Football News : Arsenal defence 'lacks co-ordination' - Wenger

By ESPN staff

Arsene Wenger has hit out at Arsenal's defence and accused his players of lacking urgency.

GettyImagesIt never rains but it pours for Arsene Wenger

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Arsenal are one place above the relegation zone after winning just one of their opening five games. And having shipped 14 goals, Arsenal have the worst goal difference in the Premier League.

Wenger is under no illusions as to where improvements need to be made. With own goals from Alex Song and Laurent Koscielny compounding Wenger's misery in Saturday's 4-3 defeat to Blackburn, he has urged his players to respond, and quickly.

"A lack of concentration, a lack of communication, a lack of co-ordination and individual urgency," said Wenger of his side's problems. "When you score an own goal, you have to look at yourself. It is never completely out of your reach where you have no chance at all. All the rest, you have to look at yourself.

"The Blackburn game is very disappointing and frustrating. I must say that the disappointments and frustrations are huge. We feel that we have given this game away, not that we ha ve lost the game. There is nothing worse in our job than having that feeling."

While Wenger admits it will take time for new signings Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos to settle into the defence, he believes how quickly Arsenal can respond is key to how the season pans out.

"I personally want to focus on the positives, because there is huge potential in this team - we had 22 shots on goal, 61 per cent of the possession," Wenger said. "I believe there is a little question of time, timing. Andre Santos and Per Mertesacker are new, but they were not especially guilty on the goals. But maybe as a unit we need more time to work."

"Our season depends now on how well we respond to this disappointment and how quickly we can cut out the mistakes we made on Saturday by giving away goals that we should never give away."