Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has relayed what he feels are the key steps for the club turning around their current form, as they prepare to face AC Milan in the San Siro on Thursday.
Basics key to a positive result
The Gunners are on a run of four defeats in a row, conceding ten and scoring just two goals since they beat Ostersunds FK 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last 32 tie.
“[We need] to fix a reachable target,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference.
“Be practical, pragmatic - focus on what you can do better and analyse well what you didn’t do well and not be scared too much about the consequences of a bad result.”
Wenger also emphasised the need for his players to get the basics right in order to gain a positive result.
“Focus on defending better, playing quicker and doing more things together. Reachable targets to improve the team.”
One source of Europa League experience that could be key in this tie is Henrik Mkhitaryan, who won the competition last season with Manchester United.
“I hope he will help us,” Wenger said.
“At the moment, before thinking of winning the Europa League, we have to face Milan and try to give absolutely everything to qualify.
“It will be a tight game, a tight tie because Milan are going well so we have to focus on that.”
Koscielny calls for positivity
Defender Laurent Koscielny joined his boss facing the media ahead of this last 16 tie and said that unity is key for them to turn their season around.
The French defender said: “We need to be focused on our game against Milan, to be together. That’s the most important thing. It doesn’t matter what’s going on outside. We need to stay together like a team."
As well as focus, the experienced centre-back also said that positivity is key.
"We are in a negative spiral," Koscielny admitted. "It's a little hard to get out of it but I think we need to focus on the positive vibes.
"When you think about negative things you will say, 'Ok, it's true, we're not good.'
"Positive vibes can give us more and more confidence, and we have to believe in our quality."