Arsene Wenger has admitted that his current crop of
players will not be labelled as a 'great side' until they win
trophies.
The Gunners last lifted a trophy in 2005 when they
defeated Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
They have since shown flickers of their quality and
potential, but failed to impose themselves in the Premier League,
and fallen at the final hurdle in UEFA Champions League and League
Cup finals.
However, Wenger's men have impressed so far this season,
currently topping the league table while readying themselves for
the second leg of their Champions League last 16 encounter with
Milan.
And the French tactician has challenged his youngsters to
take that extra step by claiming glory come the end of the
season.
"This team will achieve great things and improve, no
matter what happens tomorrow (Tuesday) night [against Milan],"
Wenger explained
Asked what makes a great side, the Arsenal boss answered:
"By winning major trophies and consistently competing at the top
level.
"I can play a great shot in tennis, or in golf -
but to beat a great player I need to be consistent.
"Consistency is the first mark of a great team. We have
that.
"After that you have sides who make history, who win the
European Cup three, four or five times on the trot.
"At the moment, this team is far from doing that, we have
to go step by step.
"They have experienced different steps. The first one is
to raise up the level I expected them to achieve.
"The second thing is to be under expected performances.
Before January, we were the surprise of the season, since January
people take us as candidates for the Premier League so we have
matured quite quickly under a lot of pressure.
"It was not a surprise to me, but from the environment of
the game. I felt that no-one else believed in us."