Arsene Wenger says questions
over his Arsenal future a 'farce'
Arsenal
manager Arsene Wenger says the continuing debate over his future at the club
"is becoming a farce".
The
Gunners are in danger of ending the season without a trophy after Watford knocked the defending champions out of the FA
Cup on Sunday.
The
loss means Arsenal have won just one game in their past seven.
"The
next game is always a big challenge and you are always in the middle of a
drama," said Wenger. "It is becoming a farce."
Arsenal's season looked very healthy just a few weeks ago.
They were top of the Premier League on 4 January and fighting for silverware in
two cup competitions.
But they have won only two of their past nine league games
and now lie third, eight points behind leaders Leicester City and six behind
north London rivals Tottenham.
They are also heading out of the Champions League. They were
beaten 2-0 at home by Barcelona
in the first leg of their last-16 tie and travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
"What is going on at the moment is very, very difficult
to take for the players, but judge us at the end of the season," said
Wenger.
"We have come to the end of a very, very long run in the
FA Cup, so it is very sad, but we want now to focus on the next game."
Wenger, who has been in charge since 1996, has come under
increasing pressure from Gunners fans upset with the club's poor form.
But the 66-year-old Frenchman said: "Arsenal has lost
games before in history and we will lose again in the future. We will stick
together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with complete belief.
Zinedine Zidane worried about Real Madrid form after narrow
win
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane admitted he is concerned
by his side's form after squeezing past Las
Palmas 2-1 on Sunday thanks to Casemiro's injury-time
winner.
Zidane's men were outplayed by Las Palmas for large spells on their first visit to the Canary Islands in 15 years, but made the hosts pay for
poor marking at set-pieces as Sergio Ramos and Casemiro both netted from corners.
Victory closed the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona
to 12 points, but with only nine games to play, Madrid's remaining realistic hope of a
trophy this season is the Champions League.
"I go away happy with the
result, but a little worried with what I saw in the second-half," said
Zidane.
"We gave the ball away an incredible amount of times
and if we want to achieve anything this season we have to play better, that's
clear.
"We won't get anywhere playing like this."
The 10-time European champions progressed to the
quarter-finals with a similarly unconvincing display to see off Roma in
midweek, but Zidane insisted his side's standards must improve dramatically if
they are to go further in the Champions League.
"We aren't thinking about the
Champions League. The players were thinking about what they had to do in the
game today, but the truth is we gave away the ball an incredible number of
times," he said.
"If we want to aspire to something in the future, we
have to play better. That is clear because playing like this we won't go
anywhere."
Madrid were bailed out on a number of occasions by
goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but Willian Jose looked to have finally handed Las
Palmas a share of the spoils when he cancelled out Ramos's first-half header three
minutes from time.
