"Failed again" - Wenger delivers withering Tottenham putdown after Kane comments

10 May 2023 , 19:21

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Harry Kane says Tottenham "need to discuss some of the standards around the team and the training ground" (Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal icon Arsene Wenger has dissected Tottenham's issues in the wake of Harry Kane's suggestion that all is not right behind the scenes in north London.

Former Gunners boss Wenger, who won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during his 22 years with the club, was working as a pundit for beIN Sports on Wednesday night's Champions League semi-final between AC Milan and Inter Milan when presenter Richard Keys asked him about Kane's latest comments.

"It's been a difficult season," Kane had told Sky Sports.

"Probably the last couple of years, the last two or three, we haven't been where we want to be as a club, so ultimately, there's some internal stuff we need to talk about.

"We need to discuss some of the standards around the team and the training ground, which we need to get back to. We had [standards] those in place when Mauricio Pochettino was here, so internally we need to do that.

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"The chairman [Daniel Levy] will make a decision on what he thinks is best for the club, in terms of the coach and who he wants to bring in, the players to go and who he wants to bring in.

Ksne suggested there has been a fall in standards (AFP via Getty Images)

"I always think you're never too far away from being competitive with the right people, but also, you're never too far away from dropping down to 10th or 11th place in the Premier League because that is the standard.

"It's an important moment for the club, to feel a connection again with the fans, who I know have been frustrated with these moments. We need to try to build that relationship back up and try to push all in the same direction."

Wenger responded to what Kane said by suggesting that the issue at Spurs could come down the character of the players behind the scenes.

Wenger discussed the mounting issues at Spurs (beINSports)

"Translated it means that not everybody gives the maximum to perform during training to be good enough in the game," he said.

"Is it down the character of the players or is it down to the whole atmosphere inside the training ground or the coaches? I don't know.

"You need to live every day with players to know what's really going on, and what works and what doesn't work.

"You have to create a culture inside the club that allows the players to perform.

"You need clear rules for everybody to see what you tolerate and what you don't tolerate. When you talk about values, most of the time it is [about] what is not tolerated.

"Players like Harry Kane have high standards. He is now frustrated because for years the team looked on the way up. Since two or three years they look to have failed again."

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