Source: Team_Talk
Wenger prepared for cup collision
Wenger has consistently put out a side full of youngsters in the Carling Cup but the Frenchman insists he has no intention of repeating that philosophy for the world's oldest knockout tournament.[LNB]Arsenal face struggling London rivals West Ham at Upton Park in the third round on Sunday but, while Wenger is full of admiration for the tournament, he [LNB]knows it may have to take a back seat to their Champions League ambitions at some point in the season.[LNB]"I always put out a strong side because I know what the FA Cup means to me, what it means to the club and what it means to our fans," said Wenger.[LNB]"You never want to go out of the FA Cup. You want to give it your best shot and you want to win.[LNB]"There is a conflict later on always between the FA Cup and the Champions League, and therefore sometimes you are caught in there, but you have to go for it and deal with all the challenges.[LNB]"This conflict can kick in in the fifth round. The third and fourth rounds are in January but the fifth round is just before we play the Champions League match against Porto.[LNB]"I believe the fans trust me to put out a very competitive side and they know how much I love the FA Cup.[LNB]"Since I have been at the club, we have played in five finals and won four FA Cups and we want to win it again.[LNB]"We want to go through but the third round is always very difficult because you are not installed in the competition and it is always tricky. It's a derby.[LNB]"The FA Cup is a competition with direct knockouts and is always intense emotionally. Also, because of the tradition of the FA Cup and the meaning it has with the final at Wembley, it's so special."[LNB]Arsenal have gone five years without a trophy to their name but they are threatening to end that drought this season.[LNB]The Gunners have rejoined the race for the Barclays Premier League title and qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League.[LNB]But Wenger insists there is no extra pressure on him to win the FA Cup as a result of their five-year hiatus.[LNB]"I believe that you go always into every season wanting to win trophies," added the Frenchman.[LNB]"We want to win the trophies of course but we want to be competitive in the Premier League and the Champions League.[LNB]"Therefore we have to combine all the three targets without diminishing our chances in the FA Cup. Because we go for trophies, of course we go for the FA Cup."[LNB]West Ham are struggling near the foot of the Barclays Premier League table and in the midst of a financial crisis but Wenger believes they have a coach in Gianfranco Zola who had the 'Arsenal style' as a player.[LNB]Wenger added: "He tries to give a style to his team and that is always the sign of a manager.[LNB]"He came to Chelsea and before then I was an admirer of him when he played at Parma and, of course, he was before at Naples and he was a little bit in the shadow of Diego Maradona at the start.[LNB]"I think because he is intelligent he learned a lot from Diego Maradona. I think the big players never make a career by coincidence because they have the qualities and the mental strength to do it."[LNB]The January transfer window has now opened for business and Arsenal continue to be linked with a move for Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh.[LNB]But Wenger insists Chamakh will not be joining the Gunners in January.[LNB]"Chamakh will stay in Bordeaux until the end of the season and then he will go where he wants to go because he will be completely free," said Wenger.[LNB]"There is nothing concrete at all between us and Chamakh. He is completely free at the end of the year and I have not been in touch with his agent at all.[LNB]"It came up in June and it's true that in June I wanted to take him but since we have had no contact at all."[LNB][LNB]
