Harry Redknapp has hit back at Arsene Wenger who was ‘critical’ of our approach against Arsenal yesterday – saying we were ‘too defensive’ – telling sky sports that he was pleased with the performance and that had we been completely open we would have been ripped apart – which we would have: ‘to keep a clean sheet against Arsenal is always a fantastic performance, they are an outstanding team.
‘We worked hard, we closed them down and we looked to play and looked to break.
‘I’m delighted with the performance and the result.
‘We’re not defensive. It’s difficult when you can’t get the ball. When you haven’t got the ball you have to defend that is the logic of football.
‘There is not a team in the country which is more difficult to get the ball from than Arsenal.
‘You have to be disciplined otherwise you get ripped to pieces. Are we supposed to let them rip us to pieces? Is that what the game is about?
‘We came out and worked our socks off. That was a great point, thoroughly deserved’.
Another goalless return at Fratton was disappointing, but to have seen Arsenal also fail to score meant that I was more than happy with the result – I would have happily settled for a 0-0 before the game in all honesty.
I have nothing but respect for Arsenal – they are a fantastic side – and Wenger – who is a great manager – but sorry, the fella had no right to say what he had, he cannot have expected us to have given Arsenal the freedom to have done as they pleased!
We played to a system that we have used all season – whether we like this or not – so it was nothing new, we were the home side but that does not mean that we had to launch an all out assault on them to have won – if we had done that we would have lost, and probably lost heavily…
4-4-2 is the way that I would like us to go at home, but in my opinion Redknapp was spot on with his selection and tactics yesterday and this saw us gain a point when few had much hope we would get even that.
We have to – and I feel sure we will – be a lot more adventurous against Boro this weekend, by that I mean play 2 up top, they are not a patch on Arsenal so we will create more clear cut chances, we just have to make sure we take them.
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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