Transcript of Wenger's pre-match conference ahead of the clash against Southampton

Ahead of the New year fixture against southampton, Wenger faced the media, and addressed transfers, Podolski,
Southampton, top 4 race e.t.c Below is the full transcript of his press conference. Enjoy

Good morning Arsene, it’s the end of the year, it’s a time for reflection. How would you sum up the last 12 months for your club?

Overall it was a positive year because we made 79 points last season and won the cup and in the champions league unfortunately went out against Bayern, but overall I think it was a positive year. This season we’d see where we would get, but I think we are some point short of what we could have achieved, and its time to catch back now until the end of the season, the points we lost.

You start the new year against Southampton. How much have they surprised you this year?

They surprised me because there was a bit exodus there at the end of the season last year and they did very well, unexpectedly because they benefited from the stability of the back and the midfield from last year, and they added Maniel, Pele and Tadic who have done very well. And that’s why they are where they are.

How do you see the race for the top four as it stands at the moment?

Tight, interesting and unpredictable until the end.

How much fire then, fourth while the clubs ambition for this season, if you get a win against Southampton, you are in the top 4. Is second or even first still a realistic possibility?

No. we fight to be as close as possible you know. We are not in the mode of calculating. We are in the mode of lets go to the next game and win it. It’s too early. Its 19 games to go, and if there were four or five to go then yes, but at the moment let’s just be consistent and win the next game.

So everyone is catchable as far as you are concerned in that title race?

You do not calculate like that. You give your best, and if there is a weakness in front of you, you want to take advantage of it. I don’t know if there would be any weakness in front of us, but what I know, we can give our best till the end of the season to have the season to have the chance to do it.

How key is rotation at the moment?

Rotation is a sensitive subject, because you can de-stabilize your team with too much rotation, so you have to find the right number the amount of rotating and overall you want to keep the balance of your team, and as well refresh sometimes players in positions where players are a bit tired.

We are at the halfway stage of the premier league now. How would you sum up how that first half has gone for you?

Look, I believe there is a deficit between the potential we have shown, and the number of points we have, and that’s what we want to get right. I feel we were very very unlucky with the injuries we got, and overall the number of injuries we had, we survived quite well. But, hopefully in the second half of the season, we would have more stability, especially defensively to be more consistent.

What do you see as the club’s requirements in January, and do yu need you actually need to improve the squad in the transfer market?

There’s a need yeah. If the right opportunity comes up, you know, buy to buy that’s not what we want to do, but if the right opportunity turns up, we will do it.

What can you say about the future of Lukas Podolski at this stage?

Nothing. That he’s a player of arsenal football club, and I want him to stay, and apart from that, what is to be professional is as long as you are somewhere and you give your best to justify your wages and your love for the club.

Do you think he would still be an arsenal player at the end of the transfer window?

I hope, yes.

What makes you feel that he might be, I mean he’s being strongly linked with inter Milan

That is a joke. Inter Milan is not serious.

In terms of other players, do you think there is a possibility they may be going out on loan? The likes of Campbell and Sanogo for example?

I don’t really doubt where players need experience. That’s not the case for Podolski. But players who need practice because they are at a young age, like Sanogo, its not impossible.

In terms of injury news, where do you stand?

Look, we have one tough time again against West Ham. Danny welbeck could be short for Thursday.

What’s his problem?

A thigh problem.

This time last week, no managers were being sacked now two have being

It shows you how quickly our life changes.

Did you feel it was the case of once one club has decided, others would follow?

You know it’s true that sometimes it goes in numbers at the same time, but you have enough experience, and I have enough experience to know that Christmas is always a sensitive period because people reflect, they sit together in their family, people talk, you should do this, you should do that, and it’s always a sensitive period for the manager because its half a season to go. It’s a moment where people are scared to go down sometimes, and that’s why this things happen.

You said there is need to bring in players. Any specific area?

Look, if you look at the number of games some players played, and the injuries we had with Wilshere, Ramsey, Arteta at the moment we are a bit short in midfield at the moment.

Can we expect the names like Walcott to be back and involved again?

Walcott is involved because he was already in the squad, I judge him a bit short on the competition front. On the fitness front he’s ready to play and Ramsey is not available yet no.

Is that a time thing, no setback or anything?

No, there is no setback. But it’s a bit slower than I expected it to be. And because last year the setback we have to be very cautious with his thigh, he was out for 3 months you know, and we have to be a bit more cautious than we would like to be.

Are you looking forward to the time where you would have all your players available?

I would love to. Because when some teams say “we have two or three injuries” I think we had five or six, or seven sometimes during the same period, and it’s important that we get all our players back.

Would you struggle to pick your best 11 when you've got your players back, cause you have that luxury?

Yeah, especially offensively, we have many many options. Too many to keep everybody involved with the right number of games. That is for sure.

How do you feel about Francis Coquelin’s re-integration into the squad, because I felt he was very good against West Ham. Could he maybe fill that wall everybody says you need in that defence?

Look, I believe he has potential, but he has only played one game, and it’s a bit early to judge that, but he would make it here. I want to give him credit because he kept his focus and work rate in training, had a very high level during the periods he wasn't playing, and when he went to Charlton, he had a very good spell there as well.

What gives you confidence that 2015 will be an advantage to you?

Look because I feel it’s nearly impossible that we have the same bad luck on the injury front that we had in 2014. What is explainable after 2014 is that it was after world cup, and many players who were injured were because they played in the world cup.

Earlier you said it was a joke with Podolski. What did you mean by that?

No, because it’s nothing serious. They talked but urgh… its only talks.

A word on Koscielny. He came back against West Ham. What difference did he make in that defence, and the whole team?

His individual quality, he’s a top class defender, and on top of that he has a long experience with per Mertesacker together, so you could feel that in the game against West Ham. They know each other well, they understand each other, those movements, and they cover each other up very well.

You've had some big partnerships at the back during your time here, do you think Per and Laurient when they are at their best together, they are at the top of their game?

I think they are, quality wise, but you judge more a defence as a back four, and we want to show we have big targets now in front of us until the end of the season, that our back four can deal with the problems we had, and that in some games we would be exposed, because we had lack of experience.

It’s the time of reflection at the moment, people are making new year resolutions. Are you making any?

To give my best yes, and to question myself everyday, and to give my best for this club of course.