Wenger wary of changing

Boss accepts Lehmann and Gilberto are unhappy

Last updated: 23rd October 2007   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wenger wary of changing

Wenger: Unjust to change

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Arsene Wenger accepts senior players are unhappy at not playing regularly for Arsenal this season, but is reluctant to change a winning team.

The Gunners have enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign and are currently on an 11-game winning run in all competitions.

Jens Lehmann has not featured during that sequence, with the German goalkeeper rumoured to be unsettled by the situation.

Experienced midfielder Gilberto Silva has also been a peripheral figure this term and Wenger understands the duo will not be happy.

However, the Arsenal boss concedes he is wary of tinkering with his side ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League tie with Slavia Prague.

"I never had that before," said the Frenchman.

Unjust

"You can only trust to what you see, it is the price of the team doing well on a consistent level for four, five, six games.

"It's unjust to change the team if you are doing well. They are not happy to be in the situation of course. I never try to convince someone to be happy in a position like that.

"We are in a job where competition is vital and we have to deal with those kind of situations and the top-level players deal with that.

"Gilberto and Lehmann are certainly not happy, but their attitude in training is certainly spot-on. That's where you gain more respect.

"My biggest job is to win the next game, and my players are so professional they will always behave like professionals."