Arsenal's Arsene Wenger spends most of half-time in silence - 'You can do damage by talking too much'

Silence: Arsene Wenger can spend 10 minutes or more at half time saying nothing
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Vaishali Bhardwaj7 October 2016

Arsene Wenger has revealed why he can spend most of half-time in silence, insisting that sometimes the best way to lift the spirits of his Arsenal players is by saying nothing at all.

Wenger was questioned about his penchant for spending 10 or more half-time minutes in silence by former Gunners star Ian Wright in a special interview to mark Wenger's 20th anniversary at Arsenal.

"You know, one of the biggest things that people keep asking me, and I always tell them, when you first came was...you know that half-time is usually 15 minutes," Wright said as he began the interview for Arsenal Player alongside William Gallas and Sol Campbell.

"When you came in the dressing room, you never said anything for 10 minutes. Was this something you've done all the time? Because I found it strange."

A smiling Wenger replied: "Yes, most of the time I do that."

Wright then asked "Why?" to which Wenger said: "Because, first of all, most of the time you're in an emotional state when you come in the dressing room.

"You're upset. You're angry. You have to calm down. You can do a lot of damage. You have to not talk too much. When you talk too much, nobody knows really what you're saying.

"So you keep two or three things. I never was a great believer that you talk for 15 minutes at half-time. And sometimes I believe the players have to calm down as well and the players have to communicate with each other.

"That's the best, the players know that no matter what the manager says, the players know better what's going on, on the pitch."

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