Wenger: We were poor

Manager Arsène Wenger finally dispensed with the spin of his side's performance in 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Wenger has been criticised in the past for defending his players even when they had obviously played badly.

But there was simply no hiding behind the words 'passion, spirit, determination' today, the Frenchman held his hands up and said that the players were 'poor offensively and defensively'.
An own-goal from Manuel Almunia, one from Wayne Rooney and another from Park saw Arsenal 3-0 behind before defender Thomas Vermaelen scored a consolation effort towards the end.

Speaking after the match, Wenger said: "It is difficult to take but easy to explain because we were poor offensively and defensively cohesion-wise. We delivered an off-the-mark performance completely and that is why we were well beaten today.

"We gave them always too much room, we were naive. I believe we have to stick together now, recover and produce a much better performance next Sunday [against Chelsea].

"I believe we had no cohesion defensively or offensively. The players wanted to win, they are really down. This team has spirit, a good attitude mentally, and it is very difficult to say straight away after the game why we were not at all at our level. We were naive.

"You always have to answer these sorts of questions [after a defeat]. Man United, in the last six away games against a top-four team, they got one point.

"Today is the first game in seven they won away from home against a top-four team. You could have said before that they were naive but they are not.

"They were better than us today for two reasons: one, they played well and two, we were not at our level.

"Why? It is too early to analyse that. I believe there are some mental reasons in there but it is difficult to say.

"We need something special now to stay in the race, of course. I am conscious of that."