Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger doubts Kieran Gibbs will improve at West Brom: 'Learning is an attitude in life'
- Kieran Gibbs returns to the Emirates on Monday night as a West Brom player
- Arsene Wenger is unsure that his ex-charge will improve having left Arsenal
- The Gunners manager also suggested that Gibbs lacked mental toughness
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is unsure that former charge Kieran Gibbs will get his desired improvement after leaving Arsenal for West Brom.
Gibbs returns to the Emirates on Monday night for the first time as a West Brom player. The full-back left Arsenal in the summer, ending a 13-year association with the club as he joined Tony Pulis' side for £7million.
Upon his arrival at The Hawthorns Gibbs claimed that his new club was the best place for him to play week-in-week-out. Wenger dismissed the idea that Gibbs would improve having left north London behind.
Arsene Wenger is unsure Kieran Gibbs will get his desired improvement at West Brom
Wenger dismissed the idea that Gibbs would improve having left north London behind
'Once someone takes the decision to leave I wish them well and focus on my squad, but just look at the performances of the players who left us and then come back to me about it,' said Wenger.
'Learning is an attitude in life. It doesn't depend on your geographical status, but more of the attitude in your brain. Are you ready to question yourself every day to see if you can improve?
'Kieran Gibbs became an England international here. He was a regular player many times but he had some fitness worries so we didn't offer him a new deal and that's why he decided to go.
Gibbs made his debut back in 2007 and ended a 13-year association with Arsenal this summer
'You should ask him what he means about being a better defender at West Brom. He will certainly have to defend more because we are a team that goes forward and they are a team who focus more on defending.'
Wenger also suggested that Gibbs' struggles with injury were as much to do with mentality as physicality.
'Kieran had more health problems than Ashley Cole, who had a frail aspect but a tough body,' added the manager.
'Sometimes Ashley had ankle problems but he still played. He played 50 games a year and Kieran had more injury problems than him. It will seem strange to see Kieran in a different shirt because he was educated here from a very young age so I am sure he will have great motivation for this game.'
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