There have been hundreds of posts written about how Arsenal have a distinct LACK of leaders on the pitch, especially the type that can take the players by the scruffs of their necks when are playing badly, or when we go behind to a scrappy goal.
We have the non-playing Per Mertesacker as our current captain, and the much less vocal Laurent Koscielny as the acting leader on the pitch, and this week even the mild-mannered Theo Walcott was given the armband against West Ham. I really can’t see eith Koscielny or Walcott leading from the front on the pitch.
Well, according to Hector Bellerin, the Gunners have lots of leaders in the dressing room, of which Alexis Sanchez is the one that shows his feelings the most. Hector said about Sanchez on Arsenal.com: “He wants to train hard every day, not just what we have to do on the pitch but outside of it,”
“Sometimes he’s the first one to tell other players when we’re not giving 100 per cent.
“He’s a leader, we have loads of leaders in the dressing room but he’s the first one to get frustrated. Everyone sees that when he’s not happy he’s very expressive. Some people don’t show it as much as him, but when we lose or things don’t go well everyone gets frustrated.
“I think the mentality in the team – even though some people don’t express it – it’s the same one. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to do their best but sometimes things don’t work. But it’s true that Alexis is a true fighter, he’s got a great winning mentality and that’s why things are going so well for him.
“We have a great atmosphere inside the dressing room,” the defender added. “When you start losing, that’s when you realise how strong your dressing room is, but even when things are not going well we have people who lift us up from inside the dressing room and I think that’s really important.”
I can’t help but think that Bellerin keeps talking about how the players are in the dressing room but that is not where we need them. It’s on the pitch!
I don’t see anyone other than Alexis doing that job.
Darren