LE BRIS PRE ARSENAL
In his pre-Gunners presser, Regis Le Bris covered several topics including complacency, the influence of the fans, some clarity on Chemsdine Talbi, the new mural in town and, of course, Saturday's opposition...
ARSENAL NEXT
“This season they are flying right now and they are one of the best teams in Europe 100%. They were so impressive yesterday (vs Napoli) for example. I think they’re on five wins in a row now which is really impressive. What we learned last season? To be competitive in these kinds of games you have to be yourself. Play with the underdog mentality, the togetherness, the connection within the squad and our fans as well, the intensity, ‘til the end once again, the clarity and flexibility of the game model because they are so adaptive with different strengths both collective and individual that you have to adapt in real time. I think the first game at home we started really well, imposing our ideas. We struggled a little bit at the start of the second half and they were really good to beat our deep press, but ‘til the end again we found our way to equalise with Brian, which was very good. Away from home it was a different game and they were relentless.”
FANS
“It’s a powerful driver. It starts from us and the way we play, the way we want to impose our ideas, and when we are in the game and we are proactive, the fans are behind us. They back us, they feed energy for the press, the second ball, the counter-attacks and so on. This connection with our fans helps a lot.”
HARD TO BEAT
“If we can score early it is much better. You make their life difficult if you play good football, and obviously they have many threats on the pitch but we have a good team as well. It is always a balance but I think if you can impose your ideas then it’s a better way to be successful.”
INJURIES
“Just Romaine and Habib at the minute. I told you after Hull that Romaine got this knee injury which is a shame because he worked so hard during the summer, had a good pre-season, and he’s talented. He’s a good winger so we’ll support him and back him for the next period. We hope he will be ready at the end of this year, something like that. For Habib we are just in the middle of his recovery period.”
NEWEST MURAL
“I have not seen it yet. But I am really proud because to be the manager of this club during this period is a privilege. The emotions, the journey, the connection with the fans and the region, the momentum of the club… it is a privilege to be in this position. I enjoy every single second. It is teamwork, it’s really important to mention once again this idea that we are working together. I’m the manager speaking to you every week but behind the scenes we are working really hard with our teammates and it’s good to experience this situation.”
ARSENAL BETTER THIS SEASON?
“I don’t know really, probably after the game I will be able to tell you. It’s still early in the season but they look so strong everywhere, in every phase. They are just the best team in Europe at the minute, I think, and they have good momentum. It’s a good challenge and we need these challenges to get better. Last year I think we earned the opportunity to go again and embrace it, and enjoy it.”
RAISE OUR GAME
“It is not possible to be perfect. But we have to stay true to our ideas. When you face a really strong opponent, you can probably be a little bit shy sometimes, not sure what you can do. This was the best learning from last season. We have to be ourselves, no regrets, manage the unexpected. They will find solutions but now we are getting better with our flexibility - how do we adapt when something unexpected happens? We are ready. It is going to be challenging but I repeat, I am excited to experience this situation once again.”
BROBBEY
“He’s a great striker, he needed time to settle in and struggled a bit physically at the beginning because his pre-season wasn’t completed, and now he is in a really good place. I think our opponents are analysing him as well, and it’s not always easy to referee. But he’s a really good striker. We can play it into him, he is so physical that we know the two centre backs will struggle. He’s getting better game after game and we will see the best of him sooner or later.”
TALBI STAYING
“It was his decision. It is always the player’s decision at the end of the day. He showed against Hull with his performance that he is all-in with us, no doubt. It’s impressive for a young guy because you can say what you want but this period is always hard to manage: one day after the end of the Saudi transfer market, it’s done - now, switch on with Sunderland 100%. It was impressive. He is versatile. He has this ability to run on the left or right side, or in the space behind the striker. He can manage transitions really well so it’s another option for the manager and the coaching staff, I think it’s really positive.”
ARE WE ESTABLISHED IN THE PREM NOW?
“No. We can’t get complacent otherwise we’ll be finished very quickly. If you think you are already a European team, you will have a big problem. It is impossible. I don’t think the lads are like that, they are really clear. We experienced a few situations like this last year, Forest at home brings bad memories, so it’s just a quick reminder how relentless this league is. If you are thinking that you have already delivered, you can miss your identity or your energy, it is impossible.”
