Wenger blames social changes for defensive problems

On why it has been so hard to recreate the Arsenal back four he inherited when arriving two decades ago:

Maybe because our societies are less aggressive in the football education system you cultivate less that intense desire. It’s more about the quality of the technique and maybe that creates less defenders

On how good training pitches can be a reason for defensive issues:

I believe as well that young boys practise well on quality pitches, whereas before it was muddy and you could tackle and throw your body in – it created opportunities for defenders to work naturally on their defensive techniques. Today it’s all more standing up. There is less physical commitment because the quality of the pitches is much better.

On how a more attacking midfield can have something to do with defensive issues:

I think we have more offensive players in midfield than we had at one time. We are more offensively oriented than we were