game.

"In the evening, I sometimes watch [BBC's] Match of the Day to see what happened here and there and to see how we have been perceived. Sometimes I think it would be better to watch it with the sound turned down!

"It depends on my mental state. Sometimes I like to hear what they have got to say. The only thing that upsets me is if the intention behind [criticism] is wrong. I accept criticism when the intention is just a fair assessment. But when the intention is just to hurt, of course it is very upsetting.

"A matchday is very draining. It always hits me the next day at 4 p.m. The next afternoon you decompress a little bit and then you start to feel the fatigue."

Wenger suggested his unrest is evident the day before a match, as he prepares for the battle ahead. "I never tend to sleep well on the night of a game. If we win I sleep a little bit better, but still very short," he continued.

"I only sleep for two or three hours after a game. I go to bed late and get up at 6 a.m."

Wenger went on to admit he has lost his temper with his players at times this season, but he prefers to restrain his anger after a game as he gives himself time to compose his thoughts.

"I don't like to shout at players after a game because you can do too much damage after the match," added Wenger. "It is true that sometimes it is very tempting, though, and sometimes I've gone overboard after games.

"So most of the time I really try to control myself because I go red in the face and think to myself: 'The damage is big, don't do more.'

"Sometimes you can say to an individual player: 'It's your fault that we conceded a goal on a cross.' But then later you look at the time and it turns out it was not his fault at all.

"Then as a manager after that you have to say to the player: 'Sorry I was wrong.' It's better when you say something that you are sure about it."

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