Silver lining for embattled Wenger

Arsene Wenger wants his Arsenal players to use their gloomy predicament as motivation to perform better in the future.

Arsenal are struggling through arguably their worst domestic season in Wenger’s 15-year tenure at the club.

They sit seventh on the English Premier League table, five points outside the top four and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time since 1997.

“I personally feel it’s just a good opportunity to come back to a strong position,” Wenger said ahead of his team’s match at home to struggling Blackburn on Saturday.

“The competition is very interesting, but I’m confident we will come back and get a strong position.”

“The fact that I have never been in this position is rather a credit to me in 16 years. I do not take that as blame, I take it as a fantastic consistency that is most difficult to achieve at the top level.”

“As well, it is a good opportunity to show that I will come back with my team to a very strong position.”

Arsenal remain in this year’s Champions League, and face AC Milan in the round-of-16 first leg on February 22.

They are also through to the fifth round of the FA Cup, with a trip to face either Sunderland or Middlesbrough due three days after the Milan clash.

“I believe that we played in the Champions League for 15 years on the trot and we play in 10 days in the last 16 of the Champions League,” Wenger said.

“We want to come back into the Champions League positions in the league and we want to prepare properly for the next round of the FA Cup.”

“I hope that in the next 16 years it will be exactly the same for the club and that the fans will be happy.”

“After that, what can I say, ideally I want everybody to be completely happy and over the moon, but we live in a world where you have to accept today that not everybody reacts the same.”