Arsene Wenger claims that despite nearly two decades in charge at the club, he still gets nervous ahead of a big game, he told the official Arsenal website.
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The Frenchman insists, however, that it is hugely important for his team that he exudes confidence, as it can have a massive impact on the way they perform.
“Everybody is different and approaches a match-day differently, but I always try to be confident,” he began.
“I’m always confident that my team will do well and I want to show that.
“But you never know exactly the mental energy that will be in the team during the game, nor the physical energy that will be in everybody that day. Why? Because we are all human beings and don’t wake up every day in exactly the same state.
“Of course I get nervous before the games because football is not mathematic.
“In maths every day you know that one plus one is two. In football, one player plus one player doesn’t always add up to two players.”
Arsenal have been enjoying fantastic form lately, and apart from a couple of blips against Tottenham and AS Monaco, the North London club have looked mostly unstoppable – ahead of their crunch Premier League fixture with Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime.
It’s understandable that a manager, even one of Wenger’s standing, would still be nervous however, with shock results an historic football regularity…
Burnley toppled Premier League champions Manchester City this season, and relative minnows Bradford came from behind to beat Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, too.
Arsenal are in a fantastic position to push on and enjoy some level of success this season, but if Wenger wasn’t nervous then there would be something seriously wrong.
The Gunners are sandwiched between 2nd placed Manchester City and 4th placed Manchester United in the top flight, and are heavily expected to finish in the Champions League places yet again under the veteran French manager.