Arsene Wenger pleased with players' character

11 April 2012

Arsene Wenger is delighted with the way Arsenal have bounced back from the hurt of losing at home to Chelsea after they moved back into the top three of the Barclays Premier league with a comfortable 3-0 win over Hull on Saturday.

Arsenal have gone four league games unbeaten since they were defeated 3-0 by their London rivals at the end of last month.

The Arsenal boss has been boosted by the return of strong players like Abou Diaby and Denilson, who were both on the scoresheet against the Tigers.

"Diaby was out for a while, Denilson was out for a while too so we were a bit shorter physically in midfield but now they are there again," said Wenger.

"Don't forget that these players are 22 now, and at 21 or 22 you start to be a man.

"When you are younger, it's hard to stand up against a man but when you are that bit older you start to do that.

"It certainly hurt the players when they were criticised after the Chelsea game, when you're a professional footballer and you want to reach the top, it always hurts.

"Every team appears to be having blips this season but the team which keeps going, keeps believing has a chance. It makes me proud after the Chelsea game that we didn't give up.

"It did hurt, when you look on TV and see people say that it was men against boys then it does hurt, but they kept going, kept fighting and that's good."

Wenger is full of admiration for Diaby, who crowned a fine performance against Hull by scoring the third goal 10 minutes from time.

But the Frenchman is reluctant to compare the tall midfielder with former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira.

"Diaby had a good sequence of games before he got injured," said Wenger.

"Sometimes he gets strange injuries but has had a good week of training this week, he looked strong and is now a very promising player.

"I must say that he is a fantastic player to coach. Every day you can tell him: 'do that, that and that and then you can go home'. He will always do it and he will do more. What is frustrating for him is that he works very hard in training and then gets injured.

"He is more of an offensive player. He is not a defensive-minded player, he's not a holding player, he's a player who crosses the field at ease, goes from box to box like it's no distance for him and he has a dribble and has good power as well.

"I believe Patrick Vieira was more of a passer of the ball but Diaby is more of a dribbler, more offensive and Vieira was more of a constructor.
Diaby makes more penetrating runs. They have a similar elegance and type of play but are not completely comparable."

Hull boss Phil Brown had to endure an afternoon of taunting from the home fans - who abused him for the fact he has a suntan and chanted: "You're getting sacked in the morning".

But Brown took it all in his stride and, more importantly, he is looking forward to the new year with renewed optimism.

"If it was the Hull fans singing it I'd have a problem but I think I have got tremendous support at home," said Brown.

"We have had some tough times in the last couple of months but we have turned it around in a positive manner.

"That is life, it is the nature of the game. To get under people's skins means you are doing something right.

"The Arsenal fans have got their ways and they've decided to sack me in the morning but it is not the Hull fans who are singing it and that is good news for me."

Brown points to the return of chairman Adam Pearson for his second spell at the club as one of the main reasons for the way Hull turned things around.

Pearson replaced Brown's close friend Paul Duffen and there was much speculation over the manager's future.

But now Brown insists Pearson's arrival has helped to take the focus of the club and allowed him to just get on with the job.

"Working relationships are key in any football club and the change of chairman has meant the change of direction," said Brown.

"We all know where we want to be next year.
"But you are working with a different man, a guy that comes in with different principles and different ways of working.

"I can work with most people. His emphasis was to take the spotlight off the football club as opposed to keeping the spotlight on the club, which it was.

"He needs praise because it is certainly working. It is a working relationship between me and Adam Pearson and it is for the future."

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